FORT POINT – FOR LUNCH AND A BIKE RIDE : HUBWAY REVIEW

Now that the weather is nice out it seems like there is a whole new world of possibility in Boston. The entire city seems to be walking a little lighter and revisiting all their favorite spots. “Sunshine! That’s what you look like!”

My friend caught me on the bike !

With warmer weather comes the return of the Hubway bikes. Many large cities have now adopted the shared bike system. The system is usually a partnership between a sponsoring company and the cities government. I started using Hubway last year and I love it. You know something is working when everyone who uses it won’t stop talking about it and that is certainly the case with Hubway.

For $85 dollars a year you have unlimited use of the bikes and it is free for the first half hour of use. Plus you get a nifty pass to carry around and show your friends. As Boston is a small city you rarely use more than thirty minutes of ride time when getting from one place another. After a half hour there is a small fee hourly. If you are just visiting Boston or would like to try it out you can easily get a day pass which is well worth it on a sunny Saturday. Helmets are also available to rent at some locations.

Itinerary:

1. Bike To Fort Point
2. Grab Lunch: Flour, Bees Knees Supply Co, SweetGreen
3. Enjoy The Waterfront!

Fort Point (Also known as the Seaport or Innovation District) has been reviewed before on our little space of the internet here. This area is growing rapidly and it seems every week there is a new restaurant to visit.

What is the thing that tends to keep us away from the area? It’s really not easy to get to. No major trains go to Fort Point and the bus system to get there isn’t exactly easy. My suggestion now that the weather is nice? Hubway! There is easily a station near where you are staying in the city and all the bike lanes leading to fort point are well marked.

Last weekend I rode my Hubway from my nearby station in Charlestown to Fort Point to catch a cornhole tournament that fellow blogger Mihaela was hosting for MS. Mihaela and her fellow coworkers do the MS ride they do yearly as team Liams Lucky Charms. This all-day cornhole tournament helps the riders’ cause and gets the excitement going as their yearly bike ride across Massachusetts approaches.

Mihaela And I

On my way to the tournament I hopped on my Hubway to grab some lunch in Fort Point before I had about six coors lights and threw a few bean bags around.

I rode from the Charlestown Navy Yard to Congress Street Hubway Station in Fort Point, where I was greeted by many lunch options. These places are open on the weekends due to heavy tourist traffic from the Boston Tea Party Museum and the Childrens Museum. The three places in this area that I would recommend for lunch are: Flour Bakery, Bees Knees Supply Company, and the new addition of SweetGreens.

Flour: This popular spot by Joann Chang has been a staple in Boston for some time now. Be prepared to wait in line and fight for your person space, but rest assured it’s well worth the wait. The ingredients are always fresh and if you are looking for your carb fix or a delicious baked treat, this is the place to be in Boston. Skip the Cannolis at Mike’s and head straight to the sticky buns and cookies at Flour.

For Lunch at Flour, my go-to item is the curry tuna salad sandwich. It’s something I crave and on summer days I often walk from my office in the Financial District to Fort Point.

 

Bees Knees Supply Company: This was the option I chose last Saturday and I was NOT sorry I did. I have to be honest, the service is lacking here. But they make up for it by never having a line and having delicious sandwiches. They also sell fine foods and have an extensive wine selection.

On Saturday I chose the “Porky Fig.” This sandwich is huge so I would recommend splitting it or saving half for later. It was, however, delicious and really hit the spot. I mean … French butter and goat Gouda? You really couldn’t go wrong here.

Sweet Green:

This natural foods chain from Washington, DC but has just made its way up to Boston. The line tends to be out the door at lunch (noticing a theme here?).  The good thing is you can call ahead or order online in order to avoid the wait. All of the salads are delicious and the calories are listed next to each one for those who are counting. You also have the option to create your own. My favorite is the spicy sabzi! Everything is better with Sriracha.

 

Grab some food and walk around to enjoy the beautiful waterfront and catch some sunshine on a bench or on one of the outdoor tables the restaurants have!

