Post Christmas sales - arriving Jan 5

I am visiting from Jan 5-8 with a friend who is there on business. It is a mini break fro me after the hectic holidays. I will be going solo most of the time. I am interested in shopping the sales, museums and some good (but not too pricy) dining. We are staying at the Omni. Can I get around by subway? Will there be sales? Can you recommend some good restaurants closeby? I look forward to any suggestions....

KS in Nova Scotia

Post Christmas sales - arriving Jan 5

The Omni is a block away from Park St. station, where the Red and Green Lines meet, about 2 blocks from Downtown Crossing station, where the Red and Orange lines meet, and a block in the other direction to Government Center station, where the Blue and Green lines meet... in other words, you couldn%26#39;t be more centrally located for subway access.

As far as shopping... you can pick from the major department stores (Filene%26#39;s, Macy%26#39;s) at Downtown Crossing, Saks, Lord and Taylor and the stores at the Prudential Center and Copley Place Malls are near either Copley or Prudential stations on the Green Line, or Back Bay station on the Orange line. The Cambridgeside Galleria is at the Lechmere stop on the Green Line. Many upper-end stores line Newbury St. from Arlington St. station to Hynes Auditorium station on the Green Line, and Bloomingdale%26#39;s is at the Chestnut Hill Mall... also on the Green Line, but still about a ten minute walk from the Chestnut Hill station.

If you are driving down via I-95 (Maine Turnpike), you may want to stop off at the outlet stores that line Rte 1 in Kittery... just north of the Maine/New Hampshire border, about 50 miles from Boston.

You will find loads of restaurants in the area of your hotel... try the food court at Quincy Market... it%26#39;s really a great place if you%26#39;re on your own.

Ruth%26#39;s Chris just opened almost across the street from the Omni if you want a good steak dinner. Chinatown is just a few blocks away. A ten-fifteen minute walk will get you to the North End if you want Italian food.

The Park Square and South End neighborhoods are full of upper-end restaurants, icluding Legal Seafood, Flemings Steakhouse, Davio%26#39;s (Continental), Jae%26#39;s (Asian), Franklin Cafe (American ';comfort';)... far too many to list.

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and the Isbella Stewart Gardner Museum are a block or so apart on the ';E'; branch of the Green line, and the Museum of Science is at Science Park station, on the north side of the Green line, near Lechmere.

To help get your bearings, see www.mbta.com