Boston looks great. It has a new landmark bridge that's part of a new highway system, a sparkling-clean harbor, and a constantly evolving street pattern that shows off random sections of downtown -- whether you want to see them or not. Visitors in 2006 will see the results of the massive construction job known as the Big Dig, which replaced the elevated highway through downtown with a tunnel. The $14.6 billion project technically wrapped up in 2005 after more than a decade and a half of widespread disruption. The parks, surface roads, and buildings that will take the place of the expressway will be in the works when you visit.
Although it's no longer new or news, the Boston Red Sox's 2004 World Series title remains one of the best conversational icebreakers ever. The team and its fans had gone 86 roller-coaster years between championships, and the celebration that ensued is still raging. Whether it concerns noisy neighbors or a visit to a relative's grave to leave a World Series banner (this actually happened -- a lot), just about everyone has a story. Throw in the New England Patriots' three Super Bowl victories in 4 years (2002, 2004, and 2005), and the city's practically a freestanding sports bar.
The sports and entertainment arena near North Station, long known as the FleetCenter, got a new name in 2005: The TD Banknorth Garden. You can see it on TV during the NCAA women's basketball Final Four in April 2006.
Here's a look at some other developments.
Getting To Know Boston
The MBTA (tel. 617/222-3200; www.mbta.com) will begin phasing out the use of tokens in 2005 and 2006. The new CharlieTicket (paper) and CharlieCard (plastic) will be optional on buses and aboveground trolley routes, mandatory on the subway. The transition will proceed one line at a time; check at the station entrance to see which method of payment applies.
Also new is a bus line that links South Station and the South Boston waterfront, with plans to extend the route to Logan Airport. Silver Line "rapid transit service" (fancy talk for an electric bus route) also connects Downtown Crossing to the South End and Roxbury.
The popular Night Owl bus service, which operated into the wee hours on Friday and Saturday evenings, fell victim to budget considerations in 2005. Don't forget plenty of cab fare for your evening excursion
Accommodations
A whopping 14 of Boston's 61 hotels have opened since 2002, with another half-dozen under construction. The latest addition is the Bulfinch Hotel, 107 Merrimac St. (tel. 800/4-CHOICE; www.bulfinchhotel.com), near North Station. A dramatic renovation of a century-old former warehouse, it's an ingeniously designed property near North Station.
What's really new is the nonstop upgrading of existing hotels. The most common new perk is wireless Internet access (for a fee or included in the room rate).
Dining
The chic French wine bar Les Zygomates has gained a sibling, Sorriso Trattoria, 107 South St. (tel. 617/259-1560; www.sorrisoboston.com), a few doors down from the original. Defying the laws of genetics, the new addition to the family is Italian.
The best new hotel restaurant Boston has seen in many years is Spire, in the hyper-chic Nine Zero hotel, 90 Tremont St. (tel. 617/772-0202; www.spirerestaurant.com). It's a perfect combination of local produce and products, Mediterranean flavors and techniques, and attentive service in a gorgeous space.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are finally available in Boston proper, at the Shops at Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St. (tel. 617/262-5531).
Goofy name notwithstanding, Picco, 513 Tremont St. (tel. 617/927-0066), is a great addition to the chic South End culinary scene -- a pizza joint. The "Pizza and Ice Cream Company" makes exceptionally good use of its massive wood-fired oven and house-made frozen treats.
Boston has a seemingly inexhaustible appetite for steak. The Ruth's Chris Steak House chain is the latest to enter the market, with a planned opening in Sept 2005 in Old City Hall, 45 School St. (tel. 800/544-0808; www.ruthschris.com).
What To See & Do
Ambitious expansion plans call for the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum (tel. 617/269-7150; www.bostonteapartyship.com) to double in size, gain a tearoom, and add two replicas of the ships that figured into the colonial revolt. The attraction closed after a fire in 2001; if you hope to visit, call ahead to see whether it's on schedule to reopen in 2006.
The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities has a new, less 19th-century-sounding name: Historic New England. It retains control of some of the region's most interesting historic properties, including the Otis House Museum (formerly the Harrison Gray Otis House) in Boston, Lincoln's Gropius House, and Beauport in Gloucester.
Shopping
Harvard Square standby WordsWorth Books has closed, leaving behind one of the best children's bookstores in the Boston area: Curious George Goes to WordsWorth, 1 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge (tel. 617/498-0062).
American Apparel, the California-based anti-sweatshop pioneer, has expanded its retail operation to include Boston's Back Bay. Check out the chic T's, comfy underthings, and other knitwear at 138 Newbury St. (tel. 617/536-4768; www.americanapparel.ca).
Higher up the fashion food chain but just one layer of fabric above that fair-trade thong is the merchandise at Jean Therapy, 524 Commonwealth Ave. (tel. 617/266-6555; www.jean-therapy.com). It boasts the hottest designer labels and an exceptionally helpful staff.
The Penzeys chain of spice stores broke into the Massachusetts market in 2005 at 1293 Mass. Ave. in Arlington (tel. 800/741-7787; www.penzeys.com). If you don't have a car, you'll have to ride the bus, but it's absolutely worth the trip.
Boston After Dark
The turn-of-the-century wave of bank mergers has spilled over into the cultural world. The TD Banknorth Garden and the Bank of America Pavilion are the new names of the FleetCenter and the FleetBoston Pavilion, respectively.
Side Trips From Boston
The Liberty Ride (tel. 781/862-0500, ext. 702; www.libertyride.us), a bus tour that originally concentrated on Lexington, now covers Concord as well.
At press time, Rockport was debating the wisdom of permitting liquor sales in the town for the first time since shortly after the repeal of Prohibition.
The Plymouth National Wax Museum, one of the most beloved attractions in eastern Massachusetts, closed in 2005.
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