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Road Trip: Boston's Fort Point, Seaport Neighborhood

The Fort Point/Seaport neighborhood is THE up-and-coming neighborhood in Boston. In the past few years, a number of businesses have begun to transform the area that was once housed a bunch of abandoned mills, factory buildings, and parking lots.

How things have changed.

Here are five ways to keep yourself busy while you're there.

Eat & Drink

Sam's At Louis
(credit: Sam's at Louis via Facebook)

Here's the thing: Fort Point was off the beaten path for a long time. For the most part, any restaurant daring to set up shop in the area would have to be good in order to draw clientele. Now, with more than a dozen fantastic spots to dine, the neighborhood is quickly becoming a very popular dining destination.

Some of our favorites include Drink, Sportello, Tamo Bar, Yada Yada, and the popular waterfront spots like Sam's, Atlantic Beer Garden, Legal Harborside, and Temazcal.

And under the 'drink' category, we'd be remiss to leave out the Harpoon Brewery. They offer weekday tastings and weekend tours (info available here). And according to reports, they're planning to renovate and expand the visitor center.

Fort Point Store
(Photo Credit: fortpointarts.org)

Shop

Made In Fort Point (FPAC) Store
12 Farnsworth St.
Boston, MA 02210
617-423-1100
website
Hours: Mon- Fri 11am-6pm Saturdays 11am-4pm

This co-op sells art, designs and crafts that are made right in the neighborhood by members of the Fort Point Arts Community.

Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
(Photo Credit: Institute of Contemporary Art Boston/Facebook)

Visit A Museum

Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 266-5152
Website & Admission info

The breathtaking design of the building alone is enough reason to visit. Exhibits from artists all over the world rotate through this four-story museum. Insider note: ICA Boston offers free admission on Thursday evenings (and on Sundays for families).

Boston Children's Museum
308 Congress St.
617-426-6500
Website & Admission info

Boston Children's Museum features three floors of interactive exhibits aimed at kids but equally as entertaining for adults. There are loads of excellent permanent exhibits, including the New Balance 3-story climbing structure, where your kids can burn off their energy while you sit by and watch them. There are a number of rotating exhibits as well.

Boston Fire Museum
(Photo Credit: Boston Fire Museum)

Boston Fire Museum
344 Congress St.
617-482-1344
Website & Hours (Free Admission)

This century-old fire station houses a huge collection of old fire department photos dating back to the 1800s, along with historic fire equipment exhibits, trucks, pumps and all kinds of other cool items.

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Congress Street Bridge
Boston, Ma 02127
website and info

Set to open in June 2012. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will showcase one of the most famous events of the American Revolution.

Enjoy the Waterfront

The sights, smells and sounds along the waterfront are nothing short of breathtaking. The city has developed a beautiful chain of parks connected by the newly built Harborwalk. Highlights along the Harborwalk include the city skyline, ships sailing in the harbor, and jets taking off from Logan Airport.

Around the corner at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, cruise ships set sail most often on Sundays. If you're a fan of fishing, all the way at the end of Black Falcon Avenue and directly across the water from Logan Airport is a dock that the locals use for saltwater fishing. Massachusetts requires saltwater anglers to have fishing licenses (which you can obtain here).

Rock Out

Lucky's Lounge
355 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 357-5825

Lucky's Lounge nightclub on Congress Street has a fantastic 50's vibe to it and features live music most nights of the week.

Bank of America Pavilion
290 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 728-1600

If you're looking for more recognizable artists, Bank of America Pavilion hosts some of the most well-known musical acts in the country (and beyond).

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