By Joy Victory

Boston is a city of historic beauty. From time-honored destinations like Beacon Hill and the Back Bay to less touristy neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain, it offers something spectacular for every type of traveler.

The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, located in the Seaport District, is a great starting point for your adventures. Art museums, walking trails, and historical sites are all a short walk or car ride from the convention center. Plus, an abundance of top-rated restaurants—many of them with charming waterside views—will satisfy even the most discerning foodies.

CHEST Scientific Program Committee member, C. Corey Hardin, MD, PhD, a Boston resident, provided some dining and sightseeing recommendations to help CHEST 2024 attendees make the most of their time away from the convention center. It’s a great time to see the 393-year-old city, he said: “The fall is one of those seasons New England is rightfully known for.”

So, whether you like to tour historical sites and museums or prefer fine dining or outdoor activities—or all of the above—you’ll find world-class options in Boston. Let’s dig in.

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Restaurants

Grace by Nia
60 Seaport Blvd., third floor
Getting there: 0.6 miles from the convention center

Menu options at this Black- and female-owned restaurant, which is known to be “where soul meets the Seaport,” include Southern classics like country fried chicken and bourbon peach ribs. The restaurant features a rotation of live jazz and R&B music, earning it recognition as the place for “Best Dinner and a Show” from Boston magazine in 2024. Heads up: The vibe is upscale, so come dressed stylishly.

Legal Sea Foods
270 Northern Ave.
Getting there: 0.4 miles from the convention center

This popular seafood chain has restaurants across the city, but the harborside location “has a great space upstairs that looks out over the water,” Dr. Hardin said. If you need help selecting an entrée, Boston magazine recently rated the restaurant’s clam chowder as the best in the city, writing that the “rich combination of little neck clams, chunky potatoes, and salt pork consistently represents the city well.”

Row 34
383 Congress St.
Getting there: 0.3 miles from the convention center

“This is one of the best-known seafood restaurants that’s an easy walk from the convention center,” Dr. Hardin said. Indeed, The New York Times named it one of the top 25 restaurants in Boston, noting that the locally owned chain takes the city’s typical seafood fare to the next level with interesting preparations. In particular, the lobster roll was rated “superlative.”

Sarma
249 Pearl St., Somerville
Getting there: 6 miles from the convention center

Chef Cassie Piuma’s “cross-cultural mashup” of Mediterranean small plates earned the restaurant recent nods in both The New York Times and Boston magazine. “This is the city’s hottest restaurant,” Dr. Hardin said. It’s located in Somerville, just west of Boston, but well worth the cab ride, he said. Getting a reservation might be tough, but you can try the walk-in bar seats that open at 5 pm each night.

Sweet Cheeks Q
1381 Boylston St.
Getting there: 3.2 miles from the convention center

Owned by Chef Tiffany Faison—a runner-up in the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef—Sweet Cheeks Q serves big, bold barbecue. The Big Papi sandwich, named in honor of Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz, is piled high with sliced and chopped brisket, smoked jalapeño cream cheese, pickled jalapeño, crispy onions, and pickles. The location makes it a great pairing with a Fenway Park stadium tour, where you can walk off the brisket and biscuits.

Regina Pizzeria
11 1/2 Thacher St.
Getting there: 3.2 miles from the convention center

Regina Pizzeria is considered one of the best pizza places in the country—known for its century-old, secret recipe for crust that uses natural yeast, leading to an unparalleled base for its light and slightly spicy sauce, with a hint of romano. The cheese is a specialty-aged whole milk mozzarella that’s grated daily and gives the pizza its distinctive flavor. Some say if you haven’t been to Regina’s, you haven’t actually been to Boston. It’s open until 9 pm on Sunday and until 10 pm Monday through Saturday. 

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Activities

Boston Harborwalk
Getting there: Walk 0.7 miles from the convention center to Fan Pier Park for expansive downtown views

This 43-mile public walkway provides an excellent tour of the city’s piers, wharves, beaches, and shorelines. Along the way, sculptures from noted artists and historical exhibitions pay homage to Boston’s seaside beauty and rich history. It’s a great way to get in some steps and fresh air.

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
306 Congress St.
Getting there: 0.6 miles from the convention center

This live-action reenactment lets visitors relive Dec. 16, 1773, when the Sons of Liberty threw shipments of East India tea overboard in protest of taxation without representation, kicking off the American Revolution. You can board replicas of 18th century-era sailing vessels and view the Robinson Tea Chest, the only known surviving tea chest from that historic day. It’s a little corny, Dr. Hardin admitted, but definitely fun.

Freedom Trail
139 Tremont St.
Getting there: 1.1 miles from the convention center; Boston Common is the recommended starting point

An iconic Boston experience, the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail features historic churches, meeting houses, cemeteries, and parks, with an emphasis on the sites where the American Revolution was planned and launched. While paid guided tours are available, the entire trail is open to visitors exploring on their own, including a self-guided audio tour offered by the National Park Service. Hungry? Faneuil Hall Marketplace, a “food paradise” with 25-plus eateries, is located near the midpoint of the trail.

Institute of Contemporary Art
25 Harbor Shore Dr.
Getting there: 0.5 miles from the convention center, near Boston Harborwalk

Come for the views, stay for the art, Dr. Hardin suggested. “The building is gorgeous. It’s a modern art museum with a second floor cantilevered right out over the water, with a wall of windows that look out on the harbor,” he said. Conde Nast Traveler complimented the well-balanced mix of art on display and recommended the gift shop for thoughtful souvenirs.

Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation
2 N. Grove St.
Getting there: 3 miles from the convention center

A recommended stop on Boston’s Innovation Trail, this museum takes visitors through 200 years of medical evolution at Massachusetts General Hospital. The museum is known for the antique surgical instruments on display and the Ether Dome amphitheater, where the world’s first public surgery using ether was performed.

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Discover Boston’s fall foliage

Boston is considered one of the most walkable US cities, making it the ideal place to wander and sightsee. By early October, fall colors are just starting to pop. Here are some of the best places to take in the city’s atmosphere:

Arnold Arboretum

The Arnold Arboretum was the first public arboretum in the US. The Arboretum’s 15,000 trees, shrubs, and vines are one of the most comprehensive and well-documented collections of temperate woody plants in the world.

Beacon Hill

One of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Boston, Beacon Hill has steep streets lined with Federal-style and Victorian brick row houses lit by antique lanterns. The half-square-mile neighborhood is named for the location of a former beacon atop the highest point in central Boston. The beacon was used to warn residents of an invasion.

Boston Common

Founded in 1634, Boston Common is America’s oldest public park. The historic land has been used for everything from cattle grazing to anti-slavery meetings and has evolved into a natural oasis for visitors and residents in the heart of downtown.

Boston Public Garden

Established in 1837, the Public Garden was the first public botanical garden in the US. It was decorative and flowery from its inception, featuring meandering pathways for strolling. Like the Common, the Garden’s location makes it the perfect stop whether you’re exploring the streets of Beacon Hill, shopping on Newbury St. in the Back Bay, or dining in the North End.

Rose Kennedy Greenway

One of Boston’s newest parks, Rose Kennedy Greenway stretches from TD Garden and the North End to Chinatown and replaces an elevated highway that slashed through the heart of the city for almost 50 years. The Greenway’s series of linked parks host a variety of attractions, events, and revolving art exhibits.