O N T H E F L Y

If you’ve never been to Boston, you’re missing out. I don’t say this just because I was initially enamored by the FREE (yes! free!) sunscreen dispensers they have all over the city, or the fact that cider is a very acceptable drink of choice over beer here, but I say this mostly for these reasons (kidding).

Traveling to different cities can be expensive, but if you’re willing to skimp on typical luxury and are willing to walk, it doesn’t always have to be. Here are my suggestions for what to do and see in Boston for $10 or under!

The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is quite literally–a trail. However, it’s more like a two brick wide, 2.5 mile path that leads you from Bunker Hill all the way to Boston Commons, in a convoluted way which passes through various historical sights. You could spend an hour, all day, or all weekend walking the Freedom Trail (we took two days), all depending on how historically savvy you want to be, and how far off the trail you find yourself wandering.

Although certain things on the trail, like Paul Revere’s house and the Old North Church charge for entry, places like Bunker Hill and the U.S.S. Constitution (pictured below) are free, and I thought those were the most interesting of the lot anyway. Bunker Hill is rightly free–who wants to pay to walk up 294 steps? Be warned, your legs will feel like jelly if you go up and down in 20 minutes.

Cambridge

Cambridge is a very cute, student-friendly part of Boston which has lots of cute cafes and bookstores. Makes sense, since it is home to Harvard University. So you can go have a walk around and pretend that you’re a Harvard student, or you can do what my friend Steph and I did, and go to Felipe’s Taqueria and get a burrito and eat the whole thing like the cultured (like yogurt) college grads we are.

Beacon Hill

The most expensive place to live in Boston, Beacon Hill is definitely upscale but also a gorgeous and quaint town. Because it was such a hot day, Steph and I walked into a few boutique shops just for the a/c, and we did the whole unspoken ritual of looking around for just enough time to make it look like you actually came in to shop, and then saying a timid “thank you” and booking it out of there before you accidentally spill iced coffee on a $400 piece of cloth.

Don’t forget to look for Acorn Street–it’s the most photographed street in Boston, for good reason! The Cheers Bar is also a popular tourist pit stop, even for those of us who haven’t seen Cheers (you’re welcome, Mom). We just popped our heads around the corner to look for a second, so let us know if the food is actually good here!

Downeast Cider Tour

Here comes the interesting part (if you’re 21+!). Boston’s local cider house, Downeast, offers an hour long tour of their facilities, where they give you about ten generously-sized samples of their ciders for $9! If you were to go order a cider at a bar or restaurant in Boston, it would cost you $7 or $8, plus tip. So is the tour worth it? I definitely think so.

The tour we took was also well over an hour, and included tasting unreleased flavors and having a say in which ones you prefer over others. Not to mention, the company itself is very laid back and welcoming–we were 15 minutes late to our tour (thanks, Kyle), and as long as you call and let them know, they’re very accommodating.

P.S. If you’re driving, we would not recommend finishing all your samples. Give them to your friends. 🙂

Newbury Street

Just past Fenway, you’ll hit the shopping center of Boston. Now I can’t promise that you won’t spend any money here, but walking around Newbury Street is free, right?

The Lawn on D

I don’t have photos from the Lawn on D either because I’m an idiot or because I was having too much fun that I forgot. You choose.

Anyway, this is a little park in the middle of Boston is the perfect place to spend the afternoon. With life-sized chess and checkers boards, as well as corn hole and Jenga, and giant circular swings (!!), you really can’t go wrong. There’s also a bar, but beware, the prices here are not your friend. I mean, Bud Light is $6.50. Don’t hate yourself.

The North End

The North End, or Boston’s Little Italy, is–you guessed it–the best place for Italian food in the city. While you probably can’t go too wrong in this area, I would highly recommend Lucia Ristorante and Quattro for pasta and pizza, respectively. Read all about our Boston food adventures here.

And there you have it. Boston for $0-10. There’s no greater feeling than avoiding the stress sweats of when you walk into a place you realize you wouldn’t be able to afford in 100 years. You are welcome.