Time Out Boston (Time Out Guides)

The birthplace of American independence has always been an important tourist destination, but Boston has far more to offer than its Puritan past and Revolutionary relics. This recently regenerated, multicultural metropolis is a major gastronomic destination offering an incredibly diverse range of restaurants and cuisines, while the city's somewhat conservative image has been shaken up with stylish new shopping hotspots. Traditionally regarded as the center of America's intellectual and cultural elite, Boston not only houses venerated museums and performance venues, but also a thriving alternative arts scene. Written by local experts and journalists, Time Out Boston takes travelers on an in-depth tour of the essential sights—the landmarks of the Revolution, the elegant English-inspired architecture of affluent Beacon Hill and Back Bay, the colleges and hip hangouts of neighboring Cambridge—as well as the local curiosities most tourists miss. For travelers who want to explore further, the guide covers highlights of New England's history-rich Colonial countryside, pretty coastal villages, and glorious sandy beach—all an easy drive out of town.

 (1 customer review)

I am a fan of "Time Out" publications. So I purchased their guide to my hometown with high expectations. Like other TO publications, I find its advice mostly accurate and hip. But I do find an underlying bias against the The Hub throughout. Here are a few of many examples:

"With more than 100 restaurants packed into just a few blocks, the North End..." (p. 84). Trust me, these >100 restaurants are closely spaced, but found over dozens and dozens of blocks of a great neighborhood.

"...Theatre District. You can find almost any sort of entertainment within this block." (p67). Again, Boston's Theatre district doesn't compare to Broadway but with its Wang Center, Opera House, and Shubert, Wilbur, Colonial, Paramount, Charles, and Cutler Majestic Theatres--its not a single block either

"That's because Boston is a mid sized American City with an outsized global reputation..." (p 40) TO's book cites Boston repeatedly as mid-sized. It is not. Its...Read more