Suggestions from Red Sox fans

Congrats! Enjoy yourselves. Plan for bad weather...bad cold weather. The time of year is irrelevent. O's gear is generally non-threatening and usually ignored. You might even bump into a grey haired guy who remembers Mark Belanger from Pittsfield. Leave the Yankee stuff in the car unless you enjoy 3 or 4 hours of dirty looks and snide remarks. Actually, the place has mellowed severely recently. Two WS trophies and $100 tickets can do that.

Stick with the MBTA or cabs or two feet. Parking and driving is a tough situation. Get there early an enjoy the pregame atmosphere. It is a cool deal outside pregame.

If you like Italian food go to the North End for dinner. There are many sidewalk and open window restaurants. It's great for people watching while eating. For dessert go to Mike's Bakery. There's a lot of people watching to do, and quality street performers at Fanueil Hall. Newbury Street is an upscale shopping area with lots of sidewalk dinning.

If you like long walks, start at Fenway Park, get to the corner of Mass Av and Newbury Street, walk down Newbury Street, across the Public Gardens (Make Way For Ducklings fame), across Boston Common, to Fanueil Hall, through Farmer's Market to the North End.

For some history Paul Revere's house and the North Church are in the North End. This may seem weird but the cemetary near the Boston Common has a lot of famous people of history buried there.

It it matters the Bull and Finch, the real Cheers bar is across the street from the Public Gardens at Beacon & Arlington.

Tip: The streets from the Public Gardens heading towards Kenmore Square/Fenway Park are in alphabetical order. It's the only logic to the entire system of streets in Boston.

Tip: If you drive, using directionals is giving away your position to the enemy.

Better Tip: Don't drive.

How to drive in Boston



You're being tailgated. You're being passed on the right. Someone is laying on the horn and yelling at you. You see the above sign. You have fifty feet to make a decision or you're going to get lost. Think quick!.

Most common thing I've heard from people who flew in and rented a car: "I left the airport heading for Boston. The next thing I knew I was reading a sign that said, Welcome to New Hampshire."

RJM has given you excellent advice. Especially the driving part. If you get a chance to take one of the famous "Duck" tours that is the best way to see and learn about Boston. If you have time, the Freedom Trail walk is also worth the time.

When we see Orioles garb we feel sorry for you.

Check out the Faneuil Hall Market Place. You'll stand where Ben Franklin and his buddies stood many years ago.

While there, eat at Durgin Park restaurant. Huge steaks and great seafood.

As for Cheers...if you don't want years of TV enjoyment ruined, stay outside. The inside of the bar has absolutely zero resemblance to the TV version. The outside is perfect though.

Walk the beautiful Harvard campus (MIT is right there too.) Boston Common is very nice (and right across the street from Cheers, if I remember correctly.)

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When in Beantown, do as the Beantowners do...

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eat at Durgin Park restaurant

Part of the Durgin Park schtick used to be the waitresses acting rude. It was a show in itself to watch the uninformed react. That era has passed. But, when we go there my uncle requests one of the oldtimers and they put on a show. It's funny to watch the reactions of people who think he's just being rude to the waitress and she's verbally abusing him in return.

Don't buy or wear the pink 'B' hats!

Two weeks ago I was at Fenway again for the 1st time in several years. It was great, but it is so gentrified now. Anybody else remember spending 2 bucks for true bleacher seats (aluminum benches)?

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Originally posted by dbg_fan:
It was great, but it is so gentrified now.

Couldn't you say that about EVERY major league stadium...or every pro sport for that matter?

One food must is outside the park... you MUST get a "Sausage Guy" sausage before going in; this is a local staple.

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Anybody else remember spending 2 bucks for true bleacher seats (aluminum benches)?

I remember a "Trade Campbell and bring back the $1.50 bleacher seat" banner after he blew his first three save attempts. The Sox doubled the price of bleachers seats to sign him as a free agent. The cheap bleacher seats also provided all the second hand pot smoke you could handle.

