Our Top 5 Reasons to Call Boston ‘Home’ This Summer

If you want to spend part of the year exploring all that Boston has to offer, summer is the absolute perfect time. This small New England city is packed with fun activities against a backdrop of fantastic weather—a perfect combination for visitors and locals alike. 

Need some more convincing? Read on to find out why Boston is our top summer city pick, and check out our fully furnished apartments in Boston to kick-start your adventure! 

1. The weather is wicked gorgeous

When you think of Boston weather, your mind may wander to the city’s miserable reputation during the winter months, where bone-chilling temperatures, snowfall, and neighborhood squabbles over shoveled-out parking spaces occur almost daily.

After New England’s famed “fake spring”, however, locals are rewarded with temps around 80 degrees throughout June, July, and August. The city’s energy level certainly rises to the occasion, and residents flood outdoor spaces to take advantage of the season as much as they can.

2. Get in, the water’s fine!

With its eastern edge perfectly situated along the Atlantic Ocean and the Charles River cutting across the northern part of the city, Boston has no shortage of water-based activities to keep you occupied.

While you won’t find anyone swimming in the Charles anytime soon—as the ocean tends to have a pretty numbing effect on uninitiated newcomers—there are tons of boating options to enjoy. Rent a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard from Paddle Boston in Cambridge, and you’ll be rewarded with stunning skyline city views. Or, if you’re in the mood for a bigger challenge, take sailing lessons from Community Boating Inc. along the Charles River Esplanade.

Boston also offers multiple types of boat outings in Boston Harbor, including standard history tours, whale watches, and booze cruises. Each of these features a unique chance to see the city from a different perspective. You can also take a ferry to one of Boston’s many harbor islands, or a commuter ferry to nearby Salem, Hingham, or Hull. 

3. Nature calls 

Every spring like clockwork, all the long-dormant plants magically bloom all at once, and the city again feels alive. Nature lovers will be happy to hear that there are tons of outdoor spaces within the city limits.

Situated along the Charles River is the Esplanade, a three-mile park popular with runners, bikers, dog walkers, and hammock enthusiasts. Overlooking Cambridge, the Esplanade is the perfect place to meet up with friends, have a picnic, or get a scenic workout. Castle Island, the home to an old fort in Southie, also offers plenty of green space perfect for an afternoon of lounging on the grass with friends. 

Gardening enthusiasts can get their flower fix at the Boston Public Garden—a large park in the middle of the city situated next to the Boston Common. You’ll also love exploring the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, a botanical research institution and free public park in nearby Jamaica Plain, as well as the decked-out courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. 

Willing to venture a little outside the city? The hiking trails at Blue Hills Reservation offer great views of Boston’s skyline, and the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood is home to a popular 1.5-mile loop and forest trails for walkers, runners, and hikers. 

4. Dining alfresco

Bostonians eagerly await the change of the season so they can swap their dark sports bars for bright, comfy patio seating—even if it means cozying up to a heat lamp to stay warm! Fortunately, the summers in Boston are warm enough to enjoy eating and drinking outdoors, and the city offers an array of patios, rooftops, and other outdoor spaces.

Our favorite rooftops in Boston include Lookout Rooftop, Baseball Tavern, and Felipe’s in Cambridge. If you prefer to keep your fun on the ground level, book an outdoor table at Alcove, Alibi, Naco Taco, The Dial, or Prairie Fire. 

5. Day-tripping is a breeze

Spending your time exclusively in Boston will never get boring, but there are plenty of other attractions within driving distance that are worth checking out. Summer is the best time of year to enjoy the beach-town vibes of Cape Cod, which is about two hours away depending on traffic conditions, and how far down the Cape you’re traveling. Don’t have a car? No problem! Take the 90-minute ferry from the Seaport to Provincetown, a gay-friendly hamlet at the tip of Cape Cod filled with fantastic bars and restaurants. 

Located just 30 minutes from downtown Boston by train, Salem is another must-visit city..Its historic (and spooky) past makes it a tourist hotspot, whether you want to learn more about the infamous Salem Witch Trials, or see where scenes from  “Hocus Pocus” were filmed.

You can also head up north to New Hampshire to explore the White Mountains, or one of the state’s many stunning lakes, such as Lake Winnipesaukee and Newfound Lake. Foodies will enjoy a trip to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which boasts the highest number of restaurants per square mile in the country.

Live with Landing in Boston 

Been itching to spend the summer somewhere new? Landing offers fully furnished apartments in Boston with flexible lease terms that make it easy to stay in Beantown for exactly as long as you like (which means no lease in place to keep you there when the weather turns cold). Browse our Boston apartments today, and learn more about what a Landing membership can do for you.