Back Bay

Back Bay is where most Gulf visitors should sleep. Its grid of Victorian brownstones - rare in a US city - makes even aimless walking rewarding, and the retail spine runs unbroken from Newbury Street's boutiques through the Prudential Center to Copley Place's luxury floors, all connected indoors for winter. The Boston Public Library's courtyard and Trinity Church face off across Copley Square, and the Public Garden closes the neighborhood's eastern end. Hotels here are the city's deepest luxury stock, with connecting rooms and suites easier to secure than downtown. Dining skews upscale-American with alcohol prevalent, so treat Back Bay as your shopping and strolling base and take the Green Line or a short taxi to halal dinners in Cambridge or Roxbury. Prudential Skywalk views (if operating - verify) or Top of the Hub alternatives cap an evening well.