News & Announcements

August 9, 2019

Travel Guide for 2019 Annual Meeting

Greetings Legal Historians! Welcome to Boston!

Famously nicknamed “the hub of the solar system” by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Boston has served over the centuries as a center of legal events and controversies that have shaped American legal history. The 1741 Writs of Assistance case and 2003’s Goodridge v. Department of Public Health were both decided about a mile from our meeting site in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

The Boston area’s many law schools and history departments are home to some of the longest running legal history workshops and seminars in the country. We hope you’ll find time while you’re here to visit some of the area’s remarkable libraries, archival collections, and museums. The Boston Public Library—worth a visit for the building alone—is just a short walk from the hotel.

Please stay tuned for details about our two great receptions. Harvard Law School will host Friday’s plenary and reception at its campus at 1585 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. Boston University Law School will host Saturday evening’s reception at its campus at 765 Commonwealth Avenue. Many thanks to these outstanding institutions for being such generous hosts!

HOTEL

The Boston Plaza Hotel is well-located on the eastern edge of the Back Bay, just steps from Boston’s beautiful Public Garden, the shops of Newbury Street, and a short cab ride to the terrific trattorias of the North End (the heart of Italian Boston) or the excellent restaurants and bars of the South End. The Esplanade along the Charles River offers beautiful vistas and easy paths for runners and walkers https://www.bostonparkplaza.com/.

NOVEMBER WEATHER

November can be surprisingly mild or shockingly cold – so plan ahead. The average high temperature is 52̊ and the average low is 38̊, but who knows these days? For up-to-the-minute forecasts, check out https://darksky.net/forecast/42.3583,-71.0603/us12/en.

TRANSPORTATION

Getting to Boston:

By air: Most travelers to Boston come into Logan Airport which is very close to the center of town and relatively easy to reach by public transportation. Some flights also come into Manchester, NH, and TF Green Airport in Providence, RI, but it is more difficult to get into Boston from these airports.

By train: Boston is served by Amtrak along the Acela and North East Regional lines. Most trains come into South Station from which it is easy to get around the city by public transportation. Boston is also connected to Providence and many points in the Boston metro-area by the MBTA commuter rail. Some commuter rails come into South Station. Trains from the North (including Amtrak trains coming from Maine or New Hampshire) stop at North Station.

By Bus: A number of bus lines (Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, Bolt Bus, etc., as well as regional bus lines linking cities in MA, NH, ME) also come into South Station. The bus station is in a separate building that is a very short (outdoor) walk from the train station and T station.

For further details: If you’re traveling by car, or need further information, see this useful website, https://www.bostonusa.com/plan-your-trip/getting-here/.

From Logan Airport

By Public Transport:

Silver Line: Boston’s regional mass transit system is called the MBTA (locals call it the “T”). The easiest way to get to the hotel from the airport on the T is to take the (free) Silver Line shuttle that runs from the airport to South Station. The shuttle stops at all the terminals outside baggage claim on the lower level.

From South Station, you can take the Red Line outbound train, toward Alewife/Cambridge. At the “Park Street” stop, you can either transfer to an outbound Green Line train (there are 5 different Green Line trains, but all of them take you to the Arlington stop near the hotel), or you can walk from the Park Street stop to the hotel, which is .5 miles away. (Note: The Green Line is notoriously slow on its outbound route, so you may save time by walking to the hotel from the Park Street station.)

Blue Line: You can also take an airport shuttle bus to the “Airport” stop on the Blue Line of the T. From there you would take an inbound Blue Line train and transfer to any outbound Green Line train at Government Center.

By Taxi or Rideshare:

There are taxi stands at every terminal at Logan. A ride from the airport to the Park Plaza Hotel should take between 15-30 minutes and cost between $25-35 depending upon traffic. Note: If you are arriving at rush hour, traffic can be quite bad!

There are also well-posted signs directing travelers to ride-share pickup locations for Lyft, Uber, etc.

Getting around town:

Maps: For interactive and downloadable maps of Boston and its transportation systems, see https://www.bostonusa.com/mapexplorer/

• The “T”:

While the T is not the most efficient or effective subway system, the Park Plaza Hotel is at the center of the network, making it relatively easy to get anywhere the T goes without much trouble.

The Orange Line runs south to Jamaica Plain. The Green Line branches out westward to Boston University, Boston College, Brookline, and Newton. The Red Line runs south to Quincy and northwest to Cambridge and Somerville. The Blue Line runs northeast past the airport to East Boston and Revere Beach.

