Our neighboring city to the north is so much more than tea parties and historical trails: It’s a dynamic hot spot for foodies, trendsetters and sports fans alike. By Kaitlyn Murray

Taking in the sights at Boston Common. Courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Tourism.

Hotel Commonwealth stands tall in Boston’s Back Bay. Courtesy of Hotel Commonwealth.

Bo ston is known for many things. Its history, its teams, its accent. But upon further investigation (ahem, hours and hours down the TikTok suggestions rabbit hole), I came to realize just how multifaceted it is. I grabbed a friend and took the train straight to the heart of Beantown.

Friday afternoon:  We arrive at Back Bay Station around 1 p.m. Our three options to get to the hotel include a ride share, hopping on the T (the city’s subway system) or walking. We recommend buying a $2.40 Charlie card and taking the Green Line to Kenmore Square station. It’s located directly across the street from our accommodations:  Hotel Commonwealth  (hotelcommonwealth.com).

The Hotel Commonwealth’s Fenway Suite. Courtesy of Hotel Commonwealth.

We call ahead to request an earlier check-in time — usually 4 p.m. — and within minutes we are on our way up to the room. Mere steps from fabled Fenway Park  (mlb.com/redsox/ballpark), Hotel Commonwealth certainly plays up its location, featuring a David Ortiz display case (complete with World Series rings) and a special elevator adorned with various baseball legends’ autographs. As it should: Our spacious yet cozy room features prime views of the park’s famous facade. Though the Red Sox are away, we can’t resist paying a visit to our neighbor. A $25 ticket guarantees an hourlong guided tour of the historic park, including passage through the hallowed halls where many a ballplayer has stood and unparalleled views from atop the Green Monster.

The storied steps at Trident Booksellers and Cafe. Photo by Kaitlyn Murray

Afterwards, we catch an Uber to Newbury Street, Boston’s answer to Rodeo Drive (newburystboston.com). We make a beeline for Sonsie  (sonsieboston.com), an open-air restaurant and wine bar with pretty sidewalk views. While shamelessly people watching, we indulge in rose and split a plate of housemade pork and ginger gyoza dumplings. Next, we satisfy my nerdier needs by visiting Trident Booksellers and Cafe  (tridentbookscafe.com), the original Newbury Comics  location (newburycomics.com) and the Fairy Shop . We wistfully window shop as we pass by many of the street’s more high-end boutiques, galleries and brownstones.

Sushi and fried chicken at Blue Ribbon Sushi. Photo by Kaitlyn Murray.

Friday evening:  Following a quick return to our room to change, we head back downstairs and embark on a thirty-second journey past the front entrance to our dinner destination: Blue Ribbon Sushi  (blueribbonsushikenmore.com). A new addition to Kenmore Square, Blue Ribbon offers a moody date-night atmosphere, views of the prep area from virtually every seat in the house and an all-encompassing, you guessed it, sushi menu. We start with shrimp tempura plus two rounds of the signature sake brews (with more than twenty variations to choose from, can you blame us?). I then dabble in some new-to-me items like the crispy rice special (spicy tuna, avocado and truffle eel sauce) and the Blue Ribbon maki roll (lobster, shiso and black caviar). Meanwhile, my friend, who’s not much of a seafoodie, orders the Blue Ribbon fried chicken wings, smothered in chili sauce and wasabi honey.

After dinner, we head back toward Fenway. Initially we try the Cask N’ Flagon  (casknflagon.com) next door, a great spot if you’re looking for good beer and a spirited sports bar vibe. We then make our way over to the Lansdowne Pub  (lansdownepubboston.com), a rowdy Irish bar that has the answer to all of your “wanna dance with somebody” desires. A pop cover band hits the stage, and we spend the rest of the night singing and dancing our hearts out.

Saturday morning:  We check out around 10 a.m. and catch a ride to our second night’s stay, Yotel Boston  (yotel.com), in the city’s aptly named Seaport District. It’s a funkier spot with purple trimmings, self-check-in kiosks and a scrolling marquee of stock symbols above the front desk area. We once again are fortunate enough to score an early check-in time and are delighted to find our just-as-cool digs are outfitted with techy perks like access to the room’s uplighting. (Did we try out every setting and essentially create our own rave-like light show in the process? You betcha.) 

