Part of our From Here series — turning The Arcadian’s location into a day worth experiencing, complete with directions from 1200 Beacon.
Rain changes Boston a little.
The brick gets darker. Coffee shops get cozier. Bookstores become destinations. And suddenly, spending an hour beneath the green lamps of an old library feels like exactly what you were supposed to do that day.
Around here, we don’t consider a rainy Saturday a washout.
We consider it an itinerary. We consider it an opportunity to see the magic of our city in a different light.
So grab an umbrella. We have a day planned.
Start Here: 1200 Beacon Street
There’s no need for an ambitious early-morning alarm.
Ease into the day at The Arcadian, grab a coffee, take a look at whatever the weather is doing outside, and when you’re ready, head for the Green Line.
From the hotel, walk to the Kent Street stop and take the C Branch inbound toward Copley.
First stop: one of the best places in Boston to disappear for a while.
Morning: Get Lost in the Library
Boston Public Library | 700 Boylston Street | Copley Square
The Boston Public Library is a rainy-day destination disguised as a library.
Step inside the historic McKim Building and, for a while, forget about wherever else you thought you needed to be. You've got the rest of today (and probably most of tomorrow, too).
Make your way to Bates Hall, where the long wooden tables, iconic green lamps and soaring ceiling make it nearly impossible not to stop for a minute and take it all in. From there, just wander. Find the murals. Step into the courtyard. Take the beautiful staircase simply because it’s there. This isn’t really a place you need to “do.” It’s a place worth slowing down for.
No agenda needed here. Give yourself a little time to simply enjoy being somewhere this beautiful.
And if Bates Hall looks a little cinematic, there’s a reason.
The Boston Public Library has had its own turns on screen, appearing in productions including Spotlight, The Pink Panther 2 and The Box. Bates Hall itself even served as a filming location for the Boston-set indie On Broadway.
So yes, you’re technically spending part of your rainy Saturday on a movie set. In Boston, six degrees of separation sometimes feels more like two.
The Central Library is open Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which leaves plenty of room for moving at rainy-Saturday speed.
Getting there from The Arcadian:
Walk to Kent Street, take the Green Line C Branch inbound to Copley, and you’ll emerge just steps from the library.
Lunchtime: Find the Door
Casa Romero | 30 Gloucester Street | Back Bay
When you’re ready to leave the library, keep the umbrella out.
We’re walking to lunch.
Casa Romero is one of those Boston places that feels even better when you know where you’re going. Tucked off Gloucester Street between Newbury Street and Commonwealth Avenue, its almost-hidden entrance leads into a warm Mexican dining room that feels wonderfully removed from the gray afternoon outside.
Settle in.
Order something warm. Consider a margarita. Linger longer than you intended.
The rain will wait.
Getting there from the library:
It’s roughly a 10–15 minute walk through Back Bay. Head toward Newbury Street and Gloucester Street and consider the walk part of the experience.
After Lunch: Take the Long Way
This is where we deliberately leave a little empty space in the itinerary.
Don’t immediately head for the train. You'll miss the magic.
Wander Newbury Street for a bit. Duck into a shop. Follow a brownstone-lined side street because it looks pretty in the rain. Stop under an awning and watch Boston go by.
A rainy day has a way of making Back Bay look especially like itself — brick sidewalks, umbrellas, old buildings and everyone collectively pretending their shoes aren’t getting wet. The rain has the ability to make even the busiest parts of this amazing city take a beat and enjoy the world around us.
When you’ve had enough wandering, make your way back toward the Green Line.
We’re heading home to Brookline.
But not quite back to the hotel yet.
Mid-Afternoon: Books, Obviously
Brookline Booksmith | 279 Harvard Street | Coolidge Corner
Take the Green Line C Branch outbound to Coolidge Corner.
And then do what rainy Saturdays were seemingly invented for:
Go to a bookstore.
Brookline Booksmith has been part of Coolidge Corner since 1961, and it’s exactly the kind of place where “I’m just going to look around for a few minutes” has very little chance of remaining true.
Browse the new books. Make your way downstairs toward the used collection. Investigate the cards, gifts and wonderfully unnecessary things that somehow end up coming home with you.
There is no required purchase.
Although statistically speaking, we wouldn’t count on that especially if you're someone with impulse control issues; there will likely be purchases that are entirely justifiable.
Getting there from Back Bay:
Take the Green Line C Branch outbound to Coolidge Corner. Brookline Booksmith is about a block from the station.
The Rainy-Day Bonus Round
When you step back onto Harvard Street, you have a decision to make.
You could continue toward home.
Or you could cross the street. (Read: you should cross the street.)
Coolidge Corner Theatre | 290 Harvard Street | Coolidge Corner
A historic movie theatre. A rainy afternoon.
We don’t feel like this requires much explanation.
The Coolidge began as a church in 1906 before being redesigned as an Art Deco movie palace in 1933. Today, it remains an independent nonprofit cinema showing everything from new releases and documentaries to repertory films and special programming.
The vibe at the theater is hard to describe - trendy but vintage, exciting but laid back - you have to experience it for yourself!
Check what’s playing that day.
If something catches your eye, buy the ticket.
This itinerary was never supposed to be rushed anyway.
One More Stop Before Home
Flake Bakery |1298 Beacon Street | Brookline
Eventually, it’s time to make your way back toward 1200 Beacon.
But we’re not sending you straight home.
Because just down Beacon Street there is one final rainy-day assignment:
Pastéis de nata.
Flake Bakery brings a little taste of Lisbon to Brookline with Portuguese custard tarts tucked inside crisp, flaky pastry and finished with that perfectly caramelized top.
Get one for now.
Actually, get another for later.
Flake notes that it can sell out, particularly on weekends, so ordering ahead isn’t a bad idea if a pastel de nata has become an emotionally important part of your afternoon.
And this is the part we especially love:
You’re almost home.
Getting there:
From Coolidge Corner, follow Beacon Street east toward The Arcadian. Flake is at 1298 Beacon Street, with the hotel waiting just down the street at 1200 Beacon.
And Then, Home
Walk the final stretch back to The Arcadian.
Shake off the umbrella.
Head upstairs.
Library wandered.
Lunch lingered over.
Back Bay explored.
Book acquired — probably.
Movie watched — maybe.
(Extra) Pastel de nata secured — hopefully.
Boston doesn’t always require blue skies and a packed itinerary.
Sometimes the best way to experience it is to let the weather slow everything down.
And from here?
That’s pretty easy.