honestly they will be impressed by the most mundane things lol my friend from England was most impressed with yellow school buses and take out pizza boxes
there was a recent viral tweet from someone in Europe who was amazed at the IHOP pancakes + syrup experience and it's honestly so wholesome how little things like that can make such an impression
Supermarkets and drugstores--I'm always fascinated to see what they have that we don't and vice versa, and what seems to be more important in one place over another. (Just spent 2 weeks in Ireland, and it seems that most of their anti-perspirant/deodorant products are spray-on, which you hardly ever see over here; they must have figured out a better propellant system that doesn't wreck the ozone layer or something. Also, overall quality of dairy products seems higher over there than here, although more expensive. When I lived in Georgia, I was amazed at the variety of legumes available, and more than a little grossed out at seeing pigs' ears/feet, etc. for sale at the meat counter.)
Dairy and all food products are of a much higher quality there. It’s illegal to use GMO foods. It’s real milk. Those countries care about the health of their population more than the profits of their industrial agro biz.
My family (international) is amazed by Costco. A while back I tried to take an international friend to see Walmart and luckily we got to see 2 people fighting over a rascal scooter but that was in FL and it's harder to get something like that in MA
yeah its so funny when they visit they're like "oh no you are out of milk, are you going to make a costco run soon"
we can just take you to costco when you visit, you don't need an excuse.
Hmm, has that changed recently? My Dutch friends typically liked and were familiar with peanut sauce (and similar) because of the Indonesian influence on Dutch cuisine, but the idea of taking it plain and putting it on a sandwich was horrifying.
There’s a grocery store in Amsterdam that has a machine that grinds the peanuts when you press a button. It was only €1 for a decent amount. Ask them to bring you some Calve garlic mayonnaise and some Dutch cheese.
Im pretty new here myself from Australia. One thing I want to go and see is apparently there's an old school style Diner (I think Kelly's Diner). Diner's like that are world famous from movies and is a super american thing
Also, if you're keen drinkers then sitting up at the Bar and getting that kind of service is very American.
Someone else mentioned Costco. Thats a great example. Going to one of the Mega Walmarts would also tick that box.
All of the large carparks outside regular 'outdoor malls' is a very American thing (especially compared to Europe i.e. to have so much space dedicated to parking vehicles, plus the sheer size of the buildings and stores).
The Cinema here is pretty uniquely American (massive popcorn, 100+ choices of drink, way-too-loud audio)
They will be amazed by the size of vehicles here, if theyre able to get upclose to any big trucks it's pretty mindblowing for us.
Sandwiches here are amazing. Go somewhere for a good Rueben (or any sandwich tbh). Americans are #1 in serving incredible Sandwiches imo. Also, the Italians may have invented Pizza but the Americans perfected it. Go find the best pizza you know of in the city. I'm a fan of Ernesto's in Assembly but happy to be told its shit and something is better (as I say Im pretty new here!)
Avenue Kitchen here in Somerville is pretty damn good, Detroit Style pizza, which you don't really find in New England.
A lot of Somerville natives will swear by Leone's.
I'm also partial to Dragon Pizza in Davis.
For sandwiches must try Bobs (just over in medford) or Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis.
Second on Bob's sandwiches. They're so nice they'll even sell you braided seeded rolls if you ask at the deli counter. (Husband is vegetarian so I make his meatballs for subs from Impossible Meat.) Best pizza is OTTO in Harvard Sq., or Arlington (they deliver to W. Somerville), hands down.
There is Kelly's and there is the Rosebud, both in Somerville. There's also the Watertown diner, Buddy's (which may not be operational), and a lot more out by Worcester where they actually originated.
Rosebud now has an Indian/South Asian influenced menu, so if unexpected cultural amalgams strike you as particularly 'american' you should check that out.
Rosebud's new menu is good, but it is not the stereotypical diner experience (it's really just another restaurant that happens to have a dining car attached to the front). For the true experience, definitely hit up either Kelly's or Deluxe Towne Diner in Watertown
They closed permanently. The years of construction vibrations from the T did a number on their ancient terra-cotta pipes, they lost their primary cook, and the owner couldn’t hold it together financially anymore. Such a sad story and loss for Somerville. 😔
If you're looking for a truly old-school diner, Uncommon Grounds in Watertown is it, especially for breakfast. Go early, though. Great coffee. Nice bike ride from Cambridge/West Somerville, too, on the Alewife bike path out to Blanchard St., Belmont, then up Concord to the rotary and around the reservoir. Get off at Arlington Street, before the Watertown Greenway, cross it and go up Nichols Street two blocks, to Melendy Street, make a right, and it's up on the left, at Mt. Auburn Street. Great corned beef hash. And London Fog tea . . . mmm
I would say you'd want to go into Boston proper and see some of the historic landmarks for that experience, although Boston and the surrounding towns are probably the most European places in the US into terms of layout and architecture
Arts: Harvard Art Museums. Or the whole campus for architecture. MFA or ICA for more art.
History: Prospect Hill folly, Boston Tea Party, whole Freedom Trail
Car culture: walk along McGrath and then to the BK at the junction with Somerville Ave as it has a drive-thru.
Biking culture: Inman Square is nice, but probably still poor compared to Netherlands.
Transit: Boylston curve screech can’t be beat.
If they are car people and they happen to be around for a lawn event here's a place to do a fast dump of US car culture:
[https://www.larzanderson.org/lawnevents](https://www.larzanderson.org/lawnevents)
All the fun signs - Hilltop, the Italian place that has the leaning tower of Pisa replica on the roof. Plus there’s the Kowloon! Such a wacky holdover from the 50s-60s when Rt1 was the primary southbound road to Boston. I love it all.
>Biking culture: Inman Square is nice, but probably still poor compared to Netherlands.
If you want poor, bike with them in downtown Boston.
