Love this City! Tips from a Boston Resident

The Museum of Fine Arts- Monet, Degas, and Renoir: you must see these treasures. They will breathe new life into your soul.

Sam Adams Brewery- Drink beer in the middle of the day? That's the Boston way!

Freedom Trail Tours- As a resident, I'm not a fan of tours, but I remember when I first came here, this was my favorite. It is historical, valuable, and interesting. This really connects you with Boston and its importance in American history

Nantucket Ferry- It's outside the city, but a day in Nantucket can be relaxing and refreshing, especially after walking around Boston all day.

Flemings- It’s the best steakhouse in all of Boston, hands down.

Quick Tips:

1.) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BOSTIX: If you're going to a show, go to BOSTIX (with locations in Copley Square and Fanieul Hall) at 10am and buy tickets for the show the day of. The seats are usually fabulous, and even better, cheap! You can see more shows for your dollar this way.

2.) BUY A GO BOSTON CARD: Go to www.gobostoncard.com and purchase a go Boston Card so you can get unlimited admission to over 50 Boston sites (this includes all the museums, whale-watching and duck tours, outlets, etc). That way, you will have to pay one low cost to hit up all the tourist and cultural attractions!

3.) TRY SOME LOCAL BREWERIES: Rock Bottom Brewery would be a good place to start. Or take a tour of the SAM ADAMS brewery. This here town is a PUB town, and I suggest you hit back a few on your retreat

Best Way To Get Around:

1.) If you are staying a week, buy a weekly T pass. If you are staying less than a week, don't bother. The cost of riding the T is .25 per ride, so you can do the math. Will it cost you more to buy the T pass or not? If you're staying only a few days, it probably will (a T pass costs 19 bucks).

2.) Cabs are expensive. If you don't know your way around, it can be tough to know whether a cab is necessary or not. Cabs can ring up a hefty fine, so you might want to either walk or take the T.

I finally got to take a New England Whale Watch with my parents when they came to visit my girlfriend and I in Boston. I can understand now why this activity is so popular. When you see your first whale, it really grabs you. There are things THIS BIG living in the ocean, right under our nose? The enormity of it is astounding.

We used our Go Boston Card to take the Whale Watch on a nice day last June. The trip lasts about 4 hours, so if you're not good on boats, or a little stir crazy this trek may not be for you. Most of the trip is transportation to the whale watching spot. The narrators of the tour were very friendly, intelligent and all of the individuals aboard were naturalists, so they really care about the whales. They record their findings as they show each whale, and explain the behavior you are seeing from the boats edge. It's very difficult to take clear pictures as the the behavior is unpredictable, however, by the end of the trip you'll be able to tell the difference between ocean spray and a spout thanks to these caring, informed individuals.

Though there are concessions on the boat, they are a little pricey, I recommend eating before the boat ride (with time to let your stomach settle--lots of stopping and starting with the boat) as well as a light snack and plenty of water. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and leave the hats at home, sometimes they take off into the water--unfortunately happened to me--oh well. I mostly felt guilty about "littering." You would too, after seeing such incredible animals.

Located just off of Hanover Street in the North End, this quiet family-style Italian restaurant has several small, intimate rooms to make your visit to the restaurant private and close. I attended on restaurant week, usually the kiss of death for most restaurants, but the food was perfect. My table of 6 was treated as if we were the only table in the entire place, and the food offered on the restaurant week menu was fulfilling and uniquely paired. I would dine there again, with one or more persons. I recommend the wild mushroom ravioli or the lobster ravioli. They also had a very inventive wine list with many bold options.

This independent movie theater, located in Brookline, is the perfect spot to take a date to a movie. Unlike large movie theaters, this movie theater has all the atmosphere of an old 50s movie, but the compelling conversations starter of a truly unique independent film. A great idea would be to grab a late dinner and some drinks and see one of the Coolidge's midnight events, which range from the truly touching to the humorous and ironic. Check the theater's website for more information, times, and tickets. http://www.coolidge.org

The area around the theater Coolidge Corner has unique restaurants, shops, and is only a short walk from the Allston nightlife or a short T-ride from Boston. It's safe for walking, and a short jaunt over to J.P. Licks for some ice cream (open late) might be what it takes to really nail shut a great date.

One of my favorite beer places in all of Boston, this small beer house in Washington Square has a beer cellar bound to make any A+ beer fan's mouth water. The food is pretty standard fare, steak fries and hamburgers, but the beer itself is the true attraction.

I went to the Museum of Science recently with a few friends for the Star Wars exhibit. It was a Saturday and the place was packed. We couldn't even see the Star Wars Exhibit until 4pm, so we just roamed around the General Admission area (which is fantastic). The only unfortunate thing is that the Museum of Science attracts so many children that many of the adults can't fully enjoy the hands-on exhibits (kids occupy most of the space) so the museum is probably best for families with children 8 and up. Inside the museum there are live animals including baby chickens, small monkeys, owls, and a possum which the children can enjoy during select times. (The monkeys and the chickens are usually on display at all times.) The museum is fairly expensive (about $25 s general admission for adults) so if you're just visiting you might want to go with a value pass like the Go Boston Card which will get you into multiple attractions for one low price. The good thing is that Duck Tours leave from the Museum of Science as well, so if you want to take a Duck Tour before your visit it would be a good idea.