There is no better time to visit New England than in the fall. And mid-October is when the foliage is at it’s peak!
A trip to New England is not complete without making a stop into Boston. The weather is typically a perfect temperature of 60’s or low 70’s and the air is dryer than in the summer, making it comfortable to walk around the city.
I was born and raised just outside of Boston and have lived in the city for 10+ years. I’ve tried practically every fitness class there is (except cross-fit), I’ve eaten at most of the local hot spots in town, and have done A LOT of shopping. With so many people I’ve seen visiting Boston recently, I’ve decided to share my local’s guide to the city that I love to eat, sweat and shop in!
My guide is filled with great local food, boutique shopping, and the best places to get your sweat on. What you will NOT find are reviews of the duck boat tours or where my favorite place to get clam chowder is. Don’t get me wrong, these are quintessential things in Boston to try, but if you are like me and want a more local’s experience when visiting a new city, this guide is for you.
As much as I would love to go into detail about each of my favorite places, I will give you a brief review of my top 4 favorites, all of which have one thing in common—they are Boston-based businesses.
And if you don’t have time to read, you can scroll down for my printable guide that lists all of my favorites by category.
EAT:
Row34
If you are a seafood lover like me, having seafood in Boston is a must! In my opinion, Row34 has the best lobster roll and really great fresh local farm-to-table seafood including oysters from the shores of Cape Cod. I prefer my lobster rolls warm with butter instead of mayo and Row34 does a phenomenal job with just the perfect amount of butter on both the lobster and the roll. They also have a great clam chowder for those looking to try some.
Row34 is located in the Seaport/ Fort Point District which is a very booming area close to the Boston Harbor. If you are a micro-brew beer fan, you must make a stop at Trillium located nextdoor to Row34 and pick up a 4 pack of their seasonal beers.
Boston Public Market
There’s a great outdoor farmer’s market right in Copley Square every Tuesday and Friday until the end of November. But what I highly recommend is the indoor Boston Public Market, located on Hanover Street near Faneuil Hall which is open year-round!
What’s great about this market, is that you can go and taste some of the best of the local food in the area without having to drive far to get it. Don’t have time to go apple picking or drive to a local farm to get the best apple cider? No problem. Boston Public Market has it all!
Here are my favorite stands to visit:
- Taza Chocolate
- Red Apple Farm
- Union Square Donuts
- Siena Farms
SWEAT:
Btone
There’s practically a Soul Cycle, Core Power yoga and Barry’s Bootcamp in every city now. And although I love all of these places and have included them in the fitness studio section of my guide, I much prefer a boutique, Boston-based studio such as btone. Btone’s signature ‘Tone’ class uses a customized former machine to perform Pilates-like exercises.
The class focuses on slow movement that target and tones all the major muscle groups in your body.
They have locations in the Back Bay, North End, and South Boston and the class is offered on Classpass for those of you who have memberships.
SHOP:
Covet.
When I first stumbled upon Covet. in South Boston, I thought it was a boutique. Turns out, it’s a consignment shop that looks and feels like a boutique with trendy clothes that look brand-new.
I got this adorable dress there that I wore to a wedding for only $14!!
If you have time to check out the South Boston neighborhood and love to shop bargains, Covet. is a must!
Here is my printable guide with ALL of my favorites included: A Local’s Guide to Boston – Eat, Sweat & Shop!
I hope you enjoy Boston and my recs!
What are some of your favorite places to eat, sweat and shop in Boston?
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