Starting on March 1, the senior editorial staff  from the Quad began contributing weekly posts outlining the activities, places and trips all Boston-area college students should have on their bucket list.  A total of 10 posts makes up what these graduating seniors believe to be the most compelling, noteworthy “must-do’s” for all underclassmen to accomplish before graduation.  Here is the list in its entirety:

Cheat Sheet:

1. Party Favors, a hidden gem 2. Splurge on a great meal 3. Explore local culture in Jamaica Plain 4. Beer me, Boston. 5. Boston’s Alternative Movie Theaters 6. The Skywalk Observatory 7. Urban Biking Adventures 8. Explore music venues for every genre 9. Getting out of Boston 10. South Boston Street Festival

Photo credits:

1. Kara Korab 2. SweetonVeg 3. Mr. Ducke 4. compujeramey 5. D’Arcy Norman 6. whisperwolf 7. joeldinda 8. bradsearles 9. Rice Bear 10. animalvegetable

All photos, except Kara Korab, courtesy Flickr/Creative Commons.

If I had to pick one thing for everyone to do during their time in Boston, I’d probably tell them to attend the South Boston Street Festival. It isn’t necessarily the most fun thing to do in the city, and it doesn’t carry the obligatory blood alcohol content level that the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade mandates (although you are certainly free to challenge that notion), but as an experience overall, it’s been one of the few that’s really stayed with me over the last four years.

"South Boston from Afar" Courtesey of Wikimedia, Luciof

Part of this is because of the randomness of circumstance. I had no idea I’d be going to the festival when I went, and when I got there, I had no idea what to expect. My idea of Southie, founded mostly on the movies and Dennis Lehane novels, was far different from the reality. And so when my traveling companion went off to interview people for an article for the Free Press, I meandered about on my own, taking in the event on my own and finding that it was quite to my liking.

The festival itself isn’t anything out of the ordinary. There are street vendors, community groups looking for membership, food, drinks, and a stage for music and dancing. It stretches a few blocks of East Broadway and runs for a few hours in the afternoon. The food is acceptable street grub, sausages, sandwiches and other snacks (I couldn’t find a funnel cake to save my life, but perhaps I wasn’t looking hard enough), and Guinness is available at every street corner bar within eyesight. It’s a perfect recipe for a easily enjoyable afternoon, but still it becomes something more.

It ends up being the particulars of the area that make the festival so enjoyable. The people selling their paintings on the sidewalk who are more than willing to talk to you about their artistic war against the government. The toddlers in ‘Southie Pride’ shirts. The people watching from the porches of their homes, enjoying the weather and taking it all in. More than anything else, you get a strong sense of community from the street festival, and that’s what matters.

"Thomas Park, Bringing the Noise to a Wandering Crowd" Photo was taken by Sarah Sanders

You see people talking to one another, laughing and enjoying life together, but actually being sincere about it. This isn’t just small talk. These are people that know and care about one another. When Thomas Park (Southie’s premier classic rock cover band) plays “Sweet Home South Boston” and tweaks the lyrics to honor a fallen neighborhood hero, it isn’t cheesy, it actually means something. I, being a somewhat southern man, take my Skynyrd seriously, but I was won over by this rendition. I could tell the band and the audience meant every word of what they were singing and saying. It is an honesty and respect that isn’t easy to come by.

I was once told by a half drunk ex-Bruins player that the reason he loved Boston was because he felt that it was “the biggest small town” in the world. I liked that idea. That, more than anything, is the reason I’d go to the South Boston Street Festival. It gives us an idea of the meaning of a community that many of us (myself included) have never felt before. It also gives you the chance to see Southie, an area of Boston that has been somewhat unfairly saddled with a bad reputation, as a real, living and pleasant place. A place where things may not always be great, but where people know and care about one another, and things are all okay in the end because it’s a community that lives together. It’s something to see.

There are so many great things to do in Boston that it may seem pointless to leave at all. However, it is sometimes nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city and relax in a quieter, yet equally interesting town or city. New England is full of great tourist destinations but there are a couple great ones within reasonable distance of Boston.

