Some colleagues will be traveling to the Boston area, and will be staying near the T Blue Line station in the Logan Airport Area.
Generally, how safe is the area in the vicinity of the T stop? Is it “walking friendly” around the hotels and restaurants?
Also, how safe is riding the T, on such matters as waiting in stations, transfer points (like Government Center, etc.). The plan is to take the T into downtown Boston for sightseeing.
Thx
MP
I have not lived in Boston for a long time, but I read my email Boston Globe almost daily and get the magazine ROLE SIGN putout by the Boston Street Railway Association. The latest information from both sources, is that there is one bus route, far from the Blue Line and Logan Station, that has been of some concern in the direction you are suggesting, but otherwise the system is a very safe system, with good security, and the area around Logan Airport is not a problem area. But obviously in any large city one does not display expensive stuff unnecessarily, and expose expensive camera equipment only just before and after the photographs are taken.
I worked in Boston for many years. I also worked in many other east coast cities.
I always told people that in Boston, you can walk the streets at midnight without looking over your shoulder. Shur, there are a few bad neighborhoods as in any huge city, but they are not downtown. This is a city with a very “huge” Tourist Trade, follow the yellow strip on the sidewalks to the places where the U.S.Revolution started in 1775! This is a city with more Colleges and Universities than any other city in the world, a diverse young city. Downtown parking is VERY expensive, $35 a day — everybody walks. Railroads, South Station is in the heart of the Financial District (Boston’s “Wall Street”), North Station is AT Boston Garden (Basket Ball & Hockey), and Back Bay Station is at the Hancock Tower, Prudential Center, and the Red Sox.
The 4 subways (Red, Orange, Green, and Blue Lines) are very safe and clean. Security at Logan International Airport, South, and North Station is very tight. If your taking photos around the transit system, you may be stopped and asked for identification, but you will still be allowed to take pictures.
Logan airport is only 2 miles from Downtown (1 Subway & 3 highway tunnels under the harbor - where else would a city name a Interstate Highway Tunnel for a baseball player, “Ted Williams”). Lots of places to eat downtown, many mirror “Cheers” from TV. The north end has some of the best Italian food in the nation. Try the Irish south end “Southe”, it helps to wear a green hat.
I agree comletely with the above comment. Regarding railfan interest, all of the “T” suburban lines from North and South Stations have some scenic interest, but the best for me is the line to Gloucester from North Station. Cab cars are used on inbound trains to both stations, with locomotives heading outbound. So you can stand up front on an inbound and view the line through the train-door window. The Blue rapid transit line from the Airport station north to Revere-Wonderland is on the old Boston Revere Beach and Lynn narrow gauge right of way, with catenary instead of third rail operation, worth riding. A must are the well restored 63-year old PCC cars on the scenic Mattapan-Ashmont light rail line that is an extention of the Red Line Ashmont rapid transit.
How about the Commonwealth Ave. streetcar line? Is that still functioning? - a.s.
The Commonwealth Ave Line is the “Green Line” LRVs now, it comes out of the tunnels at Fenway Park and runs along the center medium with Boston Univ. on both sides of the street. The “Green Line” once continued on Commonwealth Ave. past Boston Univ. and all the way to Newton. The “Green Line” splits just before the end of the tunnels, one line comes to the surface on Commonwealth Ave, the other comes up on the former Boston & Albany right-of-way and runs all the way to the I-95 (Route 128) parking lot 6 miles out.
Commuter Rail runs west on the CSX Tracks (which Boston’s MBTA has agreed to buy) toward Worcester, it handles longer runs to Newton, Welsley, Framingham, and on to Worcester 50 miles out.
The PCC Streetcars only run on the Mattapan Extension of the Ashmont Subway Line (Red Line). They don’t run on the street, they run on an “X” New Haven right-of-way.