At Tweedz, we love to explore new places. Sights, Sounds, & Salivation: A Travel Guide for Music Lovers, is our new '3 things not to miss...' travel series that focuses on providing a few tips from our travels - exploring one essential sight, one sound (music venue), and one salivation worthy restaurant or culinary experience from a city worth checking out. If you only have 24 hours, be sure to fit these stops into your trip. This stop...BOSTON!
Boston, Massachusetts - the urban heart of New England and one of the oldest cities in the United States. Long before we were even a country, Brits and Yankees alike were eating, drinking, and being merry in this densely populated, character-filled town. The steady influx of college students keeps Boston’s scene fresh, and Boston has a working class musical legacy stretching from classic rock to hardcore punk and metal.
Sights:
One of the most efficient ways to take in a good chunk of Boston’s overflowing American history is by following The Freedom Trail, a strip of red paint that draws a path connecting some of the city’s most iconic places. You can take a guided tour, download one of a few smartphone apps to help, or just freestyle it. Stops include Bunker Hill, Boston Common, and some really cool, really old cemeteries. Pro tip: take a break to grab a beer at the Bell in Hand Tavern, America’s oldest tavern. Tricorn hat optional.
Sounds:
Some of Boston’s best shows happen in basement parties across the gritty neighborhood of Allston, likely violating many fire codes. But for sanctioned events, the Paradise Rock Club usually has something great on the marquee. Big enough to draw hot acts, but small enough that you still feel like you’re in the room with the band, Paradise holds a special place in the city’s music history. It opened in 1977 and is noted for being one of the first big shows U2 played to promote Boy.
Salivation:
Boston has a rich restaurant scene, with plenty of great new world options, but one area where it really shines is in authentic Italian cuisine. Boston’s North End is the historic home to the city’s Italian immigrant population, and a stroll through this neighborhood offers stellar pasta, pizza, and gelato, behind practically every other door you pass. One favorite is The Daily Catch, a tiny storefront that serves Sicillian-style dishes. Hard to go wrong, but the homemade black pasta, made with squid ink, is very popular.
That's all for now. Be sure to check back for more travel recommendations with a music spin or read on to our first post about 3 things not to miss in Austin, Texas.