Stuck spending your weekends at BU Central? Still calling the Common "the Commons?" We're here to help, with a handy, two-part guide to some of Boston's best neighborhoods that should help your adventures in Beantown without getting beat up on the T. Today, we look at hoods close to home; in our next issue on we venture further into Boston with part two of our neighborhoods series.
Kenmore and the Fens
This is your home until you decide to pack it up and move to Allston, so you'd better enjoy it. There's lots of cheap university grub in the neighborhood, from UBurger for one of the best burgers in Boston to the coffeehouse cool of Espresso Royale Café to Nutella/banana pancakes at the Crispy Crepe Café. There's fun stuff to do, too &- Fenway, of course, is a great place to be in the springtime, but the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts are also around for snootier fun, just past the beautiful Back Bay Fens public garden. Nightlife is all around, even if you don't want to check out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology fraternities on Bay State Road. The 21-plus can party at one of the many clubs around Fenway, but for freshmen, the Paradise Rock Club is legendary and happens to be right in West Campus.
Get off at: Kenmore, Green Line
Allston (1)
Allston is where the cool kids party (and sometimes get arrested), a student slum in the best possible way. Some yummy ethnic food can be found here, from Egyptian kebabs at Azama Grill to Burmese salads at YoMa. It can also be an alternative to Newbury Street for the poor and starving college student, with quality thrift stores like Urban Renewals and At the Buzzer just a short distance down the street from BU and the gigantic Super 88. But let's face it: in your next four years, when you hear the word "Allston," you are going to think of booze-drenched nights and bad decisions. To that end, we recommend Great Scott and Harpers Ferry as an alternative to the traditional apartment party, followed by beers and/or nachos at the Sunset Grill &' Tap (when you're 21, of course). Get off at: Brighton Ave./Packard's Corner, Green Line B-Branch
Newbury Street/Copley Square
This part of Boston is the anti-Allston, filled with snobs and French food and high-end clothing, but that doesn't mean you need a ton of money to enjoy it. Some of the best shopping on Newbury Street, after all, can be found in its thrift stores: Poor Little Rich Girl and Second Time Around are particular favorites. All and all, there are almost too many stores to recommend, from the famous Newbury Comics (now more of a record store), to organic clothing at The Hempest; from bargains galore at Filene's Basement to gourmet food at DeLuca's Market. And, of course, there's the biggest shopping center in the entire city just a street over: the Prudential Tower. An elevator ride to the top can show you some great views, but even better is the view from the street in Copley Square, where you can see two beautiful churches, the Boston Public Library, the John Hancock Tower and the best farmer's market in the city. Get off at: Hynes Convention Center, Green Line
The Boston Common/Theater District
Whether you to take a ride in a swan boat at the Public Garden (11) or start your way on the Freedom Trail that runs through Boston's best historical sites, the Common is your destination for all things unabashedly tourist-y. But just because you were here during that third grade field trip doesn't mean there's nothing left to see. The Common is directly adjacent to the Theater District, where you can find AMC Loews Boston Common 19, one of the largest (and, in our experience, cleanest) mainstream movie theaters in Boston. At the heart of the Theater District are some fantastic places to take in a play, a stand-up comic or even a ballet &- we love Emerson College's gorgeous Cutler Majestic Theatre, the Boston Opera House and the Wang Theater. Our college kid hearts, however, lie with the musically inclined Orpheum Theater, where upcoming shows include LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack and Sufjan Stevens. Get off at: Park Street, Green and Red Lines
Government Center/The Waterfront/The North End
Ok, so let's get this out of the way: Faneuil Hall. Consisting of three glorified historical strip malls, it's Boston's most visited tourist destination, a haven for street performance artists and, despite the griping of locals, worth visiting every now and then, especially to grab a cookie from the Chipyard or a sandwich from Al's State Street Cafe. But more interesting destinations lurk around the corner; past booths selling duck tour tickets lies the amazing jelly fish exhibition at the New England Aquarium. Go in the opposite direction and you'll find yourself in the middle of some of the oldest restaurants in Boston, including the famous Union Oyster House. Save your appetite, though; seriously better food awaits you in the North End, Boston's own Little Italy, at spots like The Daily Catch and Mike's Pastry. Get off at: Government Center, Green and Blue Lines
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