As a kid I remember scrounging up a couple of dollars to ride the T and buy a bleacher seat. Anybody remember checks your dad's pants, your mother's purses and under the sofa pads to dig up enough money to do something?

A couple of things - you can also take the T in from way outside Boston. Driving in Boston is hazardous at best.

Check out the Bar in Center Field before heading into the game - it is pretty cool to see though the old garage door. You can get 30 minutes at one of the tables with a view.

Batting practice is right after the gates open I believe.

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Anybody remember checks your dad's pants, your mother's purses and under the sofa pads to dig up enough money to do something?

or head down to the tracks and pickup some bottles. brown ones were worth more.

If I ever went into my dads pockets or my moms purse I would not be here now----even today my wife and I do not go into eithers pockets---simply respect for each other

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You don't know what you're missing!

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Originally posted by 20dad:

or head down to the tracks and pickup some bottles. brown ones were worth more.

And if they were still full they were worth even more!

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Originally posted by TRhit:
If I ever went into my dads pockets or my moms purse I would not be here now----even today my wife and I do not go into eithers pockets---simply respect for each other

I'm talking about hung up pants and purses on the shelf that may have had some change left behind.

Best Advice yet. Try this once you get there:


1. Head north on Yawkey Way toward Brookline Ave 207 ft
2. Turn right at Brookline Ave 0.2 mi
3. Turn right at Beacon St/MA-2
Continue to follow MA-2 0.4 mi
4. Turn right at Massachusetts Ave 289 ft
5. Turn right to merge onto I-90 W
Partial toll road 53.8 mi
6. Take exit 9 to merge onto I-84 W toward US-20/Hartford/New York City
Partial toll road
Entering Connecticut 41.7 mi
7. Slight left at CT-15 S/Wilbur Cross Hwy (signs for Charter Oak Bridge/CT-15/I-91/NY City) 2.6 mi
8. Take exit 87 for I-91/Brainard Rd toward Brainard/Airport Rd 0.1 mi
9. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for I-91 and merge onto I-91 S 36.1 mi
10. Merge onto I-95 S
Entering New York 64.3 mi
11. Continue on I-278 W (signs for Bruckner Exp/I-278) 4.7 mi
12. Continue on I-87 N (signs for Albany/Maj Deegan Expy/I-87) 2.1 mi
13. Take exit 5 toward E 161 St/Macombs Dam Bridge 0.2 mi
14. Turn right at E 157th St 115 ft
15. Turn left at Ruppert Pl 0.1 mi
16. Arrive Yankee Stadium. Bronx, NY

Afterwards take a walk around the Bronx. Then stop in someplace nice for a drink and dinner. Then around midnight take the subway back to your hotel.

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Originally posted by Texas Crude:
Best Advice yet. Try this once you get there:
1. - 15. Blah Blah
16. Arrive Yankee Stadium. Bronx, NY

Been there done that in 2004.

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Been there done that in 2004.

Ouch!

Thanks all for the suggestions, Fenway was great. The Red Sox fans were as friendly as could be as we proudly wore Orioles Orange....but I decided Sox fans should love the O's as they wear us out. We snuck out of town with one win.

A truly wonderful trip, Red Sox nation was a lot of fun, the Fenway Park tour is worth every penny, and I'm not sure there's anything in Boston that doesn't have "Red Sox" printed on it. As a stadium, Camden Yards is unbeatable, but for the history, Fenway is a jewel. Walking around under the stadium felt like we wandered back into another era. Simply incredible atmosphere. It's a must-see for any baseball fan.

It was nice to get back to Virginia for good southern sweet tea, but I understand why the sweet tea was so lousy in Boston-a lack of practice. Everybody we saw was drinking beer.

Where did you sit for your games? There is such a different perspective depending on your seats in Fenway more than any other place.

Two games-right field box. Nice seats, great view. One game, right field grandstand, seats are all antiques apparently and rear ends were smaller in the 1930's for sure. Our crowd fit in fine, but we saw some large...uh..er...tushies...that really had no chance fitting into those little wooden seats.

