Conference 7.286::massachusetts

    Could someone please give me directions to the Bayside Expo, from
    Gardner?  All I could find was a suggestion to take the T.  If I
    were to drive what would be the best route?  Thanks in advance.
    
    Diane

    >If I were to drive what would be the best route?  
    
    I'd wager that a significant body of opinion is that there is no "best
    way" to drive to the expo center.  However, since its a little bit
    south, and you happen to be coming that way, it wouldn't be "so" bad.
    But its right on the water (*Bay*side), so there are few ways to
    approach it that wouldn't involve a lot of extra driving.
    
    However from the west, Mass Pike gets you within a few miles, and from
    the North, you have little choice but to wade through Boston on
    whatever artery is closest.
    
    jeb
    

    I got these directions from the Bayside Expo
    website (www.baysideexpo.com/directi.html):
    
	From the West:
         Mass Pike east to I-93 south (Southeast Expressway). Exit 15 off the 
         Southeast Expressway. Follow signs to Bayside.

       From the North:
        Exit 15 off the Southeast Expressway. Follow signs to Bayside.
    
       From the South:
        Exit 14 or 15 off the Southeast Expressway. Follow signs to Bayside.

       By Public Transportation:
        T - Red Line to JFK/U Mass stop.
    
    Coming from Gardner, you may want to get to 495, to the Mass Pike and
    follow the directions above.

    Thanks, Jim.  If I take the Mass Pike, I believe that I take route 93
    off the pike and then it's exit 15 off route 93.  Am I going north or
    south onto 93?
    
    Diane

    question already answered...thanks!

re .152,

> Exit 15 off the Southeast Expressway

Good luck to anyone who doesn't know that I-93 between Boston and Braintree is
called the "Southeast Expressway" by many locals.  There are no signs indicating
it as such.

Paul

>called the "Southeast Expressway" by many locals.  There are no signs indicating
>it as such.


I thought it was the Southeast Distressway

>called the "Southeast Expressway" by many locals.  There are no signs indicating
>it as such.

  I think federal rules require that signs designate the interstate number
first and the name second, or the interstate number only. Confusion occurs
because it has only been I-93 for 20 years or so, but it has been the Southeast
Expressway since day one.

    
    
    I would appreciate directions from HLO (Hudson, MA. RT.495) to
    Attelboro High School.
    
    Thanks!
    
    /andy	
    

    
    I need directions to the Orpheum in Boston.  I need directions from
    Hudson, MA and I need to take he "T".   I have never driven into Boston and
    do not ever plan to.  I also have no idea how to take a "T" or where to
    take a "T".
    
    I heard I need to take the "orange" line.
    
    So, if I could pls have directios on how to get to a "T" and then how
    to take the "T" (do I need to change lines?? etc..) and which way do I
    go once I get off the T to head to the Orpheum... I would be so
    greatfull I would even buy you a John Mellencamp T-shrit while I am
    their. :-)
    
    Louisa (country bumkin)

    Hmm, well the Boston phone book says the Orpheum is on "Hamilton Pl"
    and its phone number is 617-482-0650.
    
    I seem to remember (from the early '70s) the Orpheum being at the end of 
    an alley running east from (upper) Tremont St., or was that Park Street.  
    If that's where it is, I would take the GREEN line in from Riverside* and 
    get off at the Park Street stop.  You'll just be a block or two away
    from the Orpheum.
    
    *Riverside: Mass Pike to 128 south, get off at the first exit ("Exit 22,
    Grove Street/MBTA"), crossing over 128 going east.  Riverside is maybe
    1/4 mile from 128, on the left, with a huge parking lot and reasonable
    rates (a couple/few bucks for all day).
    
    Even if the Orpheum isn't where I think it is :-) you can easily switch
    to the red line (which can take you to the orange line) at Park.
    
    Leslie

    
    Hitch hiking at this moment sounder easier :-)  Red, Orange, Green
    line, this all too much.
    
    

Yes, Hamilton Place is a little alley off Tremont St, near the Park Street
subway station.  Now you only have to worry about one color (Green).

When you get out at Park St, you'll be at the corner of Park and Tremont, by
the Boston Common.  Park Street is the one that goes up the hill toward the
State House (gold dome).  You want to walk a short way up Tremont away from the
Common.  Hamilton Place will be on your right.

When you leave, you'd go back to the Park Street station and go to the Green
Line Westbound platform.  You'll want a Riverside Line (labelled "D") train.

