Boston Area Help:

[NS VIA FAN]

I’ll be passing thru north of Boston on 495 and plan to spend a couple of days riding the MBTA into the city and exporing the rail and subway system. Any suggestions for a hotel along 495 close to a station parking lot in the Lawrence, Lowell or Haverhill area that will allow me to park for the day (how much....say for 12 hrs?) And a newer hotel like a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express etc. Thanks.

[Rockingham Racer]

Depends what you mean by "close". There used to be a Holiday Inn Express in S. Lawrence on Rte 114 and I-495. That's about 3 miles from the Lawrence station on Merrimack St. where there's a parking garage. I looked in Lowell, but did not see anything that fits the bill.

Google may help you here.

[NS VIA FAN]

Thanks.....That looks like a possibility.

Looking for a spot..... say around 3, 4 or 5 miles from a MBTA station so not spending too much time in traffic. ( & I am working with Google too)

[johnpbarlow]

I would look at hotels near Woburn along rte 128/I-95 near the Anderson Transit Center station which is a commuter rail stop (as well as Amtrak Downeaster stop) on the Lowell Line. There are a Crowne Plaza, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, Holiday Inn Express, an a Red Roof + hotels within approximately 1 mile of the T station. Area around Lawrence T station is a bit sketchy. If you're committed to staying along I-496, Tewksbury and Chelmsford seem to have similar hotels as Woburn and you're only a 3-4 miles from the Lowell T station.

[BandA]

Are you looking to be near commuter rail or subway?

[NS VIA FAN]

Thanks everyone......I think we have a place. Looking forward to some rail, subway and streetcar riding on the T.

[Noel Weaver]

The last time I spent a night in the Boston area a bunch of us from out of town stayed at a decent place (sorry I don't recall the name) right at the Riverside Stop at the end of the Green Line. Parking was free and a short walk to the trolley station for a fast ride into Boston. It was an excellent place at that time.
I think there are also places around Braintree but that might be away from your direction of travel.
Noel Weaver

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

The last time I spent a night in the Boston area a bunch of us from out of town stayed at a decent place (sorry I don't recall the name) right at the Riverside Stop at the end of the Green Line. Parking was free and a short walk to the trolley station for a fast ride into Boston. It was an excellent place at that time.
I think there are also places around Braintree but that might be away from your direction of travel.
Noel Weaver

6-story Hotel Indigo is the one. Or at least that's what it's called right now...not sure when the last ownership change was. Right next to the station with excellent panoramic view of the entire yard. Whichever hotel room is on Floor 6, NW corner might as well be renamed the "Railfan Suite" for how pitch-perfect positioned it is.

Whole Riverside station area has grown tremendously in the last 5 years as a big mixed-use office complex has sprung up on the northerly side of the station. MBTA might even see the financial upside very soon of taking the station parking capacity vertical with a tall garage so they can cash in some of the parking acreage on the south side to private developers for another big office building. Some developer will definitely pay a steep premium for the property. That's how desireable this area and the area around Woodland Station on the other side of the golf course have gotten lately.

[Rbts Stn]

I think the Indigo used to be a Holiday Inn. But don't tell the trendy people staying there that!

And that big mixed development building next to Riverside used to be a Jordan Marsh warehouse, and then in the 70's into the 80's was where their corporate offices and customer service was located, along with a warehouse full of receipts, etc.