There is also a dense and effective network of buses that fill gaps in the subway service.

Though it may be less useful for short trips, it is worth noting that the commuter rail connects central Boston with some areas that would otherwise be hard to reach by public transportation. The trains run south to Providence connecting with the South Shore on the way. They also run west to Newton, Concord, and most of the western suburbs. And they run north to the North Shore and Cape Ann.

For more information on the T (including a map of the subway system) and getting around Boston, see: https://www.bostonusa.com/plan-your-trip/getting-around/

• By Car:

Boston is not an easy place to drive if you’ve never been here before. The streets are often narrow, and we pride ourselves on navigating a confounding warren of one-way streets which can easily turn you around. Parking is not easy and the various cities in the metro-area all have their own resident parking restrictions. (It pays to read the parking signs carefully!)

That said, GPS makes driving easier and it’s usually possible to find a parking spot. Most meters are now connected to a parking app which allows you to pay for parking by phone.

Boston is well served by traditional taxi companies, Lyft and Uber. There are also a number of car-sharing companies with cares around town.

For more on driving in Boston, see https://www.bostonusa.com/plan-your-trip/getting-around/.

• By Bike:

While it’s not the easiest city to bike in, Boston is still filled with bikes and, because the distances are short, it is easy to get around. There are excellent bike baths along the Charles River and also along the old railroad line all the way out to the old battlefields of Lexington and Concord.

Boston has a number of bike sharing companies operating in and around the city. The most common one is BlueBikes https://bluebikes.com which operates a set of bike-share stations, but there are plenty of dockless Lime Bikes and Ant Bikes around as well https://boston.curbed.com/2018/8/2/17642242/boston-bike-share-dockless-where-to-find.

• By Foot:

It’s often easier and more fun to explore Boston on foot. Grab a map and explore, or check out organized walking tours on the “Freedom Trail” https://www.thefreedomtrail.org , or “Boston By Foot” http://www.bostonbyfoot.org/.

Boston: A city of neighborhoods. You’ll be staying in the heart of downtown, within easy reach of many restaurants and attractions. But if you want to explore, Boston is a city made up of distinctive neighborhoods, each with its own character. For an overview of Boston’s neighborhood, see https://www.bostonusa.com/about-boston/boston-neighborhoods/.

ATTRACTIONS

You don’t have to go far to enjoy Boston’s many attractions. Historic sites, museums, music, brewpubs – all are within easy walking distance from the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Here are a few choice sites near the hotel:

• Boston Common and Public Garden (https://www.boston.gov/parks/public-garden)

Here Boston claims the country’s oldest park and first public botanical garden. The Common, founded in 1634, serves as a gathering place for protest and celebration, and is speckled with monuments commemorating Massachusetts history. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, honoring the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry unit and their leader. Other spots of interest include the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and Frog Pond. The latter of these will be undergoing its seasonal transition from reflecting pool to skating rink. The Common also serves as first stop of the Freedom Trail (see below). Boston’s Public Garden, located next to the Common, was founded in 1837 is home to the city’s avian icons, the Swan Boats and the Make Way for Ducklings statues.

• Boston Public Library (https://www.bpl.org/)

The Boston Public Library is equally famous for its architecture and the treasures behind its doors. Opened in 1852, the library enjoys status on the National Register of Historic Places and boasts sweeping staircases, grand windows, and intricate murals. Visitors are welcome to roam on their own or take part in a free, one-hour art and architecture tour. The library offers rotating exhibits of its rare books and documents and boasts a restaurant and two cafes. For tour times, see: https://www.bpl.org/visit-central-library/art-tours/

• Freedom Trail (https://www.thefreedomtrail.org)

The Freedom Trail is amongst Boston’s most iconic of attractions and welcomes over 4 million visitors each year. The Trail is a 2.5 mile red line that connects visitors to 16 stops, chronicling 250 years of the city’s history. Sites include the Faneuil Hall, the Boston Massacre Site, the Old State House, and the USS Constitution. Make sure you stop by the Granary Burying Ground, which serves as the final resting place for the likes of John Hancock, Paul Revere, James Otis, and Samuel Adams. The Freedom Trail’s website includes sample itineraries based on the amount of time available to visitors. See also the Black Heritage Trail, the Irish Heritage Trail, the Native American Trail, and the Boston Equality Trail.