Newburyport
I first visited Newburyport with my family on vacation a few years ago and I fell in love. It is a small coastal town about an hour north of Boston and is home to great shopping, food, and of course beautiful vistas. Easily accessible by car or train, Newburyport is a fun place to get away for the day and it is easily the quietest out of these locales. Homemade fudge, home decor, clothing, kitchen wares – all these and more are for sale in this cute port town.

Provincetown
At the northern tip of Cape Cod is Provincetown, a culturally thriving tourist town filled with great seafood places, souvenir shops, quirky locals and of course a beautiful view of the ocean. Provincetown is accessible by car and bus, but it takes three hours – so if you dont get too motion sick I would suggest taking the fast ferry which cuts the trip down to 90 minutes. Commonly referred to as “Ptown,” this place is great all year round but is best in the summer or spring and even early fall. Ptown has a vibrant hippie-alternative flavor unique to the rest of the cape and is not a trip to miss.

Salem
Probably the most popular out-of-town trip for Boston University students, Salem comes alive in the month of October for Halloween festivities. I have visited three times myself and I can never get enough of it. Museums, haunted houses, great food, souvenir shops and of course, street performances, make this town one that you could easily spend the whole day in. With these modern tourist attractions also comes the plethora of history that characterizes Salem and there are plenty of sites to see, including the old Burying Point cemetery. For the best cinnamon buns A&J King Bakery is a must.

For some reason, as soon as I graduated high school, I decided it was time to mark my newfound freedom as a college student living on my own in a different city by becoming an avid concert-goer. Also, I really needed to experience live music beyond just the 2 NSYNC concerts I went to as a kid. Lucky for me, Boston is not only a major city stop on a lot of great bands’ tours, but also boasts a ton of cool concert venues. And I’m not talking about going to TD Banknorth Garden or Bank of America Pavillion. In fact, the only time I’ve been to a concert in a huge venue in Boston was at Fenway Park, which personally I thought was more exciting to watch than a baseball game.

Thanks to my reliable “New England Concert Update” emails from Live Nation and Ticketmaster, I’ve been able to see some of my favorite musicians and artists at a range of different venues (as well as reminders of what shows I’m too broke to afford at the time). Each location makes the live music experience unique from the others and my recommendation for BU students is to try them all and see for yourselves. And another plus to going to concerts in smaller venues is that most of the time, you don’t have to break the bank for a couple tickets because the prices are usually significantly less than you’d pay to see a performance at a place like TD Banknorth.

So here’s my list of some of the best places to see a concert in Boston, including both new and old establishments, as well as some that are too close to campus to not check out. Most of these venues don’t have assigned seating, so go early if you want to snag a spot near the stage.

1. Paradise Rock Club – Located right near the CityCo in West Campus, this historic venue has been around since the great rock ‘n roll days of the 70’s and was the first U.S. venue that U2 performed in. Aside from hosting music icons like The Police, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, and Billy Joel back then, in recent years they’ve had Kings of Leon, Of Montreal (which was an epic visual acid trip when they performed on Marathon Monday in 2009), and Bruno Mars. This is one of my favorite concert venues of all the places I’ve been to in and outside Boston because its smaller size allows performers and the audience to have a more intimate experience with live music. Take it from someone who saw a Bruce Springsteen cover band TWICE here (that’s soccer mom status right there), as well as Blitzen Trapper and Of Montreal Marathon Monday madness.

2. House of Blues – One of the newer venues in Boston with locations all over the U.S., HOB is right next to Fenway Park down on Landsdowne St. When I first went to see Matt and Kim here last fall, it immediately reminded me of a place called Koko that I went to in London during my semester abroad. Both have big theatre-like stages and a higher level in addition to the main floor for people to watch the band perform from. BU chose HOB for the Scarlet Fever concert featuring Big Boi and Vonnegut this year and seniors will also get a chance to go to HOB during senior week events. The trainwreck that is Ke$ha recently performed here the other night and upcoming shows include Iron & Wine, Diddy Dirty Money, and Guster.