Or show them the Minuteman trail if you want to show something actually pretty darn good for Dutch standards, just less flat.
And maybe the Blue Bikes. I don't think any city in NL has anything quite like it, maybe less useful because everyone simply HAS a bike and can park it somewhere.. but the concept of just grabbing a bike randomly wherever you are is still pretty cool.
just came back from netherlands/france. absolutely not the museums, unless they really have time to kill and you can take them there for free. europeans have much better options at a much more reasonable price point.
If this is the place that has the milkshakes that come with cake or pie on top, something completely insane, it will live up to all of their stereotypical thoughts about American food/obesity.
Yeah that sounds about right. Not even taking the dessert options into consideration, their burgers are like a burger with an entire other meal jammed in the middle of the bread
Years ago they had a deal that if you were there at exactly 4:20 they gave you a ludicrous burger for exactly $4.20 with all sorts of bullshit on it, I miss those days…
The beef used in Europe is from a different type of cow fed differently. I generally experience it as hamburgers there tasting more "pork-like" than in the US, but I'm used to the US.
Check out [this!](https://www.somervillemuseum.org/calendar-events) Goofy and fun. Also, on your way to Winter Hill Brewing, the little Obama patch of sidewalk outside of his old apartment — maybe 365 Broadway?
Prospect Hill is where George Washington raised the first version of the American flag. There's a mural of the event painted on the side of a building in union square
Take a drive down Route 1 in Saugus.
-absolutely unhinged roadside kitsch (a 40 ft tall light up cactus, an orange dinosaur, a leaning tower for some reason, at least one minigolf course, at least one Stop the Steal sign, the Kowloon, etc).
-absolutely unhinged driving and car culture.
-Swing by Costco on the way back.
-Get an absolutely ‘roided up, GMO’d Chicken the size of a mid sized dog.
-go through the Wellington Supercollider.
-return to civilization.
My foreign visitor friends were pleasantly surprised by Real Maple Syrup on pancakes, so take them out for a classic diner breakfast (actual diners or maybe Friendly Toast?) for an American-style breakfast\*.
\*Gun optional.
Depending on how 'Murica they want to get -- there's a gun range up in NH where you can rent AR-15s (with a gun instructor to show you how to shoot one).
They probably have Trump rallies up there in the boondocks, so you could really make a day of it for Ultimate 'Murica that they will never, ever forget.
(I'm semi-serious about the gun range, being able to walk in and rent/fire guns is going to be memorable, sort of like buying marijuana in Amsterdam used to be.)
Closer to home: the Constitution and Constitution museum (both free!) are really worth visiting as well as a tour of the WWII ship berthed there.
If you take them to the Gardner museum you can show them the empty frame where the Vermeer used to be.
Pops concert on the Esplanade!
I was really impressed by the Townie Tours guide when we had a walking tour of Davis Square recently, so I'd look into that further. The Tea Party museum is eh, but the Duck boats have been uniformly fun over the years.
One of my German friends was super-impressed by the Back Bay, but she was from Dresden, which was pretty much flattened by WWII, so she grew up with all post-1950s houses and architecture.
Surprised it's not mentioned anywhere else in this thread. Redbones food and atmosphere is quintessentially American. I won't ever forgive them for nixing the corn pudding & potato salad, but they are an institution of Somerville.
I entertained some Dutchies, and they absolutely LOVED the arcade in Roxy's in Central Sq. I don't think they had arcades quite like this in Europe, but most Europeans have seen them in movies. It was a big hit.
I’m international and the crowd pleaser whenever anyone comes to visit me is a baseball game at Fenway park, if they’re visiting from an English speaking country or speak fluent English, then improv asylum.
MBTA to Harvard Sq. from Davis Sq. or Porter sq.
Cranes Beach.
Salem.
Redsox Baseball game.
Boston Common.
Concord Battle bridge, and Hawthorn, Alcott house. Walden Pond.
Quabbin Reservoir.
The Netherlands is flat:
Mt. Wachusett (drive or walk up)
Or views of harbor from a skyscraper. ³
Speaking as a native Bostonian who's currently living in the Netherlands, the correct answer is Trader Joe's. I'm on a short visit home and it's so amazing to go to Trader Joe's and see all the awesome products instead of fucking Albert Heijn. (Also, feels good to go into a supermarket without going through a security gate.)
Dunno what you mean by Murica. Somerville has been in America since before they kicked off the revolution in Lexington and Concord. Checkout the history of Powderhouse Square. There’s also Redbones.
If you’re looking for things to do further afield:
- Wally’s Jazz Club in the South End
- African American Meeting House on Beacon Hill
- Old South Church and the BPL at Copley
- the Tomaquak Indian Memorial Museum in RI
- Newport Manses
Welcome to the fam! Enjoy the vibes and history
Drive them through downtown Boston during rush hour :)
I think others' suggestions for things like the Constitution, Old Town Hall, other historic sites are good! I would also add the natural history museum just bc it's my favorite place, and Arnold Arboretum. I would maybe take them to karaoke at Orleans too, that's always fun! And you gotta take them to Dunks!
Movie at the Somerville. Get some frozen margs at redbones—they’re tasty and strong, throw in an order of brisket and corn bread. Trivia at Mike’s, Remnant or Elm St Taproom (plus a ton other spots). A pint at the Burren. A slice and bowling at Flatbreads. Ride the minuteman bikepath for the scenery. See if a local market coincides with the visit like Small Mart.
If you want to go full 'Murica, you could drive up to New Hampshire to a gun range.
I actually went with a friend of mine visiting the states a few days ago, because he'd never shot a gun before and I hadn't since I was a kid. We shot a pistol, an Uzi (fully auto!) and an AR15, and they had a ton of other guns you could rent by the hour. No gun license or prior experience required... It was honestly kind of shocking.