Bacon, egg and cheese torta from Rosa Mexicano. Photo by Kaitlyn Murray

Then it’s time for brunch at Rosa Mexicano (rosamexicano.com), an easy six-minute stroll from the hotel. Though the heat prevented us from the enjoying the lovely outdoor patio, the interior blue wall features a cascading water feature. We order what we came for: a Morning Glory cocktail (think: a frozen Mexican twist on an Aperol spritz) and made-to-order guac (medium spice level, please) right at our table. I inhale my applewood bacon, Chihuahua cheese, avocado and pickled jalapeno torta and sample my friend’s huevos rancheros. 

Saturday afternoon:  Luckily, our next few activities require more movement. We explore  Eastport Park’s  beautiful open-air sculpture garden for a bit and then head over to the  Institute of Contemporary Art  (icaboston.org). As its name suggests, the institute is home to several dynamic, revolving exhibitions of thought-provoking visual arts by modern- day artists. Timed tickets are required for admission but can easily be purchased online the day of barring any special sold-out events. We see the stunning works of Latinx portraitist David Antonio Cruz, and figurative painter Arcmanoro Niles.

On our way to our next destination, we make a detour to Tatte Bakery  (tattebakery.com) to pick up a sweet snack and admire the colorful murals and statues surrounding the area. We can’t pass up checking out  t he Current   (bostonseaport.xyz/the-current), a row of experimental and experiential pop-up businesses along Seaport Boulevard (this particular batch is all Black-owned). We finally make it to the New England farmhouse-inspired brewer y Trillium (trilliumbrewing.com), where we head straight for the rooftop deck to take in city sights and sip craft beers. Our favorites: the hoppy Itty Bitty Goose pale ale and the sour peach and apricot fruited Berliner Weisse (note: Trillium’s draft availability updates daily ).

Saturday night:  Nothing soaks up an afternoon of beer better than a good burger, and  Lola Burger  (lolaburger.com), the latest sister restaurant to the hailed Lola 42, is more than ready to answer our call. A five-minute walk from Yotel, the casual eatery offers an artsy industrial vibe and American comfort food menu with a few surprises, like the Korean pork burger and wagyu hot dog. The Lola Burger’s beef patty topped with aged cheddar, red onion compote and foie gras sauce on an English muffin did just the trick.

After dinner, we head to all-in-one entertainment spot,  Kings  (kings-de.com). We squeeze in a couple of rounds of bowling, smash a game of air hockey, tank a game of billiards and get our names on the scoreboards of two different arcade games, (and, OK, fine) all while enjoying a few cocktails.

Sunday morning:  After sleeping in a bit, we report to our brunch reservation at the Yotel’s rooftop restaurant, Deck 12 (deck12bos.com). Surrounded by an open-air view of the Seaport cityscape, we have our fill of the French toast stuffed with Nutella and mascarpone and topped with green apple compote. It is the perfect metaphorical cherry on top of our Boston adventure. We take one last look out over the city and bid it a final farewell before heading back home. 

Cherry blossoms in full bloom in the spring. Photo via Getty Images/Marcio Silva

Travel Time:  Just over an hour from Providence.

How to Get There:  Take the MBTA commuter rail from Providence (amtrak.com), or shoot up I-95 North and follow the signs for Boston.

Best Season to Go:  The summer/fall to enjoy all the warmer weather dining and happenings. Then again, you can’t beat the city’s cherry blossoms in the spring.

Bucket List for Next Time: A Red Sox game, for sure. In fact, Hotel Commonwealth offers a bunch of exclusive game packages for baseball fanatics (hotelcommonwealth.com/offers).

Worth a Detour:  It may be half an hour away, but nothing beats the magic of Salem during this time of year (salem.org).

The Harborwalk is a forty-three-mile linear park along Boston’s shoreline. Courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Tourism.

Coming up: Cape Cod Massachusetts.