Attracting huge crowds since 1976, the marketplace (aka Quincy Market / Fanueil Hall Marketplace) is definitely where you should be when you are bargain hunting in Boston. The complete market stretches across three blocks including Quincy Market, North Market and South Market. Each block is 535 feet in length and falls across the Fanuiel Hall plaza. The central design is made from granite and boasts Doric colonnade on both ends. It's completed with a classic dome and rotunda.
The marketplace has managed to inspire several other old building restorations and instill the reuse concept throughout the USA. The Boston marketplace was once desolate and scheduled for demolition, but a few creative people with better business strategies in mind restored the decrepit structure and if you look past the immediate store-fronts, you'll notice the beautiful design too. The traditional market structure has lasted for decades after restoration, but it's somewhat hidden because of the frontal stalls selling everything from sausage-on-a-stick to frozen yogurts.
The main Quincy Market section is the best place in Boston to sample all sorts of snacks and dishes. There are many eateries serving Chinese noodles, bagels, barbecue, baklava, bagels and different types of mouthwatering sweets, including chocolate chip cookies. It's not exactly a flea market, but the way the vendors have put up stalls, the hawking and bargaining certainly gives a flea market feel to the marketplace.
The central market is an arcade filled with vendors hawking all sorts of souvenir items such as photographs of Boston, sweatshirts and arts & crafts. A few paved restaurants and bars can be found scattered among these stalls. Chain stores and specialty boutiques are found inside the North and South Markets. A perfect representation of old Boston remains at the Drugin Park, a 1826 restaurant recognized for its classic interior and massive New England cuisine portions.
The marketplace is also renowned for its street performers, and magicians or musicians are always around to entertain visitors. The greenhouse flower market located on the northern side of Fanuiel Hall sprinkles some color on to the somewhat dreary outlook of the entire market on a crowded day. Christmastime brightens up the place with glitter and decorations. The plethora of outdoor cafes are ideal for sipping a cold soda while watching people pass by on a hot summer day.
If you can spare a few days to explore the marketplace completely, you should consider staying at the
Langham Hotel Boston, which is among the
Boston hotels located nearby. The Langham Hotel Boston is excellent for relaxing after a tiring day and preparing for another day at the amazing Boston marketplace.