Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston

The backdrop for countless books, TV series and movies, from Love Story to The Departed, Boston may be one of the oldest and most compact cities

in the United States, but it still packs a powerful real-life punch.

History is written large across

Boston’s leafy streets, soaring

church steeples, imposing

mansions, iconic universities

and red-brick pavements.

The scene of some of

America’s most turbulent and

dramatic events, from the Tea

Party to the recent marathon

tragedy, Boston is nothing if

not resilient. Home to four

champion sports teams

and the Kennedy clan,

the unofficial capital of New

England never fails to impress.

ONE PERFECT DAYO

07:00As the city rubs the sleep from its eyes, the leafy Boston Public Garden, founded in 1837, becomes a hive of activity with joggers, dog-walkers and early-bird office workers scurrying around the beautiful lake, statuary and landscaped parklands. Stop for a photograph at the imposing statue of George Washington, walk over the centrepiece suspension bridge in the middle of the lake, then cross over Charles Street to the green expanse of the Boston Common, which was established in 1634 as America’s first public park.

07:45Mobile food trucks are popping up all over Boston and there is often one

parked close to the Park Street entrance to the Common (to find vans around the city, visit cityofboston.gov/business/mobile). Pick up a heart-starter coffee and a muffin and enjoy them in front of the gold-domed Massachusetts State House (malegislature.gov), the state seat of government, perched grandly on historic Beacon Hill at the northern corner of the Common.

08:00Most visitors set off from here to walk part, or all, of Boston’s Freedom Trail, a 4km self-guided walk marked by a line of red bricks in the pavement, to 16 of the city’s most significant and historic sites. But for something shorter and a little less obvious, opt for the Black ❯

Boston

DECEMBER 201 3 Q A N TA S 111110 Q A N TA S DECEMBER 201 3

WORDS ANDREW CONWAY PHOTOGRAPHY CAROLINE WEST

French toast with spiced crème fraîche and strawberries at Beacon Hill Bistro (above left, 10am); Union Oyster House, Freedom Trail (above right, 8am)

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DESTINATION GUIDE: BOSTON Been there, done that? Glean the go-to essentials for Boston at http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/destination-guide-boston.htm

BOSTON: OUR GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD ON THE EAST COAST LA may be the entertainment industry’s epicentre, but a slew of films and TV shows filmed in Boston make it a must-visit for any movie buff. http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/boston_our_movie_tour_guide.htmqqqq

GLOBAL ROAMING: BOSTON ESSENTIALSTips for a top trip to New England’s diminutive superstar city. Boston has a thriving culinary scene, new cultural attractions and world-class shopping. http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/global_roaming_boston_essentials.htmqqqqq

ASK THE CONCIERGE Jonathan Nicholson, concierge at Boston’s XV Beacon, puts his expert local knowledge at your disposal. http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/ask_the_concierge_xv_beacon_boston.htm

Q A N T A S . C O M / T R A V E L I N S I D E R

MOR E AT TR AV ELINSIDER

Heritage Trail winding through Beacon Hill. This walk not only highlights the city’s rich African-American heritage, it showcases the magnificent mansions that make Beacon Hill one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the US. For keen political pundits, Beacon Hill is Kennedy and Kerry territory: 122 Bowdoin Street was the Boston home of President John F Kennedy from 1946 until his assassination in 1963; 19 Louisburg Square is the current Boston home of US Secretary of State John Kerry.

10:00Time for brunch at the award-winning Beacon Hill Bistro (25 Charles Street, beaconhillhotel.com), where executive chef (and local boy) Joshua Lewin does wonders with fresh regional produce. Order just about anything from the menu and be set up for the rest of the morning’s activities.

11:00Walk off brunch along Charles Street, lined on both sides with upscale boutiques and antique stores, north to the Charles/MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) station on the Red Line of Boston’s subway (aka the T). Three stations beyond lies Harvard (harvard.edu/visitors), one of the world’s top universities and a highlight of any visit to Boston. Wander the central quadrangle known as Harvard Yard, remembering to rub the toe of founder John Harvard, immortalised in a bronze statue in front of University Hall, then watch some of the planet’s smartest, richest people go about their studies.

12:30While Harvard Yard is fascinating, it pales in comparison to the neighbouring Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) ❯

Harvard Yard (11am); Beacon Hill (right, 8am)

ONE PERFECT DAY

collection of art from around the world and bequeathed it to be preserved for future generations. A contemporary new wing, designed by architect Renzo Piano, opened in 2012, but the original manse, fashioned on a Venetian palazzo, remains the major draw, packed with priceless art from Rembrandt to John Singer Sargent.

