48 hours in...Boston

Why go now?

Why go now?

Boston has an extra dimension lacking in many US cities: the depth of history that comes from having grown up around the oldest continuously operating port in the Americas. Downtown streets meander erratically and entertainingly; gleaming high-rises are tempered by doddery old terraces, and interrupted by neat redbrick relics of revolution. As the year warms up, so do the Red Sox - the baseball team that is a part of the city's DNA. The relatively short flight from Britain means you can easily visit the Massachusetts state capital for a weekend.

Get your bearings

Logan airport is close to the city centre - just across the harbour from downtown Boston. As you emerge from the arrivals hall, look for the free shuttle bus, number 22 or 33, to Airport Station. Here, buy a token for a dollar and hop on the "T", as the creaky underground railway (America's oldest) is known. Ride the blue line four stops to Government Center, from where you can connect to other lines - or simply walk to most places in the compact downtown area.

Boston is an exception to the rule that US cities are big, ugly and bolted to a grid pattern. The city's colonial roots grew out from its central park, Boston Common, and this is the site of the main Visitor Information Center, which opens 8.30am-5pm daily (from 9am on Sundays). Call 001 617 536 4100 or visit www.bostonusa.com for more information.

Check in

As a word of warning, there is a chronic shortage of accommodation in Boston, which means rates for hotels are high. The Beacon Hill Hotel at 25 Charles Street (001 617 723 7575, www.beaconhillhotel.com) is set in two smartly converted 19th-century town houses in the well-heeled Beacon Hill district. The 13 rooms are decorated in elegant greys, creams and splashes of rich red with plantation shutters and pedestal sinks in the bathrooms, plus a private roof terrace for guests. Doubles cost $245 (£129) including breakfast in the fashionable Beacon Hill Bistro.

"Budget" hotels that are well located include the Midtown (220 Huntington Avenue, South End, 001 617 262 1000, www.midtownhotel.com), which looks like an out-of-town motel, that has sprung up adjacent to the Prudential Center. It costs from $113.82 (£60) for a double room without breakfast. For a more intimate experience, contact Host Homes of Boston (001 617 244 1308, www.hosthomesofboston.com), but don't expect cheap B&B. On a real budget trip, try the big, friendly and comfortable Youth Hostel at 12 Hemenway Street in Back Bay (001 617 536 9455, www.bostonhostel.com). Book in advance to make sure of a bed, particularly if you want one of the five twin rooms ($80, or £42); non-YHA members pay an extra $3 (£1.60) per person.

Take a hike

Boston's Freedom Trail follows a redbrick path taking in 16 of the city's key heritage sights. This two-and-a-half-mile historic tour is a fine way to initiate yourself with Boston's weighty revolutionary past including the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Boston Massacre. It starts from the Visitor Information Center on Boston Common, where you can rent an audio guide for $10 (£5.25) to accompany you.

Lunch on the run

To keep turnover rapid at Al Capone's restaurant at 102 Broad Street, everyone stands up to eat. A $2 (£1.30) "slice" of pizza will fill you up - it comprises two giant slices. On a sunny day, though, you might be more tempted by the Milk Street Café in Post Office Square, which serves Mediterranean food every day except Sunday.

Cultural afternoon

Between May and the end of November free guided tours depart from the National Historical Park Visitor Centre (001 617 242 5642; www.nps.gov/bost), behind the Old State House at 15 State Street. The tours start at 2pm daily, with additional departures during weekends and in summer. A highlight of the walk is Faneuil Hall (Faneuil rhymes with annual), the stout, simple meeting house where the first steps towards a constitution were taken. You will also visit Paul Revere's House, home to America's first Renaissance man, who turned his hand to metalwork as dextrously as he fomented revolution.

Window shopping

The retail epicentre of Boston is where Summer and Winter Streets meet at Washington Street. Filene's department store and Macy's face each other here. And for all those things you don't really need, but which are fun for your friends and family, head for Quincy Market.

An aperitif

Before dinner in the North End, slurp an oyster with champagne at the Union Oyster House at 41 Union Street (001 617 227 2750; www.unionoysterhouse.com). It claims to be the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the US. JFK was a regular here, coming in at weekends to enjoy lobster stew and read the newspapers. His seat, now "The Kennedy Booth", can be booked in advance.

Dining with the locals

Boston is arguably the finest place in the east for fish. The Daily Catch at 323 Hanover Street (001 617 523 8567; www.dailycatch.com) is a tiny, friendly place where the queue for some of the freshest seafood in town stretches out into the street. In the touristy area of Faneuil Hall, one place is so good that the locals eat there even though they would not normally be seen dead in the neighbourhood: Naked Fish (16-18 North Street, 001 617 742 3333; www.nakedfish.com). The creatures in question are grilled with olive oil and lemon. Vegetarians can opt to order sandwiches or a collection of superb side dishes.

Sunday morning: go to church

A sign affixed to a collection box outside the magnificent Old North Church at 193 Salem Street (001 617 523 6676, www.oldnorth.com) emphasises the importance of this place of worship. Two lanterns were hung from the church on 18 April 1775, warning patriots that British troops were coming, and marking the start of the American Revolution. Were it not for the church, "You might be making donations in pound notes". The church opens 9am-5pm daily (to 6pm between June and October).

For something more unusual, visit the extraordinary Mother Church of Christian Science - a huge temple, loosely modelled on the Agia Sophia in Istanbul. Informative tours take place daily; call 001 617 450 3790 or see www.tfccs.com for details.

Out to brunch

Two choices are adjacent on Tremont Street in the South End. At Geoffrey's Café-Bar at number 578 (001 617 266 1122), and Metropolis at 584 (001 617 247 2931), breakfast lasts until 4pm on weekends; the 9am-3pm brunch at Metropolis features a South End Omelette, including "apple chicken sausage" and brie.

A walk in the park

Boston Common, 48 acres of rolling greenery in the heart of the city, is the oldest public park in the US, dating back to 1634. The Common forms the anchor for the "Emerald Necklace", a system of connected parks twisting through Boston and created by Frederick Law Olmsted - the 19th-century father of landscape architecture in America.

The icing on the cake

"Music 365 days a year" is the boast of Wally's Cafe, on Massachusetts Avenue at Columbus. This small, gritty bar features musicians affiliated with the nearby Berklee College of Music. They play on a tiny stage, while the non-paying public crowds into a narrow corridor of space adjacent to the bar. You will be shoulder-to-shoulder with the locals. On Sunday afternoons a jam session runs from 3pm-7pm.

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