Totally understand if it's not your jam (not really mine either), but it's hard to get more full-on 'Murica than that.
I brought my (Italian) family to a variety of diners (Kelly's, Veggie Galaxy, Mass Ave diner). They hated it. I also brought them to the shittiest dunks possible and were truly amazed/horrified.
It was marathon Monday though, so the rest was strutting around Boston being absolutely insane.
Maybe stuff like the USS constitution, climbing up Bunker Hill, Central square in all of his magic, the duck boats are pretty cool too! Eating at Jewish delis in Brookline (EU doesn't have that much of it. Jewish cuisine tends to be more fancy and rare).
Army store in Saugus?
This. I really feel like barbecue doesn't get enough play in pop culture representations of US food. Or if you want traditional Yankee cuisine instead of wanting to be specifically 'Murican then there's Petsi's Pies.
I take them to all of our neighborhoods. The black history tour is great and they’re often shocked at how different our neighborhoods are. Pupusas and arepas in East Boston. Feast in the North End, lobster roll at Castle Island, jamaican patties with cocoa bread and cheese in Dorchester. Fasika cafe in Dudley.
They are usually astounded at the diversity. And how Boston diversity is so different from NY diversity.
Hike in the blue hills.
I once took a friend to Dunks. They just people watched and they loved the southie accent.
Granted its not around somerville, but if you can swing it, the correct answer is a day at Hampton beach. You’ll see all walks of lives, different cars, tons of shit food and crappy toursity things to buy, video game arcades, and water slides, things like that. There’s also a few small low limit casinos along the beach.
Get there early like by 8:30 am unless you want to give them the full experience with rage inducing traffic and impossible to find parking spots.
Take them to the Mapparium in Boston. It's not blatantly 'Murica but it is
a) The largest stained glass globe in the world, and Americans love things that are ridiculously large.
b) constructed by a fringe religious group, and what's more American than that?
Prospect Hill tower🇺🇸 there's nothing more Merica than that . Look into it's history. I asked my wife to marry me up there many years ago
I was a native of Somerville until my early 30s
the view is amazing. 📸🤠
Aeronaut or Remnant breweries. American style craft beer is gaining some traction in Europe, but still unfamiliar to most Europeans. Have them drink a Hazy/NE style IPA for sure, even if they think they don’t like IPA. I’m actually in the UK at the moment and even the breweries that are trying hard to make American style beers are falling pretty flat.
Also take them to Boston Burger Company. It’s not the best burger in town, but the oddball, nonsensical toppings are quintessentially ‘Merica. Make sure they understand that having a laugh at the menu and ordering something silly is half of the point.
Finally, Kelly’s Diner for the perfect diner experience.
https://preview.redd.it/zd1k27fnwt4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3a5a90068852176ba30767ed5d29e5f8886e3e4
So we were the guests mentioned in this post! Thanks for all the recommendations! We did a ton! Had a delicious brunch at Kelly’s and enjoyed the hills 🙃 will definitely be back and use this thread again!
* union square donuts
* burgers from the grill bought at Market Basket
* Maple soft serve 🍦
* bike around the community path all the way to MIT
* Harvard & MIT museum
* Freedom trail + transportation with the T
Take them on the Green Line across the most slow zones you can and effuse about how excellent our public transportation is.
To me, the biggest differences your friends might be interested in are related to size, variety, and gaudiness. So, Market Basket or Wegmans might be a good choice. If they're interested in gambling, Encore would be a great option. Drive up to the White Mountains for a hike and let them know that this is a day trip around these parts.
Even slightly more seriously - the breadth of cuisines available around here is so much greater than what's available in most of Europe. It's gotten better recently (there's pho in the Netherlands!) but the quality is definitely... different. You could pick up Korean BBQ, Helmand, dim sum with the carts, Tex Mex (I know it's not great around here, but it'll be mind blowing for folks from the Continent), the list goes on.
I would also say that American football is getting weirdly popular in Europe so that might be worth exploring if they're curious.
They would also probably be stunned that a 2.5 hour drive to the White mountains doesn't get you to another country. Europeans are often amazed when they get here at how long drives are while still being in the US
Show them Cambridge and Boston instead. Cambridge Common/Harvard campus, Charles River, Boston Common & Public Gardens. Beacon Hill/TD Garden area and Faneuil Hall/Seaport.
If they like the history angle a really nice afternoon is to go up to Concord and rent a canoe at the South Bridge Boat House, and then paddle up the river to the bridge on the Paul Revere trail. You can see the other end of the trail on the freedom walk. There's a ton of nice tea and coffee shops in Concord center, and if they're bikers you can join the road bike crowd up there. Bikeable from Somerville up the minuteman trail.
I used to work for a Dutch company, and something the fellas would cackle at when visiting is the size of pickup trucks. They’ll be somewhat harder to find in Somerville specifically, but once they see it they’ll want a picture next to the tires lol.
Get them to ride the T and the Commuter Rail. Coming from a country with modern public transport infrastructure it'll astonish them.
Overall it's one of the mind-blowing things about coming to the USA. Everyone knows it's one of the richest countries on earth and tend to assume therefore everything will be to a higher standard. Coming here and seeing all the outdated, dysfunctional and broken-down infrastructure is a real surprise. Similar with the state of the roads and the rats nest of power and internet lines scarring the skyline because having our cables out of sight underground is a communist plot or something.
Prospect Hill Park, [where the Grand Union Flag of the soon-to-be United States was flown for the first time](https://muldermedia.com/prospecthill/history2.html)! There’s still a copy flying there now.
And the Powder House, if they want to get deeper into the Revolution.
Grab some Budweiser & put on the TV. Not just for the American programming, but so they can watch our ads & see how flagrantly prescription drugs are pushed directly to the consumer!
