Back Bay – the neighborhood that has it all, Boston Marathon Finish line included

As earlier posts hinted, Back bay is one of the best areas in Boston for just about everything. It is a financial and commercial center that also embodies urban, well adjusted living. It is a fairly new neighborhood relative to the downtown/waterfront area but there are plenty of historic attractions, shopping and entertainment. I work in the Back Bay and a lot of my life, and my free time is spent here. Because it’s spring and the days have finally gotten longer, I can fit a lot more in the afternoons after work, so last Wednesday I set out to do a little exercising followed by much needed food and drinks with sweet friends.

Spring, at least for me, also marks the beginning of fundraising. It’s that time of the year when everyone you know is participating in some sort of event raising money for charities. On this occasion me and a couple girlfriends headed to Velo City for a spin class fundraiser benefiting Alzheimer’s

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Spin specific studios became a craze in Boston sometime last year and places started popping up all around town, so naturally I had been wanting to jump on the bandwagon. The disclaimer to my following write up is that I strongly  dislike spinning despite loving biking.  I gave it many chances, but I am finally ready to admit that I will never be one of those intense and terrifically fit spin girls.

In an attempt to be objective, I think Velo city is a nice studio, and they are definitely amazing for helping out with fundraising efforts. The entrance is on the corner of Exeter and a public alley between Boylston and Newbury. On arrival the very friendly staff helped get us cleats which are included in the fee, and later on helped us with bike set up, etc. The girl who was teaching the class was an absolute machine, the music was so intense that I felt like dancing, especially when black lights came on. Despite all that fun, I felt claustrophobic, uncomfortable, and like my legs were out of control, so I was counting the minutes until the end of class. In hindsight, I would have felt like a bit of a hypocrite, giving up on one hour of unpleasant intense exercise when so many people with Alzheimer’s live with unimaginable hardship everyday. My friends really enjoyed it and are planning to go back. These studios have a very loyal following, so I encourage everyone to give it a try.

Coming out of the class we were all starving, so we walked into the closest restaurant that didn’t look packed. Last week was a very busy time of the year for Boston as thousands of marathon runners and their families inundated the city. Forum is on Boylston and was one of the businesses heavily affected by last year’s marathon bombings.They were closed for a long time for renovations and it is so nice to see them doing well. My friends and I went for a girly dinner which consists of individual multiple drinks and multiple appetizers to share.

Everything we split was delicious – fish tacos, mussels, duck ragoon and ahi tuna were followed by the Forum burger. The restaurant is large and roomy which helped with getting us seated right away.

They have a good selection of beers on tap and wines by the glass. Overall great atmosphere that is a little less pretentious than the next door restaurants.

 

I couldn’t write this up without mentioning the Boston Marathon: it is one of my absolute favorite days of the year. I could go on and tell you all the reasons why, but instead I invite you to experience it for yourself, and I am leaving you with a picture that embodies the relentless human strength and kindness that takes over the city on this beautiful day. 

This is my last post for our little blog experiment so I just wanted to give a quick shout out to all who have followed and supported us. Thank you!!! : ) 

 

 

Back Bay: Packed Itinerary for Spring Break Visitors

Ten years ago when I first visited Back Bay, I immediately fell in love with the neighborhood. Call me a homer if you want, but Back Bay is the better version of SoHo in NYC, with less people and much cleaner. Holding a coffee and walking along Newbury St. with all its historic buildings would instantly put me in vacation mode. Now working in the area, I still enjoy taking a walk around the area whenever feeling stressful. The Back Bay area seems to have this magical power that makes me feel relaxed and free of stress.

Last April, the Back Bay area appeared in the national headlines for an unfortunate reason. But with the resiliency of the Bostonian, the area has recovered quickly from the tragedy. Fast-forward eleven months to today and you hardly notice any difference; the Back Bay area remains one of the most popular spots for tourists.

Spring break coming up in the next couple weeks, and if you choose to make Boston your spring break destination then huge round of applause to you as you are not one of those crowd-followers just looking to get drunk at a random beach. As you are special, how can you explore the Back Bay area without following the typical travel guide? Great question, just follow along for my itinerary and I am sure your experience in the Back Bay area will be memorable.