Just so you know: the Green Line trains are trolley-style vehicles with
overhead power, so don't expect something like a regular subway (or Amtrak or
steam locomotive or something).  At Riverside station, the trains run above
ground, but it goes below ground when it gets toward downtown Boston.

It really isn't difficult or complicated, and should be easier than trying to
navigate Boston by car.

						Brian

The subway stations have maps showing the route of a particular line, all
its stops, and where it intersects with a different route (meaning you can
change lines - get off the Green line, get on the Orange line). Most of the
subway cars have a smaller version of the map up above the doors. Its really
quite simple. Getting to a T station will be the most difficult part. We
usually drive the Alewife station because its parking garage is so convenient
and easy to get into. Parking is $4.00 there. I think tokens for the subway
are now about 85 cents, but I could be wrong on that.The Alewife station is
on the Red line, but you'll see its not difficult to change lines.

Leslie

Take the Red Line from the Alewife T station (at the end of the expressway part
of Route 2) to Park Street.  The Orpheum is right across Tremont Street from the
Park Street station.

Paul

  I urge you to get an MBTA system map for future reference. Even though the
system is simple, it's very hard to picture it if you haven't seen a map.
  The Boston Yellow Pages phone book has an MBTA map. So one way to get a 
map is to call the phone company and ask for this phone book.
  You can, of course, read the map at the station where you first board the
T, but it's much better to know ahead of time the "colors" of all the lines
you will be on, where to change trains, etc.

RE .163 and .164 - Alewife isn't terribly convenient for someone coming
from Hudson, MA... (the point of origin mentioned in .159)

- Nina

    
    Re: .166  Alewife isn't terribly convenient from Hudson, MA
    
    You are right.  Riverside is closer to Hudson, MA than Alewife,
    but the ride on the the "T" from Riverside is a lot longer than the
    ride on the the "T" from Alewife.  Getting to the Alewife parking
    garage from Rte 2 is always easier for me than getting to Riverside.
    Coming back from Boston to Alewife on the "T" is a straight shot -
    no worrying about which red line to take.  The green line forks off
    at Kenmore (I think) so not only do you have to make sure you get on
    the right green line, but the number of trains going out to Riverside
    seems (to me) to be fewer than the number of red lines going to Alewife.
    
    Besides, I'm not a big fan of the MassPike.  From Marlboro (where I
    live) or HLO, I usually take Rte. 62 to Rte. 2 and then straight into
    Alewife.  To each {his,her} own.
    
    Phil

    And now the obligatory pointer to the MBTA Web page:
    
    http://www.skywriting.com/mbta/index.html
    
    This has schedules/maps for the commuter rail lines and the subways.
    
    Yours in webicity.

    Check out this web site:
    	http://www.skywriting.com/mbta/mbtamapt.html
    
    It's a T map showing the major stops (only shows Reservoir and Longwood
    between Riverside and Kenmore--I think there are really at least a
    dozen stops in there).  At least you get an idea of the skeleton of each 
    "color" line. The site has a link to the commuter rail lines, too.
    
    Leslie

    *crash!*
    
    That'll teach me to get long-winded :-)
    
    Leslie

The inbound fare from Riverside is $2 in coins or tokens.  There are change
booths as well as machines than dispense Susan B. Anthony dollars.  The
outbound fare is the T's standard $0.85.  There are change booths and
token vending machines at major stops, including Park St.  If you take the
Red Line from Alewife, it will cost $0.85 in each direction.  I don't know
how the parking rates compare, but Alewife is a garage whereas Riverside
is a lot.  I think that Route 2 as you approach Alewife gets backed up
at least as much as the Mass Pike as you approach 128.

    
    I think parking is $4 at Alewife, $2 at Riverside. There's an exit on
    RT2 for Alewife that gets you off the road before the major backups.
    
    ed

    
    I know where the Alewife is, so I might take that line instead of going
    to Riverside.  The directions someone nicely entered for me, stated I
    should go down Rt128, I don't want to go on Rt128 at all. Infact the
    Alewife is alot closer then going all the way down to Rt128 (I could be
    wrong but it seems closer)   I know the backroads (I would not take
    Rt2 to get to the Alewife)
    
    I also have been to Riverside when I was a wee one, and I remember it
    being open and sleezie looking, I think I'd feel safer at the Alewife.
    