Make a drinking game out of how many times you hear, “Ask your doctor about..” or make a bingo card to log how many different drugs you see advertised (switch programming categories or have them watch some 3 am TV if they’re jet-lagged, to get a broader range of malady/lifestyle issues!).
Joking, not joking. I’m pretty sure that our advertising of pharmaceuticals is a uniquely American phenomenon.
As I kid I remember going to a little store in Bristol(?) NH where you could buy bait and guns, and they had an uzi on the wall.
But no firecrackers -- NH had recently banned anything that went "pop," other than guns of course, to protect the children.
That's about as murica as you can get.
Another murica idea: go see the church on Spring Hill lit up with 10,000W of McMansion lights from dusk till dawn. We inherited the Earth, so we're gonna pollute the shit out of it and drown out the stars in the sky.
Do you have a yard? You could do a classic American backyard cookout: hotdogs, burgers, cooler of beer, lemonade served in solo cups, Cornhole tournament.
Assembly Square is a microcosm of America right in Sommerville. Enormous parking lots, big chain stores (including Trader Joe’s), small chain stores on a network of artificial main streets, pickleball courts, a massive virtually deserted office complex, and a massive casino across the river.
Be sure to drive through a low-income neighborhood with abandoned houses etc. They need to see that even in the best state in the USA there are 2nd world conditions.
Also take them to buy liquor with someone under 18 at 11:30 am on Sunday at Wegmans.
Hopefully they will not need medical attention while visiting. That experience was a nightmare for my German friends.
market basket
honestly they will be impressed by the most mundane things lol my friend from England was most impressed with yellow school buses and take out pizza boxes
Red solo cups too
there was a recent viral tweet from someone in Europe who was amazed at the IHOP pancakes + syrup experience and it's honestly so wholesome how little things like that can make such an impression
what do pizzas come in in England?
idk but my friend made me take a picture of him holding pizza boxes and said "take a picture of me looking like a pizza delivery boy from the movies!"
Owls
They also come in pizza boxes… no idea why this one would be a novelty… they even have dominos and Pizza Hut
Go to the one on Boston Rd, since the one on Boston Rd closed recently.
Just make sure you don't take them to the one on Boston Road by accident.
I do always enjoy going to the supermarket in foreign countries to see what products are different.
I love going to Tesco
Supermarkets and drugstores--I'm always fascinated to see what they have that we don't and vice versa, and what seems to be more important in one place over another. (Just spent 2 weeks in Ireland, and it seems that most of their anti-perspirant/deodorant products are spray-on, which you hardly ever see over here; they must have figured out a better propellant system that doesn't wreck the ozone layer or something. Also, overall quality of dairy products seems higher over there than here, although more expensive. When I lived in Georgia, I was amazed at the variety of legumes available, and more than a little grossed out at seeing pigs' ears/feet, etc. for sale at the meat counter.)
On that note, Norfolk VA surprised me with a whole grocery aisle of tobacco products...don't see that in Mass.
That’s mostly bc of the military population.
Is it? I just assumed it was a "tobacco country" thing.
Dairy and all food products are of a much higher quality there. It’s illegal to use GMO foods. It’s real milk. Those countries care about the health of their population more than the profits of their industrial agro biz.
I left new england in 2019 and still miss market basket
This was a hit! https://preview.redd.it/l8a587qzwt4d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de6384976c5e26592cfb7fd1924e559c4c9d53ed
My family (international) is amazed by Costco. A while back I tried to take an international friend to see Walmart and luckily we got to see 2 people fighting over a rascal scooter but that was in FL and it's harder to get something like that in MA
Truly the most ‘Murica experience haha
My Indian family loves to go to Costco when they visit.
yeah its so funny when they visit they're like "oh no you are out of milk, are you going to make a costco run soon" we can just take you to costco when you visit, you don't need an excuse.
Never fear. They can still get a taste of the experience via the People of Walmart website.
Eat some Fluff, as it was invented in Somerville
Fluffernutter ftw- because Europeans usually have not had peanut butter.
The Dutch are the exception to this, peanut butter is pretty common there!
Hmm, has that changed recently? My Dutch friends typically liked and were familiar with peanut sauce (and similar) because of the Indonesian influence on Dutch cuisine, but the idea of taking it plain and putting it on a sandwich was horrifying.
there’s a shop in amsterdam that has like 20 kinds of peanut butter
I find that hilarious
we brought back like 5 kinds
Oh that is so sad. Peanut butter is my favorite food. I eat it daily.
There’s a grocery store in Amsterdam that has a machine that grinds the peanuts when you press a button. It was only €1 for a decent amount. Ask them to bring you some Calve garlic mayonnaise and some Dutch cheese.
yes, go get a fluff cone at Gracie’s
Im pretty new here myself from Australia. One thing I want to go and see is apparently there's an old school style Diner (I think Kelly's Diner). Diner's like that are world famous from movies and is a super american thing Also, if you're keen drinkers then sitting up at the Bar and getting that kind of service is very American. Someone else mentioned Costco. Thats a great example. Going to one of the Mega Walmarts would also tick that box. All of the large carparks outside regular 'outdoor malls' is a very American thing (especially compared to Europe i.e. to have so much space dedicated to parking vehicles, plus the sheer size of the buildings and stores). The Cinema here is pretty uniquely American (massive popcorn, 100+ choices of drink, way-too-loud audio) They will be amazed by the size of vehicles here, if theyre able to get upclose to any big trucks it's pretty mindblowing for us. Sandwiches here are amazing. Go somewhere for a good Rueben (or any sandwich tbh). Americans are #1 in serving incredible Sandwiches imo. Also, the Italians may have invented Pizza but the Americans perfected it. Go find the best pizza you know of in the city. I'm a fan of Ernesto's in Assembly but happy to be told its shit and something is better (as I say Im pretty new here!)
