Boston during the holidays is, without a doubt, my favorite time in the city. There are lights covering the trees in the common, the teddy bear tea, and the smell of pastries fills the air in the North End. When I went home for Thanksgiving break this past week, the streets were filled, and every restaurant had a line out the door. As someone who lives in Boston, I spent the drive back to campus thinking about the most overrated and underrated spots in the city during the holiday season.
Snowport: Overrated
It literally pains me to put this as overrated, but it’s true… Over the past two years, snowport has gone majorly downhill, in my opinion. The lines to get in take hours, a mini cup of pasta for $20, and when you finally make it inside, it’s too crowded and cramped to get around. The first two years of Snowport were great, with minimal lines, and the booths had some cute gifts, but this year it has to go in my overrated category.
Newbury Street: Overrated
Okay, so Newbury Street is going in my overrated category just during the holiday season. Again, it is absolutely packed, and there are nights you can barely move through the streets. The restaurants are sub-par compared to others in the city, and in my experience, the stores always have really low inventory. If you’re looking to go, I would recommend sticking to summer or fall afternoons or nights.
Beacon Hill: Underrated
If you’re looking for some holiday shopping with cute lights, Christmas decorations, and coffee shops, head over to the Beacon Hill area. Charles Street has adorable stores and boutiques with unique gifts across different price ranges. My personal favorites are Covet, Flat of the Hill, and Gus and Ruby Letterpress. This has all the good parts of Newbury Street (and more), and none of the negatives.
Southie: Underrated
With arguably some of the best restaurants in the city, a lot of people don’t know about or venture into Southie nearly enough. Worden Hill, The Broadway, and Loco are seriously three of my favorite restaurants in the city, all located in Southie. Regarding non-restaurants, there are some cute shops like Flock, In Good Company, and Wyllo. Oh, and if you need a nail salon, head to Southie Nail Bar.