Well, I can tell you some places to visit -- I was born and raised outside of Boston, moved back there for 5 yrs or so in my adulthood and worked/played in the city. But I haven't been there in 8 yrs or so.

But here are some places I would go if I went back and was staying in town and had time to kill:
** Trinity Church, the 300+ yr old Episcopal church in Copley Square is utterly gorgeous, and the accoustics are magnificent. The organ and choir are world-class (I sang in the choir myself), they do brillliant music, and there are 2 morning services most Sundays because the church is so popular for out of town visitors. If you attend a service, you will be swept away by the music and the breathtaking paintings, gold-leaf and architectural interest, the stately pageantry yet enlightened message of the service.... Definitely one of your upper-crustier ways to spend a Sunday morning.

And then there's some great shopping at the big mall further up on Copley. And there are lots of fun/chic/yummy places to eat and trendy boutiques to visit on Clarendon after the service.

But the great thing about Boston is that it's so small, and you can walk from one end to the other in a couple of hours. Maybe a 20 minute walk from Copley is the North End, where all the great Italian culture and food is. 15 minutes walk from Copley in a different direction is Haymarket/Quincy Market, more shopping and great social life/"scene".

If you really want to venture afield, cross the river and hit Cambridge. Visit Harvard Square and go to the Coop to buy, well, anything your average well-heeled college/graduate student might want/need. Or hit the amazing news stand in the center of the square for ANY publication from ANYWHERE in the world, it seems. Harvard University runs organized tours, if that sort of stuff is your thing.

Hey -- if the weather is nice, maybe you want to buy one of those Freedom Trail maps and take the walk that hits all the really old historical stuff - Old North Church where the "1 if by land and 2 if by sea" thing came from, the Paul Revere House, Quincy Market and Fanneuil Hall. During the Revolutionary War, they would test sailors in the harbor to catch british spies by asking them what was on the weather vane on Fanneuil Hall. Now you can probably google the question on your Blackberry and come up with the answer --- a cricket. :) Anyhow, you'll walk all over the oldest sections of the city and get in touch with some basic and compellingly interesting American history.

However, it is the middle of January and they've had a lot of snow lately so you'll probably want to skip the out-of-doorsy stuff, although in warmer months it's really really pretty to go walk on the bike/foot paths along the Esplanade, or view the swan boats at the Boston Garden.

If it's nasty weather, Copley's a good bet since it's so central, the mall has connector bridges so you don't have to go out of doors to cross over Boylston from Needless Mark-ups to Macy's, and Clarendon, with all its chic boutiquiness, is just a few steps away.

Hope that helps. Have fun!

I always love driving over to Salem and walking the streets there. It is right outside of Boston.

Hi Dusty!

I cross-posted this to the NewEngland Burners tribe....there's got to be something going on at that time.
Unfortunately I don't have my finger on that pulse anymore, but here's a helpful resource:

thephoenix.com/Boston/Arts/