Dear Boston Mamas: Summer in Boston
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Jan via e-mail:
We are visiting Boston this summer (from Ireland) with 3 kids (12, 10 and 5) and are looking for recommended kid-friendly restaurants, some free activities, best ice-cream, best toy shops, etc. We will have 10 days in Cape Cod then 10 days in Concord. We will have a car, and the house we are staying at in Concord is close to the train station so the plan would be to take the train into Boston.
Dear Jan,
Thanks for writing in! I'm thrilled that you and your family have chosen Boston for your summer vacation. You will enjoy amazing slices of Massachusetts by virtue of experiencing the beaches of Cape Cod as well as the bucolic and urban natures of Concord and Boston.
There's so much to do here! Here are some general recommendations to get you started:
And now on to your specific requests:
Kid-friendly restaurants. I have highlighted several family-friendly restaurants in my Local Food & Drink archives, but as became clear through some of my correspondence (here and on Facebook and Twitter) about Easter dining with kids, I think restaurants all across the city have taken note of the fact that local parents love good food and want to bring their kids into the experience as well (i.e., so far we have yet to visit a restaurant that hasn't accommodated our family well!). If you have a specific cuisine in mind, let me know and I can drum up some specifics, but otherwise, I'd simply identify restaurants that meet your price, location, and appetite, and charge forward.
Best ice-cream. Depending on when you are coming to town, the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl will be running June 8 - 10, during which you'll get a sense for why ice cream is a big deal around here. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with a visit to J.P. Licks, Christina's, or I'm of course partial to Rancatore's, having scooped countless gallons of ice cream there during my youth.
Best toy shops. One lovely thing about the Boston area is that many of the surrounding communities have town centers featuring independent toy shops (such as the Toy Shop of Concord -- worth a visit since you'll be staying in Concord!). Then there are indie shops that have grown so much that they have multiple locations. Magic Beans is one of my favorites -- owners Sheri and Eli Gurock are remarkable people and business owners who are incredibly passionate about their work, and I find it impossible to leave one of their shops empty handed. Henry Bear's Park and Stellabella Toys also have multiple locations and great selections for all ages.
Baseball. You didn't ask about this, but if you aren't already aware, baseball is HUGE in Boston. However, getting to a Red Sox game with a large family can be challenging -- both financially and logistically. So, if you want to soak up some baseball in a family friendly environment, consider heading south to the Brockton Rox or north to the Lowell Spinners. Both minor league options are inexpensive and super family friendly.
On the go reference. Finally, if you want to have a family travel guide handy with you while you're out and about, I recommend Kim Foley MacKinnon's new book, Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents. Again, don't be put off by the word "baby" in the title. This is a nice slim volume that's easy to tote and is filled with lots of recommendations for family-friendly food and adventures.
I hope this is helpful. Have a fantastic time visiting Massachusetts!
Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Have a question for Christine? Drop her a line! And of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those made above.
Comments
I just wanted to put in a plug for the Cape Cod Baseball League. The games are FREE! and it is very kid friendly - seats are bring your own chairs or blankets; there are t-shirt tosses and free ice cream coupons; lots of dogs and kids running around. It's a great place to see future talent too. Many MLB players played in the league!
Posted by: Megan | April 8, 2010 9:54 AM | Reply to this comment
Great lead Megan --thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Megan | April 8, 2010 11:12 AM | Reply to this comment
When you come to Cape Cod - get to Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour on Route 28 in Mashpee on the way o Hyannis. www.polarcave.com
Mention this post an you will get a FREE id cone with an adult cone purchase.
Posted by: Mark Lawrence | April 9, 2010 3:14 AM | Reply to this comment
Thanks for all these great resources and for replying to my request.
They will be perfect for planning our trip this summer - I can't wait :)
Posted by: Janmary, N Ireland | April 9, 2010 4:51 AM | Reply to this comment
We spent a week in Boston when my son was 4. Part of the time we were tourists and part of the time he had an awesome babysitter who took him to museums and things. Can't remember everything we did (it's been 4 yrs), but it was pretty typical...whale watching, Harvard Museum of Natural History, a concert or two. We had such a good week that he cried as the plane took off, was adamant for weeks after that we should move there.
Posted by: saacnmama | April 9, 2010 5:48 AM | Reply to this comment
Thanks for sharing this deal Mark!
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Mark Lawrence | April 9, 2010 8:40 AM | Reply to this comment
So happy to help Jan. Thanks again for writing in!
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Janmary, N Ireland | April 9, 2010 8:50 AM | Reply to this comment
Christine, I'm blushing! Thanks for the lovely shout out. This is a great post, and I'll be sure to share the link with other parents looking for fun summer activities.
Posted by: Sheri | April 9, 2010 2:18 PM | Reply to this comment
On Cape Cod you'll enjoy visiting Main St. Falmouth. Eight Cousin's bookstore is a wonderful children's book store. There's also a great toy shop on Main St. called Kaleidoscope Toys. I love going in there - sometimes dangerous when I bring my little one because she likes to grab anything that catches her eye!
Actually, most main streets in each of the towns on Cape have wonderful shops! Mashpee has the Mashpee Commons, a great outdoor mall with a combination of local shops and some bigger retail shops, great restaurants like Bobby Byrnes (local pub atmosphere), Sienna (Italian), Trevi (Mediterranean), and the Mad Platter (Sandwiches/American fare).
Dinner (or lunch) at Baxter's in Hyannis is great too. Really good seafood and it's right on the harbor so you can watch people pull up and order right from their boats while you enjoy dinner!
Make sure you take a trip up to the National Seashore. Depending on where you will be staying on Cape, the trip maybe be a day trip out to Wellfleet but it will be well worth it. Also, you might want to take a whale watching cruise.
If you wanted also, you can spend a day on one of the islands (Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket). They make a great day trip - take the ferry over, rent bikes and ride around taking in the scenery.
Posted by: Cathy Lewis | April 12, 2010 11:34 AM | Reply to this comment
Dear Cathy, thanks so much for those thoughtful Cape Cod recommendations!
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor | April 12, 2010 11:38 AM | Reply to this comment
I came back to re-read this post and was thrilled to find even more info added in the comments - thanks everyone!
Posted by: JanMary, N Ireland | April 14, 2010 1:39 AM | Reply to this comment
I'm a Cape Cod native and I have some suggestions outside of the normal tourist traps! My personal favorites are:
Breakfast: Red Cottage (Old Main St, Dennis Ma) or Jack's Out Back (Yarmouth, MA)
Lunch: Sesuit Harbor Cafe (water views, picnic tables and great to go food)
Dinner: Gerardi's (Italian- Yarmouth, MA), Land Ho (American pub style kid friendly Harwich and Orleans locations)
if you get a babysitter one night: head to the wequassett resort in harwich, you want to eat on the water near the pool. they have reasonably priced food (great pizza) and then you can have a drink around the gorgeous fire pit.
Fun stuff to do:
I like the Cedar Swamps at the National Seashore (its a free nature walk)
Rent Bikes at Barb's Bikes in Dennis, MA and ride the rail trail
Scargo tower in Dennis (silly but cool to see) also check out Scargo Pottery (google it- its location is a bit hard to find)
Nauset beach in Orleans or Mayflower/Chapin in Dennis are my personal favorites
Check out the Hot Chocolate Sparrow in Orleans, get cafe and they have cool t-shirts too :)
Best ice cream is Sundae School and they have locations in Harwich, Chatham, Dennis and Orleans
Posted by: Cassandra Enslin | May 8, 2010 6:33 PM | Reply to this comment