THE ISENBERG PROJECTS GUIDE TO EXPLORING BOSTON LIKE A LOCAL
Boston isn’t a city you conquer in a weekend, it’s a city you unlock. And we’ve got the key.
Whether you’re chasing oysters and dive bars, wandering through historic libraries and museums, catching live music, spending the afternoon outdoors, or searching for the city’s stranger corners, this guide is full of handpicked Isenberg Projects recommendations to help you experience Boston like a local.
Seafood
Row 34
Saltie Girl
Eventide Fenway
Sullivan’s Castle Island
Sammys
Our Favorites
Pammy’s
Celeste
Dakzen
Comfort Kitchen
Mahaniyom
Faccia a Faccia
ZURiTO
Willie’s
Baseball Pregames
Time Out Market
Audubon
Shy Bird
Eastern Standard
Equal Measure
Sweet Cheeks BBQ
Wild Card
Boston’s Politically Incorrect
North End Food Tour
He smokes, drinks, disappears.
You eat. It works.
A.M. Sips
Gracenote
George Howell
Broadsheet
Nine Bar
Ogawa
Phin Coffee House
Dive Bars
Delux Cafe
Paddy’s Lunch
Trina’s Starlite
JJ Foley’s
Model Cafe
Silhouette Lounge
The Tam
State Park
Wine Bars + More
Nathálie
Dear Annie
Taberna de Haro
Koji Club
Darling
Equal Measure
Boston Athenaeum
One of the oldest independent libraries and cultural institutions in the U.S., featuring a massive library of over 500,000 circulating books, a vast collection of fine art, rare books, manuscripts, and maps. @bostonathenaeum
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Home to the famous Glass Flowers and a lot of (very cool) taxidermy. @harvardmuseum
Mapparium
A three-story stained glass globe you walk through from 1935. Located in the Mary Baker Eddy Library. @mbelibrary
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
A Venetian palace in the middle of Boston. Famous for the unsolved $500M art heist. @gardnermuseum
Boston Public Library
The original McKim building is a stunner. Don’t miss the courtyard. Stay for high tea. @bplboston
USS Constitution
Tour the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, located in the Charlestown Navy Yard. @usscm
Charles River Esplanade
Of Boston’s many wonderful waterfront parks, the Esplanade is our favorite. It stretches along three miles of the Charles River and is comprised of about 64 acres. Mostly well known for the thousands of people who fill its green space for Fourth of July celebrations and the Boston Pop’s performances at the Hatch Shell, the Esplanade is also where generations of Bostonians have learned to sail. @esplanadeinboston
Paul Revere Park
A 5-acre waterfront green space in Charlestown, featuring scenic views of the city and the Charles River, plus connections to the Boston Harborwalk.
Fenway Victory Gardens
One of two remaining WWII Victory Gardens in the United States. @fenwayvictorygardens
The Emerald Necklace
Frederick Law Olmsted’s park system through Boston, a 7 mile stretch of 1,100 acres of greenspace. @emeraldnecklaceconservancy
Arnold Arboretum
A 281-acre living museum and free public park run by Harvard, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. @arnold_arboretum
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Located on the border of Watertown and Cambridge, this cemetery is the final resting place for over 100,000 people, including many literary giants. The historic garden cemetery features winding paths and monuments, coming together for quiet reflection and unexpectedly beautiful nature walks. @mountauburncemetery
Vinyl Index at Bow Market
Record store with new and used vinyl plus cocktails at Bow Market. @vinyl.index @bow.market
Cheapo Records
Selling vinyl in Central Square since 1954. @cheaporecords
Armageddon Shop
Truly independent and dedicated to underground music since opening in September 2000. @armageddonshop
Trident Books
Our favorite indie bookstore serving great titles, gifts, food, and community events. @TridentBooks
Tres Gatos
Cozy, colorful Spanish tapas restaurant & wine bar with a tiny shop in back selling books & music.
Newbury Street
Eight blocks of brownstones packed with boutiques, cafés, and just enough chaos to make it Boston’s most stylish people-watching strip.
Praise Shadows
A buzzy contemporary art gallery, recently reopened in new downtown digs. @praise.shadows.art
Katherine Small Gallery
Design-forward exhibitions that make books, typography, and visual culture feel like fine art. @ksmallgallery
MIT Public Art
A campus-wide scavenger hunt of ambitious, slightly strange public art tucked between labs and lecture halls. @mitlistarts
ICA Boston
Waterfront museum with big ideas, sharp architecture, and art that actually makes you think. @icaboston
The Sinclair
Intimate venue with great sound, where touring acts and local favorites collide. @thesinclair
Cantab Lounge
A legendary, no-frills spot for live music, poetry, and nights that don’t go as planned (in a good way). @thecantablounge
Lou’s
Live jazz, craft cocktails, and a lively crowd. Come for dinner, stay for the music, and settle into a night that feels equal parts polished and electric. @lousharvardsquare
Museum of Bad Art
Dorchester
Since 1993, the MOBA has sought to preserve horrible artwork in all forms. Located in a brewery!
Boston’s Old Burying Grounds
Tremont Street
Headstones carved with dancing skeletons, and pithy reminders of impending death.
Skinny House
North End
A house barely wider than a hallway.
Harvard Glass Flowers
Museum of Natural History, Cambridge
Delicate, unreal botanical models.
Make Way for Ducklings
Boston Public Garden
Yes, they’re real. Yes, people dress them up.
Ether Dome
Charles MGH
Where modern surgery began.
Hood Milk Bottle
Fort Point
Ice cream stand, snack bar, and time capsule of milk conveyance.