3. Wilbur Theatre – This venue located on Tremont St. in Boston’s theatre district became the new home to the Comedy Connection, which used to be located inside Quincy Market right before I came to BU in 2007. While they mostly host wickedly hilarious comedians (including Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, Doug Benson, and Kathy Griffin), Wilbur also books some well-known (and random) musical groups, including Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons and Boyz II Men (I assure you this is their 2011 concert calendar I’m referencing). I first saw The Fray here during my sophomore year, which was probably the perfect venue for their music. The stage design was full of all different size and shaped lamps that were mostly kept dim, which added to the historic old-theatre vibe during the performance. An awesome place to check out live music as well as stand-up.

4. The Middle East – For the live music fanatic who doesn’t mind venturing further off campus to Cambridge, this is definitely a spot to check out. The Middle East has several sections to it, including a huge downstairs area where big shows take place and a couple lounge sections where you can catch some live jazz music or even some stand-up comedy. It used to be a place mostly known for booking good indie rock lineups, but more recently it has become a haven for electronica gigs with DJ sets and their biddie-filled Throwed dance party nights. There’s also a restaurant and bar area to hang out in before or after shows.

5. Great Scott – While it’s technically more of a bar that happens to showcase a mix of live music, DJs, and sometimes even stand-up, their weeknight shows are usually 18+ while weekends are 21+. It’s located right across from the Harvard Ave. T stop on the green line in Allston, so expect a crowd full of college students on most nights. The Great Scott is an ideal place to check out local and up-and-coming bands in a smaller venue and it’s pretty budget-friendly, though sometimes you’ll have to pay a cover charge at the door in addition to tickets for shows priced between $5 and $12. If Throwed at Middle East isn’t your type of dance party, you can check out The Pill dance parties here on Friday nights for “vintage-pop and modern indie.”

6. Brighton Music Hall – Formerly Harper’s Ferry, the people who own Paradise Rock Club recently took over this venue, which is located on Brighton Ave. in Allston. While one of the smallest of these venues listed, tickets for shows generally cost only between $10 and $15. A lot of the bands that come through here may not be as recognizable as performers at Paradise or House of Blues, but there’s still a lot of good live music listening to be experienced in this music hall with a dive bar-feel. And once in a blue moon, they’ll even have a night of comedy, including a past performance by 2/3rd of comedy trio Stella – Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black. I’m still kicking myself for not getting tickets to that show.

Do you think BU has a big campus? Do you feel that the distance from Allston to Kenmore is too much to bear? Well, there’s nothing like a panoramic view of Boston to get some perspective on our university, and the Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Center provides it well. It’s the only 360 degree vantage point in the city and at fifty stories up, there are breathtaking views of landmarks from Cambridge to Symphony Hall – not to mention the tiny speck of BU.

You get more than just fantastic views of Boston. There’s an audio tour, a museum, a multimedia theater and, of course, a gift shop. The museum includes a whispering wall of voices of famous figures of Boston, as well as an exhibition on immigration featuring a rap that’s sure to be the next big hit. Trust me, it’s worth the price of admission alone – and you can save two dollars off that price with your BUID.  Here’s a video of my trip high above the city on the Skywalk:

For your own adventure, just visit the Prudential Center on the Green Line between Hynes Convention Center and Copley, or walk if it’s a nice day.

The Skywalk is open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults, $11 with a student ID.

It’s late on a Friday night, and you’ve got a craving for popcorn. You gather up your friends and head to the local multiplex. But just around the corner are other movie theaters, ones you’ve probably never noticed before, stuffed full of the greatest cult, foreign and independent movies on the East Coast.

So, movie buff, if there’s one thing you must do before you walk down the red carpet out of Boston University, it must be to check out a true Boston movie house.

Yes, there is a world beyond our beloved Regal Theater at Fenway, and I assure you it’s worth the trip. These theaters offer up something unique. The concession stands pour real butter on your popcorn. The midnight movie is probably a title you have never heard of (ever heard of Blacula, the 70s blacksploitation horror film? Didn’t think so), but will soon come to love. These independent theaters don’t sell you the latest blockbusters; they are selling a true movie-going experience, one unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Take the Brattle Theatre, a single room moviehouse in Harvard Square on the Red Line. The theater there, tucked into a basement, has been operating non-stop since 1953, bringing the biggest cult classics to Boston for adoring fans and new converts to enjoy. From a week-long series on the Muppets to reviving the classics like Rear Window and Casablanca, the Brattle is an ideal place to turn to get your retro fix. And with student prices just $7.75, it’s cheaper than the major theaters too.

