Boston Entertainment

Summer is a wonderful time to visit Boston, and strolling the parks, historic sites and shopping areas is the best way to get to know the city. Here are a few ideas for your leisure time or for companions not attending our seminars.

Parks

Rollerbladers and runners flock to the Charles River Esplanade. The Public Garden and Boston Common is a ten minute stroll from the conference center, and are where you can find Boston's famous Swan Boats (10:00 am to 5:00 pm, tickets are $2.75, call 617-522-1966 or visit www.swanboats.com for more information). The Commonwealth Mall, which runs parallel to Newbury and Marlborough Street, overflows with walkers, many accompanied by their dogs. One little known oasis is the Back Bay Fens with its gorgeous rose garden and community gardens.

Tours

Boston's Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile red brick or red painted line connecting 16 historic sites, all significant in this country's early struggle for freedom. The Trail travels through Beacon Hill, downtown Boston, the North End, and Charlestown. The Trail itself is an outdoor experience, but the sites it leads to should be entered to be fully appreciated. Walking is easy and pleasant for able-bodied people of all ages. Public transportation is readily available at many points along the Trail and taxi cabs can be flagged from curbside almost anywhere in the city. A handicapped accessible map and guide is available free of charge through the Freedom Trail Foundation. The Freedom Trail is always free for self-guided tours, and 90-minute guided tours by the Freedom Trail Foundation are available for $12. More information is available at www.thefreedomtrail.org.

Another exciting way to see Boston is by Duck Tour ($29 for adults; discounts available for groups of 20 or more; www.bostonducktours.com). On board an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle, cruise by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts, from the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the Boston Garden, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower, and more. And just when you think you've seen it all, it's time for "Splashdown": a ride on the Charles River, offering a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines.

Shopping

Back Bay has the highest concentration of shops in Boston, with two large malls and the city's most famous shopping strip, Newbury Street, all within easy walking distance. Try Boylston Street for affordable retailers. The most up-market retailers are at the Arlington Street end, including Louis Boston, which is the city's answer to Barney's in New York or Harvey Nicholas in London. A short walk from Newbury Street is the Prudential Center Mall (better known in Boston as "The Pru"). One of the Pru's better features is the glassed-in bridge that connects it to the up-market Copley Place Mall, enabling shoppers to cross from one to the other without having to deal with traffic or bad weather. South of Copley is the South End, where the shops are tiny, stylish and eclectic, but, unfortunately, not always clustered conveniently together. Although it's just across Boston Common, Beacon Hill feels like the other side of the world from Downtown Crossing. Blessed to be near the waterfront, the Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market area is one of the region's most popular shopping attractions. It's often crowded on fine days, but the cobblestone setting is charming and there are lots of boutiques and stores. From here, you can head north to investigate the romantic, old-world Italian charm and fantastic cuisine of the nearby North End.

Museums/Galleries

Boston has a magnificent selection of art complexes showcasing a wide range of styles and media. The enormous Museum of Fine Arts (www.mfa.org; free on Wednesdays, 4:00-9:45 pm) is the best known and most popular. Kids love the Children's Museum (www.bostonkids.org) and everyone loves the Museum of Science (www.mos.org) with its Mugar Omni Theatre and planetarium. Newbury Street/South End and Brookline boast a diverse array of galleries, many of which showcase the region's up-and-coming artists.

Theatre/Music

Boston has dozens of theatres, including outstanding regional theatres and venues for touring Broadway shows. The Wang Center for the Performing Arts, the American Repertory Theatre, and the Charles Playhouse are among the better-known theatres. There is also a lively and varied music scene, including the world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra, which performs at Symphony Hall.

Half-Price Tix is an excellent idea for people who are not planning too far in advance. You can buy theatre tickets for half price through BosTix on the day of the performance. BosTix are located in Faneuil Hall and Copley Square at Boylston and Dartmouth Streets. These central locations make BosTix outlets almost mandatory stops if you don't already have evening plans, especially with the significant markdowns. Many productions in the area sell left-over tickets to BosTix. BosTix outlets can have 20-500 seats, depending on the production. BosTix also sells full-price tickets to many events in Boston, including concerts, sports events, theatre and dance performances, sightseeing tours, and dinner cruises. BosTix only accepts cash. For locations and more information, see www.artsboston.org/bostix.cfm.

BosTix open hours: Tues-Sat: 10:00am-6:00pm; Sunday: 11:00am-4:00pm

For mainstream music, check out the TD Banknorth Garden (formerly known as the Fleet Center), the city's largest musical and sporting venue. The Paradise and Avalon are other venues for pop music concerts. In warmer months, the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade is famous for its free classical, jazz and rock concerts. Jazz clubs range from sleek hotel venues such as Scullers and the Regattabar to lively, standing-room-only favorites like Wally's Café (www.wallyscafe.com) and Bob the Chef's (www.bobthechefs.com).

Irish music is also very popular in Boston, with live Irish "seisiuns" occurring almost nightly at The Brendan Behan Pub, The Burren, and the Grand Canal, to name a few.

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