Reading (Massachusetts)
Reading is in Greater Boston.
Get in
The MBTA Commuter Rail (Haverhill/Reading Line) goes through here.
Get around
The town is very neatly condensed around its main street, so once you're in town, you're pretty close to everything. The streets are in good condition in some places, while other roads are riddled with potholes and other relatively minor problems. The local phone book (NOT the Yellow Pages) has a map of the town on its back cover. Ask about the phone book at the town hall by the Old South Church in the town square.
Bikers be warned: there isn't much room for bicyclers who want to ride on the road, the terrain is hilly, and drivers generally aren't very considerate of bicyclers on major roads such as Main Street.
See
- 🌍
Parker Tavern, 103 Washington Street, ☎ +1 781 944-2957. A house dating back to colonial times. It is a frequent field trip destination for the town's elementary schoolers, and it provides short tours during the more temperate times of year (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
Do
By all accounts, there is little to do in Reading but go elsewhere.
Joking aside, there is the newly-constructed plaza on Walkers Brook Drive; the Jordan's furniture store there has an IMAX theater.
Buy
- Comically Speaking. is a good comic shop for the buyer interested in superhero comics and the like. At the time of the author's last visit, it sold pretty shady-looking CDs, but this should not be taken to be the store's present condition.
Eat
- Bagel World, Main Street. is by far the most popular bagel shop in town (and there are several!). Expect a lot of high school students on weekdays and expect a HUGE crowd on Sunday mornings. The prices are reasonable and the service is prompt.
- Capri Pizza, Main Street. makes good ravioli, steak, and pizza, and delivers all three to locations throughout Reading. When dining in, service is good, and there is rarely a massive crowd.
- Mandarin Reading (right off of 128 - Exit 40, Route 129). offers the best in Chinese and Japanese food in an elegant restaurant setting, certainly fit for business lunches. During the week, they offer a lunch buffet from noon until 2 PM at only $9 per person. The lunch buffet includes many Chinese dishes, sushi, and deserts. Mandarin also has two great bars: one for sushi, one for drinks. The staff is friendly and due to recent renovations, the wait times are usually quite reasonable. On Fridays, the wait for lunch is typically long and parking is hard to find.
- The plaza on Walkers Brook Drive has several chain restaurants (Chili's, Bear Rock Cafe, Fuddrucker's, etc.).
Drink
- Venetian Moon. The martini bar is a popular place to get a drink in Reading.
- Grumpy Doyles. An Irish Themed Bar/Pub, also a popular place to get a drink.
Sleep
No lodging services have been listed. However, neighboring Woburn does have a number of hotels.
Go next
| Routes through Reading |
| Peabody ← Wakefield ← | N   |
→ Woburn → Weston |
| Lawrence ← North Reading ← | N  |
→ Stoneham → Boston |
| Chelmsford ← Wilmington ← | W  |
→ Wakefield → Lynn |
| Haverhill ← Wilmington ← | N  |
→ Wakefield → Boston |