The Coolidge Corner Theatre, a staple of Brookline since the 1920s,  is another prime location for a great movie night. The non-profit Coolidge, the last Art Deco theater left in Boston, has four different screens, but the main screen on the first floor will make your jaw drop (the cinema’s spectacular ceiling was recently restored). Still, the Coolidge is so much more than just a pretty face. Located on the C branch of the Green Line, the Coolidge offers a wide variety of new independent releases and special programming. The theater even hosts occasional stage acts, including plays and even burlesque dancers. Student tickets are available all day on Thursdays, but be sure to keep checking in to see if your favorite movie is schedule to play. The Coolidge plans what movies they’ll screen one week at a time.

If you’re looking for something a little more mainstream, you couldn’t do much better than the Kendall Square Cinema, a member of the Landmark chain of theaters. The Kendall specializes in foreign language and documentary films, and with nine different screens, they can fit a lot in. The Kendall features the best of both worlds: the indie sensibilities combined with the furnishings of the latest greatest multiplexes. While the Kendall may be a short walk away from the nearest Red Line MBTA stop, the walk is certainly worth it.

So, whether you’re a movie maniac or a casual theater-goer, you can’t miss these cinema shrines. Go for a movie, and be prepared to fall in love; you may never want to set foot in a big-chain multiplex ever again.

With the weeks winding down until graduation, there are many things you should do in Boston before saying goodbye to Beantown. Catch a Red Sox game at Fenway, see a midnight movie at Coolidge Corner, nosh a cannoli at Mike’s in the North End. Now, all that’s well and good, but there’s one thing you need to do in Boston before you graduate: drink. Yes, I said drink.

Boston boasts a plethora of bars, pubs and dives to choose from, but for an avid beer lover like myself, one of the coolest things about living in Boston is that you can eschew crowded bars altogether and go straight to the source: breweries. The Bay State is home to a number of craft breweries and brewpubs, from the Harpoon Brewery to Cambridge Brewing Co., so put down that lukewarm Natty Ice and take advantage of all the brewed goodness Boston has to offer.

My personal favorite is the Sam Adams Brewery. Grab the Orange Line to the Stony Brook T-stop in Jamaica Plain and spend an afternoon with a free tour of the brewery. You read that right—free, a college kid’s favorite word. The brewery does suggest a voluntary $2 donation, which is given to local charities and will make you a beer-filled Good Samaritan. Win-win.

The tour, led by one of the brewery’s entertaining employees, takes you through the complex process of making a simple pint of beer. You get to taste the different types of grains and hops that give Sam Adams its distinct flavor, see some of the action in the malting and brewing machines, and learn strange beer jargon like “wort,” “trub,” and “mouthfeel.” The tour is informative and interesting for beer connoisseurs, but what you really want to know is if you get some free brew, and the answer’s a big malty yes.

After the guided tour, you’re led into the brewery’s tasting room to sample some of the finished products. You get three samples, about half a pint each, usually of their signature Boston Lager, a seasonal selection, and the Boston Brick Red, a special brew that’s only available on draft in Boston. The freebies keep coming, as you’re quickly informed that you get to keep your engraved Sam Adams’ commemorative tasting glass, which would make the perfect shot glass if you had Charlie Sheen’s liver. You also get to smell (not taste, as that would probably be lethal) Utopias, Sam Adams’ 25% alcohol experimental beer, which holds the Guinness World Record for strongest beer in the world. Cool beans, er, hops.

Post-tasting, you can venture over to the Boston Beer Museum and learn more about brewing history, or you can continue your day of drinking at the nearby Doyle’s Café, a flagship bar owned by Sam Adams’ makers, the Boston Beer Co. The brewery runs a free shuttle to Doyle’s, where you can enjoy some of the newest, freshest Sam Adams brews in town. Free drinks, free glasses, and a free ride to the bar? Yeah, you definitely can’t go wrong with an afternoon spent at the Sam Adams Brewery.

