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

 

 

 

 

Fort Point: An Innovative Itinerary?

Boston is growing, and part of that growth includes a push by the city to become a greater hub for innovation. Kendell gets a lot of attention on this front, with Microsoft, Google, and now Twitter opening up offices.  But Boston proper is also involved, and it’s pushing the Fort Point neighborhood as the city’s “official” innovation center.  It’s even gone out of its way to christen Fort Point as the “Innovation District,” so you know it’s true.

Fort Point is a subsection of the larger Seaport District, all of which has a lot going on these days.  No longer just the shitty part of town with ample parking, the Seaport District has quickly developed into a cool mix of start-ups and happening bars nestled between classic brick buildings and modern skyscrapers. Truly innovative. Home to museums, parks, fine dining, my dentist, and the best post office in the whole city, there are plenty of things to do here.  Here we go!

Itinerary:

1. Morning: Boston Tea Party Museum
2. Afternoon: Lunch at Lucky’s Lounge, followed by a brewery tour at Harpoon
3. Evening: A nice seafood dinner, then drinks at … Drink 

Morning: Tea Party

Everyone knows that the Boston Tea Party took place in Boston, but do you know where?  You can probably guess with reasonable certainty that it was in Fort Point, and you’d be right. High five. Of course, back then it wasn’t called Fort Point – the event took place at what was formally known as Griffins Wharf.  That wharf no longer exists, but a museum fully dedicated to this celebrated act of vandalism has been built near that former location.

The obvious question everyone asks when they hear about the Boston Tea Party is,
“how many fish were killed by this senseless act?”  No one at the museum answered my question when I went this past weekend, so I can’t tell you.  But I did learn lots of other interesting facts during my trip, including the fact that George Washington condemned the Boston Tea Party when it occurred.  Psh, what does he know.

The Beaver

Open seven days a week, museum tours run every 30 minutes, starting at 10:00 am.  Tickets cost $25.00, but Massachusetts residents receive free admission when accompanied by an adult guest who has purchased a regular price ticket.  All you need to do is a.) find a friend, then b.) signup for and print your free hometown pass prior to going.

Afternoon: Lunch and Beers

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably famished after throwing all that tea overboard and while screaming “Huzzah” and frightening children with your over-exuberance for history. Time for lunch.

There are a lot of places around here to eat here, but since we’re looking for a quick bite at a reasonable price, I’m going to throw in Lucky’s Lounge as my recommendation.  You’re probably thinking, “hey, isn’t Lucky’s that bar that’s impossible to find on Congress street?”  Sure is!  Often mistaken for an entrance to a crack den, Lucky’s is a cool bar that also serves up a fine lunch.  Once you’ve managed to find the place, sit yourself in one of their casual booths on the near side of the restaurant (I prefer this brighter area to the darker part of the restaurant) and order a pulled pork sandwich and whatever’s on their rotating tap.

Yeah … it’s somewhere in there.

Did those lunchtime beers whet your whistle for more beer? Then get ready for a powerwalk, because we’re heading to Harpoon Brewery for a tour.  It’s about a mile away, so I suppose you could cab it over if you’re lazy.  Or, you can get ALL FANCY and green on everyone and rent a HubWay bike.  Just keep in mind that you’re going to be drinking, and nobody likes a drunk bicyclist.

The Harpoon Brewery tour is a good time, but the real reason to come to here is for their beautiful new beer hall. I’ve been back a few times since it opened last year, and always have a good time. They keep it simple here, with a long bar in the center and plain wooden picnic tables surrounding it. Bartenders here are the brewers themselves, so you’ll see the guy who just poured your draft run over after to operate the keg machine.  Lots of great beer is available (so long as you like Harpoon), but the food selection is pretty limited (I hope you like pretzels!).  You can even mix-and-match here: order a “Storm Trooper” and they’ll serve you a mix of Harpoon’s Leviathan IPA and their UFO White.

Harpoon’s Beer Hall

Evening: Dinner and Drink

Where to eat now that you’ve spent the afternoon imbibing?  Again, there are tons of places you could eat around here, but since we’re by the water I think it’s time to get some seafood.  There are several pricier places in the area, but you can get a decent bite to eat at the reasonably priced Yankee Lobster Company, which just so happens to be right next door to the Harpoon Brewery.  You could also walk a little further down Northern Ave. and check out Legal Harborside, located in a much nicer building (with a water view!) than Yankee Lobster Company.

Enough with the food review – it’s time to wrap this itinerary up with a drink.  Like in my Fenway itinerary, we’re going to end this evening with cocktails.  We’re heading back towards Lucky’s, but this time we’re going across the street to the famous mixologist destination: Drink.  Drink is a very cool establishment – the whole schtick here is they have no cocktail menus, and display no alcohol behind the bar. Instead, you’re expected to speak with the bartender (oops, sorry, mixologist), tell them the flavors and spirit bases you enjoy, and then they will make you something based off their interpretations.   You can, of course, request a specific drink but that’s not as fun as discovering something new.

Drinks at Drink

Come early or be prepared to wait.  There is no cover charge, and while I generally refuse to wait in line this is one of those places where I’ll make an exception.  I’ll do that for a bar that was a finalist for “World’s Best Cocktail Bar” at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail.

Anything you would have done differently if you were writing a one-day itinerary for Seaport / Fort Point?  Share your thoughts with us in our comments section.  Cheers!

Alex: I like to make the most of my day, especially when visiting a new place. My itineraries tend to pack in as much as possible – attractions, museums, etc. – with stops for a drink between destinations. I love visiting main sites, but do my best to locate something off the beaten path that other tourists may not know about.