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Salem and Halloween go hand-in-hand. The small Massachusetts town just north of Boston has been infamous for the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Despite the real-life tragedy of the time, modern-day Salem has embraced that history, finding ways to both honor the victims and celebrate their spooky lore. And of course, there’s no better time to experience a spooky city like this than October.
As you can imagine, the October/Halloween season is like Salem’s Super Bowl. They go all out while crowds of people from all over descend upon this tiny town. Salem is actually quite easy to get to if you’re staying in Boston. From Boston’s North Station, you take the Newburyport line and get off at Salem. Tickets are $16 roundup, and it’s about a 40-minute ride. In my case, I had pre-booked a Salem walking tour that started at 10am, and the trains were slightly behind. I ended up making it just in time (literally running from the Salem station to the tour’s meeting point). If you have any timely reservations, I recommend giving yourself more time and checking the train schedules that morning since they were behind for us. Speaking of tours, I reserved a spot on the 10:00 a.m. tour of the “History & Hauntings of Salem” with Witch City Walking Tours. I actually recommend this particular tour if it’s your first time since it covers both the history of the town, as well the witch trials and some local spooky stories. Our meeting point was 32 Derby Square, which also happens to be the town hall featured in Hocus Pocus. Along with the town hall, we saw the statue of Samantha from Bewitched, Salem’s “Witch House” from the 1600s, the Ropes Mansion (Allison’s house in Hocus Pocus), Chestnut Street (beautiful federalist style homes and where Hamilton Hall is, which is named after Alexander Hamilton), Charter Street Cemetery, and the memorial for those who died during the witch trials. Our tour guide, Aurelia (I hope I spelled that right!), was absolutely fantastic. She grew up in the area, which made it even better to hear from a true local. The tour was about 2 hours long and $37. I would recommend it in a heartbeat. Worth every penny! That said, book it well in advance, especially if you plan to be in Salem on the weekend. The same goes for any other exhibits or shows you want to see. Book everything in advance. Just as it was the day before in Boston, it was another sunny, fall day without a cloud in sight. This probably didn’t help the overwhelming crowds there either. Salem in the fall is picturesque, but the crowds are insane and kept getting worse later into the day. There were lines everywhere – even to get in stores. Restaurants? Forget about it. That said, there are food stands all around too, which did not have crazy long lines. I loved how festive everyone was. People dress up in elaborate Halloween costumes for tips; I saw everyone from Beetlejuice and Jack Sparrow to Ghostface and, of course, the Sanderson Sisters). But visitors also dress up too. They really get into the Halloween spirit there. After meandering around the city following the tour, I eventually made my way to the Gallows Museum; I had booked a ticket to their main show for $16. These shows run every 30 minutes, and they don’t have timed slots. Rather, you just need to get in before 5:45 (**double check time). That said, there whole setup wasn’t well-run. There were like five different lines and no one knew where to go. I think timed slots and more people outside to corral the visitors would probably help. The theater is tiny but could fit a good amount of people. Unfortunately, I soon discovered how badly people do not know how to behave during a live theater performance. This guy toward the front kept talking and making noises the whole time, to the point that he was talking over the actor on stage. Worst of all? Nobody in his party or the staff there told him to pipe down. I eventually had to leave in the middle of the show because it just ruined the experience. Honestly, considering how it was run and that the staff didn’t step in, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Kinda kicking myself for not booking the Salem Witch Museum instead... While seeing Salem in October was a bucket list experience for me, I think you also miss out on a lot because there are so many people. Instead, I’d recommend going that first week in November, immediately after Halloween. This way, it’ll still be fall but the crowds shouldn’t be nearly as crazy. At this point in my life, I can say I’ve been to my fair share of major U.S. – from New York and LA to New Orleans, Chicago, Miami, and more – they all have their unique charms. But I hadn’t yet found that city that I felt could also be a fantastic place to live. Enter: Boston.