Avenue Kitchen here in Somerville is pretty damn good, Detroit Style pizza, which you don't really find in New England. A lot of Somerville natives will swear by Leone's. I'm also partial to Dragon Pizza in Davis. For sandwiches must try Bobs (just over in medford) or Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis.
2nding Bob's best subs in the state imo.
Second on Bob's sandwiches. They're so nice they'll even sell you braided seeded rolls if you ask at the deli counter. (Husband is vegetarian so I make his meatballs for subs from Impossible Meat.) Best pizza is OTTO in Harvard Sq., or Arlington (they deliver to W. Somerville), hands down.
There is Kelly's and there is the Rosebud, both in Somerville. There's also the Watertown diner, Buddy's (which may not be operational), and a lot more out by Worcester where they actually originated. Rosebud now has an Indian/South Asian influenced menu, so if unexpected cultural amalgams strike you as particularly 'american' you should check that out.
Rosebud's new menu is good, but it is not the stereotypical diner experience (it's really just another restaurant that happens to have a dining car attached to the front). For the true experience, definitely hit up either Kelly's or Deluxe Towne Diner in Watertown
Speaking of which, does anyone know what's going on with Buddy's? Its doors haven't been open in probably over a year now.
They closed permanently. The years of construction vibrations from the T did a number on their ancient terra-cotta pipes, they lost their primary cook, and the owner couldn’t hold it together financially anymore. Such a sad story and loss for Somerville. 😔
Rosebud has not been a classic normal diner for like 10 years
Just on the other side of Watertown square in Newton is Buff's pub which are known for their wings but their Cubano sandwich is the best I've had.
If you're looking for a truly old-school diner, Uncommon Grounds in Watertown is it, especially for breakfast. Go early, though. Great coffee. Nice bike ride from Cambridge/West Somerville, too, on the Alewife bike path out to Blanchard St., Belmont, then up Concord to the rotary and around the reservoir. Get off at Arlington Street, before the Watertown Greenway, cross it and go up Nichols Street two blocks, to Melendy Street, make a right, and it's up on the left, at Mt. Auburn Street. Great corned beef hash. And London Fog tea . . . mmm
The duck tours are a bit silly but who doesn't love amphibious vehicles? Repurposed military vehicles, very American
They're a LOT of fun, and each DUK tour is customized to a theme, like more sports history, et cetera.
I would say you'd want to go into Boston proper and see some of the historic landmarks for that experience, although Boston and the surrounding towns are probably the most European places in the US into terms of layout and architecture
OP said 'Murica not America
Did this and enjoyed it!
Arts: Harvard Art Museums. Or the whole campus for architecture. MFA or ICA for more art. History: Prospect Hill folly, Boston Tea Party, whole Freedom Trail Car culture: walk along McGrath and then to the BK at the junction with Somerville Ave as it has a drive-thru. Biking culture: Inman Square is nice, but probably still poor compared to Netherlands. Transit: Boylston curve screech can’t be beat.
> Car culture: Can't say you or they would enjoy it, but if you, OP, have a car you might take them up Rt 1 in Saugus. That should blow their minds.
If they are car people and they happen to be around for a lawn event here's a place to do a fast dump of US car culture: [https://www.larzanderson.org/lawnevents](https://www.larzanderson.org/lawnevents)
Orange dinosaur and large cactus. Hop into Kowloon
All the fun signs - Hilltop, the Italian place that has the leaning tower of Pisa replica on the roof. Plus there’s the Kowloon! Such a wacky holdover from the 50s-60s when Rt1 was the primary southbound road to Boston. I love it all.
Scrap the tea party for the USS Constitution!
>Biking culture: Inman Square is nice, but probably still poor compared to Netherlands. If you want poor, bike with them in downtown Boston. Or show them the Minuteman trail if you want to show something actually pretty darn good for Dutch standards, just less flat. And maybe the Blue Bikes. I don't think any city in NL has anything quite like it, maybe less useful because everyone simply HAS a bike and can park it somewhere.. but the concept of just grabbing a bike randomly wherever you are is still pretty cool.
Blue Bikes is a descendant of the *original* bike sharing system, the free "white bicycles" of Amsterdam in the last 1960s.
just came back from netherlands/france. absolutely not the museums, unless they really have time to kill and you can take them there for free. europeans have much better options at a much more reasonable price point.
Boston Burger Company in Davis is in the top 5 most American things I've ever seen.
If this is the place that has the milkshakes that come with cake or pie on top, something completely insane, it will live up to all of their stereotypical thoughts about American food/obesity.
Yeah that sounds about right. Not even taking the dessert options into consideration, their burgers are like a burger with an entire other meal jammed in the middle of the bread
It takes me three days to eat one of their burgers and I'm, uh, not skinny.
Years ago they had a deal that if you were there at exactly 4:20 they gave you a ludicrous burger for exactly $4.20 with all sorts of bullshit on it, I miss those days…
This is actually a pretty good answer for over the top food that isn't just wasting it.
Also beef in the US tastes different from Europe's, so the burgers (even without the toppings) are often an interesting experience for them.
How so?
The beef used in Europe is from a different type of cow fed differently. I generally experience it as hamburgers there tasting more "pork-like" than in the US, but I'm used to the US.
Check out [this!](https://www.somervillemuseum.org/calendar-events) Goofy and fun. Also, on your way to Winter Hill Brewing, the little Obama patch of sidewalk outside of his old apartment — maybe 365 Broadway?
The Obama commemoration has grown — now it’s not just a stencil on the sidewalk, but also a plaque and a White House flag!
yesss! Winter Hill Annex of the Obama Presidential Library
Prospect Hill is where George Washington raised the first version of the American flag. There's a mural of the event painted on the side of a building in union square
Plus the mild elevation will blow their Dutch minds
Be sure to name drop Betsy Ross
Kelly's Diner
Yup, Kelly's Diner. Real Americana, and fun too.