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They'll fit if they get their hands on a N843..."The Most Widely Sought Horn by the Most Widely!"™

The N843 is constructed of heavy duty stainless steel with a patented non-stick coating.

It measures three feet long by a foot and a half wide.

They can be purchased at the Fresh Squeezed© booth on the first base deck.

Discreet carrying case sold separately.

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It was nice to get back to Virginia for good southern sweet tea, but I understand why the sweet tea was so lousy in Boston-a lack of practice. Everybody we saw was drinking beer.

The tea was thrown in the harbor years ago.

They fished it back out and now serve it-that explains the taste.

But otherwise, the food was great, and "Fenway Franks" with the distinctive bun, are excellent. I had at least 6 over the three games we were there.

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All of this talk about the large and distinctive buns at Fenway. We'll have to start referring to Boston as Buntown!





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that's right, woody. And the sad thing is that every one of us would know that you were talking about the hot dogs.

If we were talking about Anaheim Stadium (I hate the Angel Stadium of Anaheim BS) we would know we're talking about something else. It's the best stadium girl watching in the country.

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If we were talking about Anaheim Stadium (I hate the Angel Stadium of Anaheim BS) we would know we're talking about something else. It's the best stadium girl watching in the country.

Amen...I was there for a game Thursday night at the 'Angel Stadium of Anaheim near Los Angeles and just down the road from Disneyland'....Angels came back to win so the rally monkey was out in full force...as were the girls...

We went to see the Padres and Dodgers too last week. Funny, as you go north, the ticket prices go up...We sat in about the same relative place for $50 in San Diego, $65 in Anaheim and $125 in Los Angeles...

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Originally posted by Texas Crude:
Best Advice yet. Try this once you get there:


1. Head north on Yawkey Way toward Brookline Ave 207 ft
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16. Arrive Yankee Stadium. Bronx, NY

Love it!!! And Dad04, as for the been there done that in 2004 comment, they still have quite a few rings to win before they're on par with "The Evil Empire".

Hokie - Where did you stay?

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they still have quite a few rings to win before they're on par with "The Evil Empire

New century ... Red Sox 2, Yankees 0

We stayed at the Marriott Copeley; a client has connections and got us rooms at half price. The walk to the stadium was only a mile or so, and I was jogging distance from Frog Pond, Boston Public Park, etc. A great experience.

My sons were up later than my wife and I one night at a place called Whiskeys. Just outside the front door, a rather inebriated Sox fan yelled, for no good reason, "Markakis s(rymes with ducks)". One of his companions tapped him on the shoulder and pointed back-by sheer coincidence, Nick Markakis and his wife were about 10' behind them. Markakis just grinned and shrugged his shoulders. I'm sure the Sox fan was looking for a hole in the ground....

Maybe the guy was tired of yelling, "Yankees suck!"

I prefer to be a bit more polite in showing my dislike for the Yankees:

Anybody else know why Fenway Franks are better than the dogs served in Baltimore and elsewhere?

quote:

Originally posted by Hawk19:

quote:

If we were talking about Anaheim Stadium (I hate the Angel Stadium of Anaheim BS) we would know we're talking about something else. It's the best stadium girl watching in the country.

Amen...I was there for a game Thursday night at the 'Angel Stadium of Anaheim near Los Angeles and just down the road from Disneyland'....Angels came back to win so the rally monkey was out in full force...as were the girls...

I wish they all could be California girls.

Because Fenway Franks are served in October.

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
Two games-right field box. Nice seats, great view. One game, right field grandstand, seats are all antiques apparently and rear ends were smaller in the 1930's for sure. Our crowd fit in fine, but we saw some large...uh..er...tushies...that really had no chance fitting into those little wooden seats.

RF Grandstand are tough seats. Small area, most seats facing the wrong way. Were you facing CF or at least looking in the general direction of the IF? How many beams did you need to look around?

All that being said, I LOVE FENWAY! (I would just rather sit in Box Seats)