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Photo: Tim Pierce, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A non-profit, CBI offers members instruction for sailing and windsurfing, and allows members to use CBI-owned sailboats on the Charles River. They've also got kayaks and paddleboards for rent. Check out their yearly and monthly memberships if you're going to be in town awhile. Organized in 1946, it is the oldest continuously operating community sailing program in the country.
Community Boating, Inc. (CBI) is a public not-for-profit corporation founded in 1937 to teach sailing to those who would not typically have access. CBI was officially incorporated in 1946. Located on the Charles River Esplanade between the Hatch Shell and the Longfellow Bridge, it is the oldest public sailing organization in the United States. It is also the largest; to date, they have had over half a million sailors use their organization.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Why should you visit this small private square fenced in by wrought iron? Well, its gorgeously preserved federalist architecture is unique to the country for one. These magnificent townhouses rarely trade hands, but when they do they command upwards of $11 million! Famous residents include, architect Charles Bulfinch, painter John Singleton Copley, and author Louisa May Alcott. Former Secretary of State John Kerry is a contemporary resident of the square.
Spend a quick moment at one of the most photographed spots in the city. Your social media feeds will reward you.
A state-owned park along the banks of the Charles River. Perfect for jogging, cycling, or just strolling and enjoying the view. Home of the Hatch Shell, where live events take place during the warmer months, and where the Boston Pops play their spectacular 4th of July concert. Laze out in the sun on the public dock, or take a gondola ride along the Charles. You'll meet many Bostonians out and about year round, picnicking, reading, or just doing nothing at all. It's easy to get here by walking down the ramp on the east side of the Mass Ave bridge, or the ramp adjacent to the Charles/MGH Red line station. A third option is a footbridge overpass near the northwestern corner of the Public Garden.
A Jewish temple no longer (sort of), this storied edifice now functions as a cultural center. A place where all are welcome to share and enjoy the history of Boston's Jewish community. Major holidays and regular Jewish religious services are still performed here. Interestingly, the seating consists of pews salvaged from Roxbury's Twelfth Baptist Church. These benches would have been used by former African American slaves and volunteers in the heroic 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.
The Gibson House was one of the first to be built in Back Bay, and has an unparalleled state of preservation that includes wallpaper, textiles, furnishings, and family artifacts and collections. A nice reminder that no matter how rich you were in 1860, you couldn't buy air conditioning!