Besides sharing a building with TD Garden, beloved home of the Celtics and Bruins, North Station is also an inbound terminal for commuter rail routes and Amtrak’s Downeaster to Maine. The T’s Orange and Green lines also run through it.
Predictably, North Station buzzes with activity. With more than 448,000 annual boardings and alightings, it ranks as the 23rd busiest Amtrak station in the country, and the fifth busiest in New England, behind South Station, Providence, New Haven Union, and Back Bay.
The station also hosts more than 33,000 daily boardings and alightings on the T and commuter rail, according to the latest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority figures.
Ongoing construction, though temporarily halted for safety concerns, makes maneuvering through North Station a little more challenging than usual. But it’s still possible. Here’s how.
Getting there and away from there
If you want to drive there, you can reserve parking from at least 11 garages and lots within a half-mile radius that range in price from about $26 to $64 a day. Of course, there is a parking garage located within the building.
You can get a rental car from Enterprise at 1 Congress Street, and Avis or Budget in Center Plaza. Ride-hailing with Uber or Lyft is always an app tap away, though some argue that they worsen Boston traffic. Even Uber warns its drivers that there are no dedicated pickup or drop-off areas at TD Garden.
You can also consider the ever-expanding array of micromobility options, including electric bikes, electric scooters, and bike shares. There are regular bike racks as well for your own two wheels.
Also, there are two Bluebikes kiosks just outside of the train terminal: one on Nashua Street, and the other at West End Park. Combined, they host 51 bikes, though the number available at any one time might vary. Check the North Station point on this real-time map for availability.
And, the T, despite its troubles and most recent fare spike, is still economically optimal: Use the MBTA’s trip planner to map the best way to and from North Station, which is a stop on both the Green and Orange lines.
For the most reliable option, walk there.
By the way, if you’re looking for a direct link to or from South Station, you are not in luck: The North-South Rail link doesn’t exist, folks. You’re on your own to get from one station to the other.
Staying nearby
There are several hotels around North Station, but be prepared to pony up dollars or loyalty points. Here are some of the closest:
Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Downtown Boston: This 220-room (there’s just one suite) hotel is just 0.1 miles from North Station. Use your Bonvoy points if you have them. Tip: Ask for a room with a view of the Zakim Bridge; it’s particularly picturesque when illuminated at night.
Hotel Indigo Boston Garden: This used to be the Holiday Inn Express Boston Garden—now it’s an IHG hotel. For those that are historically inclined, a stay at this restored 19th-century building is recommended. Its on-site restaurant, Blake’s Boston, serves food all day long.
Kimpton Onyx Hotel Boston: This boutique hotel is part of the Kimpton Group, which has hotels in major U.S. cities and London. Guests can enjoy a complimentary wine hour daily, or grab one of the hotel’s free bikes to see Boston by wheel. The Ruby Room offers cocktails and light bites.
Boxer Hotel Boston: Like the others, this 80-room hotel in Bulfinch Triangle belongs to a chain: the Independent Collection, or IC Hotels. Its newly renovated restaurant, Finch, reopened on July 15 with an updated menu to boot. P.S. The restaurant is closed from 11ish to 4 p.m., but the bar opens at 3 p.m.
Where to eat, drink, and shop
There are fast-food options: Crazy Dough’s Pizza, Emack & Bolio’s, Swissbakers, and (two!) Dunkin’ shops. For a more rounded-out meal, try Jack’s Abby and its Track Zero Taproom.
For healthier fare or greater variety, you’re better off heading out around the area for solid options. If you do decide to explore, make sure to leave yourself extra time to navigate through the ongoing construction at the station.
Since you’re in the land of TD Garden, you can easily pick up some sports gear at Proshop, which is “powered by Reebok.” And Landmark News and Convenience is in the center of the station for hygiene needs and quick items.
There are ATMs that take pretty much any card (though fees might apply if a user is not with Citizens Bank).
Work ahead
A 16-month, $30 million contract with Judlau Contracting Inc. to upgrade the station has reportedly started. (Upgrades at Downtown Crossing, State, and Haymarket stations are also planned.) The work is scheduled to run through November 2020.
North Station will get a repainted interior, cleaned and refinished benches, new lights, improved signage, and repairs to ceilings, walls, and floors. The in-station artwork will also get cleaned.
Additional work is planned around accessibility to bring North Station into complete compliance with Americans With Disabilities Act standards, limited English proficiency standards, and the MBTA’s own wayfinding guidelines.
Travelers can specifically expect “better and safer travel” thanks to the replacement of about 40,000 square feet of flooring. The downside of this particular part of the project? Orange Line service may be affected for up to six months.
The backstory
North Station has been torn down a couple of times. Its first iteration was built in 1893. Originally named North Union Station, it united four separate train stations: Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M), Boston and Lowell Railroad, Eastern Railroad, and Fitchburg Railroad.
As a union station, it allowed these companies to operate their trains without having to build and maintain separate facilities. B&M served as the primary financier of North Union Station. Subway construction began soon after its opening, lasting from 1898 to 1912.
The original station was torn down and rebuilt with a new design to accommodate the new Boston Madison Square Garden, which quickly became simply Boston Garden after its 1928 opening.
In 1959, a bomb exploded in a locker, killing one station worker. After suspending operations, the station was up and running the very next day—while bomb threats were phoned in, no others were found.
Through the 1960s, train service dwindled from interstate service to just commuter rail operations.
In 1975, the Orange Line was moved underground as part of the Haymarket North Extension project. Twenty years later, the FleetCenter replaced Boston Garden, which resulted in a new and redesigned North Station. By 2001, interstate service returned to North Station with Amtrak’s Downeaster to Portland. Later extending to Brunswick, it has become one of the more popular routes in New England.
North Station improvements and expansions have kept coming. In 2005, the MBTA completed Big Dig-related construction of what it called the North Station Superstation, which brought the Green Line underground, tore down the old Causeway Street elevated line, and allowed cross-platform transfers between the Green and Orange lines.
By 2006, the MBTA enlarged the waiting area and expanded the tracks to 12 (though only 10 are in use). Along the way, the name of the arena above changed several times, ultimately becoming TD Garden.
The Hub on Causeway, a massive mixed-use development currently under construction on and around TD Garden and North Station has brought a new entrance to the rail station and a tunnel connecting the Amtrak-commuter rail portion to the T station.
In January 2019, the tunnel opened to the public, ending the disjointed journey of commuters who had to face the elements outside when transferring between the Orange and Green subway and the commuter rail or Amtrak. Complaints have come in about its stark white appearance and narrow passageway, but overall it’s considered to be a needed improvement.
Construction continues, so things (and people) are looking up.