For more information on attractions, see https://www.bostonusa.com/things-to-do/.

For special events in Boston during the week of Nov. 17-24, check out the events calendar at https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/.

In addition to the sites close to the hotel, check out the Local Arrangements Committee’s favorite Boston attractions:

• The “Mapparium” at Mary Baker Eddy Library (https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/mapparium)

Eddy was the founder of the Christian Science religion and Boston is home to the “Original Mother Church,” built in 1894 and located in the Christian Science Plaza at 200 Massachusetts Avenue (about 1 mile from the hotel). The Mapparium is a huge, 3-storied stained-glass world globe, created in 1935. You can walk through the globe and see the world as it was organized in 1935. Very cool! The Library has other interesting exhibits.

• The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (https://www.gardnermuseum.org)

Located in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, the museum houses the eclectic art collection of Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924), including works by John Singer Sargent, Sandro Botticelli, James McNeill Whistler, and Giotto. A new wing designed by Renzo Piano leads seamlessly to the Venetian-inspired palazzo housing the core of the collection. You won’t want to miss the stunning courtyard, with ancient sculptures surrounded by thoroughly modern (and breathtakingly beautiful) plantings, changed seasonally by the Gardner’s gardeners. As if that weren’t enough, there is the unsolved mystery of the great art theft of 1990. Empty frames remain on the walls in the hope that the stolen works of Vermeer, Rembrandt, and others will one day be returned.

• The Museum of Fine Arts (https://www.mfa.org)

The MFA is one of the great art museums in the United States and one of Boston’s most important cultural institutions. In the words of the MFA’s website: “Today the MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world; the collection encompasses nearly 500,000 works of art. We welcome more than one million visitors each year to experience art from ancient Egyptian to contemporary, special exhibitions, and innovative educational programs.”

• The Institute of Contemporary Art (https://www.icaboston.org)

The ICA is housed in an architecturally significant building on the waterfront and serves as Boston’s venue for “outstanding contemporary art in all media, including visual art exhibitions, music, film, video, and performance.”

• Arnold Arboretum (https://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/)

A huge reserve out past Jamaica Plain. Amazing walks through all manner of trees, shrubs, flowers. Worth the trip out to the end of the Orange Line.

• Paddle Boston (https://paddleboston.com/)

They run a bunch places where you can rent kayaks and canoes by the hour. The one near Kendall Square in Cambridge is especially cool because you can kayak in the shadow of Beacon Hill, looking at the Boston skyline, the famous Citgo sign, etc.

Want to extend your trip and explore beyond Boston? There are tons of options! Visit www.bostonusa.com/plan-your-trip/trip-ideas/beyond-boston/ or check out the Local Arrangements Committee’s favorite side trips:

• Portsmouth, NH

Travel north to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a quaint city bordering Maine founded in 1623 with great history, restaurants and shops along the Piscataqua River. If you go, don’t miss the African Burying Ground and the Black Heritage Trail. Portsmouth is less than 60 miles away and accessible through C&J Trailways. Buses leave hourly to Newburyport, Massachusetts (another great side trip) and to Portsmouth, NH, from South Station. For more information, visit http://www.goportsmouth.com.

• White Mountains, NH

If you want to get out of the city and enjoy nature, the White Mountains of NH, about two hours north, are a great option, with lovely drives and plenty of hiking. For more information, visit https://www.visitwhitemountains.com.

• Salem, Massachusetts

If you want to explore the history of the Salem Witch Trials (and just as interesting, the marketing of the witch trials!) head 25 miles northeast to Salem, Massachusetts, https://www.salem.org/ . While in Salem, check out the fabulous Peabody Essex Museum, founded in 1799 by wayfaring ship captains. For more information, visit https://www.pem.org/about-pem.

• Concord, Massachusetts

Described by author Henry James as “the biggest little place in America”, Concord was home to many leading 19th-century writers. Check out “Author’s Ridge” in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where you will find the gravesites of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, among others. For more information, visit https://concordma.gov/1956/Sleepy-Hollow-Cemetery.

• Newport, RI

Just an hour and a half south of Boston by car, Newport, RI, boasts ocean-side mansions from the days of the “robber barons,” many viewable along the city’s famed Cliff Walk and also open for guided tours. For more information, visit https://www.discovernewport.org/.