Itinerary:

1. Morning: Copley Square, Lunch at food trucks in the area 
2. Afternoon: Desert at Georgetown Cupcake/LA Burdick, the Paint Bar 
3. Evening: Dinner at the Salty Pig, drinks at Cactus

Morning:

If you are to visit the Back Bay area, Copley Square is one place you can’t miss, especially if you are into history and/or architecture. In the area, you will find Boston Public Library (the first large free municipal library in the United States), Trinity Church (birthplace and archetype of the Richardsonian Romanesque style), and the John Hancock Tower (a masterpiece of glass designed by Henry Cobb, associate of the great architect L.M. Pei). All of them are definitely worthy of your time to explore.

When the morning tour comes to an end, it’s lunch time! True that there are many great restaurants in the area, but I recommend you to try out the food trucks in the area. What’s more special than waiting in line for quick, but delicious bites? Okay, it’s not that special waiting in lines with a bunch of people getting out of work for a quick lunch, who just remind you work or school sucks (you may bump into me). But hey, it’s definitely a unique experience, and most important, the food tastes good. My personal favorites are Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, The Chicken and Rice Guys, and Bon Me, in that particular order. However, make sure you check their schedules as each food trunk has their own schedules for different days.

Green Muenster Melt from Roxy

Combo Platter from Chicken and Rice Guys

Afternoon:

If you have a sweet tooth, you will be ecstatic for the next part of the itinerary. I have two dessert shops to recommend for you to satisfy your craving of sweets. You can’t go wrong with either. Why not both, you ask? Sure, if you say so since you’ve had your share of walking to burn all those extra calories. I am not a guy that really appreciates desserts/sweets, but these two shops definitely won my heart.

Georgetown Cupcakes changed my view of cupcakes. I saw cupcakes as over-sweetened cream over a small piece of dry pastry. There was absolutely no reason to waste my share of stomach on the cupcake. Until one day someone brought a box of Georgetown Cupcakes to the office … and I have been hooked since. My personal favorites are Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Fudge, but there are so many more options that can easily satisfy your special tastes.

LA Burdick is a chocolatier. I first went to their shop in Harvard Square, and I really loved it. When LA Burdick opened another shop near my company, I was happy because I could go there for a hot chocolate on occasion. As a guy who is not a fan of sweets, their hot chocolate is perfect as it’s so smooth and warming, while not making you drink ten cups of water afterwards.

Now that you sweet tooth is satisfied, it is time to stroll down Newbury St. to our next stop, the Paint Bar. Hold your horses with your “boos.” Painting may not be your thing, but it wasn’t mine either. I was so disappointed when I first found out we were going to the “Paint Bar” instead of doing “Paintball,” but the outing turned out to be fun and I really enjoyed it. Don’t worry if you suck at art, in here you will have step by step instruction on how to create a painting from the instructors, who are actually quite funny and nice. Plus, you can order beers while you are painting, so if you don’t like it, at least you can have a beer and make fun of your friends’ paintings. You can keep your painting after you finish, but please remember to reserve ahead of time as the shop has limited seating.

Not bad eh? You can do it!

Evening:

After the exhaustion of your art creativity in the afternoon, time for some more delicious food for dinner. As I mentioned, there are many great restaurants in the area … if you have a pocket full of cash to blow. Want to try something special but don’t want to spend a fortune? No problem! The Salty Pig on Dartmouth St. is what you are asking for. If you like charcuterie, this is the perfect place for you as you can make your own charcuterie. However, the pizza here is excellent as well. My personal favorite is the mushroom pizza with a sunnyside egg on top. It makes me hungry as I am writing. If still have energy for drinks, feel free to drop by at the Cactus Bar. It’s usually crowded with a bunch of college kids, but they serve some very good margaritas. A good margarita should conclude your packed, special day in the Back Bay.

Dennis Gao – Born and raised in China, I offer perspectives blended with my Asian root. I enjoy any unknown adventure, whether it means trying new restaurants, meeting strangers, or wandering in to undiscovered neighborhood of the city. I am too laid back to follow a plan and will rather allow my feeling to dictate what I would do on any given day.