What's New

Boston is hot. It has that magical combination of elements -- there's no formula for it -- that can make a destination so popular it's trendy. Boston's figurative temperature started to rise at around the same time the Big Dig highway-construction project started winding down. The next stage of that massive undertaking is the ongoing development of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the ribbon of parkland springing up in place of the decrepit elevated highway that once separated downtown from the waterfront. Walking along the harbor and around downtown is fun again, and there's always something new and interesting to see.

Here's a look at some other developments.

Planning a Trip to Boston -- International travelers who haven't visited the United States recently may be affected by new, more stringent passport regulations.

Getting to Know Boston -- The MBTA (tel. 800/392-6100 or 617/222-3200; www.mbta.com) has a new fare-collection system -- but if you never encountered the old one, you won't even notice. Returning visitors can check the website to acquaint themselves with the ins and outs of using a CharlieCard (plastic) or CharlieTicket (paper). As of press time, shipping is free if you order your pass online before you leave home -- a good time-saving strategy. When the T changed systems, it also raised fares and revamped its visitor-pass system. The 1-day LinkPass is no great shakes for most travelers, but the 7-day version can save you some bucks if you use it enough.

The South Boston waterfront, also known as the Seaport District, isn't a new neighborhood, but it's home to the relatively new convention center and several new and under-construction hotels and restaurants.

Accomodations

Luxury and high-end business hotel operators are flooding the Boston market with plush, pricey accommodations. Leading the pack was the InterContinental Boston, 510 Atlantic Ave. (tel. 800/424-6835; www.intercontinentalboston.com), which opened on the waterfront near the Financial District in late 2006.

The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St. (tel. 617/224-4000; www.libertyhotel.com), is a renovation and expansion of a local landmark: the Charles Street Jail. Most of the posh, lavishly appointed rooms are in the newly constructed 16-story glass tower that adjoins the original 1851 hoosegow; it opened in the summer of 2007.

The Regent chain is developing the Regent Boston, Battery Wharf, off Commercial Street (tel. 800/545-4000; www.regenthotels.com), a 150-unit boutique hotel in a great North End location. It has a large spa and a late-2007 projected opening date.

On the South Boston waterfront, the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, 606 Congress St. (tel. 800/HOTELS-1; www.marriott.com), adds 471 guest rooms to the neighborhood around the convention center. It's slated to open in late 2007.

Also on the horizon is the 148-unit Mandarin Oriental, Boston, on Boylston Street next to the Prudential Center (tel. 800/526-6566; www.mandarinoriental.com). The 148-unit hotel is part of a stratospherically luxurious development slated to open in the summer of 2008.

Properties in all price categories are keeping up with the high-end Joneses by renovating and redecorating. The Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf (tel. 800/752-7077; www.bhh.com); the Chandler Inn Hotel, 26 Chandler St. (tel. 800/842-3450; www.chandlerinn.com); the Harborside Inn, 185 State St. (tel. 888/723-7565; www.harborsideinnboston.com); the Harvard Square Hotel, 110 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge (tel. 800/458-5886; www.harvardsquarehotel.com); the Longwood Inn, 123 Longwood Ave., Brookline (tel. 617/566-8615; www.longwood-inn.com); the MidTown Hotel, 220 Huntington Ave. (800/343-1177; www.midtownhotel.com); the Millennium Bostonian Hotel, 26 North St. (tel. 866/866-8086; www.millenniumhotels.com); the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common, 10 Avery St. (tel. 800/241-3333; www.ritzcarlton.com); and the Sheraton Commander Hotel, 16 Garden St., Cambridge (tel. 800/325-3535; www.sheratoncommander.com), are among the establishments on the makeover bandwagon.

The Ritz-Carlton, Boston disappeared in February 2007 and is now the Taj Boston, 15 Arlington St. (tel. 877/482-5267; www.tajhotels.com). Other than the name, it's virtually identical in all respects, including personalized, pampering service.

