Super 88

[thespian.livejournal.com]

This is more of the 'tricks of the T' sort of thing. I want to go to a Super 88, and don't really care which one. But I need to go by public transit. I'll be going from Davis or Porter Square (both easily walkable from my place).

Since none of them are here in Somerville, does anyone know which one is the *easiest* to get to by T? MBTA gives a bunch of solutions, but they all have at least don't really help a lot for actually grading the trip.

(they also want me to take a completely train-based trip to the one in Malden, going all the way Downtown and back out the Orange Line, that takes 82 minutes with 15 minutes of walking, when a well timed use of the 90 to Wellington and the 108 to a block from the Malden location would take about half that time. But I also know that timing would need to be right accurate. I'm not concerned about *when* I do the trip, I have my days to plan for myself.)

So who has really good, clever ways of getting to any Super 88?

Comments

[ruxxell.livejournal.com]

red line to park, green line (B line) to packards corner.
super 88 is right there.

[ruxxell.livejournal.com]

or red line to harvard, get on the 66. walk down brighton to packards corner (4 minute walk the bus stop at blanchards)

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I second that route, and you can also catch the 77 bus to Harvard on Mass. Ave. It runs often.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this; the 66 actually looks like a great solution for me, esp. from work as well.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I used to go to that one when I lived near it. It's very big and has a great selection, and even a pan-Asian food court!

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

Second the Packards Corner location. The food court has some good grub and for a big shop, the selection cannot be beat.

[seaweedgirle.livejournal.com]

Isn't there a bus near Davis that goes to Sullivan Square? From there, you can take the Orange Line to Malden.

[ron_newman]

Why not go to the one in Chinatown?

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Because it involves walking 10m from the Station. Which I might do, and don't mind *going* there, but would really prefer not to do with a cart full of groceries. If it comes to that, I think the Herald St. one would be a better option; longer trip by 10m, but there's a bus to the door for the return. However, they're still longish trips (45 and 55 minutes), and someone might have something that isn't going to be an hour each way and the 45m of shopping in the middle.

[ron_newman]

the one on Herald Street looks to me like a short walk from New England Medical Center station. Also, do you have a fold-up shopping cart, like the ones they sell at Tags? Get one if you don't.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

That was the sort of cart I was discussing.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

1. The Malden location looked like it had gone out of business when I drove by it maybe a month ago.
2. The deficiencies of the MBTA's trip planner have been discussed time and again over in b0st0n.

[afty.livejournal.com]

The Malden Super 88 moved recently from Eastern Ave to Commercial St. You may have seen the old one; I can't imagine the new one is gone after only 8 months at their new location.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

yeah, that was Eastern Ave. I don't go to Malden very much any more; I haven't lived there since 2003. I just happened to be out that way driving on Eastern Ave. and noticed that it looked closed, and thought that odd since they had always been so busy.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I didn't realize the Malden one had moved! That new location is *so* much more convenient.

Do you know if it's as huge as the other Malden one was?

[afty.livejournal.com]

As I recall, it's at least as big, if not bigger, and it's much nicer too. Closer to the T as well.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Cool! I'll have to check it out. I'm sure it doesn't have the awesome food court like on Comm Ave, but for shopping, it's way more convenient.

[seaweedgirle.livejournal.com]

No, no awesome food court...

[agharta75.livejournal.com]

Much bigger.

old or new spot?

[nora-rocket.livejournal.com]

Did you go by the old location on East Street, or the newer one on Commercial (I think--it's the street that goes alongside the T from Malden Center to Wellington)? They moved about 8 months ago and I find it tought to believe they'd have to shutter the new spot already. Was always packed when I went there from my former digs in Malden.

Re: old or new spot?

[nora-rocket.livejournal.com]

woah afty...creeeeeepy....we just posted at the same moment with nearly the same content.

Re: old or new spot?

[afty.livejournal.com]

I won by a minute! :P

[ron_newman]

The Quincy and Malden and downtown Boston locations all look like they are reasonably short walks from T stations, so I guess I don't really understand the question.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

The suggestion of using the 66 from Harvard is actually about a half hour trip from where I am, less from my work, instead of the 45m to one hour or more (82m to get to Malden) trips that MBTA.com was suggesting. Since it's on a busline I've never otherwise used, I had no idea it existed.