 

 

Maggie – I am an old school New England gal living my life in the pursuit of fun ! My perfect day in Boston involves finding a new place with a little bit of known to it . I love to eat natural whole foods. My goal is always to stay active and burn off last nights wine and cheese plate. Whether its finding the newest fitness studio or training for a marathon I keep busy! #fitfluential #zen #workhardplayhard #eatclean #naturalwinemovement #travelsavvy #martahonrunner

 

 

 

 

Brookline – An escape from the college side of the green line

When people think about the Green Line, visions of terror fly through their head. The idea of being on a train with hundreds commuting to their apartments in Allston and Brighton can be overwhelming to even the most patient of commuters. Luckily there is in Brookline, an oasis from the college lifestyle and accessible by the C&D lines on the MBTA’s green line .

I have found that many of my itineraries thus far have included a lot of day drinking and eating. So today I am going to provide you with a more low-key / realistic trip to Brookline. Just a good work out and dinner/ drinks with friends. Maybe its this moody March we are having but thats about all I have energy for these days and Im guessing you would agree with me !

Itinerary: 

Morning – Baptiste Power Yoga and KooKoo Cafe
Before Dinner – The Publick House
Dinner – Barcelona

Morning:

Downward Dog at Baptiste !

Baptiste

If you read my last post you are starting to see a trend here. I started our day in Cambridge off with yoga and its not going to start much differently in Brookline. I use fitness as an excuse to get to a part of town I don’t often make it too. However, one of my favorite studios is located in Brookline Village. Baptiste Power Yoga is located right off the T in Brookline Village.

Baptiste has long been one of my favorite yoga practices. It is a mix between Bikram and Vinyasa. Many of the hot elements of Bikram are in the practice however the yoga itself is the Vinyasa flow, slowed down a bit so that you can handle the physicality with the heat. The classes are always energetic and you leave feeling your skin glowing and your muscle aching. For all those who want even yoga to be a work out, Baptiste is the answer. It helps that all their studios are beautiful and well set up! Take a beginner class and see what its all about, pack a towel and some water because you are in for a work out.

Outside the KooKoo Cafe

After you break a serious sweat you are going to need to go home take a shower and enjoy the after glow, on your way stop by KooKoo Cafe. This is located right near the Brookline T stop and people rave about their coffee, tea, cookies , and sandwiches.

Evening:

Publick House From Outside

Drinks – Publick House

After you spent the afternoon relaxing , get ready for an evening in Brookline’s Washington Square. Washington Square is accessible by the Green Line’s C Line (the stop is called, conveniently, Washington Square). Both locations for the evening can be reached from there. Publick House has been in Brookline for a little while now, with the craft beer movement growing at an exponentially fast past, there is no better place to go and try a few new beers before enjoying some delicious grub.

Barcelona – From Boston Eater

Dinner – Barcelona 

Barcelona is new to Washington Square and all those who attend it love it. What they might not know about is that its also a pretty well known chain. This new-to-Brookline restaurant has none of the look and feel of normal chain restaurants and its menu is incredibly delicious. They also have an extensive wine selection that pairs well with the tapas style menu. If you are looking for a night out with delicious food and great company this is the place to go with 2 or 8 of your closest friends. Get into the spanish vibe , talk with your hands, drink lots of wine , and order one of everything!

 

Maggie – I am an old school New England gal living my life in the pursuit of fun ! My perfect day in Boston involves finding a new place with a little bit of known to it . I love to eat natural whole foods. My goal is always to stay active and burn off last nights wine and cheese plate. Whether its finding the newest fitness studio or training for a marathon I keep busy! #fitfluential #zen #workhardplayhard #eatclean #naturalwinemovement #travelsavvy #martahonrunner

 

 

 

 

Cambridge : Kendall and Central Squares – Hipster or just plain cool ?

Living in Charlestown, I sometimes feel like I am lacking in fun new places to try. Luckily only a few miles away there are plenty of new restaurants and trendy fitness places for me to try !

Itinerary:

Morning: Prana Power Yoga
Afternoon: Life Alive
Evening : Belly Bar and Westbridge
Late Night : Cantab Lounge

We start our journey in Cambridge’s Central Square.

I have a very busy schedule during the week so on the weekends I like to try and organize time with my friends where I can work out and catch up with them. Afterwards its always nice to find a place we can cozy up in our yoga pants and grab lunch.

Prana Power Yoga fits the bill and is somewhere I have gone often with friends.  If you are just visiting a city sometimes attending a class like this can help you get a feel for what a neighborhood and its people are really like. Located on the second floor in a building off of the busy Massachusetts Ave, Prana Power Yoga is no exception to this. With a beautiful light space its a great place to take in any Saturday morning.