The Sam Adams Brewery is located at 30 Germania St. in Jamaica Plain. For more information, check out http://www.samueladams.com/.

Images courtesy JanetandPhil, Eric P and Ross Housewright on Flickr / Creative Commons.

While I love romping around Allston or Coolidge Corner as much as the next BU student, after the third night weekend in a row spent on Harvard Ave., I get a creeping feeling that I’ve seen it all before. And that’s when I head over to Jamaica Plain. Perhaps better known for attractions like the Samuel Adams Brewery and Forest Hills Cemetery, I love JP for its local-centric, DIY culture packed with kitschy shops, organic lunch and dinner spots and gorgeous green spaces. The 4.4 square mile neighborhood, sandwiched by Brookline, Roxbury and Dorchester, has one of the most distinctive feels of Boston’s many neighborhoods. Where else could you find a fair trade and organic deli and feed store? Or a tapas bar, record and book store all under one roof? Just JP.

Longtime Jamaica Plain residents and business owners have been in the know about the virtues of locally sourced food for many years now, so delectable, healthy fare is the standard at many restaurants lining Centre Street. Also a haven for artists, Jamaica Plain is home to exceptional art galleries, music venues and funky little shops filled with things you didn’t know you needed. Don’t hesitate to head over at night either – Scottish pub, The Haven, old school Doyle’s Café and the Bella Luna Milky Way Lounge are all worth the trip to JP.  Getting there is easy enough though, with a short ride on the Green line and a transfer to the Orange. Then you can get off at Stonybrook, Jackson Square, Green Street or Forest Hills and be in the center of it all.

On a recent rainy Friday afternoon, I walked down Centre Street and snapped some photos of what I found. Look through them for a peek of what Jamaica Plain has to offer and then get over there before you graduate.

The Centre Street entrance to the Arnold Arboretum

The Arnold Arboretum, founded by Harvard University, is the oldest arboretum in North America. Not just a pretty park, the arboretum is grounds for research on evolution, plant pathology and other treesearch (pun shamefully intended).  Admire beautiful views of the Boston city skyline from Peters Hill or go for a cycle along the many paths for a perfect spring afternoon.

Branch of an American Sweet Gum tree

Every one of the 14,980 individual plants in the Arnold Arboretum living collection is tagged with its species name and other information, making for an educational park experience.
125 Arborway, arboretum.harvard.edu

"Stop violence, create peace" sidewalk art in front of a Tedeschi store on Centre Street

The dove and words are the result of a 2008 Paint for Peace program started by Robert Guillemin, a.k.a. Sidewalk Sam. He wanted to paint up to 600 doves on sidewalks around Boston and enlisted youth from the Hyde Park Task Force to help paint the doves in front of bodegas and stores around Jamaica Plain.
Sidewalksam.com

The bountiful selection of hats and other suave goods at Salmagundi, hats and accessories.

With more than 6,000 caps, fedoras, beanies and more Salmagundi has a hat for everyone.
“People will come in and say ‘I’m not a hat person,’ but I think everyone is a hat person, you just haven’t found the right hat,’” says assistant manager Amanda McKeever.

Hatter Jason Wednesday Miller sews a lapel on to a hat.

The hatters at Salmagundi will custom fit a hat to your head for free and with hat prices ranging from $35-40 for a cap to $50-300 for a fedora, picking up one of these is not a mad idea.
765 Centre St., salmagundiboston.com

Diners relax at the City Feed and Supply café

Part grocery store, part café and deli, but all organic and delicious, the City Feed and Supply has been leading the way in local, organic and fair-trade food for more than 10 years.
672 Centre St., cityfeedandsupply.com

Sidewalk sign for Centre Street Café

A Centre Street institution, the brunch, lunch and dinner spot  sources all of its food from local farms. The slacker’s breakfast, served until 3 p.m., is a crowd favorite, probably due to its hefty portions soaked in real maple syrup.

