The Boston Park Plaza Hotel has beautiful sun-filled rooms, sleek modern amenities like leather furniture, gorgeous soft gray tiling in the shower, and colorful art around the room. The bed is comfortable and chic, and the restaurant attached, Strega Italiano, has some of the best blue cheese-stuffed olives for their extra-dirty, extra-cold martinis. The hotel completed an overhaul restoration in 2016, revamping the landmark that has been a staple in Boston since the 1920s when it opened. In addition to the service and amenities, the hotel is centrally located, making it easy to access everything by foot.

Activities

Acorn Street

I managed to get to Acorn Street to see the popular cobblestone path, also known as the most photographed street in America, along Beacon Hill. The stone street is lined with row houses, right now speckled with fallen autumn leaves. It truly is a beautiful view and a great place to take some photos. Some people actually wait for the rain because it makes the stones on the street glisten, providing more beautiful, glossy shots.

Shopping along Charles Street

Instead of touring around Quincy Market and its nearby shops, I recommend heading for Charles Street right near Acorn Street. There are boutique shops, so you can support local businesses and find unique items special to the area rather than shopping at chain stores near the market. Some of my favorite shops included Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill and Deluca’s Market for their candied jalapenos (perfect for cocktails and nachos). On the way, was Commonwealth Books and Old Prints. I collect vintage cocktail recipe books and cookbooks, and I found a ton while rummaging here.

Public Art

10 Summer Street at Primark
Boston has some really fun public art scattered throughout the city in some unexpected places. One of which is Primark, a retailer with a murals in various entryways, with bright teal lit up lettering welcoming you to the city and of course, their store.

Underground at Ink Block
90 Traveler St Boston
The Underground at Ink Block is an underpass that has been covered in murals and colorful designs. I really enjoy looking for places that have transformed from something old and often overlooked, to something beautiful because art has been added. And others found use there as well: We saw a workout class there, as well as photo shoots in progress and others just appreciating the art.

Bully Boy Distillers
44 Cedric St., Boston

Bully Boy Distillers was started by two brothers who left their careers to pursue something new. While cleaning their grandparents’ barn out after their passing, they discovered a hidden vault filled with old bottles of booze that led to the realization that their grandparents were rum runners during Prohibition and their barn was essentially the neighborhood speakeasy. After this discovery, they started to develop their own high-quality spirits. Teddy Roosevelt was a close friend of their great-grandfather while in college, according to their website. Teddy used the word “bully” as a description for something good, leading to the boys’ great-grandfather naming their horse Bully Boy, which in turn inspired the name of the distillery.

Boston Public Market
100 Hanover St.

The Boston Public Market had a few vendors outdoors at the time I was there and they’ve since opened to the public. Although the Public Market was my original draw to the area, the Haymarket next door is amazing, too. Not only do they have fresh local produce and goods, but they had a large assortment of tropical fruits for cheap. For example, dragon fruit can be close to $7 elsewhere, but you’ll pay $0.50 for one here. I was able to try new fruits like canapa, a mildly tart and citrusy fruit, with the look of a grape, and the texture of lychee with the look of a very small lime. I can say it’s one of my favorite fruits now.

Tony & Elaine’s
111 N Washington St.

Tony and Elaine’s hit it out of the park with their cheesy delicious dishes. We started off with some bubbly and enjoyed it in their beer garden, dimly lit with sparkling lights. They are recognized for their award-winning meatballs, so we knew we needed a side of those and stretchy mozzarella sticks to start. The meatballs were tender and flavorful, covered in tangy parmesan cheese in a semi-sweet sauce. The veal parmesan was smothered in cheese cooked crispy with a light layer of sauce and a sprinkle of parsley over a bed of pasta and the cacio e pepe was a small serving doused in fresh pepper, perfectly adequate after the amount of appetizers and dishes consumed. We enjoyed a small glass of citrusy limoncello before our cannolis to end the meal with a sweet touch.

Bostonia Public House
131 State St.

Bostonia encourages people to be over-the-top with their bloody Mary garnishes. Pre-COVID, they had a huge garnish bar full of ribs, bacon-wrapped scallops, candy bars, doughnuts, olives, pepperoni straws, veggies, cheeses, shrimp, and more. Now they’re delivering a platter of garnish bar items so you can build it at your table. They also have delicious lobster mac and cheese, which I could barely eat after getting through the two dozen shrimp I threw into my drink.