Places I Loved in Boston: A Gilded Age Mansion, Cute Coffee Shop & the Sweetest Bookshop I’ve Ever Seen

Bycaitylincoln

I’m just back from my first trip to New England, AND I LOVED IT. I spent most of the trip glamping on Cape Cod and doing a day trip to Nantucket (it’s been on my bucket list to see those famous hydrangeas forever!), but I had about a day and a half in Boston. Definitely not time to even scratch the surface of what Boston has to offer, but I sure made an attempt. 

While I was focused mostly on doing the Freedom Trail and some other Revolutionary War sites in Boston, here’s a quick (photo heavy) round up of the other places that I really loved in Boston. 

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

I’ve been obsessed with Gilded Age mansions for a while now so of course I’ve had my eye on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Yes, it’s a house but she actually built it to be a personal museum for her extensive collection. 

This place didn’t disappoint! There’s a cafe on site and it’s the kind of place you could easily spend a few hours. Also, don’t miss the gift shop!

 

Beacon Hill Books & Cafe

Usually when I’m researching a trip, I will seek out bookshops and sometimes even trek pretty far to visit a place that looks special…given the time crunch in Boston, I did absolutely no research so imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon the SWEETEST bookshop in Beacon Hill. Honestly, this is probably my favorite book store I’ve ever visited. It’s a VIBE. And I wish I could just move in. 

Next time I come to Boston, I’ll plan it better so that I can visit the cafe when I’m there because it looks completely dreamy. 

Tatte

Tatte (like Latte) has 22 locations in the Boston area and I don’t know about you, but as a traveler in an unfamiliar city I LOVE when there’s a super nice local coffee shop/bakery with locations everywhere you seem to be. 

It’s cute as can be and they’ve got everything from coffee and drinks to pastries and desserts to breakfast, sandwiches, etc. 

We managed to go to like three different locations in the day and a half we were in Boston and I was thrilled to see that they’ve got about 8 locations in DC now. 

The Liberty

We stayed at the Liberty on this trip and I would 100% recommend it. I was drawn to it because it’s part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection and I used points for the stay, but I will probably come back and stay here again (and I would even if I didn’t have Marriott loyalty). 

I love a hotel with a good theme/story and boy does this one have one! The Liberty was an old jail (completed in 1851 and in use up through the 1990s) and they’ve won awards for their preservation work. 

But it doesn’t skimp on luxury. I was truly impressed with the service (everyone from the front desk to the valet to the waitstaff in the restaurant) and after spending a few days “glamping” on Cape Cod, this place felt like the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in haha. 

I also love the location! It’s right across the street from a really nice (above ground) T station and it’s in the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood which was great for walking around. 

Cheers

You can’t go to Boston without at least walking by the Cheers bar. It’s right off of Boston Commons so you don’t have to go out of your way. We actually ended up having dinner here because we just drove up from the Cape, I hadn’t made any plans, we were hungry,  and we were standing right in front of it. Well, I definitely could’ve seen this one coming, but it’s probably a skip unless you’re a SUPER Cheers fan (and I actually am ; ) 

The show wasn’t actually filmed here, they just used the exterior, but they’ve reworked a lot of the inside to look like the show (they’ve recreated the bar upstairs). Come in and have a drink if you must, but I’m warning you…the food is downright awful!

Boston Public Gardens

Boston Commons gets all the chatter (it’s like Boston’s Central Park and it’s the oldest public park in the country), but I think the Boston Public Gardens (right across the way) is a lot prettier. And it’s where you’ll find those famous swan boats.

Italian Food in the North End

The North End of Boston is known as the city’s “Little Italy” and it is chock full of fabulous restaurants and bakeries. We had lunch at Carmelina’s and it was insanely good. It’s a tiny restaurant though so make reservations if you’ve got a larger party. We only waited about 10 minutes for a table for two at 1:30.

And I was too full from lunch to try it, but Modern Pastry is supposed to be the best bakery. The line was super long so that’s a good sign!