Boston Book Fanatic

As someone born and raised in Massachusetts, I know that winters in New England can be a little dreary. Seeing the sun set at 4:30pm makes you want to throw on some sweats and curl up to binge watch the latest Netflix release, but there are lots of fun things to do out in the world if you can get yourself out the door. Whether you're a local or you're visiting on vacation, here are some of my favorite things to do in Boston in the winter:

I know it seems like Amazon is taking over the world these days and it's oh-so-easy to order anything you want with the click of a button, but Boston is thankfully clinging to the independent bookstore scene and still offers many places to browse, eat, drink, and support small businesses. Most of the big box stores downtown have closed (with the exception of a Barnes and Noble in the Prudential Center), and the local indies seem to be thriving. If you’re in the area, here are my three favorite bookstores to frequent:

Between 1991 and 2007, the City of Boston transformed its central artery (the old name for the stretch of highway that cut through the center of the city), into a gorgeous 1.5 mile stretch of contemporary public parks. The whole project, called The Big Dig, cost the city over $8 billion. When I moved to Boston in 2005, the first blades of brand new grass were just beginning to grow.

The North End is Boston's Italian neighborhood and there's no shortage of delicious Italian food to be found here. I've been dining around the North End for 15 years and depending on what you're looking for, here are my top recommendations: