Hi!

we're looking at going to boston and ny in in may, coming from london

if we took amtrak, how long would it take? or would we just be better of taking a flight?

ALSO, is there ANY chance we'll be able to get C's playoff tickets without queuing up?? ie: released on the internet? Obviously i'm jumping the gun but i'm guessing they're gonna make at least the conference finals barring major injury/collapse

flying is not worth it...

try amtrak...

or the bargain chinatown express bus (i hear good things about it & it is dirt cheap)..

btw,,,may is a great time to visit the east coast...

Bus from Ctown to Ctown is good. Plenty of choices and fares that can't be beat. Let's you out in a decent part of Boston, and not far from a T station (subway). Can't quite say the same about the drop off spot in New York, but it's not THAT bad, and it's probably worth the hassle.

Alternatively, you could take Greyhound, Peter Pan, or whatever bus is leaving from each station. The really good thing about that option is the location, which may be important to you depending on the amt of luggage you have and how comfortable you are wandering around a new city in search of a subway station. The price isn't too bad. However, you need to make sure the doesn't stop off at too many places. That can be a MAJOR hassle with Greyhound, not to mention the often unsavory (and often ripe!) company on the bus.

The train may even be an option if you can find a discount fare. Amtrak.com throws them up once in a while. Again, good locations.

The plane shouldn't even be an option. You're looking at an expensive fare and two inconvenient locations, plus security, check in, blah blah blah. With all the extra hassles, I doubt that option saves you more than an hour, if that.

About Celtics ticks, I don't think playoff ticks generally go on sale until the end of the season, but I could be wrong.

Back in the day when I lived in Boston and the C's weren't so mighty (but they did have Pierce and Walker, so they were decent) we were able to get cheap ticks for $10. I think those days may be gone.

thanks for the replies guys

good to know not to worry with flying

i've been to ny but not boston before so ny is fine.. possibly amtrak because we'll be staying semi close to penn station i think

yeah you're right about playoff tickets - with the warriors tickets this year you had to line up at the stadium to get them - we were in portland at the time so missed out. I think it'd be a pretty amazing opportunity to see some great basketball - i missed out on seeing them play preseason here due to some douche on ebay "not receiving the tickets". oh yeah, what has happened to walker? dude is pretty bad these days..

jebcrow: yeah that's when we were there this year!

Walker's biggest problem has always been Walker. When I watched him play a lot, he had a hard time staying within his game. I remember he used to pull up behind the arc, and fans would yell "No!!!" in a failed attempt to get him not to shoot..

BTW, you could also take in a game at MSG. I did that last year, and it was OK. But ticks weren't cheap and the place didn't have the best basketball watching "vibe" - maybe because the Knicks sucked!

If you're staying near Penn Station, you can also take the Greyhound or Peter Pan to Port Authority.
Don't bother with the Chinatown buses, they break down all of the time and have issues with their drivers. if you do decide to use them, they all pick up and drop off from south station now. They moved them out of Chinatown proper.
The Greyhound or Peter Pan can be booked online for $30 R/T.
http://www.greyhound.com/home/en/DealsA ... avers.aspx

Celtics tickets, aside from playoffs, you should have no trouble obtaining.
tickets for the celtics are sold on ticketbastard.

If you have specific Boston questions about where to stay or restaurants, I'm happy to help out!

ok,,don't listen to me with the chinatown bus thing (i was only going on second-hand word)...my experience of travel between nyc & boston is nil to none....

i do know that if you are staying in midtown,,,taking the bus to port authority would be easiest...

the chinatown bus leaves you in east chinatown/lower east side,,,what used to be a shady neighbourhood...but is now bleached-safe like every place in nyc.....

oh jeb i wasn't dogging your advice. these developments have been fairly recent. the buses are ok, but they used to be like $10 which is totally cheaper than what they are now and they were decent value.
now the $30 peter pan bus with a movie playing is a bit better

Yeah, if Peter Pan has dropped to $30, just go with that, given the better safety, location, etc.

It's really nice to arrive at such a central location in NYC. One of the best things is having food indoors - you know, that little place right across from the Greyhound/Pan ticket selling area. May not be the best food in the world, but man it's right there and great when you're waiting for your bus or if you just got into the city after a long bus ride.

BTW. I'm also traveling to NYC next April.

haha thanks guys, its good to have a few options to consider

as to walker - yeah with the heat he was notorious for throwing up way too many threes.. now who's he with, minnesota? way too overweight as well.

and knicks unfortunately won't be playing (bar a miracle) in may. sorry any knicks fans..

yeah atease we'll be looking on the lower end of the accom scale, hostels and the like.. and if you have any knowledge of vegan eats that'd be awesome too!

there is only one hostel in the city to my knowledge, and it's in a fairly central neighborhood.
i'll send you a list of places tonight when i get home.

also, hit up jawkdna here on the board. i know he's vegan and he can probably help a bit better on the recommendations for food.

i thought the celtics clinched a playoff birth when they signed garnett and allen?

awesome thanks atease

hms: yep pretty much, see first post

east coast is so much stronger this season.. but i guess it's early days

dwight howard is a fucking monster!

I've stayed at a hostel (years ago) in Boston. It was nice - a YHA place - and not far from Fenway park. It's really close to a T line also, so decent enough for public transport.

I'm also a veggie. There is (or at least was, not sure anymore) a nice vegetarian Vietnamese place in the downtown area. I ate there a lot. Can't think of any other dedicated veggie places off the top of my head, but it was easy enough to find food. Not a vegan, though, so not sure about that specifically.

The good Boston restaurants are very good, though pricey.

Take the bus. I took the train from NYC to Beantown and it was nice but man, was it expensive. something like $200

The chinatown express is $25 but there is that slight problem of the bus catching on fire 8 time. or the dead driver.

But hey, if you want some local color that's the best way to do it!

Grasshopper is a great veggie place with a young urban crowd, but it's in Allston (Boston neighborhood) and not on the T. Also no alcohol if that's important.

Buddha's Delight is in downtown Boston (theatre district/chinatown) and is decent.

Grasshopper is my fave but again it's out of the way.

http://www.bostonveg.org/restaurants/

I've done the chinatown bus a few times and it worked out fine, but atease is probably right. If you're on vacation you don't want to risk a broken down bus to save $15.

yeah the train is really expensive when greyhound gets you there in almost the same time. as CCP mentioned, the buses catching fire and the drivers not being too great keep me away from the chinatown buses. I also don't like getting dropped off way down on the bowery so maybe i'm partial for another reason

is buddha's still there liquid? good to know. the one in coolidge corner is closed now. i used to love that place.

yeah andy, that was the hostel i was thinking of. It's on Hemenway St almost on the corner of Boylston like two blocks from Fenway Park

cool i'll remember grasshopper, hopefully be able to get there

staying near fenway would be pretty sweet. baseball season will have started then too yeah? Might get to see the green monster while the sox are playing, that'd be pretty cool

again, thanks so much for all your input, greatly appreciated

most forums people ignore requests like this - you guys rule!

http://www.anthonystownhouse.com/

This is an awesome place to stay on the cheap in Boston. You get your own room, and the T (Green C-line) runs right in front. It is on Beacon Street a few blocks from Fenway. It is a family owned historic brownstone and has always been a joy for me to stay, which has literally been a hundred times or so. Lots of commuting professors of local colleges stay here. Prices are like 75 dollars or so, depending on how long you stay, and how long you sweet talk the owner on the phone. You can tell them Scott from Harvard recommended them. Good luck and have fun.