First Night 2006

We would have mistaken Boston for New Orleans during the 2006 First Night parade. Click here to see the scene in from of our hotel at dusk.

First Night Boston is a blast, and the Hotel Commonwealth is perfection

By Walter and Patricia Brooks

The Boston Police estimated that nearly one and a half million people celebrated the 30th Annual First Night in Boston this year. The festivities include fireworks, a Mardi Gras-style parade down Boylston Street and ice sculptures at Copley Square, The Common and at Faneuil Hall.

As Boston prepares to put 2005 on ice, ice is once again a main attraction of Boston's first night. CBS4 offers this great short movie of the night's festivities, click here.

The parade started at 5:30 and and winds down Boylston Street.

You can stand anywhere near the library.

This Tyrannosaurus Rex is too friendly

We stayed at the magnificent Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. Click photo to see a great shot.

The Eastern Standard. It also provides room service.

The hotel's rooms overlook the square and Fenway.

The Great Bay serves superb seafood.

Boston Common was well-trafficked early, as people purchased First Night buttons and took in a variety of artistic and cultural offerings. Despite a small snow shower, the evening was not too cold for hearty New Englanders like us.

Many of the best events were indoors. One example were the young musicians of a step or string education program, played inside First Church. A complete list of this year's events can be seen here.

A "walkable city"

One of the nicest things about Boston is its size. It's really a tiny city, and we easily walked from our hotel on Kenmore Square down Commonwealth Avenue to the parade on Boylston at Massachusetts where the parade began. Taxis aren't expensive either, and the T was free after 8 p.m and ran until 2 a.m. Turn up your sound and see the fireworks here.

This is a very "child-friendly" city and our two favorite spots for tots are the Children's Museum and the Science Museum, both in the heart of town. We managed to spend the whole day exploring both, with a lunch break as the Science Museum's cafeteria and forty-five minutes at their new Omni Theater show, Amazon.

For this three day First Night weekend (Friday afternoon through the Monday holiday) we chose the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. From here it's is a pleasant ten minute stroll down Commonwealth Avenue to the head of Newbury Street or you may hop on the T in front of the hotel and get off at Park Station for Downtown Crossing shops.

You'll think you're in Paris

The hotel's 150 luxurious guest rooms are defined by a generous sense of comfort, space and ease. The rooms offer a graceful balance of old world charm and contemporary convenience, from the handsome, over sized writing desks and European amenities to complimentary high speed internet access, Wi-Fi and Voice-Over -IP (VOIP) telephones. Guest rooms also feature upscale marble bathrooms and 27” televisions with dvd / cd capabilities.

If you look at this beautiful new building from the bookstore or Breugger's Bakery across the street you will think you are on the Rive Gauche in Paris. The architecture is pure Parisian, mid 19th century Second Empire with the Mansard roofs and other Gallic embellishments.

The hotel's Bed and Breakfast Package includes an evening in a luxurious guest room, sleep in and enjoy continental breakfast for two in Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks Restaurant for a package price: $209 plus tax. The place deserves its Four Diamond rating.

Red Sox fans should seriously consider making reservations now at this hotel for their visit to see games this coming season because it overlooks the "Green Monster" and is a four minute walk to the ballpark.

Imagine the convenience of strolling back to your luxury suite instead of battling the Beantown traffic after a game.

The Commonwealth offers competitive weekend prices, and it's convenient to anything a visitor wants to see.

Dining in house and around the corner

We had dinner at the hotel's restaurant and Bistro, Great Bay which was voted the best seafood restaurant in Boston in its first season by Boston Magazine's readers. This past summer the hotel added another, equally fine restaurant, The Eastern Standard, on the opposite side of the building. A tad more casual, and it also handles the Commonwealth's room service.

If you want other dining options, Boston is famous for food, and the concierge offered us many nearby choices. On New Year's Eve we walked half a block to a charming new bistro called Petit Robert Bistro and had as fine a meal as we've ever enjoyed.

If you are one of the countless Boston University grads reading this, you have just discovered your new address in Boston when you revisit your Alma Mater.

Useful Links;

• Boston First Night official site.
• Commonwealth Hotel 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 Telephone (617) 933-5000
• The Great Bay Restaurant
• The Eastern Standard Restaurant.
• Petit Robert Bistro French restaurant.