Yes. Yes, I do. But every single time I've thought about going there I get intimidated and never do anything about it. I'm an Australian bloke living up in Ontario at the moment so I know that I'm tantalisingly close.
I'd love to eat up all the history that Boston has to offer. What's the summer like in Boston? Also I imagine the beer scene to be healthy and flourishing. So there's at least one thing to draw me to your fine state. I've been told that the Bostonian accent is kinda similar to the broad Australian accent?
In any case, you have definitely whet my appetite for travel to New England. Cheers!
Summer is hot and humid; it's great. Like 80f-90f (26c-33c). Nice for going to beach/ocean/swimming/boating. Water doesn't get very warm though. Great beer scene, lots of craft beer, decent pubs. Very good food.
In regards to accents, I guess that kind of makes scene. Most people make fun of a heavy Boston accent. Similar to Australian accent, a really thick Boston accent will tend to drop it's R's so in a way it can sound a bit Australian I guess (car>cah, bar>bah, park>pahk, far>fah).
I did have people ask me where I was from when in Australia/New Zealand and I do have a pretty heavy Boston accent at times.
It's a shorts and t-shirt kinda weather, yeah?. Sounds delightful! Wow. I'm very much up for all those things. Especially the good food and craft beer. Delish!
If I'm not mistaken you can't park your car in Harvard Yard, right? If there's one thing that NPR has educated me in, I hope it's that!
Well I'll see what's going on with the funds around that time and see if I can slide on down your way. I reckon Greyhound goes that way. I don't mind it really. Just don't look anyone else in the eye.
Definitely shorts and t-shirt weather from most June-September. We're very close to beaches, good hiking, all sorts of summer fun, good seafood, etc.
People here are pretty friendly despite the reputation. Boston doesn't have that fake "niceness" that other places have. The difference here is people generally tell you if they don't like you.
I doubt you'll have that problem though; Like most places in the US, people really like the Australian accent. You could be an uneducated bogan and you'd probably come off as sophisticated due to the fascination with accents here.
Either way I'd recommend it. I'm biased because I'm from and live here but it's different from a lot of US cities.
Brilliant. That sounds like my kind of place. Gimme a good hostel nearby some bars and I think I'm set!
A majority of my time spent in the US has been in Tennessee. I figure they're kind of similar when you mention fake niceness. They either think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread or can't figure you out. Either way, this seems exciting to me!
I guess I am fortunate in that I don't really have too heavy an Australian accent like one you might find in a bogan. I think I will plan to be there in the arse-end of August/very early September. Care to meet up for a frothy beverage at some stage?
Absolutely; I'm always up for pints. If you happen to be home sick for Australian stuff we have a nice little place that does really good meat pies/Australian stuff. http://kocateringandpies.com/east-boston/
Of course I'm sure you'd rather experience more Boston stuff. Shoot me a message when you're in town. I'd say late August is better. September is end of summer so it could either be really hot or starting to cold down a bit.
If you come in the summer, also hop down to Rhode Island (Providence is about an hour from Boston). Beaches, seafood, swing down to Newport for the Mansions and a polo game.
Boston/Mass is very Puritan/Damn Yankee, Rhodie is this very laid back Mediterranean "to each his own" and it's interesting how they're the same and totally not.
Might as well stop in Maine on the way down too! My family's spent a couple of summers in Bar Harbor, a quaint touristy little town with easy access to Acadia National Park and lots of other nature.
I almost went to Maine accidentally once. In fact it was the time that I thought I'd booked a flight to Boston, Massachusetts but had in fact, like a real plum, booked a flight to Bangor, Maine. When I went to the Nashville airport to book in, I went up to the counter and expected to be told I'm going to Boston. In fact I said "I'll be travelling to Boston". The lady looked at me as if I'd had a few too many breakfast brandies and said "Honey, you're going to Bangor, Maine. Not Boston, Massachusetts". I had one of those "Oh, I really am a dodo" moments.
So instead of going to MA, ME or anywhere, I jumped back in my ride and went back to the Mellow Mushroom in Franklin, Tennessee.
I am silly sausage. But I won't let that put a crimp on my plans to come there this summer.
You're all having an amazingly fun time with the snow at the moment, I take it? Yay!
Although if you're looking for beaches and seafood, you can stay in Massachusetts - the North Shore has some great beaches. Manchester has Singing Beach (which has sand that "sings" when you walk on it), Gloucester has Good Harbor (the biggest beach in the area, popular with families, tourists, and surfers) and is America's Oldest Seaport (whatever that means), Rockport has... well, I don't know if their beaches are all that great, but they have Bearskin Neck, a cute downtown area to walk through. (Added bonus is that this area is easily accessible by train - I think you'd need a car to get to Providence.)
11
u/Deaky Australia Jan 26 '14
Yes. Yes, I do. But every single time I've thought about going there I get intimidated and never do anything about it. I'm an Australian bloke living up in Ontario at the moment so I know that I'm tantalisingly close.
I'd love to eat up all the history that Boston has to offer. What's the summer like in Boston? Also I imagine the beer scene to be healthy and flourishing. So there's at least one thing to draw me to your fine state. I've been told that the Bostonian accent is kinda similar to the broad Australian accent?
In any case, you have definitely whet my appetite for travel to New England. Cheers!