20241123_132003Acorn Street (November 2024)

I continued my first (and only) full day in Boston by sticking to the city center and exploring the Downtown area for the rest of the afternoon. As previously mentioned in the last post, Boston leans heavily into its colonial history, so many of the sites and attractions showcase its roots in the American past. It would be a lot of walking, but a lot to see and do!

Following my time spent at the Boston Central Library, I headed to Chinatown to grab lunch at a Malaysian restaurant. It had been a minute since I last had Malaysian food, and I was craving it dearly. That said, I opted for a nasi lemak and teh tarik, both piping hot and absolutely comforting, especially on a chilly soon-to-be winter’s day.

20241123_122506In Chinatown

20241123_123238Nasi lemak

Nearby Chinatown was Boston Common, which I headed to after a satisfying lunch. Boston Common is a large public park in the middle of the city, at over 50 acres of green space that is perfect for picnicking during warmer months. Alas, I was visiting in November, so it was quite cold and few people were camped outside on the lawn– the park was lovely all the same, though, with the fall foliage on the trees and scattered on the ground.

20241123_131038Fall foliage in Boston Common

I cut through Boston Common and made my ascent to Beacon Hill, a historic and picturesque neighborhood that is known for its Federal-style rowhouses and cobblestone streets. It is an affluent quarter, as the homes are beautiful and have high real-estate value. Especially while visiting in the fall, many of homes were decorated with pumpkins on the doorsteps, and overall evoked a cozy atmosphere, despite the cold.

20241123_132220Beacon Hill

I was especially visiting Beacon Hill to see Acorn Street, one of the most-photographed streets in all of the United States. Historically, this narrow road housed artisans and tradespeople in the 19th century, who catered to the wealthy in the area. With its cobblestone lane (on an incline) and the rowhouses in the foreground, it is no wonder that Acorn Street is such a popular place to check out– luckily, I got there where few tourists were around, although there were still a few people taking photos and strolling up and down the road. Definitely worth a visit!

20241123_132003Acorn Street

Next, I retraced my steps and hopped on the Freedom Trail, a two-mile (3.2 kilometers) route that takes you through the Historic Core. All you have to do is follow the red-brick strip running along the sidewalk, and you could easily spend a full day checking out each stop along the way. Given that I only had an afternoon, I picked and chose a few highlights, including the Old State House (1713), the Faneuil and Quincy Markets (1742 and 1826, respectively), and the Paul Revere House (constructed in 1680, and Revere himself lived in it from 1770 to 1800).

20241123_134327Faneuil Hall (with the statue of Samuel Adams)

20241123_134745Quincy Market in festive cheer


20241123_140045Outside of the Paul Revere House (didn’t go in)

The Freedom Trail also took me into the North End, also known as “Little Italy,” where I also came across the Paul Revere statue and the Old North Church– the path spit me out by the harbor, where I saw the USS Constitution in the distance, nicknamed “Old Ironsides” for its pivotal role during the War of 1812 against the British.

20241123_140433Paul Revere statue (with Old North Church in the distance)

20241123_141721USS Constitution (aka “Old Ironsides”) across the harbor

I did not stay too long in the North End, as I would be returning to the neighborhood with my partner to grab dinner later that evening. That said, I took an Uber to meet up after her work conference and after resting a bit back at the hotel, we headed out once more to Little Italy to grab massive slices of pizza and cannoli at some old-school institutions. The food was simple, but well-made, and it was a great meal to cap off our full day in town.

20241123_171744(1)MASSIVE pizza slices

20241123_180902(1)Cannoli and Boston creme cupcake

More of our stay in the Boston area to come soon. Until then! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

37 thoughts on “Destination: Boston, Massachusetts (Strolling Beacon Hill, the Quincy Market, & Italian Food in the North End– PART 2)”

  1. The North End of Boston has so many cool things to see and do. Love the cannoli, too (not the “cash only” part, though. Thankfully, they have ATMs nearby!) I agree, Beacon Hill is so photogenic, especially in the fall when all the leaves have turned those pretty colors. Looking forward to reading more about your stay in the Boston area!

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    1. Boston’s North End has so much going on; I wish we had more time to explore it. At least we had decent pizza and cannoli! More of my time in Boston and its surroundings are coming soon 😊

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  3. Despite the gloomy weather, the places you visited still look interesting. But those massive pizza slices caught my attention the most as they appear to be very appealing and intimidating at the same time! Good to know that they tasted good.

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      1. I can see why but we prefer to see sights that look less like what we have at home – one reason perhaps why we prefer the West of the US to New England and the east coast (NYC excepted, of course!)

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  8. I’ve never been to Boston, but over the years, I’ve seen so many great Boston Irish crime thrillers (The Departed, The Town and Mystic River, to name a few) that I’ve fallen under the city’s spell. It certainly seems like a great place where you can explore centuries-old landmarks in the morning, grab fresh seafood by the harbour in the afternoon and cheer with locals at a game in the evening. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Boston is a gorgeous city, and I’m not surprised that it’s inspired so many films to take place there. Seafood (especially the lobster roll) is unparallelled, and I hope you get to head to Boston some day, Aiva!

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  13. Following the Freedom Trail is definitely a good option for a tour of historic Boston, and it’s hard not to be drawn to Beacon Hill. It reminds me of my trips from Toronto; Boston is such an attractive city.

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  14. We had a day just like this in Boston! I enjoyed the Freedom Trail and you didn’t miss much from what I remember of Paul Revere’s house. That tree almost makes me want to visit around Christmas but don’t think I would do well in the cold 🥶

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    1. Good to know that skipping Paul Revere’s House was a good choice! That gave more time to explore more of Boston than otherwise. It was already quite chilly when I visited in November, so I can’t imagine it getting any colder in the winter months!

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  17. Beacon Hill looks lovely – I’ve never even heard of that street but it’s so pretty! I am sure I went into both Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market but it was so long ago that I don’t remember now. I do recognise them both though! It was nice to follow along on your trip. 🙂

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