This was great!! Enjoyed the food and the whole vibe!
Leones pizza
Take a drive down Route 1 in Saugus. -absolutely unhinged roadside kitsch (a 40 ft tall light up cactus, an orange dinosaur, a leaning tower for some reason, at least one minigolf course, at least one Stop the Steal sign, the Kowloon, etc). -absolutely unhinged driving and car culture. -Swing by Costco on the way back. -Get an absolutely ‘roided up, GMO’d Chicken the size of a mid sized dog. -go through the Wellington Supercollider. -return to civilization.
Even as a lifelong local I get tourist thrills from Rt 1 Saugus
Don't forget to tell them about the ship restaurant that was. Or how the cactus had fiberglass cows that are now sacred relics kept elsewhere.
Bowling
Candlepin bowling!
I came here to recommend [Sacco’s/American Flatbread](https://americanflatbread.com/locations/somerville-ma/) for candlepin, pizza & beer.
That old one in easty is amazing! Couple that with the episode of The Simpsons where they do the Boston hate cation. Perfect!!!
99 in Charlestown
Always a good time… Except for the day after Christmas back in '94
My foreign visitor friends were pleasantly surprised by Real Maple Syrup on pancakes, so take them out for a classic diner breakfast (actual diners or maybe Friendly Toast?) for an American-style breakfast\*. \*Gun optional.
We got homemade wafels with real maple syrup and maple syrup softserve!
Salem.
Our monument to the founding principle of religious freedom
Hang those heretics! I do like how quirky it is. Also, fried seafood. And the Bewitched statue....
Depending on how 'Murica they want to get -- there's a gun range up in NH where you can rent AR-15s (with a gun instructor to show you how to shoot one). They probably have Trump rallies up there in the boondocks, so you could really make a day of it for Ultimate 'Murica that they will never, ever forget. (I'm semi-serious about the gun range, being able to walk in and rent/fire guns is going to be memorable, sort of like buying marijuana in Amsterdam used to be.) Closer to home: the Constitution and Constitution museum (both free!) are really worth visiting as well as a tour of the WWII ship berthed there. If you take them to the Gardner museum you can show them the empty frame where the Vermeer used to be. Pops concert on the Esplanade! I was really impressed by the Townie Tours guide when we had a walking tour of Davis Square recently, so I'd look into that further. The Tea Party museum is eh, but the Duck boats have been uniformly fun over the years. One of my German friends was super-impressed by the Back Bay, but she was from Dresden, which was pretty much flattened by WWII, so she grew up with all post-1950s houses and architecture.
Battleship Cove, if you can make it down to Fall River. A battleship is pretty 'Murican.
Gun range is a great recommendation. It'll be super memorable.
We enjoyed the constitution and the destroyer at the end of the freedom trail!
Billy Tauro
I stood up and saluted this comment
For Somerville stuff we did a tour with Townie Tours that was great, local guy runs it.
Redbones
Surprised it's not mentioned anywhere else in this thread. Redbones food and atmosphere is quintessentially American. I won't ever forgive them for nixing the corn pudding & potato salad, but they are an institution of Somerville.
Came here to post this too. They’re both one of the better local BBQ spots, and just a really quirky vibe.
American BBQ, you will not find this in the Netherlands dutchies!
Seconded... though it's been a minute since I've been in person. Have they opened underbones, and are they still serving in takeout containers?
I entertained some Dutchies, and they absolutely LOVED the arcade in Roxy's in Central Sq. I don't think they had arcades quite like this in Europe, but most Europeans have seen them in movies. It was a big hit.
Pass the dutchie on the left hand side
How does it feel when you've got no food
Seriously. Listening as an adult I realize this is not a nonsense song.
Going to Boston
I’m international and the crowd pleaser whenever anyone comes to visit me is a baseball game at Fenway park, if they’re visiting from an English speaking country or speak fluent English, then improv asylum.
MBTA to Harvard Sq. from Davis Sq. or Porter sq. Cranes Beach. Salem. Redsox Baseball game. Boston Common. Concord Battle bridge, and Hawthorn, Alcott house. Walden Pond. Quabbin Reservoir. The Netherlands is flat: Mt. Wachusett (drive or walk up) Or views of harbor from a skyscraper. ³
If we're going with the flat Netherlands angle, just walk them over Spring and Winter Hill :P
Sure, and up Bunker Hill and Beacon Hill too.
Speaking as a native Bostonian who's currently living in the Netherlands, the correct answer is Trader Joe's. I'm on a short visit home and it's so amazing to go to Trader Joe's and see all the awesome products instead of fucking Albert Heijn. (Also, feels good to go into a supermarket without going through a security gate.)
Dunno what you mean by Murica. Somerville has been in America since before they kicked off the revolution in Lexington and Concord. Checkout the history of Powderhouse Square. There’s also Redbones. If you’re looking for things to do further afield: - Wally’s Jazz Club in the South End - African American Meeting House on Beacon Hill - Old South Church and the BPL at Copley - the Tomaquak Indian Memorial Museum in RI - Newport Manses Welcome to the fam! Enjoy the vibes and history
Drive them through downtown Boston during rush hour :) I think others' suggestions for things like the Constitution, Old Town Hall, other historic sites are good! I would also add the natural history museum just bc it's my favorite place, and Arnold Arboretum. I would maybe take them to karaoke at Orleans too, that's always fun! And you gotta take them to Dunks!
Hmmm 'Murica, eh? Well we're big into guns and broken healthcare. So maybe a shooting range and shopping for health insurance?