• Portland, ME

Just a little further north from Portsmouth, Portland is a vibrant town with a gorgeous old port district. Along with lighthouses, rocky bluffs, seagulls, and excellent minor league baseball, Portland’s main claim to fame is that it was named Bon Appetit’s “Restaurant City of the Year” in 2018. For more information, visit https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018. It’s actually an easy train ride away from Boston on Amtrak from North station.

RESTAURANTS

You won’t go hungry in Boston! There’s something for every palate.

Within walking distance of the Boston Park Plaza, check out:

Back Bay Sandwiches (https://www.backbaysandwich.com/)
This is a great spot for a quick lunch or early breakfast. Back Bay offers classic deli options as well as signature Italian and Back-Bay themed sandwiches. Their most popular offerings might be their breakfast sandwiches, though, and the spot receives daily deliveries from OMG! Bagels.

Flour (https://flourbakery.com)
Local bakery with a delicious, creative menu at numerous locations. Great for breakfast or lunch, and anytime is a good time for their legendary sticky bun.

Grill 23 & Bar (https://grill23.com)
High-end Back Bay steakhouse.

Parish Cafe (https://parishcafe.com/)
Just a three minute walk from the Park Plaza, this restaurant offers a wide range of options, including vegetarian and meat entrees, unusual sandwiches, and generous salads. All come highly recommended. This is also a good spot for a drink at the bar, and Parish offers a wide range of beers, wine, and cocktails.

Ostra (http://ostraboston.com/)
Ostra is one of Boston’s premier Mediterranean seafood restaurants. Dubbed “luxurious” and “elegant” by the Boston Globe, Ostra receives high marks for both its cuisine and ambiance. The restaurant features live piano music and is a popular pre-show spot for Bostonians. Reservations are recommended.

For a more complete guide to restaurants, see https://boston.eater.com and https://www.bostonusa.com/restaurants.

Check out the Local Arrangements Committee’s favorite restaurants:

B & G Oysters (http://bandgoysters.com)

Bow Market (https://www.bowmarketsomerville.com/)
Hipsters! Artisanal pierogis! Natural wine! If you want to have some great provisions and get a view of the particular Somerville flavor of excellent beards and funny bikes, this is your spot.

Chickadee (https://www.chickadeerestaurant.com)
“New England Born, Mediterranean Inspired.”

Gustazo Cuban Kitchen and Bar (https://www.gustazo-cubancafe.com/cambridge/)
Great Cambridge spot.

Neptune Oyster (http://www.neptuneoyster.com/)
In the North End, which can feel like a tourist trap, Neptune Oyster is great, though it can be hard to get a seat.

No. 9 Park (http://www.no9park.com)
Elegant, quiet, delicious, in Beacon Hill.

Picco (https://www.piccorestaurant.com)
Good pizza in the South End.

Sarma (https://sarmarestaurant.com)
Further afield in Somerville, but inspired Mediterranean cuisine.

The Table at Season to Taste (https://www.cambridgetable.com/)
Tiny but nearly perfect. It’s in deepest Cambridge and can be hard to get a table, but worth it if you need a place for a lovely night and want to eat well. Reserve well in advance.

Toro (https://www.toro-restaurant.com)
Excellent Tapas in the South End.

ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES 

Boston Athenaeum. Est. 1807. One of the oldest (and most elegant) independent libraries in the nation. For more information, visit https://bostonathenaeum.org.

Boston Public Library. The “BPL,” designed by Charles Follen McKim, is beautiful. And inside, you’ll find one of the nation’s best research collections. For more information, visit https://www.bpl.org.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Part of the presidential system, it houses a vast trove of documents relating to its namesake plus the personal papers of Ernest Hemingway. The Massachusetts State Archives are a short walk away. For more information, visit https://www.jfklibrary.org.

Massachusetts Historical Society. Founded in 1791, it is the nation’s first historical society. For more information, visit https://www.masshist.org.

The Social Law Library. Est. 1803, it is one of the oldest law libraries in the United States, located in the historical John Adams Courthouse, where the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts interprets the oldest continually functioning written constitution in the world. For more information, visit https://www.socialaw.com.

Further Afield:

American Antiquarian Society. If you want something published, printed, or written in America before 1876, odds are it’s at the AAS. In all likelihood, they own the original. Located in Worcester, Mass., about an hour’s drive from the hotel. For more information, visit https://www.americanantiquarian.org.

Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum. Strong collections on maritime history, New England history, Asian culture, and Native Americans. About 50 minutes drive from the hotel. For more information, visit https://www.pem.org/visit/library.