<p>Mom & D visiting for a day and half in August. We're using public transport and need advice on hotels and areas to stay in. Most important aspect is safety, 2nd financial and 3rd is ease of getting around.</p>
<p>We have free nights at a Holiday Inn Express that is near North Station and have no idea about the area. Getting to the hotel from the bus terminal at South Station when we arrive and getting to Logan Airport when we depart will be important. We're from TX so don't know the area but are used to packing light, hauling our own luggage on subways and have basic big city common sense. </p>
<p>If North Station is a bad or difficult area to visit Northeastern, we will pay for a hotel. Suggestions of alternate area of town would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>North Station to Northeastern is also accessible by public transportation:</p>
<p>Via public transportation</p>
<p>Northeastern is accessible by subway via the Green Line of the MBTA. From downtown Boston, take an “E” train outbound to the Northeastern stop, the first stop above ground. The campus can also be reached from downtown via the Orange Line by taking any train going outbound to Forest Hills and getting off at Ruggles Station. Commuter rail lines connect with the Orange Line at Ruggles Station, Back Bay Station, and North Station.</p>
<p>Boston is wonderful when it comes to public transportation.</p>
<ol>
<li>Walk 15 mins. to Park St. Station - Green Line Eastbound</li>
</ol>
<p>Detailed:
Walk approx. 3 blocks W on Summer St.
Walk straight on Winter St.
Walk approx. 1 block NW on Winter St.
Bear right on Park St Sta Walkway.
Walk a short distance NW on Park St Sta Walkway</p>
<ol>
<li>Take Green- B Line - North To North Station</li>
</ol>
<p>You can also take the Red Line one stop to Downtown Crossing, then take the Orange Line Inbound to North Station, but I find Park easier to change trains at.</p>
<p>HOWEVER – if you are taking an Amtrak train, don’t go all the way to South Station, get off at Back Bay Station. That is on the Orange Line already and you won’t need to mess with changing subways. Just go upstairs, then down to the subway Inbound to North Station."</p>
<p>You could try taking a water taxi from North Station to the Airport
[City</a> Water Taxi…the checkerboard fleet…serving the entire boston waterfront](<a href=“citywatertaxi.com”>citywatertaxi.com)
More expensive than the train but a fun way to get there.</p>
<p>I agree with getting off at Back Bay Station if you are taking Amtrack. </p>
<p>North Station is not in a bad area of Boston. Northeastern borders on one side what is considered a bad area, but certainly not the worse. We go to the MFA and Boston Pops/symphony in the area of Northeastern frequently. I am comfortably bringing my 11yo with me and usually end up parking in one of the NU garages because it is cheap. Like any city you need to be aware of those around you, be careful not to pull out wads of cash, etc. </p>
<p>The area is generally ok but can be a little deserted at night unless there is an event at the Boston Garden because it’s not that residential. </p>
<p>There is a Holiday Inn (not express) in Brookline at 1200 Beacon St that is right on the Green Line C branch, walking distance to BU and is pretty close to Northeastern also. It’s in an upscale residential neighborhood. I don’t know if that would work out better for you. </p>
<p>I think the North Station location is better for Boston sight seeing, but I think the Brookline location is better for Northeastern/BU visiting.</p>
<p>If you’re at North Station going to Northeastern, you have two choices - the Green Line, as above, or the Orange Line to the Ruggles stop. That’s just across from Northeastern. The problem with the Green Line is that it goes above ground, so is slower and also has only 2-3 cars maximum. The Orange Line goes underground and has 7-8 cars. Much easier to get on. I avoid the Green Line when at all possible.</p>
<p>^ Green line only comes above ground just before Northeastern, and it’s much more fun to ride. The bigger challenge with the Green line is getting on the right branch. </p>
<p>If the weather is good, you might even consider walking. This part of Boston is amazingly compact. You could easily walk from your hotel to Northeastern in an hour or so (not counting stops, of which you’d probably make many. ). Walk to the Commons, through the Public Gardens, down Newbury street to Dartmouth, left to Copley Square, right on Huntington to Symphony Hall. You’ve walked 2.3 miles and are on the edge of the campus. You’d hop on the Green line going back - can’t get on the wrong line since only one runs here. And you’d have had a great day, seen quite a few of the Boston sights, probably stopped at a nice Newbury Street cafe for late morning coffee or lunch and maybe did some window shopping on the way.</p>
<p>TCM, the North station area is not a beautiful area – a bit dingy but it doesn’t seem particularly unsafe. It’s well-situated if you want to see the Celtics or Bruins play (unfortunately the season is over) or to get treated at Mass General. It will however be easy by subway to get to Northeastern (see [Boston</a> North Station to Northeastern University - Google Maps](<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps))</p>
<p>As a long-time area resident, I asked, what would be nicer but there aren’t any Holiday Inn/Intercontinental chain hotels near Northeastern. Boston is a pretty expensive place for hotels. The closest non-HI hotel is probably The Colonnade and there don’t seem to be that many other hotels nearby.</p>
<p>Strangely, getting from one of Boston’s main train terminals to the other isn’t trivial. Follow coolweather’s second set of instructions.</p>
<p>Getting to the airport from North Station is easy by taxi. It’s less easy than it should be by public transit. You’d probably take the Orange line to the Blue line to the airport stop and then take the bus around the airport to your terminal.</p>
<p>I’ve had two horrible stays at the Holiday Inn in Brookline and will not be returning. But the Marriott Courtyard just off Beacon St. is closer to Northeastern anyway, new, and looks good from the outside. (Especially when you are escaping your room at the Holiday Inn where the only window looks into the dining room, the shower is broken, the a/c is broken, and the television is broken. It looks really, really good then.) Also the area is quite safe, lots of restaurants, etc.</p>
<p>The North Station area isn’t a bad location if you have time to be a tourist. It is a short walk to Faneuil Hall, the waterfront, the North End, freedon trail etc. And as newsmassdad mentioned walking from there to NUis doable, but I would save it for after your NU tour, you might be too tired at that point and not want to do it.</p>