    Thanks to the person who told me how much it cost to take the T, I had
    no idea, I guess I should bring alot of change.
    
    Great, Info keep it coming
    
    Louisa

>>    Thanks to the person who told me how much it cost to take the T, I had
>>    no idea, I guess I should bring alot of change.

You will need to buy tokens for the Red Line; you'll just need cash, not
specifically change.

						Brian

    If you have a block heater, parking is free at Alewife.  Just pretend
    it's an electric vehicle if somebody asks ;-)

    Riverside is SAFER than Alewife!!!!  

    And you only have to be on 128 for *one* exit [OK, OK, one interval-
    between-exits]!

>    And you only have to be on 128 for *one* exit [OK, OK, one interval-
>    between-exits]!

  That is assuming you take the Mass Pike. If you take route 2 to 128 south,
it is about the same distance on route 128 as the section of route 2 from
route 128 to Alewife.
  Re block heater: Fine, but how do you explain away the fumes coming out of
the exhaust pipe? 
  Re Alewife station: It was rebuilt a few years ago and is much less grungy
than it was. I haven't been there since it reopened, but, though it is still
exposed to the air, it is now covered.

>    I also have been to Riverside when I was a wee one, and I remember it
>    being open and sleezie looking, I think I'd feel safer at the Alewife.

Riverside is indeed open, but it's certainly not sleazy these days.

    
    Okay, now I need to know if their is a nice place to eat near by the
    Orpheum.  We decided to go in early and get dinner.  Is the Orpheum
    near Fannuel(sp) Hall?  Is that part of town a place where I want to
    walk around??
    
    Or maybe you know of a place I can stop and get off the "T" for
    dinner, then get back on the T and go to the Orpheum ? ? ?
    
    I need any/all ideas.  
    
    Thanks a Bunch!
    
    Louisa (country girl)

Louisa,

	You're not too far from Quincy Market and only  a little further from
the North End.  Both are very reachable by walking.  There are a lot of great
restaurants in the North End.  One that someone here at work keeps telling me to
go to is  Pat's Push Cart.  An odd sounding name for a North End italian
restaurant but he swears the food is great.  As far as Quincy Market, you also
have lots of places - Durgin Park in the market for one.  Just be sure to leave
lots of time to get seated eat and then get to the theatre.

George

    
    Thanks George,
    
    The show is at 8:00pm, and we were going to plan on getting to Boston
    at 4:00, just to give us some time to get around.  I will see if I can
    find Pat's Push Cart.
    
    Thanks again,
    
    Louisa

> have lots of places - Durgin Park in the market for one.  Just be sure to leave
> lots of time to get seated eat and then get to the theatre.

  I wouldn't even think of eating at Durgin Park at dinner time when you have
a deadline. The lines are long and they don't take reservations. (Unless 
things have changed greatly in the last 5 years. You can check the EATS notes-
file.) It's a great experience, but I would do it at an off time (such as
3 or 4 pm). 

    
    I wanted to thank  you all for the great directions to the Orpheum.  We
    found it with no trouble at all and we had a great time.  We even found
    a super little pub around the cornor.  They had free food for us John
    Mellencamp fans from 5-7.
    
    The Orpheum it self was neet!  I bet is was something in it's day. 
    After seeing such a show at the Orpheum, it will be hard to see one
    again in a large stadium.  It was so personnal.
    
    Okay, one last question..
    
    Do I get to the Fleet the same way???  Just stay on for a few more
    stops?
    
    Louisa

To get to the FleetCenter, take the Red Line to Park Street, as you did for the
Orpheum, but instead of leaving the station, get on the Green Line towards
Government Center and Lechmere.  Get off at the third stop, North Station.

Paul

  An addendum to -.1: Not all Green Line trains go as far as North Station.
The ones labeled "Government Center" terminate at Govt. Center and you must
then change trains to go further. So take a train labeled "North Station"
or "Lechmere".
  Also, toward North Station is "inbound" at Park St.

>>  Also, toward North Station is "inbound" at Park St.

Actually, it's "north bound."  At Park Street, the Green Line trains are either
"north bound" or "west bound."

"Inbound" is always used for travel toward the four central Boston stations,
which includes Park Street.  Outbound is used for travel away from those
stations.  Between the four central Boston stations, there is no inbound or
outbound.

						Brian

    Point your favorite web browser at:
    
    http://www.skywriting.com/mbta/mbtamapt.html
    
    P@