| Rating |
Date Attended |
Reviewer |
Gender [v] |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
|
We recommend this tour
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| Sun, Sep 21, 08 1:00 PM |
jcpiazza |
Female |
Unspecified |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| As locals, we found the tour to be historically fascinating and really enjoyed the behind the scenes parts. We walked through areas of the North End we had never seen or noticed on previous visits. We also liked the tips on the restaurants and coffee shops (we went to 2 of them after we finished the tour). This tour is great for locals and tourists - locals will gain new insight and appreciation for one of their neighborhoods. Tourists will learn about a great neighborhood that is losing it's heritage. Chris is very engaging and makes the tour interesting and fun. It was an enjoyable 3 hours. |
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Great Way to Spend a Sunday Afternoon
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| Sun, Aug 24, 08 1:00 PM |
jjhalpin1956 |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Couple on a Date |
| We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the North End. We have been to the North End many times before, however, we visited and enjoyed many places off the beaten path that we would not have known about if we had not taken this tour.
It's like looking at the North End with a new set of eyes now that we know some of the stories and history involved that made the North End the unique neighborhood it is.
Chris is extremely knowledgeable and easy to be with. We had the feeling we had known him for a long time after spending just 3 hours with him. |
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|
Walking thru time in Boston
|
| Sat, Aug 23, 08 10:00 AM |
drlfamily |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| We have walked the Freedom Trail on our own during past visits. We since have had some enjoyable walking tours in several cities in the world and decided to try one in Boston. We're glad we did. Chris lives in the North End, loves the area and loves history. He has researched the various groups who have settled in Boston since the 1600's, and he is a good storyteller. The North End is a vibrant community today and is home to many Italian businesses and restaurants. Chris knows the best ones whose offerings are reasonably priced. At the end of the tour, we were just where we needed to be for a delicious lunch. If you'd like to refresh your sense of history of this area with its destinations like The Old North Church and Paul Revere's house, I recommend this fun and informative tour. |
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Unbelievably Great Tour. I highly recommend it!
|
| Sat, Aug 16, 08 2:00 PM |
Emjayare |
Female |
50-59 |
Combination |
Other |
| We had visited Boston's North End on our own in the past and enjoyed it. On this trip I saw a flyer for this tour and thought it would be interesting to learn more of the history of the North End and its Italian population. My son and I met Chris at Columbus Park where he immediately impressed us with his enthusiasm for his subject. Chris lives in the North End and his passion for the neighborhood and the historical research he has performed led to the best tour I have ever taken, and I have taken several. It was fun to have locals greet us as they said hello to Chris along the way. He took us to a wonderful Italian specialty store where we were served wonderfully fresh, just made mozzarella cheese. He got us the best seats in the house at the Old North Church and took us to the best little gelato place in the North End. He provided us with both current and historical maps of the North End along with a list of the North End feast dates and all the best restaurants for traditional Italian American comfort food. His attention to detail, his knowledge and his thorough enjoyment of introducing us to his neighborhood made this a truly remarkable tour. |
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Fantastic trip!
|
| Wed, Aug 13, 08 2:00 PM |
rgwalls |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| This tour was by far the best thing I did in Boston! Chris takes you to all the well-known places, but throws in some fantastic secret gems! You can't miss this tour! |
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Incredible Tour of Boston's North End
|
| Wed, Aug 13, 08 2:00 PM |
GinaMarie |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Individual |
| Excitement, enthusiam and passion are what I'll always remember about the North End. Chris, our tour guide, brought it all to life by making everyone feel like family. The three hours went by like minutes and we had the best time ever. I never realized that history is just a string of well told stories. I wish I had this guy as my history teacher when I was younger. In addition to the usual historical sites, he took us to pastry shops, an art studio, a wine shop, and an incredible Italian specialty store for a taste of freshly made mozzarella. And he kept running into people he knew who also had stories to tell!!! I highly recommend this tour. I'm coming back with family to show them a good time. |
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Highly Recommended!
|
| Sat, Jul 26, 08 2:00 PM |
VALERIEW |
Female |
50-59 |
Combination |
Family Without Children |
| The three of us highly recommend this tour! We have lived outside of Boston but never had this kind of experience. We are all recommending it and will be back with our friends! |
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Pleasantly surprised
|
| Fri, Jul 25, 08 2:00 PM |
ealletto |
Female |
Unspecified |
Combination |
Unspecified |
| Since moving to Boston, I've participated in several of the walking tours available. The difference with this one is the personal introduction and interaction with local vendors, sampling of freshly made mozzerella cheese and imported gelato, etc. That coupled with interweaving existing cultural talks within the tour. Overall - a nice way to spend 3 hours in the North End! |
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Fabulous Afternoon Despite the Rain!
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| Thu, Jul 24, 08 2:00 PM |
myersceleste |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Other |
| The guide, Frank, was passionate and knowledgeable about the history of the North End. He brought a binder filled with photos capturing the North End throughout the years and shared these throughout the tour. Frank shared stories about people and buildings weaving a deep and rich review of the history. He was able to take us through the changes in demographics of the areas inhabitants and how these changes came to be. We also were able to stop in at some stores that reflected the culture of the North End: a fresh fruit & vegetable store, a small store that sells Italian foods and products - The owner offered us samples of his homemade mozzarella and pistachio paste (you have to try this!). An herb, tea & coffee shop looked the same as it did in the 1800's and a current day gelateria where we were treated to gelato imported from Italy. Each of these stops helped us get a sense of the daily life of the North End's inhabitants who shop in these stores - several off the beaten track. Frank left us with a list of recommended restaurants (we tried Il Cibo - it was sumptuous!), maps of the North End land mass as it evolved over time and other references so we could revisit some of the stops on our tour.
The advertisement for this tour says it goes forward "rain or shine". When we went, there were torrential downpours. Frank tried to reach us to cancel but didn't make contact. When he met us, he offered to reschedule or to proceed. We went ahead with the tour (we were prepared & had umbrellas with us), just the two of us with the guide! We appreciated Frank's enthusiasm despite the weather! This tour is a great way to get a first hand experience of the history and current day life in the North End! |
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Chris was a fantastic tour guide!! worth your time
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| Wed, Jul 9, 08 9:00 AM |
DMChad |
Female |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Other |
| Chris is fantastic and well informed of the area that we saw. Not only does he know the general information, but he also knows the GREAT stuff. The fun things and the stuff that you want to know about an area. He took us to local resturants, ice cream parlors and all the good stuff. I was so grateful to learn all that I did, and also experience the true "little italy" of Boston. We went to lunch were Chris recommended, and he was right, it was great. We learned so much, and then we enjoyed the walk around Boston with him. I also loved how he knew so many people, and they made us feel so welcome in their city. If you do any tour this summer while visiting Boston this is the one to do. I realize it may seem tough to walk around, but it was wonderful. The scenery was gorgeous, the buildings were beautiful and the history was so worth hearing about. I look forward to returning to Boston and doing this tour again, or doing another that Chris offers. Thanks again. |
