After successful visits to UI9 and UI10, plus another trip to Kendall Square for a Forrester Boot Camp, I’m starting to get pretty familiar with the area. If you’re thinking of going to UI11 or any future UIConf put on by UIE, here are some recommendations for non-conference related activities:

Hotels:

Bottom line, stay at the Kendall Hotel if you can. It is one of my favorite hotels in the entire world (I haven’t stayed in THAT many, but I’ve tried enough to know when I stumble upon something special). The Kendall is located within a renovated firehouse, and each room is different and uniquely decorated. A handmade quilt lies on every bed. In addition, there is free broadband (and cable TV) in every room and WiFi in the lobby (the Marriott across the street charges $10 a night for internet access). If you can’t get into the Kendall, either the Marriott or the Residence Inn in Cambridge Center will suffice. Both have pools and exercise rooms, and rooms in the Residence Inn have full kitchens.

Restaurants:

Although Au Bon Pain is pretty much everywhere these days (including two locations within spitting distance of the conference), it began in Boston and is a solid spot to grab a sandwich or salad at lunch. Rebecca’s, across from the Mariott on Main St., is a equivalent place with gourmet sandwiches. The Black Sheep, located in the aforementioned Kendall Hotel, has similar choices in a slightly more upscale setting.

Cambridge Brewing Company: Known more for their beer than their food, this is a great place to grab a casual meal and, assuming you’re in town for UIConf, a pumpkin ale. Next door is Tommy Doyle’s, an Irish Pub and as hot a spot as there is in this part of town — especially (only?) if the Sox are still in the playoffs. (In One Kendall Square, a few blocks from the hotel)

Emma’s Pizza: Rated one of the best Pizza places in America by both the New York Times and Newsweek, Emma’s is certainly worth a visit at lunch or dinner. Their gourmet pizza is quite varied, but always excellent. My favorite so far is the #19, Canadian bacon and carmelized onions with rosemary sauce. (Across from One Kendall Square)

Legal Sea Foods: The famous Boston chain has a branch just off the square, which is definitely worth a visit for out-of-towners. Legal is not the most trendy or greatest seafood restaurant you’ll ever eat in, but they do always serve fresh, tasty fish in a fun atmosphere.

There are obviously a ton of other places to eat in the area, but these are some of my favorites. (One other note — If you do venture into Boston proper, don’t miss the chocolate-dipped cannoli at Mike’s Pastry).

Attractions:

Boston has a ton of stuff to do, but I’ll focus on stuff that is extremely easy to get to from Kendall Square.

Riverfront: If the weather’s nice, Boston’s riverfront shouldn’t be missed. You can walk through MIT’s campus down to the river, or if you’ve got a little time, walk over the Longfellow Bridge (closest to Marriott), hang a right and follow the river to the Esplanade, where the famous Boston Pops play every 4th of July (at the “Hatchshell”).

Harvard Square: Hop on the Red Line at Kendall and take it two stops to Harvard. Lots of shops, restaurants, bars, etc.

Boston Common: Take the Red Line the opposite direction to Park Street, which will put you at the corner of this great inner-city park and pretty much right in the middle of downtown Boston.

Anyway, this obviously isn’t a complete guide to Boston, but it should help you make the most of your free time at the next UIConf in Kendall Square.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 18th, 2005 at 6:52 pm and is filed under events, UI10, food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.