What's New

Boston & Cambridge

With each passing day, Boston loses a little more of the construction site that has dominated downtown for most of the last 2 decades. Parks, surface roads, and buildings are under construction, replacing the expressway that completely came down -- finally -- in 2005. The downtown area has unobstructed access to the waterfront for the first time in half a century.

The transit authority, or MBTA (tel. 800/392-6100 or 617/222-3200; www.mbta.com), has announced plans to raise fares on all of its train, bus, and ferry lines in 2007. The price hike coincides with the introduction of a new automated fare-collection system. Silver Line "rapid transit service" (fancy talk for electric buses) links South Station, the South Boston waterfront, and Logan Airport, with direct service to the airport terminals.

At press time, the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, 435 Summer St. (tel. 800/WESTIN-1 or 617/532-4600; www.westin.com), near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, was planning a summer 2006 opening. The Inter-Continental Boston, 500 Atlantic Ave. (tel. 800/424-6835), on the waterfront near the Financial District, should welcome its first pampered tycoon in late 2006.

On September 17, 2006, the Institute of Contemporary Art (tel. 617/266-5152; www.icaboston.org) was scheduled to move from the Back Bay to a brand-new 65,000-square-foot building on the South Boston waterfront. The Diller Scofidio + Renfro design is the first newly constructed art museum in Boston in almost a century.

The Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum (tel. 617/269-7150; www.bostonteapartyship.com), which closed after a fire in 2001, plans to expand and reopen in 2007. I've written some version of that sentence at least four times, so call ahead before visiting.

Tours of Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way (tel. 617-226-6666; www.redsox.com), no longer definitely include a walk on the field, but they're great fun. Since the last edition of this book, the 2004 Red Sox won the World Series, snapping an 86-year unlucky streak -- and their fans still won't shut up about it.

Another sports venue, formerly the FleetCenter, is now TD Banknorth Garden, which means the Celtics and Bruins once again play at "the Garden" (or, in Bostonian, "Gah-din").

The luxury chain Barneys New York (tel. 617/385-3300; www.barneys.com) renovated a movie theater in the upscale Copley Place mall and opened in Boston in 2006.

Boston University's new hockey rink, Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave. (tel. 617/353-4628; www.agganisarena.com), is turning out to be a popular concert venue with touring rock and pop artists.

Side Trips from Boston

The Liberty Ride (tel. 781/862-0500, ext. 702; www.libertyride.us), the only way to tour Lexington and Concord without driving (public transit doesn't connect the towns), has extended its season and now operates from late May through mid-October.

Rockport legalized liquor sales in July 2005, ending decades as one of the state's few remaining "dry" towns. Alcohol may only be served with a meal.

Visitors to Plymouth in 2007 can look forward to celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Mayflower II (tel. 508/746-1622; www.plimoth.org), the beloved replica of the type of ship the Pilgrims sailed to the New World in 1620. Sadly, the Plymouth National Wax Museum closed in 2005.

Cape Cod

Visitors driving to Cape Cod over the Sagamore Bridge will notice a big change. Where's the rotary? After being in the planning stage for roughly 10 years, the Sagamore Bridge "fly-over" project finally got off the ground in 2005 and is expected to be finished some time in 2006. When it's all finished, the rotary will be history and drivers may experience shorter delays when crossing onto the Cape.

The Cape Cod Maritime Museum has opened at 135 South St. in Hyannis. Check www.capecodmaritimemuseum.org, for more details.

The newly renovated Provincetown Art Association & Museum (tel. 508/487-1750; 460 Commercial St., Provincetown), which has a large modern addition, is well worth a visit.

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket

The Vineyard's top nightclub, The Hot Tin Roof (incongruously located at the Martha's Vineyard Airport), has been sold. The new owner plans to change the name and add a restaurant, but to keep the big acts -- comedy, rock, reggae, Latin music, and blues -- coming. For more information, call tel. 508/693-1137 or check out their website, www.mvhottinroof.com.

The Vineyard's other nightclub, the Atlantic Connection, is being closed as well and turned into a games arcade. The restaurant next door, Seasons Bar ?n' Grill on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs (tel. 508/693-7129), will get a spiffy renovation.

The biggest news on the Nantucket restaurant scene is the reopening of Chanticleer, 9 New St., Siasconset (tel. 508/257-4499). The fancy French restaurant in the rose-covered cottage had long been one of the island's most cherished fine-dining spots until it closed a couple years ago. Now it is being reinvented by Susan Handy and chef Jeff Worster, who have made the casual Black Eyed Susan's one of the island's best, and funkiest, dining choices. The style of food at the new Chanticleer is "modern bistro," and the fresh decor feels warmer and more approachable.

Central & Western Massachusetts

The Old Inn on the Green, Route 57 (tel. 413/229-7924) in bucolic New Marlborough (near Great Barrington), has sold its pre-Revolutionary tavern and the adjacent Thayer House to a gifted chef and his wife. They now operate as an entity separate from the other properties.