15:30Enough of all this higher learning, it’s time to shop. Boston’s fashionable Newbury Street extends eight blocks from Massachusetts Avenue to Arlington Street, and offers a range of high-end, major brand-name designer stores and one-off boutiques catering to a younger and hipper clientele. Get measured up for a suit by Alan Rouleau, one of Boston’s best bespoke tailors, at no.85, before exploring the wonderful new Restoration Hardware homewares

located just a 1km walk away on the other side of the Charles River. Arguably the world’s most prestigious school of learning, the exquisite enclave of historic buildings is nestled among a series of intimate gardens.

13:30Hail a cab and head to Fenway, home to three of Boston’s major cultural icons. Sports fans can take a behind-the-scenes tour of Fenway Park (boston.redsox.mlb.com), which is the oldest operating baseball park in America and home to Boston’s beloved Red Sox. Art aficionados can view extraordinary permanent and visiting exhibitions at the world-class Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, mfa.org) and nearby Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (280 Fenway, gardnermuseum.org), which was once the home of a fabulously wealthy Bostonian who amassed an unrivalled

store (234 Berkeley Street, restoration hardware.com), between Newbury and Boylston Streets.

17:30Keep walking south along Berkeley Street for about 15 minutes and enter one of the more interesting residential neighbourhoods in Boston. Once an inner-city ghetto, the South End has been pleasantly gentrified by the gay community, which was followed by young and upwardly mobile families. The resulting vibrant enclave encompasses leafy streets, beautiful red-brick townhouses, boutiques, restaurants and cafes. The prettiest square is Union Park, off Tremont Street. The South End Buttery, just south of the square (314 Shawmut Avenue), serves excellent coffee and cupcakes. From there, it’s an easy walk to a diverse collection of boutiques and art galleries in trendy Thayer Street, part of Boston’s SoWa (South of Washington) art and design district.

19:00Cocktails beckon at the award-winning The Bar at Taj Boston (15 Arlington Street, tajhotels.com), a club-like drawing room with a crackling fire in winter and pretty views over the Public Garden in summer. Order a Fresh Chai Punch and get primed for a great night out. ❯

114 Q A N TA S DECEMBER 201 3

ONE PERFECT DAYOOOOO

Clockwise from top right: Massachusetts State House (7.45am); Chanel Boutique, Newbury Street (3.30pm); Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (1.30pm); South End Buttery (5.30pm)

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ONE PERFECT DAYOOOOO

For airfares and holiday packages to

the US call Qantas Holidays on 1300 735

542 or visit qantas.com/holidaysaustralianway

WOR D UP

MYSTIC RIVER Dennis Lehane (HarperCollins)

One of a series of riveting detective novels by the Boston-based author.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOSTON’S FREEDOM TRAIL

Charles Bahne (Newtowne Publishing)

An engaging and insightful step-by-step walking guide to historic sites

along The Freedom Trail.

EXTRAORDINARY BOSTON Steve Dunwell (Back Bay Press)

A handsome coffee-table tome paying homage to Boston through

the lens of a resident.

photographer.photographer.photographerh g ht a r

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGSRobert McCloskey (Viking Press)

This 1941 children’s book is about a family of ducks, now bronze statues

in the Boston Public Garden.

20:00It’s possible to dine happily at Taj Boston, but there are terrific alternatives. Star chef Michael Schlow’s Tico (222 Berkeley Street, ticorestaurant.com) does delicious sharing plates with the flavours of Spain, Mexico and South America. Christopher Myers’ and Joanne Chang’s always-packed Myers + Chang (1145 Washington Street, myersandchang.com) offers the same, with a spicy, Asian-fusion twist. For Atlantic-fresh seafood, opt for Island Creek Oyster Bar (500 Commonwealth Avenue, islandcreekoysterbar.com) at Kenmore Square, then cocktails at The Hawthorne bar (thehawthornebar.com).

22:30One more treat before bed. Stroll majestic Commonwealth Avenue, lined with Victorian-era mansions and townhouses. Statues along the central avenue of cathedral-like trees pay homage to Boston’s good and great. Winston Churchill praised it as “the grandest boulevard in North America”.

116 Q A N TA S DECEMBER 201 3

Tico: crips fried chicken with fennel slaw and spicy buttermilk dressing; mussels with smoky tomato and habanero chilli, almonds and garlic toast (left)

Tico (8pm)