For seven of the last nine years (nine?! woah) I’ve lived outside of Massachusetts. First, I was in Florida for college. Then, Connecticut. Now, New York. But no matter what, I always consider Mass my home. My former coworker used to tease me and say that I couldn’t hide the fact that I’m a Masshole if I tried. My dad always tells us that one of his main parenting goals was to make sure his kids were Bostonians. I’m certainly a proud one.
I didn’t spend much time in the “actual” city growing up—I was a total suburban kid. When everyone started going out there during college, I watched from a 1500-mile distance. But now, going to Boston is one of my absolute favorite things. It may sound weird, but “going to Boston” and “going home” are different things to me. I love going back to my parents’ house, but it’s different—I have more obligations (in the best way possible, don’t get me wrong!) to fit in during such a short period of time. But when I go to Boston, I get to play tourist.
Last weekend, I went to Boston without going home for the first time ever. It felt so strange but so exciting at the same time. I stayed with my best friend Melissa, who I’ve known since freshman year of high school. I made lists of where I wanted to eat, drink and shop. We filled the entire weekend with city-centric activities. It was so carefree and fun, and I’ve decided to try to make it a point to mix in more of those trips in the future.
For now, here’s a recap of our weekend:
Row Republic
I can’t believe I’m starting this recap with a workout, but I wanted to go in chronological order! Waking up for our already-paid-for workout the morning after a wine-filled day in Provincetown was a struggle, but worth it. The studio was so sleek and modern—you could even choose from room temp, cold, or sparkling water, which made me feel a lot fancier than I looked. The workout alternated between rowers and the floor, where we’d do HIIT-style moves like burpees and shoulder presses. The class is only 50 minutes, and the switching around made it go by super fast.
Night Shift Brewing
You’re probably alarmed at this since I mentioned that I’m going in chronological order…but we actually went here for a coffee! I got an oat milk latte (Boston is so chic these days) and we eyed the huge brewery side. Definitely something to check out on my next trip.
Tatte Bakery
Every time I’ve attempted to go here in the past, it’s been too packed. This time, we miraculously got a seat outside and proceeded to have some delicious avocado toast in the sunshine, watching people walk by on Charles Street.
Covet
Melissa has been sending me Instagram posts from this place for months, so I was pumped to finally visit in person. It’s a consignment shop with tons of on-trend pieces. I didn’t end up buying anything, but they do ship to NYC…
Flat of the Hill
I’ve been here a few times with Mel before, and I always love it. It’s one of the few reasonably priced boutiques in Beacon Hill. They have super cute jewelry and gifts, like those fun little wood signs everyone loves. I stayed strong this time, though.
Life Alive
Throwing it back to a very old blog post where I talked about Life Alive in Lowell. They now have one in Back Bay, so we went and grabbed a smoothie. I wanted food but was too full! This location is so different from the Lowell one. The chain is now owned by Panera’s owner, which scares me a little, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it maintains its authenticity.
Cisco Brewery
The Nantucket-based brewery has brought their Seaport pop-up back this summer. I’ve seen it all over social media and couldn’t wait to go. It’s so summery and low-key and has a lot of well-dressed, preppy twenty-somethings milling about. Unfortunately, it was a little too cold to stay long that day.
Outlook at The Envoy Hotel
To warm up, we went inside the Envoy Hotel. You’ve probably seen photos of the rooftop scene here. We wanted to stay away from the hordes of college-aged kids waiting in line to purchase overpriced cocktails, so we stayed at the lobby level bar and got some great drinks.
Fat Baby
This adorably named sushi place did not disappoint. We shared appetizers and a roll and I didn’t taste one thing that I didn’t like…including the $45 fighting fish bowl we sipped on.
Frenchie
Since I didn’t visit home this weekend, I brought home to me! My mom and Melissa’s mom made their way into the city to meet us for brunch. We had the best time, and my salmon eggs Benedict (on a croissant!) was unbelievable.
Blackbird Doughnuts
This was my second time at Blackbird, but it was even better this time around: I got the S’mores doughnut which is filled with creamy marshmallow and coated with chocolate and graham cracker crumble. Enough said.
Glossier Pop-Up
Yes, I have Glossier in NYC, but the pink-hued pop-up in the Seaport of Boston pulled on my heartstrings. It’s open until October, so everyone should go pay them a visit and stock up on fun, fresh makeup. I spent more than I anticipated, but it was worth every penny!
Here’s hoping all of you get a chance to play tourist in your own city soon, too.
Colorfully Yours,
Haley
