Ride The T For Free For First Night Boston

First Night Boston is almost here, and there's some good new from the MBTA. I know, finally right? With the always messy, and expensive parking situation in Boston, we're always encouraged to take the T. Well, the good news is, you are going to be able to take the T for free.

Because of all the construction going on where First Night Boston has always been held, the location is being moved this year. Instead of Copley Square Park, the festivities have moved to City Hall Plaza this year. The event will be free, and will start at noon on Sunday, December 31st, and run through Monday, January 1st at 12:30am.

If you plan on taking the T, which we're all encouraged to do, it's going to be free for the New Year's Eve celebrations in Boston. You can take the T for free on the subway, buses, and commuter rails starting at 8pm. The buses and subway lines will be running until about 3am, and you don't want to miss the last commuter rail trains, which will leave North and South Stations after midnight. As far as ferry service, that will end at 6pm on Sunday. On New Year's Day, all services will run on a Sunday schedule.

I get it, some of us can't live without our cars. And let's face it, the T hasn't always been the most reliable. But let's cross our fingers that they'll get it right for New Year's Eve. But if you do plan on taking your car, here are the options for parking. There aren’t any specific garages for First Night, but here are some close to City Hall. You can try: Center Plaza Garage, City Place Garage, Pi Alley Parking Garage, Dock Square Parking Garage, and Garage at Post Office Square. There is also Boston Common parking at Boston Common Garage. Street parking is extremely limited.

Good luck out there, and Happy New Year!

It has been an amazing year in Boston for dining out. Restaurants are flourishing and people have been dining out this year more than ever. There have been some amazing new restaurants to open in the city and some token favorites that have continued to shine. We have asked you, the ones who dine out most often, which restaurants are your favorites. We've gotten a wide variety of responses and have put them into this list of restaurants you must try before the new year begins.

First, when asked about our favorite restaurants, the main characteristics of what makes a good restaurant is the taste of the food, the variety of the menu, the value, the atmosphere and even things like parking can help boost a restaurant's popularity. In the case of this particular post, we are only asking for Boston area restaurants so any from western, central, southern Massachusetts won't be considered. We're also taking into account the type of cuisine served at each restaurant so we can get several types of restaurants represented. We asked you, and these are the restaurants that were mentioned more than once for all different types of reasons.

We have picked the top 8 from our survey, including a couple of our own. These restaurants continue to get stunning reviews from critics and have very high ratings on Yelp and Open Table along with other food rating websites. If we have missed any, please feel free to let us know. We are always looking for new restaurants to try.

Fratelli's is the brainchild of North End restauranteurs Nick Varano and Frank Depasquale. It is located inside the Encore Casino and showcases made-to-order pasta dishes, delicious brick oven pizza and traditional Italian specialties such as lobster fra diavolo, veal Milanese, zucchini flowers, zuppa di pesce, risotto and gnocchi alla Sorrentina. Here's a secret for you, ask for two items NOT on the menu: the stuffed lobster and the cacio e pepe. TO DIE FOR.

Located at 57 W Dedham Street in Boston, "Vejigantes is a testament to the struggle of the Puerto Rican community in the City of Boston." According to their website "Vejigantes brings the best of the traditional food of the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, carefully prepared and presented by craftsmen to fill a void in the community of Villa Victoria bastion of the fight of our community." 

Grill 23 was mentioned a few times during our survey. Since 1983, Grill 23 has been the independent steakhouse of Boston. They source only premium natural meat and it is always seasoned and cooked to perfection. They offer a variety of private dining suites, allowing you to host as few as 10 guests for a smaller occasion to 140 guests for a large event.  

Located at 258 Saratoga Street in Boston, Rino's Place was mentioned a few times in our survey. They offer dine in and take out. They have also been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.   Rino's has been in business for 24 years originally opened by Chef Anthony's parents Rino and Anna DiCenso, They in turn handed over the business to their Son Chef Anthony DiCenso. A delicious taste of Italian right in East Boston with menu items ranging from $9 to $18 dollars.

Located at 196 Willow Street in Waltham, Taqueria El Amigo has been voted as one of the top 100 restaurants in AMERICA two years in a row, according to Yelp. They do have small tables available, but the majority of their customers are ordering food to go. They are expanding soon so stay tuned for that. Mexican food at its finest is located right in Waltham.

Grace by Nia is a breath of fresh air for the city. Located at 60 Seaport Blvd, this restaurant with its soul infused menu, also boasts live entertainment nightly. Grace by Nia is the brainchild of Nia Grace, a Roxbury native who already owns two Boston area eateries Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen The Underground Cafe.

,

The word gustazo means great pleasure. Located at 2067 Mass Ave in Cambridge, Gustazo brings authentic Cuban flavor to Boston's thriving restaurant scene. "When visiting this lively neighborhood restaurant, savoring our authentic Cuban fare and listening to our carefully selected compilation of Cuban music, we aim that you our guest, will have a Gustazo!" 

https://www.gustazo-cubancafe.com/cambridge/

Abe & Louie’s is the epitome of classic American steakhouses offering unparalleled flavor combinations and undeniably superior service. They boast an award winning wine list along with more than 200 globally sourced palates. Abe & Louie's continues to win numerous prestigious awards for its excellence.