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The North End
Boston, MA 02554
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Hanover Street is one of the city’s liveliest nighttime destinations. This area’s proximity to the water led many immigrants from Italy to settle here in the late 19th century, and the scores of Italian restaurants and cafes that still line the streets are a testament to the community’s continued presence and vitality here in the North End. If you’re lucky, you even might stumble upon one of Hanover Street’s many festivals, like the annual St. Joseph’s Feast, held here each summer. It’s a great way to end your day in Boston. So mangia all you like.
Long Wharf Seafood Restaurants
Just east of Faneuil Hall
Boston, MA 02110
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Probably the center of attention at the water’s edge is Long Wharf, which has been in operation since 1710. Here, you can purchase tickets for a harbor cruise, or eat at one of the many seafood restaurants that surround the pier. Some of the favorites in this neck of the woods include the Chart House, Legal Sea Foods, and the oddly named "No Name Restaurant," which prides itself on its out- of-the-way locale and unobstrusive signage.
Union Oyster House
41 Union Street
Boston, MA 02554
Phone: 617-227-2750
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Though the nearby Quincy Market got rolling in the early 19th century, an even older relic of Boston’s early Days is just a short walk away. The so-called Blackstone Block is the city’s oldest surviving commercial street. This cobblestone lane dates back to 1714, and was long dominated by various butcher shops. The street’s most famous resident these days is Boston’s oldest restaurant, the Union Oyster House, which has been in operation since 1826. It's a perrenial favorite with visitors, and its past customers have included numerous local bigwigs, including a young John F. Kennedy, whose favorite table upstairs has been dubbed the "Kennedy Booth" in his honor.
84 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108617-227-9605
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Oddly enough, in Beacon Hill, a land of genteel privilege, one of the neighborhood’s top draws these days is a bar -- the former Bull and Finch Pub, on Beacon Street. Anyone who watched NBC in the 1980s will immediately recognize this exterior as the model for the bar in the hit sitcom Cheers. And, while its interior is quite different from the set of the TV show, scores of fans make the pilgrimage here every day to see the inspiration for the place where everybody knows your name. Those in need of a more realistic version of the Cheers Bar from the TV show will be glad to know that the interior is replicated at the Cheers outpost at the Quincy Market.
Chinatown
Near Beach Street & Downtown Crossing.
Boston, MA 02111
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Though the inevitable gentrification has changed the area a bit, it still retains much of its immigrant flavor. Some visitors are surprised to learn that the Chinese community here is so substantial. In fact, after New York and San Francisco, this district is the third largest Chinese neighborhood in the entire country. And if the pasta over in the North End isn’t quite what you’re after, there are sure to be plenty of restaurants in this neighborhood like the China Pearl that will more than happy to lay out the chopsticks for you.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
1 Faneuil Hall Market
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617-523-1300
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If the only Sam Adams you’re familiar with is in the refrigerated section of your local liquor store, then maybe Boston at night will be more your speed. The area right around Faneuil Hall comes alive after dark, and if you play your cards just right, you might even stumble upon a Pub or two in the area, evidence of Boston’s still substantial Irish community. Not that we’re encouraging that sort of thing, mind you, but hey, when in Rome, right?