Thanks!

"Go to Colombia and you might rethink that stance." Ah so it's the Bangkok of South America then?

"Also, for hiking, there's the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton/Canton. Not super expansive or anything, but great considering it's proximity to the city and MBTA access." I might give that a go. Would you say it's better than the Middlesex Fells and the Lynn Woods reservations, or just easier to access via public transport? Thanks

Haha yeah I figured that was the one he meant, but thanks for double-checking.

>there's actually 30ish Portland's in the US

Wow that's a fair few, though I guess a country of your size is bound to result in a fair bit of repetition.

Fascinating! I'll definitely look at doing one of the guided tours then.

>I can’t imagine what having the entire floor of looms running would be or how anyone working there didn’t go deaf

Absolutely. I watched a video on the HistoryHit Youtube channel the other day about mill work life in the north of England and it sounded like a grim existence. Terribly long working hours in unsafe conditions. Hardly a break in the day. Machines whirring all around you and making a racket. Honestly makes you grateful for the world we live in now, despite all its flaws.

​

>It’s about a mile from the commuter rail station. I’ve never walked it, but imagine it’s walkable, and certainly cab/Uber/Lyft should be doable.

Noted. I'll bring my running shoes!

>I forgot to mention: pay attention to the commuter rail schedules. All of these trips are opposite the usual commuter traffic, so they’re not going to be frequent and the last one of the day can be early.

Ah that's helpful to know. I wouldn't want to get stranded out of town.

Thanks again.

Wow there's alot to unpack here!

>Inman Square is closer to fun & games. You'll be about a 10 minute walk from two Red Line stops (Harvard Square or Central Square).

You and a few other commenters have recommended Inman Square, so I'll probably go with that accommodation wise.

>Walk the Freedom Trail, check out the USS Constitution. If you have 10 days, maybe worth it to take a commuter rail to Salem - which is famous for the Witch Trails.

For museums with a ton of history, I really like the Museum of Fine Arts and Gardner Museum. I would also recommend taking a walk through Mount Auburn Cemetery, which is a national landmark and arboretum. Some famous burials there, most locals treat it more like a 'sculpture garden' than a graveyard, ya know.

Salem definitely interests me. USS Constitution I had never heard of, but now that I've looked it up I want to go. I'll definitely check out the cemetery too, even if just for a nice morning run.

>Early by US Standards. But if you're from the UK, you're used to 11PM I think.

Bars here close between 11PM and 1:30AM here. If you need something later, the nearby Encore Casino (it's identical to it's Vegas counterpart, and a 10 minute Uber Ride away) serves alcohol until 4AM and is open 24/7.

Yeah I mean 2am close certainly wouldn't be considered early by UK standards and is fine for me. Most pubs tend to shut by 11 on weeknights and midnight latest on weekends, but many clubs are open until 3/4/5pm. I don't really fancy losing loads of money in a casino, but might be cool to check out anyway, purely for the Vegas-esque experience, and to watch other people loose lots of money aha!

>Best bars are scattered. The stuff downtown like Bell in Hand, Green Dragon, White Bull.. not really my scene. Mostly frequented by tourists.

As far as pubs, the Druid right in Inman Square is a favorite. Lord Hobo is also great (the one in Cambridge, not Seaport). Other places I like include Delux Cafe and Bukowskis (on Dalton).

I'm more of a cocktail/whiskey person, so I recommend Drink, Saloon, The Quiet Few, BackBar, Brick & Mortar. If you can get in, I love OffSuit (it's a speakeasy in a Chinatown backalley, they might do reservations now).

If you like Dive Bars, hard to go wrong with The Tam, Sligo or Biddy Early's. Those place are always fun.

You're doing God's work here son! I'll be sure to check out some of these. I've always been interested in the idea of Dive bars too. They seem to pop up in alot of the US films I watch.

>DONT FORGET TO TIP! ~18% or $1 a drink, whatever is more.

Ah yes. That's going to be a strange one for me to adapt too, since we hardly tip in the UK for anything (typically just 5-15% at a restaurant, and sometimes niche things like tour guides too. Thanks for the reminder. You've probably saved me from a couple dirty looks and watered down drinks :)

>It wont work as well as an Irish accent, to be honest. But it will give you an advantage for opening. The effect tends to wear thin after a few minutes and you have to rely on your personality. Foreign accents are common here, so you'd have better sway in less 'international' cities inland.

Yeah fair play. The whole accent thing is more like a minor bonus for me, so I'm not too fussed if nobody pays it any attention. Like I said, I'm mainly in Boston for the sites, the culture and the history.

>You could expect some gentle & friendly banter regarding the American Revolution. "How do you like your tea?" "In the harbor, Redcoat!" kinda thing.

Ah all the classics! I'll have to think of some witty comebacks for when the tenth person in a row asks me how I like tea, or when I last met the Queen.

Thanks for all the info mate, you've been a great help!

Haha ah well as much as I'd love to be fighting off women, I can't justify booking a holiday solely for that reason. Plus I'm not a fan of warm climates so the mid-west would probably be a no-go for me in the summer.

2am close is fine. I'm not looking to spend my whole holiday drinking and I've always preferred a nice cosy pub night than getting rat-arsed in a club anyway.

Hmm I don't know much about that Portland. I'd only heard of the one in Oregon. Might have to check it out.

Thanks!

Ah nice one. Yeah I definitely would venture outside of just the city of Boston itself given I have the time to do so.
Salem is a good shout. I studied a module on Middle Ages Witchcraft in England whilst at university, so would be interesting to know more about the witch trials going on across the pond around the same time.
I'll definitely give Concord a visit too.

Lowell is another great shout - thanks for that. I would definitely give a tour of the mills a go, if that was something they offered.

And yeah you're right jumper = sweater.

Thanks for the insightful comment!

Haha I wasn't expecting miracles with the accent, but every little helps!

I'm fairly used to unreliable public transport at this point too, given most of England has had on and off train and bus strikes for the best part of two years.
Interesting. Yeah Inman square sounds like a good choice for me then in terms of proximity to lots of little nighttime hotspots and good daytime public transport to the city centre aswell.
Thanks for the info :)