2024 Summer Weekend in Boston | Travel Guide

I’ve lived in and around Boston for more than 20 years, and I love its constant interplay between old and new, history and innovation, cityscape and sea. Here’s my idea of a perfect Boston summer weekend, with pleasures at every price point. Let’s start with your lodging.

AFFORDABLE HOTEL
citizen, Boston

This Dutch hotel chain promises affordable luxury by offering small rooms with king beds, great sheets, and rain showers, plus art-packed common spaces for hanging out, working, and sipping coffee or a cocktail with a city view. A new Back Bay location is scheduled to join the original North Station hotel this summer. (Note: Prices can spike when TD Garden is hosting playoffs or concerts, so plan ahead.) citizenm.com

BOUTIQUE HOTEL
The Whitney Hotel, Boston

The Whitney’s iconic Beacon Hill location comes with Charles River views and Charles Street right outside your door. After a day’s sightseeing, luxurious touches (excellent linens, soaking tub and/or rain shower, in-room dining from house restaurant Peregrine) welcome you home. whitneyhotelboston.com

A 20-minute hike from either hotel brings you to Downtown Crossing and your first adventure.

WALKING TOUR
Innovation Trail, Boston and Cambridge

Yes, you should also walk the Freedom Trail through Boston’s Revolutionary history. But this path from Boston to Cambridge celebrates local cutting-edge achievements such as the invention of the telephone, the first surgery under anesthesia, and the decoding of a large part of the human genome. Visit 20 sites on a self-guided walk, or join a seasonal tour. theinnovationtrail.org

From Cambridge, cross back over the Longfellow Bridge and head to Charles Street to browse, read, and enjoy a cup of tea. Later, a stroll across Boston Common leads to a terrific dinner destination.

BOOKSTORE
Beacon Hill Books & Café, Boston

Both literally and metaphorically, Beacon Hill Books is a storybook shop. Set in a restored brick townhouse and boasting five stories of books, abundant reading nooks, author events, and a cozy café serving breakfast, lunch, tea, and after-work snacks (reservations recommended), this is an essential stop. bhbooks.com

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Mooncusser & Moon Bar, Boston

In the mood for seafood? This is Boston—of course you are! Chef Carl Dooley has a genius for seafood and tasting menus. Upstairs, Mooncusser serves a prix fixe menu with treats like oysters with blood-orange granita, roasted beet tortellini with duck, and glazed shrimp with harissa butter. Downstairs, Moon Bar offers shareable plates and cocktails with a Latin accent. mooncusserboston.com

By now, you’ve earned your rest. Retire to your comfy bed, and get ready to start tomorrow right.

BRUNCH SPOT
Puritan & Company, Cambridge

Pulling off a great brunch is a test for both pastry team and savory team—and it just so happens that the Puritan is all starters and no bench. Brian Mercury turns out the passion fruit brioche, chocolate croissants, and sourdough, while chef-owner Will Gilson makes the shrimp and grits, smoked brisket hash, and brown butter pancakes. After a three-year hiatus, the Puritan brunch is back, and we couldn’t be happier. puritancambridge.com

Break out the sunblock, walking shoes, and maybe even a swimsuit, because now you’re off to hit the water.

NATURE EXCURSION
Spectacle Island, Boston

The Boston Harbor Islands National Park remains one of Boston’s best—and most underutilized—summer destinations. Among 34 islands, Spectacle stands out for its natural beauty, accessibility, and amenities (read: real bathrooms). After taking the 30-minute ferry from Long Wharf, hike up either of the two drumlins for views of the city skyline in one direction and historic Boston Light in the other. Take a dip or search for sea glass on the beach (but leave your treasures where you found them—it’s the law). On select summer nights, the park brings in food and drinks and hosts live jazz concerts. bostonharborislands.org

You’ll return to the mainland a bit salty and fully refreshed. Time to start thinking about dinner. For that, I have three recommendations, each one distinct.

RESTAURANT REVIVAL
Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Boston

Our hearts broke when Eastern Standard closed in 2020. For more than a decade, it had been the place to celebrate an anniversary or grab drinks before a Red Sox game. The team of Garrett Harker and Jackson Cannon made us all feel welcome and well fed. But now, hurrah! They’re back, in new digs right around the corner. Favorites like the bone marrow, the roasted half-chicken with grilled sourdough, and the butterscotch bread pudding are as good as we remember. Welcome home. easternstandardboston.com

CHINESE RESTAURANT
Jiang Nan, Boston

Jiang Nan has become a cult favorite in New York, expanding out of its original Flushing location to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond. Happily, its growing footprint—which includes this Boston outpost, opened last year—hasn’t diluted the impressive cooking. Most popular is the Peking duck, but we’re also crazy for the tapas-style snacks menu, the soup dumplings, and the silky eggplant in spicy garlic sauce.jiangnanny.com

FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT
Urban Hearth, Cambridge

Eating at this 24-seat restaurant feels like being invited into the home of your most talented foodie friend. Chef-owner Erin Miller treats dining as a communal event: warm service; a friendly, open kitchen (go for the tasting menu at the chef’s counter); deep relationships with local farmers and producers. The menu changes seasonally, but always start with the buttermilk biscuit and then follow your appetite. You can’t go wrong. urbanhearth.net