But there are MANY guys who live or work in or near downtown Boston and have no problem getting around the city w/o worrying about parking. They either have no car in the city, have paid parking where they live, paid parking where they work, or know some of the "secret" cheap parking places near their destinations. And to compare visiting the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics to visiting our lovely hostesses, there are plenty of guys who drive in to Cambridge, Alston, Charlestown, etc., park cheaply, and take The T (Boston subway system) to their ultimate destination. And before or after their visit they can hit a favorite restaurant, museum, shopping, or other venue (ogling pretty girls sunbathing along the Charles).
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(I have also commented on the NY Board that, rather than driving all the way into Manhattan, it is sometimes easier to drive only as far as Westchester and take one of the Metro-North lines into Grand Central Station before completing the trip to our hostesses. You don't waste an hour looking for parking [but check out the parking apps!] or worry about getting stuck in city traffic and being late. The train ride is a less stressful ride IN and a relaxing ride to savor memories on the way OUT.)
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Conventions are a two-edged sword. The BIG conventions take all the hotel rooms and the prices on the leftovers go way up. However, the conventions also bring in a bunch of horny guys who might be looking for a "session" between convention sessions. "Hay, did you make it to the session on new packaging for frozen creamed corn? It could be a game changer! It was fantastic!" ... "Eh, I missed that one. I was at a different packaging session and it was really fantastic!"
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In addition to conventions, other "events" can affect a tour. In Boston, it could be sports: playoff games, Boston Marathon, Head of the Charles, ... might not be known ahead of time to an out of town visitor. Hotel rooms disappear, people with time and discretionary funds are spending it elsewhere, cutting down on opportunities. (Do your homework about local distractions before scheduling a tour!)
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Personally, I prefer downtown to the suburbs. I know how to get around Boston easily and, when necessary, it is usually easier to find a backup Plan B. (Well, it USED to be easier when I was more active and knew more people (agencies) and places. Circumstances due to FOSTA/SESTA, LE busts (BAD, etc.), and Covid have changed things for now.)
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A general comment on the "best CITIES for touring," downtown OR suburbs. I think that every Provider has a different, personal story to tell about each touring city due to different experiences. "Boston is the best!" for some who have few or no cancellations and meet great guys who will repeat on future visits. "I won't return to Boston ever." for others because they had too many cancellations or NCNSes or rude or bad meetings. I hope some Providers will chime in with their experiences and advice. (I hope they will agree with me that one Provider's best could be another Provider's worst.)
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I think that touring Providers fall into 3 categories: (1) MUST make a profit on this trip! Must earn at least $X over Y days. Anything less and they are miserable and disappointed about that city. (2) Would like to at least break even. Would like to get at least $X / Y days. They are less miserable and would try some other strategies on a future visit: cheaper hotel; discount on multi-hours. (3) Anything above zero is good. They like to travel and visit historical places and even only $x in Y days helps to subsidize their trip and love of visiting new places.
Posted By: Fishster
Re: Locations in Boston
If you are looking to see the sights in Boston and have some time to explore the city, I could see why Back Bay and Seaport are appealing. However, from the hobbyist perspective, Back Bay is awful, and the Seaport is not much better. Terrible traffic, expensive parking, hotels that require key access, smaller rooms, and more crowded/busy with tourists and meetings/visitors. The suburbs like Woburn, Burlington, and Waltham are much better. Easy access, free to minimal charge for parking, quieter locations, close to major highways. So it depends on what you want for your visit. I don't want to pay $40 to park. Not because I can't afford it, but because it's grave-robbing and excessive and makes you feel like you are paying for privilege you don't even want. Boston is a wonderful city, but mental defectives designed the streets, traffic patterns, and access points from the highways.