BOSTON
My Secret Boston
If the intro to this blog doesn't get you itching to explore Boston, nothing will: "The world's largest collection of Hollywood memorabilia. Al Capone's bar. The first Dunkin' Donuts. The apartment where Barack Obama lived when he went to Harvard Law School. The house where marshmallow fluff was invented. The boyhood homes of Malcolm X and Uncle Sam." There's a whole team behind this one, churning out a great mix of unusual sights, paired with little-known local facts. It's got it all covered and everything is neatly divided into sections: eat, shop, nightlife, cheap and free, and families.
Useful post: where to find cheap oysters
Boston Burger Blog
Richard Chudy is a man on a mission: he wants to try every burger joint in Boston. Good or bad, over- or under-cooked, he'll try anything – although he is also a chef and he does have standards: "I don't appreciate a salad on top of my meat, and I like my food served in a timely fashion." Fair enough. He also has a column on so-called "man food" (?) in Boston magazine.
Useful post: the Burger Review Directory – a quick-glance guide to the top scorers
The Boston Musical Intelligencer
This corner of the US has plenty of offer in terms of comtemporary music, but this site focuses on the classics. Don't be put off by the somewhat pretentious name, this is a down-to-earth project, fuelled by local enthusiasts who keep fully up-to-date with events and aim to list every concert in the city (as well as highlights across New England in summer). The site is supported by The Harvard Musical Association and Professor Robert Levin.
Useful post: upcoming concerts
BALTIMORE
Whatweekly.com
"We asked ourselves, what if we could show a different side of Baltimore (the story HBO's The Wire didn't tell)? Is it possible for media, used in right way, to make Baltimore internationally known as a cultural hotspot for artistic and intellectual pursuits?" So write the site's founders, Justin Allen and Brooke Hall, a married couple with their fingers on the pulse of all things hot and creative in Charm City. Here they've assembled a collective of artists, entrepreneurs, educators and writers to put that other side forward, through a range of essays and portraits, reviews and previews.
Useful post: the events calendar
The Baltimore Chop
Arranged like a enticing calendar, this music, nightlife and urban lifestyle blog features reviews (such as Babe Ruth museum), tips on skipping tourist haunts (alternatives to the infamous Cafe Hon), baseball news and more. Sometimes it's also a plaform for local gripes: one of the most popular posts is entitled "Stop doing yoga in public".
Useful post: the On the Spot section reviewing local hangouts
Adventures in Baltimore restaurants
There are crab cakes and a whole lot more on Jessica Lemmo's site about Baltimore food. Aside from reviews, it also details local events, from crab bashing to farm-to-chef cook-offs. The labels down the side of the site – arranged by culinary genre and restaurant style – help you find exactly what you're in the mood for.
Useful post: the restaurant reviews, all collated and easy to scan through
PHILADELPHIA
Streets Dept
This is a wonderful site to spend some time exploring, following in the footsteps of the site's main curator, Conrad Benner, who describes himself as a "blogger/photographer/all around very curious fellow". Less word on the street, more sights of the street, there's little text here, just compelling photos from around town. Think street art, abandonded buildings, intriguing posters. Philly has never looked cooler, or more intriguing.
Useful post: OK, not exactly useful, but certainly interesting – Philadelphia's abandonded subway stations
Phoodie.info and Philebrity.com
There is more to Philly food than cheesesteak, as Phoodie shows. Its extensive archives are bursting at the seams with light-hearted snippets on the city's restaurant scene; it's just a pity you can't easily search the archives (though you can cheat and find their top tips on our site for best restaurants and best bars). It's more of a site to drop in on, as and when, than a go-to reviews site. Sister site Philebrity covers an even wider range of topics (art, gossip, music, media, nightlife politics), but that doesn't mean it takes itself too seriously. It's also a good insight into the local humour (see posts such as "Apropos Of Nothing, Here Is Princess Diana In A Pretty Sweet Eagles Jacket").
Useful post: Philebrity's art shows page
Thegayborhoodguru.wordpress.com
The "Gayborhood" in Philadelphia is an area in the city centre, within Washington Square West and the surrounding blocks, where rainbow colours mark the street signs. This blog details the neighbourhood's history. It's written by a local tour guide, with 14 years' experience, who also happens to be the president of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. Although some reports show say that the area has become a victim of its own success, this blog is still going strong.
Useful post: why there is more to this Irish pub than meets the eye
Hidden City Philadelphia
This blog is mostly dedicated to the changing face of Philadelphia. Architecture fans will love its "Secret life of buildings" series. Stay tuned to this website for future events. Earlier this year, the Hidden City Philadelphia Festival took place, presenting a range of art installations and performances. It revolved around nine sites across the city, which are in need of renovation, including Shivtei Yeshuron, a 19th-century, row-house synagogue.
Useful post: the tours and events page includes a range of activities from bike tours to cemetery visits