Great Barrington itself has become the dining locus of the southern Berkshires. New to the mix is Aegean Breeze, 327 Stockbridge Rd. (tel. 413/528-4001), a Greek roadside taverna that exceeds expectations with admirable renditions of mezedes, moussaka, and thalasina.

In Stockbridge, the promising American Craftsman restaurant has closed.

Blantyre, Route 20 (tel. 413/637-3556), long one of Lenox's most luxurious resort hotels, will now remain open year-round.

Things are stirring in Pittsfield, with an expanding social and cultural calendar and a hopeful new vitality among its citizens. One bit of evidence is the restored Thaddeus Clapp House, 74 Wendell Ave. (tel. 413/499-6840), a grand but friendly bed-and-breakfast run by a hearty Pittsfield booster. The sophisticated downtown wine bar and bistro Brix, 40 West St. (tel. 413/236-9463), a Francophilic enterprise run with infectious enthusiasm, is further evidence of Pittsfield's revival. Barkeeps pour more than 50 wines by the glass to accompany tasty panini and small plates.

On Route 7, near the Lenox border, the folksy former Yellow Aster has been upgraded to a sleek, New York-style steakhouse, Asters, 1015 South St. (tel. 413/499-2075). There's live jazz on the weekends.

The on-and-off resurrection of North Adams continues as well, touched off by the sprawling Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (also known as Mass MoCA). Among the many entrepreneurs drawn here is Bill Gideon, not only chef and owner of Gideon's at 34 Holden St. (tel. 413/664-9449) but also of Gideon's Luncheon & Nightery, 23 Eagle St. (tel. 413/664-0404), which brings a bit of after-dark pizazz to town by offering live music at week's end.

East of town, a worthwhile destination is the inn-restaurant Jae's, 1111 South State St. (Rte. 8) (tel. 413/664-0100). The ebullient owner has created a menu that bounds across the borders of several Asian nations, from fresh-as-dawn sushi to Thai curries to kimchi stew. He also offers 12 rooms for rent.

Connecticut

Fairfield County, the "Gold Coast" in the southwestern corner of the state, has seen the closing of several once-honored restaurants, including Zanghi on Summer Street in Stamford and Amberjack's in South Norwalk. All were quickly replaced.

In Stamford, Zinc, 222 Summer St. (tel. 203/252-2352), is a pleasurable semi-authentic replica of a Left Bank bistro complete with a zinc-topped bar and a street-side terrace for warmer days.

The Inn at National Hall, an ultra-posh hostelry in Westport, was once among the state's finest lodgings. But that image has eroded and the owner has recently sought approval to convert it into condos. In another corner of the same wealthy exurb, the Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Ct. (tel. 203/227-4177), has announced a physical expansion and a new on-premises restaurant to go with a calendar that stretches from summer into the cooler months.

South Norwalk ("SoNo") continues to be a dining destination. Of the ever-growing possibilities, check out Matches, 98 Washington St. (tel. 202/852-1088), where the buzz has as much to do with the contemporary takes on pasta and pizza as with the bar scene. Increasingly, the neighborhood is also a postprandial choice of singles and young professionals. The Black Bear Saloon, 80 Washington St. (tel. 203/299-0711), brings in cover bands, and the Shacojazz Art Café, 21 North Main St. (tel. 203/853-6124), presents America's original art form in many variations, while Relish, 86 Washington St. tel. 203/854-5300) and SoNo Caffeine, 133 Washington St. (tel. 203/857-4224), favor folkies and singer-songwriters.

When it was serving meals, Belgique, 1 Bridge St. (tel. 860/927-3681) in Kent, garnered giddily enthusiastic reviews. The owner pulled away from the pressures of managing a full-service restaurant, turning his attention to his earlier career as a pastry chef and chocolatier. He now sells the exquisite results in a bungalow behind the larger restaurant building.

New Haven's Ibiza, 39 High St. (tel. 203/865-1933), began life as a casual tapas joint. The owners have upgraded to an elevated form of Nuevo Spanish cuisine, and it now draws delighted attention from critics well beyond the state borders.

Farther along the Shoreline, in Guilford, the former Esteve has morphed into Martin's, 25 Whitfield St. (tel. 203/458-1300), with little change in either staff or the accomplished New American menu. One big difference: It's now open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The tribal nations of southeastern Connecticut can't build casinos (and hotels, nightclubs, and marinas) fast enough. The cascades of money extracted from floods of eager gamblers has inspired the Mashantucket Pequots to announce yet another $700-million budget, to include a fourth hotel, a parking garage, and two golf courses.

Rhode Island

The state's "Renaissance City" continues to reinvent itself. The latest neighborhood to garner attention, the Downtown Arts District, is a SoHo-like area of 19th-century lofts and office buildings. Of interest to visitors is the new Hotel Providence, 311 Westminster St. (tel. 800/861-8990), which combined two adjoining mid-rises into a stylish boutique hotel. The lobby and hallways are filled with artworks and antiques, and the well-regarded Italian restaurant L'Epicureo, 311 Westminster St. (tel. 401/521-3333), has relocated here from a long-standing location on Federal Hill.