A rare moment of peace in Centre Street Café, usually packed to the brim and with lines out the door for weekend brunch.

669A Centre Street, centrestcafe.com

Bright and beautiful necklaces on display at on Centre

Adorable is the word that comes to mind for the many accessories and gifts in this boutique, which opened about five years ago. You’ll be looking for any excuse to pick up one of these knick knacks, which includes jewelry, scarves, note cards and much, much more.
636 Centre St.

A cow overlooks a coffee roaster Inside JP Lick's flagship store

J.P. Licks flagship store on Centre Street is a converted Victorian fire house where they make all the ice cream for their other stores, as well as roast their own coffee. With flavors like Leprechaun Brew and Baileys Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, it’s no wonder they’ve booming with business since 1981.
659 Centre St., jplicks.com

Chef Marcos Sanchez slices cured loin at Tres Gatos

A tapas bar, book and record store, Tres Gatos celebrates the finest things in life. Since opening in early January, the restaurant/store has been packed with people eager to try out the tapas and browse the impressive record collection.

A customer picks out a book from the shop in Tres Gatos, located just behind the kitchen.

470 Centre St., tresgatosjp.com

An admirer looks on as sales associate Stephanie Messina cuts fabric at JP Knit and Stitch

Don’t be fooled by the CVS sign still on the exterior of JP Knit and Stitch – the inside packs a colorful punch and is filled with yarn, fabric and crafty inspiration.
461 Centre St., jpknitandstitch.com

When I look back on my time at Boston University, it seems that there’s very little I did outside of school that didn’t involve spending money.  Lots of it.  See, I have two speeds when it comes to money management: complete saver or complete spender.  And, since only about 0.072% of the cash I’ve earned remains from the umpteen jobs I’ve held while a student, it’s pretty clear that I’ve pretty much been in spending mode for three and a half years.

Now, I’ve had clothes binges and a kicks-fetish phase—my toe game was sick at one point—but there’s one thing on which I’ve spent loads more than all my other foolish/silly/awesome purchases combined.  Food.  If you still have a dining plan, you probably can’t relate to this.  But, once that thing’s gone and you’re living in an apartment and being expected to buy groceries and cook all the time (I know you hear me, juniors and seniors), then going out to eat becomes pretty second nature.  No matter how much you enjoy cooking, sometimes you just need to take the easy way out.

I admit, most of the time I’m spending a few bucks here for a sandwich and a couple more there for some pad thai.  But, if there’s one thing that you should do before graduating, it’s to go out and spend a ton of money on one meal.  That’s right.  One meal.

Before you grab that benjamin that Grandma gave you for Christmas and go to Sunset and get 6 orders of nachos and a table tap, you should know there are some rules. You have to go to a place that you’ve never considered as within the realm of possibility as an undergrad, i.e., expensive and off-campus (more on this later).  You have to dress up.  And, of course, you’ve got to convince a couple of your friends that this is an investment that’s totally worth it.

That last bit may be the hard part.  But, what you have to understand is not only is there amazing food in this city, but the experience of eating somewhere totally decadent is totally surreal.  Getting gussied up, having waiters who are legitimate experts on the courses they’re offering you, and paying for it yourself—not with mommy or daddy’s card—is really something special.  It’s almost impossible to describe.

Where to go?  I’m glad you asked.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Any restaurant owned by the Aquitaine Group:  This of course includes Aquitaine, but also the Gaslight Brasserie andMetropolis Café.  All terrific restaurants, all in the South End.  Totally gorgeous and delicious.

2. KO Prime Steakhouse and Bar:  If you’re into steak, this one and the next suggestion are for you.  Located downtown, it has great T access in addition to its edgy, urban, young-professional feel.

3. Mooo…: Another great steakhouse, right next to the State House in Beacon Hill.  A little quieter and more relaxed.

4. Eastern Standard:  A little afraid to leave the BU cocoon?  Check out Eastern Standard.  Great dinner menu, insanely good dessert, and, dare I say it, some of the best mixologists and cocktails in Boston.

Of course, do some of your own research.  And, if you need a little more convincing, just remember that Restaurant Week started yesterday.