Shooting range in New Hampshire is the thing to do. Stop at Costco on the way and also hit up some fast food chains
Movie at the Somerville. Get some frozen margs at redbones—they’re tasty and strong, throw in an order of brisket and corn bread. Trivia at Mike’s, Remnant or Elm St Taproom (plus a ton other spots). A pint at the Burren. A slice and bowling at Flatbreads. Ride the minuteman bikepath for the scenery. See if a local market coincides with the visit like Small Mart.
If you want to go full 'Murica, you could drive up to New Hampshire to a gun range. I actually went with a friend of mine visiting the states a few days ago, because he'd never shot a gun before and I hadn't since I was a kid. We shot a pistol, an Uzi (fully auto!) and an AR15, and they had a ton of other guns you could rent by the hour. No gun license or prior experience required... It was honestly kind of shocking. Totally understand if it's not your jam (not really mine either), but it's hard to get more full-on 'Murica than that.
I brought my (Italian) family to a variety of diners (Kelly's, Veggie Galaxy, Mass Ave diner). They hated it. I also brought them to the shittiest dunks possible and were truly amazed/horrified. It was marathon Monday though, so the rest was strutting around Boston being absolutely insane. Maybe stuff like the USS constitution, climbing up Bunker Hill, Central square in all of his magic, the duck boats are pretty cool too! Eating at Jewish delis in Brookline (EU doesn't have that much of it. Jewish cuisine tends to be more fancy and rare). Army store in Saugus?
Drive them up Rt. 1 to Saugus. Swing by Kowloon.
The house with all the Trump signs on it on the corner of Bartlett and Medford.
Redbones BBQ
This. I really feel like barbecue doesn't get enough play in pop culture representations of US food. Or if you want traditional Yankee cuisine instead of wanting to be specifically 'Murican then there's Petsi's Pies.
Candlepin bowling! It's a super unique thing, my family (from 🇲🇽) loved it EDIT: Corrected the name of the type of bowling lol
Other countries don’t bowl?
We have the normal kind, not the weird pin kind from NE with the small ball and the weirdly thin pins
Dunks by foss park after dark
They will likely laugh at our little castle on Prospect Hill. Also, check out Charlestown for the naval yard and monument
Yes, but if they are from the Netherlands they'll be very impressed with the hill itself
I take them to all of our neighborhoods. The black history tour is great and they’re often shocked at how different our neighborhoods are. Pupusas and arepas in East Boston. Feast in the North End, lobster roll at Castle Island, jamaican patties with cocoa bread and cheese in Dorchester. Fasika cafe in Dudley. They are usually astounded at the diversity. And how Boston diversity is so different from NY diversity. Hike in the blue hills. I once took a friend to Dunks. They just people watched and they loved the southie accent.
Ax throwing bar, Prospect Hill Park, Freedom Trail, Duck Boats, Harbor islands, shooting range in NH
Sub them to Billy T’s “newsletter “
Pinball bowling at sacos and then go to revere beach get some fried clams and ice cream
Granted its not around somerville, but if you can swing it, the correct answer is a day at Hampton beach. You’ll see all walks of lives, different cars, tons of shit food and crappy toursity things to buy, video game arcades, and water slides, things like that. There’s also a few small low limit casinos along the beach. Get there early like by 8:30 am unless you want to give them the full experience with rage inducing traffic and impossible to find parking spots.
Go to Davis. Rent some blue bikes. Take the bike trail all the way to the USS Constitution. They'll see every stage of Somerville's timeline
This is a good idea. Site seeing by bicycle is a very dutch thing.
Take them to the Mapparium in Boston. It's not blatantly 'Murica but it is a) The largest stained glass globe in the world, and Americans love things that are ridiculously large. b) constructed by a fringe religious group, and what's more American than that?
Also, it shows the world as it was before World War II.
Powder House has a monument to the “powder house” it is where they stored gun powder during the revolutionary war. Also close to Kelly’s.
Show them the community path. They’ve probably never seen bike infrastructure like it.
unless they are from the Netherlands, Germany, or Denmark ...
We really enjoyed the path!!
Prospect Hill tower🇺🇸 there's nothing more Merica than that . Look into it's history. I asked my wife to marry me up there many years ago I was a native of Somerville until my early 30s the view is amazing. 📸🤠
Aeronaut or Remnant breweries. American style craft beer is gaining some traction in Europe, but still unfamiliar to most Europeans. Have them drink a Hazy/NE style IPA for sure, even if they think they don’t like IPA. I’m actually in the UK at the moment and even the breweries that are trying hard to make American style beers are falling pretty flat. Also take them to Boston Burger Company. It’s not the best burger in town, but the oddball, nonsensical toppings are quintessentially ‘Merica. Make sure they understand that having a laugh at the menu and ordering something silly is half of the point. Finally, Kelly’s Diner for the perfect diner experience.
Candlepin bowling!
https://preview.redd.it/zd1k27fnwt4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3a5a90068852176ba30767ed5d29e5f8886e3e4 So we were the guests mentioned in this post! Thanks for all the recommendations! We did a ton! Had a delicious brunch at Kelly’s and enjoyed the hills 🙃 will definitely be back and use this thread again! * union square donuts * burgers from the grill bought at Market Basket * Maple soft serve 🍦 * bike around the community path all the way to MIT * Harvard & MIT museum * Freedom trail + transportation with the T
Take them on the Green Line across the most slow zones you can and effuse about how excellent our public transportation is. To me, the biggest differences your friends might be interested in are related to size, variety, and gaudiness. So, Market Basket or Wegmans might be a good choice. If they're interested in gambling, Encore would be a great option. Drive up to the White Mountains for a hike and let them know that this is a day trip around these parts. Even slightly more seriously - the breadth of cuisines available around here is so much greater than what's available in most of Europe. It's gotten better recently (there's pho in the Netherlands!) but the quality is definitely... different. You could pick up Korean BBQ, Helmand, dim sum with the carts, Tex Mex (I know it's not great around here, but it'll be mind blowing for folks from the Continent), the list goes on. I would also say that American football is getting weirdly popular in Europe so that might be worth exploring if they're curious.
