Opening Day: Going to the game? How about a sleepover in the shadow of Fenway Park?

We’re hanging out in the Dolly Parton trailer next door to one of Boston’s most iconic venues: Fenway Park. Though the historic ballpark does indeed host mega concerts with some of the music world’s biggest stars, Dolly isn’t here today — that we know of.

The hotel’s new array of trailers (in what was a parking lot) make up a private enclave twixt the trendy rock 'n' roll themed hotel and Fenway Park. Literally, the hallowed home of the Boston Red Sox is right there behind “Dolly’s trailer”: the baseball ground’s high red brick walls seem almost touchable, and folks walking within its multi level interior are in certain view. Only narrow one-lane Van Ness Street separates sleepers from the bleachers.

These 10 tricked out trailers with comfy king-size beds, a couch, and full bathroom “facilities,” each pay homage to a different music great — nearby another great lady of music, Janis Joplin is featured. In each trailer there’s a turntable and a few of the artists albums to play. If one tires of Janis — which is simply impossible — one may grab other records from the lobby’s selection.

Inside Backstage’s gated entrance the latest trailer addition is not music related, nor is it for sleeping in: this Airstream “silver bullet” trailer, which arrived this past fall, was Tom Hanks location trailer for many years and many films, and houses knickknacks pertaining to the great actor’s career.

Inside The Verb, the hallways leading to and from the lobby to the “normal” guest rooms of this onetime Howard Johnson travel lodge wrap around a small pool (that’s more of a giant hot tub), and are lined with a colorful display of vintage music memorabilia and art. (Rooms from $300 per night, trailers from $500 per night, both include breakfast. 1271 Boylston St.. theverbhotel.com).

Each Backstage trailer has a private patio area where you can clearly hear concerts or games or whatever is going on in the ballpark. Concerts already announced for this year include Kane Brown with Jon Pardi in support, Foo Fighters with The Hives, and Def Leppard with Journey and Heart. (For more info: mlb.com/redsox/tickets/concerts).

'A nightlife mecca'

Lansdowne Street is a nightlife mecca with a House of Blues, built from the ashes of Avalon and Axis (15 Lansdowne Street. houseofblues.com/boston); and the new MGM Music Hall built into Fenway Park’s outer wall at the Ipswich Street end (2 Lansdowne Street. crossroadspresents.com). More recently, Rockwood Music Hall opened on Van Ness, bringing a similar small music venue to the original Lower East Side RMH in Manhattan (88 Van Ness St..  rockwoodboston.com).

But, surely, watching a game at Fenway Park, America’s oldest Major League Ballpark still in operation, which opened in 1912 as the hallowed home of the Boston Red Sox, is simply one of the city’s greatest experiences. It’s pure Americana: You don’t have to be a baseball fan, or even a sports fan to appreciate the atmosphere — but it certainly helps! (boston.redsox.mlb.com)

Unique hotels

The Verb isn’t the only hotel standing in the shadow of Boston’s iconic baseball park. Within a whisper of the giant 1940s Citgo sign, the now 20-year-old Hotel Commonwealth, Official Hotel of the Boston Red Sox, in Kenmore Square is a six minute walk from Fenway Park, and offers experiences many Red Sox fans might appreciate: beginning with  a display case of Fenway Park memorabilia in the lobby, and an elevator that is charmingly decked out with AstroTurf and baseball player autographs.

There are normal rooms, each spacious and comfortable, and some rooms have a special view of the Park, albeit with the I90-Massachusetts Turnpike in between. But the great green walls of Fenway Park feel like they are almost next to the hotel.

Hotel Commonwealth’s themed suites, of which there are many fantastic iterations, include the 700-square-foot Fenway Park Suite, which includes original ballpark seats on its outdoor terrace overlooking the Park. A baseball mitt is ready to catch a supersonic homer. Inside, a collection of priceless Red Sox memorabilia includes the number 6 from the Green Monster scoreboard, originally given to Johnny Pesky when his number was retired in 2008. There are signed baseball cards from Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky on display in the room. Even Yankees fans might be impressed.

There’s also the 600-square-foot Baseball Suite, which has a vintage vibe and features authentic baseball memorabilia, an impressive trading card collection, and a library of over 40 classic baseball movies.

Hotel Commonwealth has six customizable baseball season overnight packages whose goodies include game tickets in the Pavilion section with access to the Pavilion club restaurant, Red Sox jerseys, a visit from Wally or Tessie, and even a personalized message on the scoreboard during the game (rooms from $279; Baseball Suite from $499; Fenway Park Suite from $699; Red Sox packages from $399. 500 Commonwealth Ave. hotelcommonwealth.com)

Beyond The Fenway Frank

The Fenway frank is there for any who care to indulge, but the Fenway is bursting with flavors this spring — you name it, it’s here on a plate or in a package.

