When I’m traveling I love getting to some vantage point where I can see the skyline, the heartbeat of the city. The best place to do that in Boston was from the center of Harvard Bridge [Massachusetts Ave and Beacon St Boston, MA 02138].
There is a pedestrian/biker friendly lane which runs right next to the cars.
The bridge is less than half a mile long and connects Boston to Cambridge. On the Cambridge side you pop out right by MIT. The view of the city is as good as it gets, and since the clouds were finally clearing out there were plenty of sailboats out on a warm Sunday afternoon.
One building in particular had a pretty image on it, but I couldn’t make out exactly what it was.
I was surprised and elated to find that on both sides of the bridge there were walking paths named the Charles River Esplanade. The Cambridge side is just a sidewalk, but it has the better view of the city.
The Boston side is really very lovely. Take the blue path down from the beginning of the Boston side of the bridge and walk on.
You’ll find picturesque little bridges connect you to trail between the river, and a lagoon.
This is truly an urban oasis! There is a specific lane for bikers on the trail which is better for pedestrian traffic. I would highly recommend a walk over the bridge and on the esplanade during any trip to Boston.