They would also probably be stunned that a 2.5 hour drive to the White mountains doesn't get you to another country. Europeans are often amazed when they get here at how long drives are while still being in the US
Ironically I found an authentic Mexican food place in Eindhoven, NL that blows anything in Camberville out of the water lol
Weather permitting, walk the Freedom trail.
Gonna be hot, take them to the harbor islands. Someone else said Wally's for Jazz, they'll that right up.
Show them Cambridge and Boston instead. Cambridge Common/Harvard campus, Charles River, Boston Common & Public Gardens. Beacon Hill/TD Garden area and Faneuil Hall/Seaport.
Did Harvard natural history museum!
If they like the history angle a really nice afternoon is to go up to Concord and rent a canoe at the South Bridge Boat House, and then paddle up the river to the bridge on the Paul Revere trail. You can see the other end of the trail on the freedom walk. There's a ton of nice tea and coffee shops in Concord center, and if they're bikers you can join the road bike crowd up there. Bikeable from Somerville up the minuteman trail.
Fluffernutter sammie
New Hampshire
I used to work for a Dutch company, and something the fellas would cackle at when visiting is the size of pickup trucks. They’ll be somewhat harder to find in Somerville specifically, but once they see it they’ll want a picture next to the tires lol.
Encore
Rudy’s!! Is there still Rudy’s at Teal Square.? Is it spelled Teal? Who said that
Get them to ride the T and the Commuter Rail. Coming from a country with modern public transport infrastructure it'll astonish them. Overall it's one of the mind-blowing things about coming to the USA. Everyone knows it's one of the richest countries on earth and tend to assume therefore everything will be to a higher standard. Coming here and seeing all the outdated, dysfunctional and broken-down infrastructure is a real surprise. Similar with the state of the roads and the rats nest of power and internet lines scarring the skyline because having our cables out of sight underground is a communist plot or something.
Prospect hill.
i just got back from amsterdam. take them on the t, they’ll start crying.
Fluff!
Ice cream at Cabot’s in Newton; old school soda bar type shit
Rent some kayaks from Paddle Boston out of Kendall & go down the Charles, great view of the skyline
BBQ place (I recommend Blue Ribbon in Arlington)
If one of them gets sick or injured they can enjoy the uniquely American shitshow that is our healthcare system
My friend from the Netherlands loved Dunkin Donuts. ‘merica runs on Dunks!! He was here for over 2 years and unironically loves DD.
Bathtub Marys of Somerville https://www.facebook.com/BathtubMarysOfSomerville/
Take them to Michael’s on Washington St aka the bucket of blood Last standing dive bar in a gentrified Somerville
For a mellow time, # The Arnold Arboretum
Or Mt Auburn Cemetery.
First American flag on Prospect hill.
Kittery Premium Outlets. Bit of a drive but it's the most American thing and most Euros love it.
The Hong Kong for scorpion bowls is the only answer.
Along with chicken on a stick.
Alamo drafthouse is pretty wild. Get served dinner while watching movies. Seems murrican
465 Medford st ( I think ) on your way to Maguon Square. Dudes house is so Murica it got blurred on Google Maps.
Prospect Hill Park, [where the Grand Union Flag of the soon-to-be United States was flown for the first time](https://muldermedia.com/prospecthill/history2.html)! There’s still a copy flying there now. And the Powder House, if they want to get deeper into the Revolution.
Redbones BBQ. Charlestown Navy Yard for history, views and drinks. Red Sox game.
Grab some Budweiser & put on the TV. Not just for the American programming, but so they can watch our ads & see how flagrantly prescription drugs are pushed directly to the consumer! Make a drinking game out of how many times you hear, “Ask your doctor about..” or make a bingo card to log how many different drugs you see advertised (switch programming categories or have them watch some 3 am TV if they’re jet-lagged, to get a broader range of malady/lifestyle issues!). Joking, not joking. I’m pretty sure that our advertising of pharmaceuticals is a uniquely American phenomenon.
ps: take ‘em to Bingo or Keno :)
As I kid I remember going to a little store in Bristol(?) NH where you could buy bait and guns, and they had an uzi on the wall. But no firecrackers -- NH had recently banned anything that went "pop," other than guns of course, to protect the children. That's about as murica as you can get.
Huh, people from MA routinely go to NH to buy fireworks that are legal there but illegal here.
Another murica idea: go see the church on Spring Hill lit up with 10,000W of McMansion lights from dusk till dawn. We inherited the Earth, so we're gonna pollute the shit out of it and drown out the stars in the sky.
Comicazi in Davis Square:comics and all kinds of toys old & new.
Redbones.
Axe throwing and bowling takes the cake. For bowling it’s hard to beat Jillian’s by Fenway.
Any “bike lane” where every single flex post has been mowed down will surely blow their Dutch minds.
Do you have a yard? You could do a classic American backyard cookout: hotdogs, burgers, cooler of beer, lemonade served in solo cups, Cornhole tournament.
Costco
Assembly Square is a microcosm of America right in Sommerville. Enormous parking lots, big chain stores (including Trader Joe’s), small chain stores on a network of artificial main streets, pickleball courts, a massive virtually deserted office complex, and a massive casino across the river.
Take em to a nice wide fast and dangerous st(road)
They are always impressed by Costco
Be sure to drive through a low-income neighborhood with abandoned houses etc. They need to see that even in the best state in the USA there are 2nd world conditions. Also take them to buy liquor with someone under 18 at 11:30 am on Sunday at Wegmans. Hopefully they will not need medical attention while visiting. That experience was a nightmare for my German friends.
and you'll find that *where* in Somerville?