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Advice - Going to Boston/New England

And if you are into urban planning, you should also go check out, and judge for yourself, whether the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the product leftover from the Big Dig, is a success or failure in urban design. One of the major debates in Boston's planning circle in recent years, and probably something to learn from (to do or not do) if/when we tear down the Gardiner.
 
I think it's a success. The area looks a lot more pleasant with the new linear park where people come and gather around than the ugly express way that was there before.
 
There's no doubt that the park is better than what was there before, the question is whether it could have been done better to make it an actual "success". Right now there really is only a few parts of the park that attract people (mostly where people pass between downtown and North End, and between the two halves of Chinatown), much of it is pretty empty most of the time. Some of the more pessimistic urbanists down here like to call it a "glorified median strip" surrounded by a multilane highway and on/off-ramps.
 
I'll get to find out tomorrow. Our hotel is right across the street from the park. It should be interesting to see.
Thanks everyone for the help. Definitely appreciated and I'll give a bit of a recap when I get back.
 
Troy, NY, is a pit. One of the ugliest places I have ever been and it's overshadowed by as nearly as ugly a place, Albany, a terrifying pile of sour 19th century Gothic interspersed with Speerian modernism of the the Fascist Judy Garland Big Dance Number style.
 
I love Troy, NY. Very dense Brooklyn-esque feel with a tonne of wonderful brownstones. Sure, it's not the wealthiest of communities, but great urban bones and a nice surprise for upstate New York.
 
So we got back on Monday.
A bit of a recap:

Our hotel was right beside the Big Dig. Got to drive through it on the way out of Boston towards New Hampshire. Can definitely see why it was needed. I thought the park that replaced it was really well done. It was very popular and every fountain along the way was filled with kids/people looking to cool off in the warm 100 degree weather. The openness provided some great views of the skyline.

We spent most of our time in the North End. Had the best lasagna and pizza I've ever had (Lasagna on Hanover St, pizza at Regina's Pizza). Did Harvard, Back Bay, Boston Common/Garden and Beacon Hill as well as the Freedom trail. Also did a walk by a group called Boston by Foot, which i would recommend. Thought the best architecture was in the North end. The skyscrapers were nothing to write home about and it was the older tenements with the large bay windows that were the most impressive. To be honest, the highlight of the whole week was going to Fenway Park. If anyone has any interest in baseball, Fenway is a must to visit.

We didn't stop on the way except to eat/get gas, but we did spend a day in Cape Anne at Rockport and on the way home stopped in Manchester NH to watch the Jays' farm club, then went up to Burlington Vermont and went to the Ben and Jerry's Factory. Beautiful and stunning drive through NH and VT. I'd really recommend it.
 
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