The Howard Johnson Inn near Fenway Park closed in 2007, a victim of redevelopment.

Finally, no matter where you're staying, check before lighting up a cigarette. The entire Westin and Marriott chains have gone smoke-free -- a policy many smaller properties were already following -- and others may follow suit.

Dining

Boston Restaurant Week is now 2 weeks -- the original in August and an extra in March. I prefer the seasonal raw materials available to chefs in the summer, but the offer ($20.07 or $20.08 for lunch, $10 or so more for dinner) is a great deal at any time. The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau lists participating establishments on its website (www.bostonusa.com).

To provision a picnic in or near the North End, head to Volle Nolle, 351 Hanover St. (tel. 617/523-0003), a hole-in-the-wall that's worth seeking out.

A new branch of the steakhouse chain Morton's of Chicago (tel. 866/667-8667; www.mortons.com) is under construction on the South Boston waterfront and plans to open in late 2007 or early 2008.

Caffè Umbra, a South End pioneer in upscale Italian cuisine, has closed.

What to See & Do

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) (tel. 617/468-3100; www.icaboston.org) opened on the South Boston waterfront in December 2006, attracting international attention. The 65,000-square-foot Diller Scofidio + Renfro design is more than just a museum: It's a landmark, a cultural center, and one of the catalysts of the Seaport District's explosion as a full-fledged neighborhood.

The ICA's move necessitated a change all the way across town: The T stop formerly called Hynes/ICA is now "Hynes Convention Center."

A few months after the ICA's big debut, the nearby Boston Children's Museum (tel. 617/426-8855; www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org) reopened after growing by one-third and gaining a dramatic new glass-enclosed lobby.

Kendall Square Community Skating (tel. 617/492-0941; www.paddleboston.com) is a new option for cold-weather visitors. The open-air rink in East Cambridge operates from mid-November to mid-March, weather permitting.

Two of the three Harvard University Art Museums will close for renovations in the summer of 2008. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum (tel. 617/495-9400; www.artmuseums.harvard.edu) will remain open and will showcase the highlights of the collections normally on view at the Fogg Art Museum and the Busch-Reisinger Museum.

The Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum (tel. 617/269-7150; www.bostonteapartyship.com), which closed indefinitely after a fire in 2001, is now scheduled to reopen in 2008.

Shopping

For some people, this might be the biggest news of the year: The Filene's Basement at Downtown Crossing is temporarily closed for construction. Bargain shoppers can hit the Back Bay location at 497 Boylston St (tel. 800/843-8474; www.filenesbasement.com), but it doesn't offer the automatic-markdown policy that makes the century-old original catnip for thrifty fashionistas.

Borders has a new branch a few doors up from the Back Bay Filene's Basement at 511 Boylston St. (tel. 617/236-1444; www.bordersstores.com).

A freestanding Jimmy Choo boutique Jimmy Choo (tel. 617/927-9570; www.jimmychoo.com) has opened in the upscale Copley Place mall. Stand back, or you might wind up impaled on a stiletto heel.

The collapse afflicting three-dimensional music stores has swept across Boston and Cambridge, leaving the Virgin Megastore and Tower Records in its wake.

Boston After Dark

The Hard Rock Cafe (tel. 617/424-ROCK; www.hardrock.com) has relocated from the Back Bay to 24 Clinton St., across the street from Faneuil Hall Marketplace and the Millennium Bostonian Hotel.

In 2006, Citicorp slapped its name on a Boston cultural mainstay that's now called the Citi Performing Arts Center (tel. 617/482-9393; www.citicenter.org). The complex encompasses the Citi Wang Theatre and the Shubert Theatre and is affiliated with the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

Side Trips from Boston

The Salem Ferry (tel. 978/741-0220; www.salemferry.com) is a fun way to visit the Witch City without battling traffic. It runs from downtown Boston's Central Wharf, next to the New England Aquarium, daily from Memorial Day weekend through October.