Charles/MGH and Park Street
Our first stop in Boston on the Red Line is Charles/MGH. Stops in the downtown area are close together, so we also visit some things that are located at Park where the Red Line intersects the Green Line.
The Charles/MGH stop, named for the Massachusetts General Hospital located next to the station is on top of a bridge with a nice view of the city. In addition to the large hospital campus, it’s ideally located to access the Charles River Esplanade, Charles Street, and Beacon Hill. Boston Public Garden is just a short walk down Charles Street, and Boston Common and the State House are next to it. Although these are closest to the Park Street station, we incorporate them into this trip.
The station itself is one of the nicer T stops in Boston. Its building combines an older and a newer structure seamlessly, has good views of the city and is clean, which cannot be said about all stations in Boston (think Park Street for example).
From the station, the most obvious walk is down Charles Street. This is one of the most touristy areas of the city. The set of shops is almost identical to Harvard Square and the clientele is accordingly similar. Our research has indicated that most restaurants and cafes around here are tourist traps. We settle for Tatte. Although Tatte is a chain, it is a Boston-based chain, so its probably fair game (other famous Boston-based coffee chains that we plan to explore on later trips are Flour Bakery, J.P. Licks, and Dunkin’ Donuts). Tatte was founded by Israeli chef Tzurit Or and just over half of it was sold to Panera in 2016. It serves some Mediterranean-inspired dishes (including shakshuka and halva-based cookies and coffees) as well as its signature tarts. We go for a regular shakshuka, a shakshuka with lamb meatball, as well as a Jerusalem bagel, a halva brownie, and drink a latte and a cortado. The shakshuka, served with challah bread, is much larger and almost, but not quite as good as at Sofra (see Day 2 of Harvard). (On the other hand, do not order a latte at Sofra!) The latte and cortado are also quite good, though not as good as at the best cafes in Cambridge. We get our second brownie for free since they were sticking together according to the waiter. Lucky for us! Overall, we cannot finish everything, but it’s easy to take things with us in a self-serve take out bag.
Another place on Charles Street that has been recommended by a friend is the Paramount which serves diner-style food.
Charles Street leads one to the Boston Public Garden. Founded in 1837, it’s much younger than the neighboring Boston Common (founded in 1634). It’s also smaller, more picturesque, and relaxing. Tadeusz Kościuszko whose statue stands at Boston Public Garden was a Polish military leader who also fought in the American Revolutionary War.
The Public Garden opens to Commonwealth Avenue on the other side, which is itself a park and is definitely worth a walk.
Boston Common is less beautiful, but is surrounded by a number of places of historical importance, including the Central Burying Ground, the Park Street Church, and the State House. Both the Freedom Trail and the Black Heritage Trail include this area. Started in 1634, Boston Common is also the first city park in the United States!
Park Street station, an intersection of the Green Line and the Red Line is right at Boston Common. It’s one of the dirtiest and most chaotic stations, but along Boylston, it was also the first in America in 1897 (the first in the world was London in 1890 and the second my hometown Budapest in 1896!).
Behind the golden-domed (gilded with gold leaf) State House lies one of Boston’s most elite neighborhoods, Beacon Hill. It consists of stately old red brick houses many of which are architecturally significant and/or where once occupied by notable people.
Our final stop for the day is the Charles River Esplanade, a long riverside park that is frequented by runners as well as Bostonians out for a nice walk, though it’s quite windy because of the river. On July 4, the Boston Pops fireworks and celebrations also happen here, including the concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell.
Thirsty, in search of something to drink we leave the Esplanade towards Back Bay, but end up back at Boston Common. We get an iced tea at the Explorateur an interesting looking cafe/restaurant/bar.
If you want a coffee around Boston Common, from previous experience, we would also recommend the Thinking Cup.
Also, check out these mosaics at the Masonic lodge — also possibly the oldest in America, see a pattern here with Boston Common and the Park Street station?
