The Fenway / Kenmore of today looks very different than even a few years ago. Major construction highlights include Boylston West (currently under construction, and the future home of Boston’s first Target), the recently approved expansion of the Landmark Center (which would house Boston’s first Wegman’s and likely be the final death kneel for the area’s shitty Shaw’s), and the potential construction of Fenway Center (which would help bring together the neighborhood after the Mass Pike effectively split it in two).
Of course, plenty of changes have already occurred and left Fenway as one of the fastest growing and trendiest neighborhoods in the city. Ugly garages and parking lots? Replaced with beautiful, new apartment buildings. Transportation issues? How about a brand new commuter rail station. Johnnies Foodmaster? Gone, recently replaced by a new Whole Foods. Rats? NOPE FUCK YOU WE’RE STILL HERE.
Despite all the changes, Fenway has a lot of history left to it. For example, did you know that Audubon Circle was designed in the 1860’s by Frederick Law Olmsted? Have you even heard of Audubon Circle before this post? No? Don’t worry, a lot of people visiting Fenway make a beeline straight off the T to Fenway Park without exploring the rest of the neighborhood. This itinerary will give you a day’s worth of things to do in Fenway / Kenmore beyond the typical day at the ballpark.
Itinerary:
1. Morning: Breakfast at Tatte
2. Late Morning: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
3. Afternoon: Lunch at Tasty Burger, then walking the Emerald Necklace
4. Evening: Dinner at Thaitation, then “classy” bar crawl to Citizen Public House, Eastern Standard and The Hawthorne.
Morning: Breakfast at Tatte
Since we already brought up Audubon Circle, this seems as good a place as any to start our day. Audubon Circle straddles the Brookline / Boston line, and is a rough midpoint between Kenmore Square and Coolidge Corner. Get off at St. Mary’s T stop (on the C Line) and you’re right there.
Tatte is a great bakery with a couple of locations around Boston, but the Audubon Circle location was their first shop. It’s small (only a few tables indoors), but on a warm summer morning you can usually find outdoor seating available.
So what should you get here? This particular location doesn’t have a full brunch menu like their other locations (although on the weekends they offer breakfast sandwiches and Israeli breakfast, but I haven’t tried these), so I would recommend going with one of their many pastries. Their Croissants are delicious, and you can’t go wrong with their Danishes. Apparently Tatte’s specialty is something they call a “nut box,” which I’m sure is delicious but I can’t vouch for that since it would kill me instantaneously (the only thing more deadly would be sprinkling cat hair on top).
The Nut Box. Anaphylactic delight.
Order yourself a delicious coffee to go with the pastry and enjoy. Don’t forget to pick up one of those cards for stamps while you’re there so you can get free coffee in the future!
Late Morning: Get cultured at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Google Maps tells me this museum is in Fenway (it is located on Fenway Street …), so I’m adding it to this itinerary. Either way, it’s only a 15 minute walk from Tatte. You can get there by walking along the Emerald Necklace, which is the famous chain of parks designed by … Frederick Law Olmsted! HISTORY!
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is housed in a gorgeous building that is every bit as impressive as the art collection itself. In the center of the building is an indoor courtyard and garden – you can look out onto the courtyard from arched balconies lining each floor of the museum. While there are many well-known artists on exhibit here (including Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Sargent), my favorite part of the museum is just relaxing alongside the courtyard. Plan to spend a few hours here.
The museum is usually open until 5PM, but on the third Thursday of every month they offer something called … wait for it … Third Thursdays. As their website describes it, this is a late-night program “full of music, art, and conversation designed to connect young professionals, artists, and college students with each other and the Gardner.” I’ve been and it’s worth checking out. They have live music, food and a cash bar. If you bring your student ID its $5, unless you are a participating school in which case it’s free to get in. Otherwise this will set you back $15, but still worth checking out.
Afternoon: Lunch, then more walking!
You’re probably tired of all this art and culture and educating yourself business, so it’s time for lunch. Fenway / Kenmore has a ton to offer
when it comes to food, but if you’re like me and looking for a quick meal that won’t break the bank I’d recommend Tasty Burger. Ask what their special burger of the day is … you may end up with a treat like that bad boy pictured below. That was something they called a “State Fair,” and yes, that’s a deep fried burger. Gave me the meat sweats real bad, but how often do you get to eat fried burgers in Boston? Wash that down with one of their many craft beer options and a side of onion rings, all for around $15.
Oohh baby!
Boston is a walking city, and after eating 1000+ calories of Tasty Burger you’ll probably want to walk it off. The Emerald Necklace that I mentioned earlier wraps through the entirety of Fenway, and there are some real nice parks to explore there. Part of it includes the Fenway Victory Gardens, which I’ve always enjoyed walking through (especially in the summer). You could also consider walking from Tasty Burger through Kenmore and towards Storrow Drive, where you can walk along Charles.
Evening: Dinner, then drinks
Like I said, there are lots of fantastic food options in Fenway / Kenmore to choose from, but for this itinerary I’m going to go with one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Boston: Thaitation. In addition to a fun name, this place has my favorite shrimp fresh rolls. I normally get Pad Thai (without ground peanuts but with peanut sauce, because I’m annoying like that), and Thai iced tea. Dinner for two will cost around $30-$40.
By now you probably want to get a drink. Lucky for you, Fenway has a mix of everything from sports bars to dive bars to classy cocktail joints. Let’s keep things classy and go with cocktails tonight. From Thaitation, make your way to Citizen Public House (lots of whiskies to choose from), then continue on for a mini bar crawl towards Kenmore Square, where you can finish with drinks at Eastern Standard and the Hawthorne. Drinks at each are around $13 each, but you’ve earned it.
Enjoy the rest of your night!
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.
Boston, Party of 6 