From the Red Sox to the Symphony, the Museum of Fine Arts to Mike’s Pastry, the Roxy to Roxbury, there’s always something buzzing in America’s oldest major city.
Whether you’re new to Beantown, or just a Hub veteran looking for that undiscovered treasure, we at The Daily Free Press have put together a handy list of places, some familiar, others fresh and exciting, to make your Boston experience complete.
So clip this little guide, find a friend and grab your Student I.D. Our disclaimer? It may take you at least a semester to see everything below.
Spend a day walking the Freedom Trail, which begins at the Park Street T stop near Boston Common, to familiarize yourselves with Boston’s downtown area and with the city’s past. Sixteen historical sites are located along the 2.5 mile walk, including Paul Revere’s house and the USS Constitution, which is the world’s oldest warship still afloat. Ahoy, matey! Trail maps are available at www.thefreedomtrail.org.
Buy a coveted bleacher-seat ticket to Fenway Park and see why Sporting News ranked Boston as “The Best City in America for Sports;” it’s just a short walk from Kenmore Square. After a crushing playoff loss last year, the Red Sox will try again this fall to win their first World Series since World War I. Also check out the Celtics and Bruins (if there is a season for the National Hockey League) down at the FleetCenter, near the North End at the North Station T stop on the Green Line.
Explore the Back Bay’s Newbury Street and see why so many call it the Rodeo Drive of the Northeast. The mile-long corridor is synonymous with outdoor cafés and posh shopping. Take the Green Line to either the Hynes/ICA or Copley stops for easy access to name-brand stores like Urban Outfitters, Virgin Megastore, Puma, Burberry, Niketown, Guess, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, Aldo, Gap and many others. Restaurants range from the pricey Armani Cafe to Vietnamese cuisine at moderately-priced Phnom Phen.
Take a stroll through the Boston Common and the Public Garden. Both former cow pastures, the downtown green space has magnificent gardens, a baseball diamond and plenty of space to throw a Frisbee. If you’ve got a hot date, take him or her for a ride on the 100-year-old Swan Boats, located in the Garden. Come December, there’s ice skating on the Frog Pond in the Common. Rentals are available, just in case you didn’t come prepared to show off your triple lutz at college. Take the Green Line to the Arlington or Park Street stations.
Looking for a good beat to groove to on a Saturday night? Lansdowne Street, located behind Fenway Park, is lined with dance clubs, bars and billiards. Avalon and Axis are hotspots for dancing and live concerts. Jillian’s, at the end of Lansdowne, has an arcade and billiards. Most spots are open to those over 18, though many clubs are 19 and over to keep out the high school riffraff and some are 21 plus. There’s even a Gold’s Gym on the street’s west end to help you look good, even if your dance moves don’t. Lansdowne is an easy walk from campus, near Kenmore Square.
If your idea of a hot beat is Mozart, then take time to enjoy the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall. The BSO is one of the top orchestras in the world, some say second only to the Vienna Symphony in Austria. Catch up with the “Boston Pops” concert series in the spring when the orchestra plays catchy and well-known classics. Take the Green Line to the Symphony stop; you’ll need to transfer to an E train.
For an eclectic mix of stores and homeless people try Cambridge’s Harvard Square. George Washington stayed here during the height of the Revolutionary War, and today the intersection is home to fire-blowing, guitar-playing and tightrope-walking street performers, weather permitting. It’s also home to the prestigious school across the river. We’ll let you figure out which one. Take the Green Line inbound to Park Street and transfer to the Red Line and get off at the Harvard stop.
The Rockettes may be three hours south, but Boston’s Washington Street Theatre District has a host of Broadway productions, including The Lion King and the world renowned Blue Man Group. Student-priced tickets are usually available in advance. There’s also a Loews Cineplex on the edge of Boston Common. Take the Green Line to Boylston.
When you’re sick of dining hall food, head to the North End for amazing Italian food; it’s just a quick jaunt on the Green Line to the Haymarket stop and it’s a short walk, yup you guessed it, north. Pizzeria Regina makes some of the best pizza north of New York, and Mike’s Pastry serves an array of desserts. Savor the Cannoli and Tiramisu – both are particularly tasty. Expect the unexpected at the Improv Asylum on Hanover Street. The improvisation theater will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Although Faneuil Hall Marketplace is the traditional Boston tourist trap, you’ll want to sample the huge assortment of international foods and desserts inside Quincy Market. The waitresses at Durgin Park Restaurant in North Market are by tradition fairly unfriendly. The 150-year-old restaurant prides itself on upholding a tough New England attitude, and serves Boston specialties like Clam Chowder, Baked Beans and Cornbread. The Comedy Connection, on the central market’s second floor, has new live acts every week. Caroline Rhea, Colin Quinn and Dane Cook are all slated to perform in September alone. Take the Green Line to Government Center.
You may confuse Boston for Florence at the Museum of Fine Arts. Paintings by Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh and Rembrandt are just a few of the famous pieces in the MFA collection. The museum may be hard to find – if you go to Boston College, that is – it’s on the Green Line at the Museum of Fine Arts stop. Once at the MFA, don’t forget the nearby Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which has a unique collection that, according to the museum, spans 30 centuries. The museum itself is a 14th-century Venetian palace that was reassembled in Boston after being shipped from Europe in large pieces by the wealthy Isabella Stewart.
Small eateries make Brookline’s Coolidge Corner a relaxing niche. Try Steve’s Coffeeshop, which is a good break from the campus-wide spattering of Starbucks. Anna’s Taqueria, at the northwest end of Coolidge, serves up the best burrito you’ll find north of the border. The corner also boasts a small movie theater that mainly shows independent films. Take the Green Line outbound to the Coolidge Corner stop, but you’ll need to make sure to take a C train.
Whether Democrat or Republican the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library will teach you everything you want, or didn’t want to know about America’s 35th president. The library takes a behind the scenes look at Kennedy’s 1960 election campaign through January. Take the Green Line to the Park Street stop and transfer to the Red Line and go to the JFK/UMass. stop.
With the whole first floor devoted to Penguins, the New England Aquarium looks more like Antarctica than Massachusetts. The marine museum’s 200,000 gallon tank has an incredible coral reef exhibit, and there’s always something new playing at the new Simons IMAX Theater. Bring your Student I.D. for college open house on Wednesday, October 5 and see the Aquarium on the cheap. Take the Green Line to the Government Center stop and transfer to the Blue Line. From there go outbound to the Aquarium stop.
The Museum of Science creates an incredible lightning storm using two huge static generators on a daily basis. If that’s not enough, there are four floors of exhibits, a planetarium and the dome shaped Mugar Omni Theater, which some say is more exciting than IMAX. Take the Green Line to the North Station stop and use the subway-replacement bus service to the Lechmere stop. Get off at the Science Park stop.
Top off your Boston experience at the “Top of the Hub” skywalk at the Prudential Tower, or as locals say, the “Pru.” Boston’s second-tallest tower offers a commanding view of the city, harbor and the metropolitan area. If you’ve got some change to spare, head to the Top of the Hub restaurant and eat dinner with and incredible view. The Prudential Center and the Copley Place Malls, both at the foot of the tower, are good for a rainy day. Take the Green Line to the Hynes/ICA or Copley stops.