Anyone who’s run the Boston Marathon knows about Copley Square in affluent Back Bay, where
the great race finishes. This is one of the city’s most architecturally significant areas. H. H. Richardson’s magnificent Trinity Church, completed in 1877, is called one of the finest
buildings in the country by the American Institute of Architects and can be
toured with a docent. On the opposite end of the spectrum is I. M. Pei’s sixty-story modernist glass John Hancock Tower, with its all-glass elongated
parallelogram footprint. Take the art and architectural tour of the Boston
Public Library to fully appreciate its impressive interiors, with amazing art,
sculpture, and rare John Singer Sargent murals.
When you’re ready for bed, check into the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel across the street.
This seven-story granite building—sister to The Plaza in New York City—is a striking example of beaux arts architecture, with magnificent fully
restored interiors. The stately Oak Bar has been voted as the best place in the
city to enjoy a martini and live jazz. And be sure to stop by and meet Catie
Copley, the grand old hotel’s black Labrador, whose bed is in the lobby—she’s available to accompany guests on walks.
It would take weeks to tour all the fine museums in Boston, but do not miss the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the Fenway district. Mrs. Gardner died in
1924, and her eclectic private collection of art spans four floors of her
fifteenth-century Venetian palace-style home, with a breathtaking garden courtyard atrium.
Entire rooms are dedicated to tapestries, European furnishings, and paintings
by masters including Rembrandt, Matisse, Botticelli, and Raphael.
Nearby, Brasserie JO is a great place to go for an authentic French supper after
a day at the museum—a glass of rosé, a scrumptious frisée salad, and roast chicken is a fine way to unwind in this charming bistro
located in the lobby of the hip Colonnade Hotel—the only Boston hotel, by the way, that has a rooftop pool. For a sweeping 360
degree view of the city and harbor, just walk across the street and take the
elevator to the Top of the Hub, in the Prudential Tower, for a nightcap in its
bar.
Boston’s Public Garden is one of the finest examples of horticultural excellence
anywhere. A fun thing to do on a nice afternoon is to take a spin around the
garden’s lagoon in one of the giant Elizabethan-era Swan Boats. Just steps away from
the garden, you’ll enjoy fine service and luxurious accommodations at Four Seasons Hotel Boston.
If you want a truly luxurious dining experience in a timelessly chic setting,
set aside a night at the hotel’s famed Aujourd’hui. The seven-course tasting menu with spectacular wine pairings is a culinary
marvel.
Right around the corner is Newbury Street, lined with chic boutiques and
galleries. Especially visit Louis Boston, an ultra-prestigious cutting-edge
collection of fine merchandise. For traditional New England handmade wooden
furniture, head to Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers. Every piece is heirloom quality
and signed by its maker.
You can’t leave Boston without a trip across the river to Cambridge, home of Harvard
University. It’s thrilling to walk through the wrought iron gates of the United States’ oldest learning institution into “Haavad Yaad,” where freshmen have been living in stately brick dorms since 1636. Definitely
book a walking tour of Harvard Square with Lively Lore. Spend a morning at the
University’s Museum of Natural History, home to the amazing Glass Flowers: 3,000 models of
more than 840 plants were hand-blown by a German father-and-son team over 49
years, beginning in 1887. You may not believe it, but they absolutely look
real!
Among the most talented chefs in Boston and Cambridge is Jody Adams,
proprietress of Rialto Restaurant + Bar in the charming Charles Hotel on
Harvard Square. Author of the cookbook In the Hands of a Chef, Adams makes
everything from scratch daily, and dinner at Rialto ranks among my all-time top
dining experiences in the country.
Boston had me at hello. I’m already planning my return; there’s so much more to see and do in this fine American city. 