Wake up hungry at The Verb and wander into Hojoko, which  hosts breakfast during the early daylight hours  — there’s made to order waffles, muffins, pastries, and cereals; and gluten free and vegan options (and it’s included with the room rate).

By evening, Hojoko — a name that riffs on the Howard Johnson legacy — morphs into a hip Japanese tavern curated by culinary couple Tim and Nancy Cushman. Try: Robata grill specialties, sashimi, sushi, noodles and an excellent selection of sakes.

Virtually adjacent to The Verb on Boylston is Our Fathers, a sandwich and salad spot that jumped ship from Allston to open here in October 2023 (1301 Boylston Street. ourfathersboston.com) — in the spot where sister joint, the self-described Tasty Burger first opened in 2017 before moving round the corner to Van Ness (86 Van Ness St.. tastyburger.com).  Across Boylston, another relative, 14-year-old Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar spent the winter under wraps, getting a facelift ready for Opening Day (1310 Boylston St. citizenpub.com).

At the top of Boylston, the new DW French cops a Parisian brasserie attitude with black and white mosaic flooring, white subway tile walls, and cherry red booths and banquettes. Dine on a boeuf bourguignon sandwich with super crisp feather thin fries; gooey gruyere topped French onion soup; or juicy moules frites.

At the western end of Brookline, Time Out Market Boston is a veritable smorgasbord of local food businesses: from fresh superfood smoothies at  Squeeze Juice Co. to cocktails at one of two bars; from Boston meat mainstay Blue Ribbon BBQ, a new addition this past winter, to anoush’ella’s, which has been serving up Middle Eastern dishes since the market opened in 2019. Enjoy at big communal tables, watch the game on the big screen; or head to the outdoor terrace, near the Trillium beer hall, for various pop ups and programs.

New York City based Blue Ribbon Restaurants finally filled the gaping hole left by Eastern Standard’s closure on Comm. Ave. in Kenmore Square: Blue Ribbon Brasserie is split into a lively bar and a more sedate dining room: each lined with toffee colored upholstered seating. Enjoy classic French cooking retooled into a modern American menu. Try: Penobscot oysters from Maine, meats and fishes of all kinds, but very little for the plant based diner.

Next door is the company’s Blue Ribbon Sushi — top quality sushi and sashimi — and next to that is the company’s Pescador Coastal Grill, by the entrance of Hotel Commonwealth. This natural light flooded space includes an 18-seat ceviche bar and a 30-foot cocktail bar, which boasts over 70 mezcals and tequilas, and lesser known traditional central American spirits such as raicilla and sotol. Try: corn “ribs” with ancho, cotija, and lime, and the signature Lupe’s shrimp aguachile with fresh lime, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeno.

But what’s this? Eastern Standard Kitchen and Drinks is back! Located near the Lansdowne T in The Bower buildings, the look is familiar: a delightfully elegant dining room and bar with a curvy ceiling dissected by enormous wood beams and lined with cherry red banquettes. Dine on smoky flavored bluefish pate, tangy artichoke ravioli; and melt-in-the mouth Salt cod fritters, a staple throughout Eastern Standard’s history (775 Beacon St., easternstandardboston.com).

Lansdowne Street is the Fenway go-to for Game Day activity. From its corner with Brookline Street, Game On — a two-floor sports bar with an indoor batting cage,  games, and Max & Leo’s pizza (82 Lansdowne, gameonboston.com) leads to the Bleacher Bar, a unique spot for food, drinks, and baseball diamond views via a huge garage door style window (82A Lansdowne Street,  bleacherbarboston.com).

At the Ipswich end of Lansdowne is the Irish themed Lansdowne Pub (9 Lansdowne St., lansdownepubboston.com), and Loretta’s Last Call, Boston’s only country music bar, which celebrates 10 years of Southern styled dishes and mostly local country music talent in 2024.

Loretta’s now includes an outpost of Martha's Vineyard’s famed Back Door Donuts for late night “Donuts After Dark,” from sunset till 2 a.m. (1 Lansdowne St., lorettaslastcall.com, backdoordonuts.com).

Between the two, Bill’s Bar, forever immortalized (along with the rest of the Park) in that great Red Sox movie “Fever Pitch,” has quietly withstood decades of change on Lansdowne (5 Lansdowne St., instagram.com/billsbarboston).

Opposite Game On, there’s the Cask and Flagon, a longstanding pre and post game stalwart (62 Brookline Ave., casknflagon.com). This past winter a gaping hole opposite the venerable bar on Brookline foretold of more development and change around Fenway Park. But as long as bat hits ball, and the Red Sox faithful sing out through the summer nights, then we’ll take it. Bah-bah-bahhhh!

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Take me out to the ball game: Fenway area offers hotels, dining