Prana Power Yoga – Central Square

Saturdays at 11am they have an Hour of Power. This is a shortened yoga class instead of the normal 90 minute class it is 60 minutes. The shortened class time is great especially if you are meeting a friend who isn’t an avid yogi . Most weeks Sandy Kalik is teaching the class. These classes are run at 99 degrees! Not only is this a benefit of the practice but you will leaving feeling like you got a real sweat on!

Afterwards you can head over to Life Alive. For those who are interested in the raw food movement or eating vegan, Life Alive is your oasis in Boston. One of the only places in Boston to offer such an array of vegan and organic treats you will have trouble deciding between the large menu.  If you are a lover of all things meat and think whats up with this whole foods movement ?! Life Alive is the perfect place to dip your toes in the water. Their menu boasts everything from yummy salads , to warm rice bowls, and smoothies.  I enjoy their signature dish the Green Goddess which is a mix of vegetables and tofu with brown rice.

The Inside of Life Alive

After you have cleaned off the yoga and let the yummy organic off settle, you may be so relaxed you need to try the finer things in life. This is when a trip to Belly Bar is absolutely necessary. One of my favorite places to visit, Belly Bar is a wine and cheese bar located in Cambridge’s Kendall Square. Belly Bar is part of a group of restaurants which are located in One Kendall Square. Partnered with Central Bottle and Blue Room, they have a great collabrotive  to provide them with excellent food. I have reviewed it on my other blog here. My recommendation is to try this place about an hour before dinner and try to sit at the bar !

Order one of their five rotating cheeses and ask the bartender to pair it with a glass of wine. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and will probably even give you a good back ground story with the wine. Sit down, take in the environment, close your eyes and enjoy the epicurean delight which you have just been served.

After your mind has just been blown, venture right next door to Cambridge’s new and exciting West Bridge.  Their small plates menu has been making waves all over Boston this past year. It was even names one of the top 50 new restaurants by Bon Appetit magazine. Stars on the menu include their famous egg in a jar and octopus.

If this wasn’t enough and you are still begging for more  hop a cab (or maybe an Uber?) over to a Cambridge institution in Central Sqaure. The Cantab Lounge has live music starting at about 9 every night. On Saturdays they always draw a crowd. The bar is divey and the decor matches with a seriously St Elmos fire feel. Every Saturday night intoxicated folk of all kinds line up to enjoy drinks, dancing, and a really good time. At Cantab feel free to dance like no one is watching and let loose! Who knows, maybe you will find yourself on the dance floor back in that downward dog from the morning at Prana !??!?!!?

How to get there : If you are trying to get to Cambridge by public transportation the fastest way is the Red Line. Cambridge is a big place, but for this trip you only need to head just over the Charles River to the Kendall/ MIT stop and the Central Square stop. Luckily most stops are named after the neighborhood you intend to show up in.

Maggie –   I am an old school New England gal living my life in the pursuit of fun !  My perfect day in Boston involves finding a new place with a little bit of known to it . I love to eat natural whole foods. My goal is always to stay active and burn off last nights wine and cheese plate. Whether its finding the newest fitness studio or training for a marathon I keep busy! #fitfluential #zen  #workhardplayhard #eatclean #naturalwinemovement #travelsavvy #martahonrunner

CHARLESTOWN : Beyond the Freedom Trail

Hey guys, Maggie here!  I’m very excited to have my first official itinerary for Boston Party of 6. I live in Charlestown here in Boston and while its a small part of town there is more than enough to do to keep anyone entertained. I love a day that is active, paired with some light to not so light day drinking.  If you are nodding your head right now … I think you are going enjoy what I have planned!

Itinerary:

1. Morning : Navy Yard and brunch at Pier 6
2. Afternoon : Bunker Hill Monument and Warren Tavern
3. Evening : Figs then drinks at Sullivan’s

If you know anything about Charlestown you probably know it’s had its fifteen minutes of fame recently in the movie, The Town.  There is a lot of talk in the movie about a “Toonie” or a “Townie.” I am, for better or worse, a Toonie. For lack of a better description its Charlestown’s version of a yuppie. The yuppies have definitely come to Charlestown. We now now have a Whole Foods, a yoga studio, and even a group of trendy coffee shops. I like to spend my time in Charlestown combining both the old and the new traditions which exist in our historic town.

How to Get Here: By public transportation? Orange Line to Bunker Hill Community College or  92/93 Bus.