My point was that I wanted clever ways of getting to them, not standard 'oh, they're all near T stations'. I even said that, so in return, I'm actually pretty confused why you wouldn't understand the question, even if you didn't get why someone might not want to just take the most standard route.

[ron_newman]

Because to me, going to something in or near downtown Boston always seems faster than a trip from one outlying point such as Davis to another outlying point.

[tastyanagram.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

'Seems' is a perception, though. Sometimes its true, sometimes it isn't. I have frequently found by actually noting the times that it's definitely faster to stay outside of the core if what you're doing doesn't need you to go there. It's not a huge difference; 10m here, 5m there, but I eyeball times a lot.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Well, to me, from Davis/Porter, I'd go to the one in North Quincy.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

MBTA gives it as a 62 minute trip from my apartment; that would turn the whole thing into a 3 hour trip for groceries. I'm going to try the Allston one; from work it looks like I can be there in half an hour.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

the one in Andrew is much much closer.

You can take a shuttle from the station, or it's about a 5 minute walk. AND there is a Target :P

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

what is a Super 88? At first I thought it was like a motel - but I don't understand why you would need so many groceries...

[grapefruiteater.livejournal.com]

Really freakin' awesome Asian supermarket.

[ron_newman]

Super 88 Market

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

doh! guess I need to get my head out of my... oven

[nungnung.livejournal.com]

I haven't taken the 66 in a long time, but as I recall it was a particularly unreliable bus with loooong waits between over-crowded buses. That may have been corrected, but knowing the T, I am doubtful.

I would recommend taking the red line to Broadway and walking to the Super 88 on Herald. I just walked there from Broadway the other day and it wasn't nearly as far as I thought. Probably took me 7 minutes, and I'm pretty slow and a bit lazy. Do take Traveler St, though, instead of walking down Herald - it's under construction and you will die there.

For whatever reason, I always prefer lugging stuff (i.e. groceries) on the train as opposed to the bus...

[nungnung.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I just looked at the MBTA website and it lists the walking time from Broadway to the Herald St. 88 as 18 minutes. No. way. Seriously, I am NOT a fast walker.

[ron_newman]

the MBTA website consistently gives walking times that are twice as long as I would take. I'm not a fast walker at all, I walk at 3 miles per hour (1 mile = 20 minutes).

[theriotgrl.livejournal.com]

nothing's changed, i take the godforsaken 66 to work in coolidge corner several times a week. there's a lovely game i play with that bus called 'when will it come?' 5 minutes til the next one? 45? who knows! it's all part of the fun! and yeah, nothing EVER takes as long as the MBTA site says it will take. even if it involves the 66.

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

I used to take the red line to orange line to Malden Center for work. No way it took 82 minutes. It was more like 45-50. The new Super88 in Malden is fantastic. It's big, brightly lit and doesn't smell like old fish like the one in Chinatown does. How I wish they would open one in Davis Sq.

[jodi.livejournal.com]

red line to andrew station.

there is a super 88 in south bay shopping center. you can either walk a couple blocks across the freeway or you can take a free shuttle from andrew station (frequency every 25 minutes). you will be able to find it easier if you take the shuttle the first time as it circles the entire complex. the shuttle stop is at the NW corner of the station (street level) and has a sign indication where it will stop.

south bay shopping center is also convenient for target, home depot, marshall's, best buy, office max, bed bath and beyond, stop and shop, famous footwear, and a few others.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

The Super 88 at South Bay is nicer than the other ones, and it's open til midnight.
Still, as a non-driving, T only person, I'd have to say the Chinatown one (On Herald) is the easiest to get to.

However, if you're not married to the Super 88, the C-Mart outside the Chinatown Gate (the one under the parking garage) is pretty nice, too, and wicked close to South Station.

[ad-lib.livejournal.com]

exactly what i was going to suggest. it seems the most direct route.

[jmorash.livejournal.com]

Depending on what you need, Reliable Market in Union Square may also be a good option.

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

Have you considered Zipcar? It's certainly more expensive than taking a bus, but it's convenient and you can carry more.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I have epilepsy, and am not allowed to drive.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

1. Red -> Orange -> NEMC station, Harrison/Oak entrance. South on Harrison for two blocks to the Super 88 at Harrison and Herald. Alternately you could take the Silver Line from Downtown Crossing to the corner of Harrison and Herald. The stop is right in front of the market.

2. Red -> Orange -> Chinatown, walk a block east to the Essex Street location.