Is East Boston a good place to stay in Boston?

East Boston is a practical base if you have an early or late flight at Logan, or want a short stay with easy access to Downtown. The hotels have free shuttles to the terminals, and the Blue Line from Airport and Maverick stations runs under the harbour to Aquarium and State in minutes. It suits business travellers, people in transit and anyone with a lot of luggage.

Outside the airport, East Boston is a busy, multicultural neighbourhood of triple-deckers and small shops. Maverick Square has Latin American bakeries and restaurants, Santarpio's has served pizza near the airport for generations, and Piers Park and the waterfront at Jeffries Point have wide views of the Downtown skyline across the harbour. Constitution Beach, further north, is a small city beach.

The downside is that the hotels around the terminals are surrounded by roads, car parks and runways, so there's little to walk to from your door. Evenings are quiet, the restaurants are spread out, and every sightseeing day starts with a shuttle or a Blue Line ride. Rates are also higher than you might expect for an airport hotel.

What makes East Boston worth considering is how close it puts you to both the airport and the city. You can roll out of bed and onto a flight, or be at the Aquarium and Faneuil Hall within minutes, and the skyline views across the harbour at night are some of the best in Boston.