Morning : 

A separate area of Charlestown altogether, The Navy Yard is home to the US Constitution and many new waterfront homes.  The city of Boston has put in a harbor walk which has made its way to Charlestown and is a lovely oceanside walk with an excellent view of downtown Boston. The walk takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on how much time you take and covers many parts of the freedom trail.

After you finish taking in the fresh air you can stop in for brunch.

Over the summer a popular waterfront bar was revamped into what is now Pier 6. The interior was not the only thing given a facelift, as the menu is now filled with delicious and inventive dishes.

Currently it is my favorite place to eat in Charlestown. Brunch is the best here. The prices are reasonable with a great mix of breakfast and lunch items. The real selling point is the Bellini bucket. For under 25 dollars you get four splits of champagne in a bucket and two fruit purees to mix them with. It makes any brunch an event.

Afternoon: 

After a few drinks at brunch you are going to need to work up an appetite, so its off to Bunker Hill you go! The walk from Pier 6 to Bunker Hill will lead you throw the historic neighborhood of Charlestown where I especially like, called the Gas Lamp. I often refer to it as a movie set as often the architecture can transport you back in time.

At 200 feet tall Bunker Hill Monument stands on the top of Bunker Hill and is the symbol of the revolution. During the day you can visit the monument and walk all the way to the top! Come on, its time to work those quads and earn your beers!

After you walk up Bunker Hill its time to visit Warren Tavern. Founded in 1780, this rumored watering hole of Paul Revere and other revolutionaries is a cozy local favorite. Now-a-days I think it is best known for a place to hide during snow storms or try to meet Mr. Right or Mr. Right now on Thursday night.

With many bar tables and a long bar its a great place to rest your legs and plot out the rest over your day over a cold pint.

Dinner: The great part about Charlestown is that everything is located within half a mile of everything else. About five doors down from Warren Tavern you will find Figs. Figs is a Todd English restaurant. While we know Todd may not be the most popular guy around here in Boston these days, he still can manage to throw together a damn good pizza place. One of Charlestown’s more high end restaurants, Figs is still priced very reasonably. You can split a tray of pizza and a bottle of wine without breaking the bank. There is almost always a table available but the atmosphere remains lively and inviting.

At this point if you haven’t had to unbutton your pants from all the food you have had, its time to go next door (I said things were close to each other!) and have a couple beers at Sullivan’s. This place is the closest you are going to get to experiencing where the locals drink. The bartenders are from Charlestown and the people drinking here are as well. Enjoy a few beers, maybe pick a couple songs on the juke box (try not to play Miley) and get home safely!

What did you think of my take on Charlestown? Do you think it can live up to Diana’s DOT?

Until next time !!! Signing off

Maggie – My perfect day in Boston involves finding a new place with a little bit of known to it . I love to eat natural whole foods. My goal is to stay active and burn off last nights wine and cheese plate. #fitfluential #zen  #workhardplayhard #eatclean #naturalwinemovement #travelsavvy

Cupid’s Questions for Boston Party of Six – Where to go in Boston on Valentines Day

This year Cupid is coming to Boston and he has some questions for the Boston Party of 6 about where to shoot his bow and arrow.

 

What Boston destinations would you recommend for Valentines Day ?

Diana: The Improv Asylum for a show.

Alex: Go to the aquarium, watch the seals for free!

Dennis: Desert at Finale, you can’t have too much sweets on the V-day, can you?

Maggie : This year I’m going to the Cantab Lounge for drinking , dancing, and live music  !

Baby Seals At the Boston Aquarium

What do you think is the most romantic spot in Boston?  

Diana: The Public Gardens.

Alex: Biddy Early’s.

Dennis: The frog pond, this is romantic.

Maggie: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (as mentioned here in Alex’s Post) has a beautiful indoor garden which brings summer to you all year round. Also, the unsolved case of stolen paintings adds an element of mystery !

Garden at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

What is one thing to avoid in Boston on Valentines Day?

Diana: One thing to definitely avoid on  Valentine’s Day is not having a reservation.

Alex: Being late, for anything.

Dennis: Driving to downtown hoping to find a street parking spot, keep dreaming!

Maggie : Expensive restaurants like Mistral or Sandrines , save it for a time when its not so busy and cheesy !

Happy Valentine’s Day from the BP6 and good luck in the snow whatever your plans may be !