Boston

LOCAL ESSENTIALS

Directions to the Intercontinental Boston 510 Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA 02210 617-747-1000 From the North via Interstate 93 South • Follow I-93 South to exit #23 – Purchase St. • Stay right when taking the exit onto Purchase st. • Follow Purchase street 2 blocks and turn left onto Congress St. • Take an immediate left onto Atlantic Ave. • The InterContinental Boston will be 1½ blocks on your right hand side. From the South via Interstate 93 North • Follow I-93 North to exit #20 – South Station/South Boston/I-90 East & West. • Follow the signs for South Station. • At the 2nd set of traffic lights turn right onto Kneeland St. • At the 2nd set of traffic lights you are forced to turn left onto Atlantic Ave. • Follow Atlantic Ave. 3 blocks and the InterContinental Boston will be on the right. From the West via Interstate 90 East • Follow the MassPike/Interstate 90 east to Exit #24A – South Station. • This exit will place you directly onto Atlantic Ave. • Follow Atlantic Ave. 3 blocks and the InterContinental Boston will be on the right. From Logan Airport • Follow the signs to Boston via the Ted Williams Tunnel – I-90 East. • Take Exit #25 – South Boston. • Stay left off the exit and take the first left onto Congress St. • Follow Congress st. straight over the Congress St. Bridge. • Take your first Right onto Atlantic Ave. • The InterContinental Boston will on your right.

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Concierge Phone: +16172175057 Concierge Fax: +16172175169 Front Desk: +1-800-652-3705 Tourist Info: +18887332678

USEFUL INFORMATION

LOCAL CULTURE

DRIVING

As Boston is America's walking city, pedestrians tend to jay-walk. You are better off leaving your car parked and instead take a taxi or limousine, or walk or ride the T (our subway system) to your destination.


GRATUITIES

Boston is a tipping city. Gratuities are graciously accepted by all service individuals.


Weather

Boston's weather can vary greatly from day to day. You can be in your shirt-sleeves one day and need a hat and gloves the next, so pack with this in mind and keep an eye on the weather forecast.


DID YOU KNOW ?

John Hancock Weather Beacon

The weather beacon at the top of the Berkeley Building (old John Hancock Building) has a rhyme to help decipher the colors: steady blue, clear view; flashing blue, clouds due; steady red, rain ahead; flashing red, snow. But during baseball season, flashing red means that a Red Sox home game was called off because of the weather.


Massachusetts State House

Signs on approaching highways indicating the distance to Boston aren't measuring the miles to the city limits but to the State House dome. The dome is gilded in 23.5kt gold leaf.


Molasses flood of 1919

A storage tank exploded in the North End on January 15, 1919, sending pieces of metal and a 2.3-million-gallon wave of molasses crashing through the streets, destroying homes and buildings and killing 21 people. Some Bostonians claim that on a hot day you can still smell the molasses.


Oliver R Smoot

The Smoot is a non-standard unit of length used to measure only one item in Boston, the Harvard Bridge on Massachusetts Avenue connecting Boston and Cambridge. Fraternity pledge Oliver Smoot was rolled head over heels across the bridge to measure 364.4 Smoots (his height, 5ft 7in) plus one ear.


WHAT TO PACK

Camera

With so many historic sights and architectural treasures in Boston, don't forget to bring your camera.


Comfy shoes

Boston is America's Walking City; so always bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes.


Dining attire

Boston's dining scene is exciting but fairly casual. At most restaurants, casual-business attire is perfectly acceptable.


Warm coat

If you're coming in the fall or winter months, you should bring a warm jacket or coat as you never know one day to the next how much colder it may get.


icbostonconcierge@ihg.com