Boston 2026 World Stamp Show

I echo the comment about comfortable shoes. I have been to professional conferences at the same Seaport Convention Center. While newer, clean, and comfortable, it is also huge. It wouldn't be unusual to walk 2-3 miles a day while attending, factoring in the time to walk from one of the nearby hotels, find food, take other breaks, use ride shares, etc. Using a rolling briefcase can be a lifesaver if you want to visit the dealer bourse with a catalog, wantlist, magnifier, stock book, etc.

It's also at least 30 minutes by car from the major downtown tourist attractions like Faneuil Hall. You'd probably want to plan a half or full day for those, away from the show, rather than trying to shuttle downtown more than once in a day.

To be perfectly blunt - Boston's not a great food city, at least not in the way that so many other US cities are. That said, there are a handful of great restaurants, although I tend to stick more to the Cambridge side of the river.

The immediate neighborhood near the convention center (Seaport) is quite new, relatively speaking - it was all parking lots 20 years ago. Definitely some glitzy eating and drinking venues around, generally frequented by a younger, monied crowd.

If you're staying in hotel near the convention center, do consider venturing out of the neighborhood to get a feel for the 'real' Boston. Consider public transit if you're up for a little more walking; Boston's subway system is the oldest in the US and definitely feels like it, but it still beats driving most of the time. The Silver Line is not really a subway line but a dedicated bus line that runs partially underground, and there's a stop across the street at World Trade Center. From there, it's a 5 min or so ride to South Station, and from there it's about another 15-20 min walk to Faneuil Hall, 10-15 min to the Boston Common, and so on.

For some scenic neighborhoods, I recommend Beacon Hill and Back Bay in Boston (fancy homes and shopping) and the North End (the historically Italian neighborhood). Consider taking the Red Line across the river to Harvard Square; the campus is quite beautiful, especially that time of year (and I think commencement will be over by then, too?).

gvol21 - can you recommend a great hot dog shop as well as a good donut shop - not looking for chains. Thanks.

You have GOT to be joking.

Boston consistently rates in the top six cities for food on all kinds of National lists but forget lists. Taste for yourself. Having worked for years on Beacon Hill and eating every meal "out" I never got bored and had many meals that I still have in my taste memory as being delicious. From Thai on Charles Street, Indian food in Cambridge, German food at Jacob Wirth's and tea at the Ritz to the most authentic and fresh Italian food outside of Italy in any of the North End's 400 plus eateries Boston kills it.

There are 1800 restaurants in Boston from diners to Michelin star and I have never, ever heard one person say that Boston was not a food city.

The best part is exploring all of the city streets on foot for food. The tiniest places pack the biggest punch and the medical and higher education diversity drive the huge selection.

In fact there are only a very few cities that IMO rank higher for food than Boston with NOLA and NYC being at the top.

Not sure about hot dogs, but donuts - yes, quite a few excellent ones. Union Square Donuts has several locations throughout Boston (the best are at the original location in Union Square in Somerville); Blackbird Doughnuts are also excellent. I think I like Blackbird a little more on average, but Union Square is also great; can't go wrong either way. Both are Boston chains.




There are no Michelin-ranked restaurants in Boston and hence no Michelin stars; they don't even bother reviewing anything here. (Atlanta, yes; Orlando, yes; Boston, no.) As I said earlier, there are excellent restaurants here, but Boston isn't a "food city" in the way that so many others are, and I define "food city" as one that's a magnet for up-and-coming chefs willing to try new things, or immigrants bringing high-quality staples from their home countries. Portland is a much smaller city, but has a comparatively more robust food scene than Boston.

Personally, I blame the high cost of doing business and an overzealous permitting/regulatory regime from the city; new liquor licenses are rarely granted, and these days you usually need one in order to make the economics of finer dining to work out. Sure, every year's there's agitation at City Hall to make things better, but certain folks have no interest in seeing the profitable (for them) status quo come to an end. So on the fine dining end you end up with a bunch of ossified dinosaurs that have been around forever (like Jacob Wirth's, which closed).

Dining in Boston is perfectly fine, but the minute you go to another mid-sized city in the US (let alone NYC) you realize what you're missing out on.



I very much agree with this - Rog's advice to explore on foot is good.

When looking at the dealer list on the show website, please check their booth dates: most of the postal history dealers (like me) will only be there for the first four days of the eight day show. Most of the stamp dealers will be there all eight days as will the auction houses. A few dealers will only be there for the second half. This is the first US International with half-shows for boothholders (first half more expensive than second half)
Steve

I agree there is excellent food to be had in Boston but no Michelin starred restaurants. For what its worth, there are also no Michelin-ranked restaurants in New Orleans or Charleston, SC; two mid-sized cities with reputations for great food that immediately came to mind, and there are none anywhere in New England. The Michelin reviewers are missing out. They should get down here more often. The finan haddie they had 50 years ago at Locke Ober's probably scared them off.

US states must pay for Michelin to rate and list restaurants. My understanding is that the price of admission is around $1.5M per state per year. California and New York bought in long ago, then Florida, then Texas, then a coalition of Southern states who will be listed together rather than having single-state guides. If Michelin isn't rating Boston, it's because Massachusetts authorities haven't anted up or think the guide wouldn't provide ROI.

Full story here about Boston and the guide: https://boston.eater.com/2023/9/19/...er-responses

"But it's not entirely pay-to-play, according to Michelin. The guides director "said that 'vibrancy' and 'dynamic potential' are also taken into consideration, as an explanation of why rapidly growing Florida and Colorado — and Atlanta, coming next year — have guides, while New Orleans and New England do not," Moskin writes."

On a side note, for those who enjoy shellfish, take some time to seek out the oysters!

I care about a Michelin star about as much as I do the ASDA logo on an ebay listing.

I keep it simple: The more Michelin stars, the less food is on the plate.....

Apart from having been sick for a whole night and day after having eaten at a Michelin two-star restaurant, you can do me no bigger favour than to serve me a big portion of a perfect tortilla de patatas or fideua. You may feed the Michelin-star muck to the dog.

The idea of US states subsidising Michelin's US operation is pretty entertaining though. The guides cover rather more than the pricey starred restaurants though - there are also straightforward mentions and "bibs gourmands".

100% agree.

I used to frequent a small restaurant on Charles Street for lunch that had been there since the 1950's with the same owner who owned the building which is no small thing on Beacon Hill. For under $5 you could get a flame grilled burger with sides and fresh baked bun that was to die for. A packed breakfast plate was $3. RFK was a regular in the early 60's and Jack the Ripper's first victim was found upstairs in the building. Totally Boston before Boston became another bougie urban playground for wealthy techies. I mention this place because a few years after I moved on I returned to find the restaurant sold along with the building and a chic cafe in its place charging $8 for a chia muffin. The North End is still avoiding this fate to an extent but whoever thought that Dorchester would become gentrified.

Sorry to get so far removed from philately proper but we are talking about the Stamp Show locale as well.

Jack the Ripper, maybe you mean the Boston Strangler, the midnight rambler of the Rolling Stones song. That said, among US cities. Boston's crime rate is middle of the range or on the lower side among US cities for violent and property crimes.

Sam Lagrassa's on Province Street serves an excellent pastrami, big enough for two meals, but it will cost you $25-30. I'd love to say that a trip there could be combined with a visit to the stamp stores along Bromfield Street but I think they are now all gone.