This time last year I was preparing for a crazy end of September. We spent a week in St. Louis exploring some amazing places as the Laumier Sculpture Garden and their Botanical Gardens. As soon as that trip was over, I was heading to Boston, Massachusetts for a week for work. I was thrilled to check out the beautiful Public Gardens and the busy Harbor and Long Wharf Pier. While at the pier, I walked across the way to check out Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market. Both are very unique and have a lot of history.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain. However, since 1743 it has been a marketplace and a meeting hall. Sometimes referred to as “the Cradle of Liberty”, it is now part of Boston National Historical Park and a well-known stop on the Freedom Trail. On October 9, 1960 the building was designated a National Historic Landmark. A few years later it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, Faneuil Hall was rated number 4 in America’s 25 Most Visited Tourist Sites by Forbes Traveler.
When I first entered the square the first thing I noticed was all the vendors. My goal was to have dinner before heading to my hotel but it was still a little early so I decided to do a little shopping and pick up a few souvenirs from some of the kiosk and pushcart vendors. I had a great time just walking around and checking out some of the brick and mortar stores too. There are too many to mention, but I did have to say I enjoyed checking out the Christmas in Boston store.
While walking around I was able to check out Quincy Market. Constructed in 1824–26, it’s named in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt. That was pretty amazing to learn. The market is also a designated National Historic Landmark and Boston Landmark.
Quincy Market is actually comprised of three buildings, Quincy Market, South Market and North Market. They were built at the same time in the 1820s to cope with the overcrowded Faneuil Hall. Something about it reminded me of Pike Place Market in Seattle.
It was fun walking around and deciding where to ear even though I had my heart set on eating at Cheers. However I have to say the smell from Boston Chowda CO almost had my changing my mind. I will definitely be eating there the next time I am in Boston. I don’t really like seafood, but I do like Clam Chowder and look forward to trying it one day. Even with that said, there were so many wonderful places, it would be HARD to decide.
After dinner I walked around and just soaked us some of the Boston atmosphere and checked out a few more shops. I also saw a horse and buggy available for rides. Even though I didn’t take advantage of it, it seemed like a lot of fun. I look forward to my next visit to Boston and spending more time checking out Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market.
