BOSTON: Family favourite

Jul 22 2008 by Dawn Collinson

"BOSTON," said the first leaflet we picked up in arrivals at the city’s Logan Airport, "may be one of America’s oldest cities, but it is still a kid at heart."

Which is just as well, since we had a seven-year-old who was visiting for the first time and raring to see and do everything.

The danger with city breaks, in this country or abroad, is that what’s fun for the adults may be deadly tedious for the children, and vice versa.

But somehow in Boston they’ve got the balance just right.

Because, while it has the vibrancy, the fashion and the great night life of its edgy East Coast near neighbour New York, it has a far more chilled out, genteel feel.

Imagine if the Big Apple went to a Parisian finishing school, then here would surely be the result.

Husband and I had been to Boston before, minus the little co-traveller, and had spent most of our previous trip enjoying the multitude of restaurants and bars. Past experience told us that for excellent shopping or al fresco dining, it is hard to go wrong with Newbury Street in the Back Bay district. American favourites like Victoria’s Secret sit alongside designer names, quirky boutiques and pavement cafes.

What you can’t find here can easily be located at the city’s two other main retail centres, around Faneuil Hall Marketplace (check out Abercrombie & Fitch), and the Copley Place Galleries. Although prepare for your credit card to take a battering in the latter at the hands of Mr Choo and Mr Dior.

Of course, with children in tow, there has to be a compromise. We only had five days to cram in as much as possible so that’s where our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Boston, played its part.

Just a five minute walk from the city’s two fantastic parks – Boston Common and the Public Garden with its pedal-powered swan boats – it was perfectly placed. It had an indoor pool and gym too, which kept the boys happy while I and my AMEX took a wander along Newbury.

But enough about shopping, as the leaflet said, Boston is a city for kids. And it’s made sure there’s plenty to keep them busy.

Even if you haven’t got one as a reasonable excuse, no visit to Boston is really complete without a ride on the Duck Tours. The ducks were here long before they made it to Liverpool, and their drivers are major characters. Ours, Super Size (a fast-food loving former superhero) was brilliant. Not only did he keep his duck-full of passengers, of all ages, entertained throughout the land and river tour, he had an unbelievably entertaining fund of facts.

Having quacked our way round the city (seriously, this isn’t for wall flowers), we had a good basis to set about exploring on our own.

Another beauty of Boston is that it’s a walking city. Nowhere is too far, although if little legs get tired there’s always the ‘T’ underground rail system – like the Tube, but far simpler to navigate.

The only problem we did have was managing to fit everything Matthew wanted to do into such a short time.

The New England Aquarium was top of his list, along with Codzilla, an exhilarating super-fast speedboat ride around the harbour.