Downtown Crossing is a pedestrian mall that's like a community in and of itself. It offers a centralized area in which visitors can shop, eat, and soak up the ambience. Special events and activities are held throughout the year, adding to the district's appeal. Retail merchandise runs the gamut, from clothing to sports gear, jewelry, toys, and more. A number of fine dining venues, nightclubs, and theaters also call Downtown Crossing home.

CAMBRIDGE. Encompassing approximately four square miles, Harvard Square is a centralized area that includes restaurants, shops, nightlife venues, and parks for locals and visitors to enjoy. Historic sites are scattered throughout the picturesque square, which is itself brick-paved and dotted with trees and greenery. Other area attractions include museums, cafes, and theaters.

BACK BAY. Boston's version of Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive, Newbury Street spans eight city blocks, and its historic storefronts offer charming glimpses of Boston during the mid-to-late 19th century. Among a phalanx of open-air coffee shops, cafes, antique stores, custom clothiers, and brand-name boutiques are some of the city's true architectural gems, including the Art Deco Ritz Carlton, Richard Upjohn's Church of the Covenant (1865), and the Temple for the Working Union of Progressive Spiritualists (now Waterstone's Booksellers), finished in 1884.

[Approximately 45 mi from Boston]. Gift and specialty stores fill the attractive red brick buildings that line this pedestrian friendly port town. An independent bookstore, gourmet shop, British-themed gift store, bridal shop and bakery are among the numerous shops you'll find here.

NORTH END. Visit the oldest residential neighborhood in the city. The North End is a potpourri of friendly banter about the Red Sox, cobblestone streets, and enticing smells of authentic Old Country cuisine. Indeed, the majority of the residents, restaurants, and shops here are Italian. Many of the sites on the Freedom Trail are located in this area, including Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church. It is recommended that visitors walk since the streets are very narrow and parking is virtually impossible ... And walking makes it easier to stop off for a snack at one of the fresh produce markets.