Paul Gentile writes:
 
>Personally, all this talk of using trains to
>attend Boston events has me shaking my head. I
>always drive into twon for Fleet Center/Fenway
>Park events ... but I have a bevy of usefull
>parking ideas. I also know of a $5 lot just
>outside Fleet Center if I need it. I never ride
>trains anymore ... can't stand them. But I used to
>... and therefore knew the trains very well. My
>best parking idea for Fleet Center is eat at a
>convenient North End restaurant ... use North End
>parking (which can be tough but is do-able) and
>walk about 5 minutes to the Fleet.
 
To subject out of town visitors to Boston traffic is wrong.  People, there
are very few on-street parking spaces near the Fleet Center.  To get one
you will have to get to the area a minimum of two hours before the game.
If you fail to get an on-street parking space, you will pay a minimum of
$12, usually $15 and possibly $20 for a parking space.  As one who has
attended Boston Garden/Fleet Center events for 25 years, unless you know
what you are doing, the parking is a nightmare.  As for parking in the
North End, there are on street parking spaces but, with the Big Dig, there
are fewer.
 
>But, onto train ideas.
>
>If you want to avoid the hectic downtown and can
>afford to be without the innumerable restaurant
>opportunites in Boston ... there is an excellent
>alternative.
>
>Boston has basically two train systems serving the
>city.
>
>One is the subway system which comprises four
>different lines - Red, Green, Orange and Blue. The
>Orange and Green serve "North Station" which is
>where the Fleet Center is. Both these lines serve
>the North Shore of Boston so you could easily be
>set up in one of these communities and use the
>trains to get in.
 
The Red Line serves the South Shore (Quincy, Braintree) and runs through
Boston to Cambridge.  If one got a hotel room in Quincy (a possibility and
cheaper than Boston), the commuting time to the Fleet Center, with one
change of trains, would be 30 minutes tops.  This line runs primarily
underground and is not affected by surface traffic.
 
The Green Line runs from the Western suburbs - Newton, Brookline, etc. into
Boston.It runs right through the BC-BU college hub in Brighton and Allston.
This area is the real college part of Boston, plenty of bars, clubs and
places to eat.  The problem with the Green Line is that it is primarily an
above ground route which is affected by street traffic until it gets to
Kenmore Sq. (near Boston University).  Travel time would be as much as hour
if you hotelled (sp) out in Newton.
 
The Orange Line runs from the southwest corner of Boston, through the inner
city to the Fleet Center and beyond to Malden. The route is primarily
underground and is not affected by street traffic.  I am not aware of any
hotels at either end of the line.
 
The Blue Line - which is the shortest of the four - runs from Downtown
Boston to Revere.  Since I live out this way, I can tell you there are no
hotels in this area worth staying in.
>
>But the best idea involves the other system ..
>namely the Commuter Rail System. There are two
>Boston centers for this system, North Station and
>South Station. Ideally, a hotel on one of the
>North lines will set you up perfectly. Off the top
>of my head, the Mishawum Station on the
>Lowell-Boston line is perfect. Mishawum is located
>in a business area with several hotels. A fare
>from Mishawum to North Station is about $2.00. You
>ride in comfort on padded seats much like you
>would on Amtrak. These are above surface railways
>and the train pulls right under the Fleet Center.
>You never need to be exposed to the sky once you
>board the train. Only drawback to this system is
>the frequency of trains. Shouldn't be a problem
>scheduling one in but you might be caught watching
>your watch to get a train out ... seeing that
>there is sometimes about an hour between departing
>trains leaving North Station during late night.
>The major plus of this idea is comfort of ride,
>excellent promptness of arrivals and departure
>times, and swiftness of travel ... there are only
>a few stops between Mishawum and Boston so the
>ride is only about 15 minutes.
>
>There are other lines besides Lowell-Boston which
>are served by North Station and may provide
>additonal possibilities.
 
There is a rail line that heads out to the North Shore through Lynn
(nothing), Salem (next to nothing), Beverly (ditto) and beyond.  Paul is
correct, if you choose to stay in the outer burbs and depend on rail you
will have no problem getting in.  However, at the other end, at night, the
trains don't run as often and you will definitely be at the mercy of the
train schedule.  Perish the thought if the final goes to triple overtime!
>
>P.S. The commuter rail lines which pull into South
>Station from points south including New York City
>are useless ... since you have to go across town
>to get to Fleet Center.
 
That's not entirely true since South Station is an Orange Line stop on the
T and is, I believe, a straight shot to the Fleet Center (four stops)
 
However,the bottom line in all this is, if you are coming to Boston, why
would you want to be stuck in some hotel/motel out in the 'burbs?  Boston
is a great city and, compared to recent sites of the NC$$, in a class by
itself.  There is lots to do - great restaurants, great clubs (rock, folk,
Irish, jazz, comedy) all over the city.  If you rarely come to  Boston,
take advantage of it while you're here.
>
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HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
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