L'Epicureo wasn't the only popular eating place to pull up stakes and move downcity. Now at 194 Washington St., Gracie's (tel. 401/272-7811) has brought along its trademark decorative stars and inventive New American cooking with barely a discernible misstep.

On the way from Providence to Newport, pull off the highway at Tiverton for lunch at the new Boat House, 227 Schooner Dr. (tel. 401/624-6300). Built originally to accommodate buyers of condo units up the hill, its fresh seafood specialties and panoramic view of Sakonnet Bay brought in so many customers that the owners decided to enclose part of the terrace and extend a previously summer-only season.

In Newport, the dining room of the posh Chanler hotel has conquered some early start-up stuttering to finally match its sumptuous surroundings. Spiced Pear, 117 Memorial Blvd. (tel. 401/847-2244), pursues a vision of old-world elegance with an adroit staff bringing dishes composed of such treasured ingredients as Kobe beef and Iranian caviar.

And in Westerly, at the far western tip of South County, a converted woolen mill that has operated as a restaurant under several names has opened once again as The Up River Café, 37 Main St. (tel. 401/348-9700). Count this as a decided improvement on earlier occupants. While the New American menu features both seafood and meats, the river running beneath the ancient building leads to thoughts of lobster bisque and the scallops brought to dock in nearby Stonington.

Vermont

The Vermont Raptor Center (tel. 802/457-2779) has reopened in Quechee, a few miles away from its former home on a Woodstock hillside.

The American Museum of Fly Fishing (tel. 802/362-3300) in Manchester has also reopened in new digs, these just south of the Orvis flagship store (which stocks a wide variety of fishing equipment). It holds an impressive collection of fly-fishing memorabilia, including Ernest Hemingway's pole and tackle.

Yet another reopening: The Vermont Ski Museum (tel. 802/253-9911) is now right on Main St. in downtown Stowe.

Middlebury's Swift House Inn, 25 Stewart Lane (tel. 802/388-9925), has changed owners for the second time in a year, but continues to be first-rate.

New Hampshire

On the coast in Portsmouth, Pesce Blue, 106 Congress St. (tel. 603/430-7766), is a hot new Italian seafood restaurant.

Also in Portsmouth, the French bakery Café La Brioche closed down, but a great coffeehouse, Breaking New Grounds (tel. 603/436-9555), has moved into its former location -- and retained the outdoor tables on Market Square.

In Hanover, the big Dartmouth Bookstore has been acquired by the college bookstore division of Barnes & Noble, but remains mostly as it was.

The Enfield Shaker Museum in Enfield moved into the Great Stone Dwelling, which had formerly housed the Shaker Inn.

Bellini's in North Conway has relocated to Route 16 but still serves the same great Italian family fare.

Maine

In Ogunquit, the Shore Road restaurant known as Five-O has a new chef (Zachary Crosby), new ownership team, and a new twist: more French fare, as opposed to the Caribbean influences that formerly predominated. Also in Ogunquit, the legendary Perkins Cove restaurant, Hurricane, has closed (the branch in Kennebunkport's Dock Square is still going strong, however).

The Shoreline Explorer shuttle has started service between Amtrak's Wells Station and hotels in the Kennebunks, Wells, Ogunquit, York, and Sanford. Call tel. 207/324-5762 to arrange a pickup.

Sadly, the early-August Maine Festival (previously held each year in Brunswick) has apparently ceased to exist.

The Sea Dog Brewing Co. brewpub has moved from its original home in Camden to a restored mill in Topsham.

There's a new way to view the foliage along the Maine coast during fall: by boarding the Maine Eastern Railroad as it runs between the coastal communities of Brunswick and Rockland. Round-trip fares run about $55 per adult, half price for children ages 5 to 12. Check the railroad's website at www.maineeasternrailroad.com for more details.

Camden lost a notable fine-dining experience when Cork closed. Happily, however, the new Francine Bistro (tel. 207/230-0083) has moved into town at 55 Chestnut St., and is garnering rave reviews as the next great Camden dining experience.

The Kelmscott Rare Breeds Foundation just inland from Lincolnville Beach, which formerly conserved rare breeds of livestock, has transferred some of its stock to other organizations and is no longer open to the public.

The large and new Bar Harbor Grand Hotel (tel. 888/766-2529 or 207/288-5226) in the heart of Bar Harbor echoes the design of the town's original grand hotel -- the one that helped put the town on the tourist map in the first place.

Win one, lose one: Elaine's Stardust Oasis in Bar Harbor closed, but Eden Vegetarian Café (tel. 207/288-4422) has capably replaced it at 78 West St.

A number of new (and surprisingly modern) seafood and fusion restaurants have recently sprouted up in, of all places, the sparsely settled Southwest Harbor area on the western lobe of Mount Desert Island. The two best are Red Sky (tel. 207/244-0476) and Fiddlers' Green (tel. 207/244-9416).