Boston was actually on the list of places I wanted to see back in 2018 when I was living in New York. I had made it to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. but never had the time to get to Boston. However, Boston was still on my bucket list and after living in LA again, I was craving true autumn weather, so I figured seeing Boston in October would be a great idea. Of course, you can’t really go Boston in October without also seeing Salem, which is about a 40-minute train ride north. So my plan was to do a long weekend, with half my time exploring Boston and the other half in Salem. To help save some money on lodging, I stayed at the HI Hostel in Chinatown, a centrally located spot with easy access to the subway and walking distance to other parts of town. After arriving Thursday night, my plan was to see Boston all day Friday, go up to Salem Saturday, and back home Sunday. As far as weather goes, I don’t think I could have picked a better weekend to be there. It was in the 60s and sunny, which made the city sparkle even more. I started my Boston adventure early in the morning by walking over to Boston Common, a well-known park in the city. Even as early at 8:00 a.m., the city was buzzing. I watched as local Bostonians brought their dogs to the off leash area of Boston Common, with the dogs surprisingly oblivious to the squirrels running around nearby. As someone who has a dog who loves to chase squirrels, I kept thinking how she’d go nuts at the sight of so them. Right by Boston Common, you’ll find Beacon Hill, a historic neighborhood filled with gorgeous brownstone buildings and gas lamp street lights. I slowly began to image a dream life with my husband where we lived in one of those brownstones and on weekend mornings we'd take our dog to go get coffee and play in the park nearby. Ahh, the life! I soon snapped back to reality as I made my way to the Freedom Trail. This is a route in the city where you can see different historical buildings. I recommend starting at the visitor center in Boston Common since they also have a bathroom there you can use for free. Along the Freedom Trail, I saw the Massachusetts State House, the cemetery were John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adam are buried, and the Old State House. Eventually the Freedom Trail took me across the bridge to Charlestown, another beautiful neighborhood with picturesque homes similar to Beacon Hill but these were more vibrant in color. Charlestown was also where the Freedom Trail concluded at the Bunker Hill Monument just outside the residential area. The Bunker Hill Monument actually looks identical to the Washington Monument. Fun fact: you can walk up to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument for free, but there’s no elevator so make sure you’ve got the stamina for it. At nearly 300 steps high, it was definitely a work out. And here I thought all those LA hikes had me in shape for stuff like this… I do recommend going to the top if you can because you get great views of the city and harbor. Inside, it feels reminiscent of climbing to the top of an old castle or church in Europe. This is also a good spot to go the bathroom; their museum is across the street, and you can walk in to use the bathroom if you need to. I then walked back over the bridge to Boston’s North End neighborhood, which is also known for their Italian restaurants. The North End was also where I saw the Paul Revere House. It was $6 cash to get in, but they have a $10 minimum for credit card purchases. So if you just go by yourself, make sure to bring cash. I didn’t even up going in since I didn’t have cash on me, but I enjoyed seeing the outside of the house at least. From there, I walked to the USS Constitution, a recommendation from my cousin, Lena. It’s an old ship from the Revolutionary War era and is free to visit. They even had present-day military members on the ship. I then took the subway to Harvard Square. I loved how easy the subway was to navigate in Boston. Plus, it's clean and you don’t have to pay again if you change lines. Harvard Square encompasses Harvard University but also the surrounding dining and shopping in the area. Harvard is the oldest university in the U.S., and the campus is certainly very pretty. After experiencing some slight intimidation at being surrounded by all the academics, I took the subway to Newbury Street, a popular shopping area in Boston. While I can appreciate a good shopping trip, I only brought a backpack, so the only thing I bought there was dinner. I don’t know if I’ll actually get the chance to live in Boston, but whatever they’re doing there seems to be working well because it’s a really great place. It was walkable, felt safe, and was kept really clean. But perhaps what made it even more appealing was going there in the October. This Angeleno got to experience a true New England fall, and it did not disappoint. The first thing I learned when trying to book a hostel in Boston is that hostels are few and far in-between there. This means that, more than likely, the HI Hostel in Boston (from Hostelling International) may be one of your only options if you go this route. So is it worth it? Or should you just splurge for a hotel?
The first thing Boston's HI Hostel has going for it is the location. It’s centrally located in the Chinatown neighborhood. You can easily walk around the city from here, but there’s also a subway station a few blocks up around the corner. The hostel itself if actually really nice and modern. They have a cozy lobby area to hang out, and then the kitchen/dining area is on the second floor. The rooms and bathrooms were also nice. They have private bathroom spaces with showers and toilets, so you have somewhere private to change and get ready for that day. The rooms were narrow, which I could see being an issue if you have messy roommates, but the lockers are really big so you can fit plenty of stuff in them. You also get a free towel. Most hostels I’ve been to require a towel deposit or just a flat out charge you for that. But perhaps the biggest appeal of all is the complimentary breakfast. Sure, it’s pretty minimal (the general foods available are toast, bagels, and cereal), but it’s still free, which is more than I can say for other hostels that typically charge for breakfast. All in all, I would recommend the HI Hostel Boston. Like most hostels, the people you share a room with will make or break the situation. For example, my first night there I got stuck with an older women in the room who kept playing music and leaving the lights on throughout the night. Then there was the guy who practically bathed himself in cologne. But my second two nights, those two were gone, and the room was totally quiet and easy to sleep in. My biggest recommendation for this hostel, however, is to book a room or bed well in advance. I got one of the last reservations for the weekend I was there this fall, which is likely a busy time because people also go to Salem. Still, since it’s practically the only hostel in Boston, don’t take any chances and get yourself a reservation ahead of your trip. |
About the author
Jill Zwarensteyn is a writer and comedian who has been featured on Amazon, truTV, The New York Times, Matador Network, BUST Magazine, Sleep Advisor, Tiplr, ARTRPRNR Magazine, YourTango, Thought Catalog, GoMad Nomad, Mashable, The Daily Mail UK, the Cannes Film Festival, LaughFest, Women's Lifestyle Magazine, and the Funny Women Festival LA. For more info visit: http://www.jillzwarensteyn.weebly.com Archives
October 2024
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