Well everyone, this is it, my final blog post as a COM Ambassador and as a college student! As of this Friday, December 1st, I will officially be done with college, which is an absolutely crazy thought. It feels like just yesterday I was driving into Boston to move in for freshman year. But here I am, three and half years later, in Los Angeles, where I always hoped to end up, preparing for my final class of college!
My time in Boston provided me with some of the best moments of my life. I met some of my best friends and took advantage of some amazing opportunities that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else. Boston became my home and I am terribly sad to leave it behind for the huge metropolis that is Los Angeles, but I know some day I’ll find my way back to Beantown!
For my final blog post, I decided to compile a list of my favorite places/things in Boston, and a list of the things I wish I had done during my time in the city. For any incoming or current students: check these places out; four (or 3.5) years flies by quicker than expected. Make the most of your time in Boston!
FAVORITE PLACES/THING I DID IN BOSTON
The North End, specifically all of the pastry places, like Modern Pastry. (Honestly, I think Modern is better than Mike’s, plus it’s cheaper.) There’s a lot of history in this part of town, lot’s of old buildings and churches, etc. It’s the perfect place to just walk around and absorb the city.
Relatedly, I love Faneuil Hall, mainly because it was where my family would always take me when we would visit Boston when I was younger. I just think it’s such a cool place, with plenty of different dining and shopping options. There are always performers there as well, and you’ll be only a few minutes away from the harbor, another fantastic place!
Coolidge Corner is another one of my favorite places in Boston. There is so much to do there: shopping, eating, seeing a movie. The Coolidge Corner Theater is an absolutely beautiful theater and always shows smaller indie films that might not show at Regal or AMC, which is great. Brookline Booksmith, right across from the theater, is also another great place to visit. They have a whole basement full of used books for great prices, and the store consistently brings in authors for a variety of events!
Illuminus, an art festival held on Landsdowne Street: The last time this festival happened was my sophomore year, and I’m so sad they didn’t bring it back until this fall while I was away in LA. During Illuminus, Landsdowne street was shut down and filled with a variety of art installations, most of which involved amazing lights. It was quite a amazing to behold and I would totally recommend attending the next time it comes to Boston!
Spectacle Island– When I worked as a program assistant for the AMP high school program, I was able to bring my students on a trip through the harbor to Spectacle Island. Not only was the boat ride beautiful, but the island itself is magnificent, with plenty of walking trails and beaches made almost entirely out of sea glass. I guess it really was a spectacle.
THINGS I WISH I HAD DONE
Boston may not be the biggest city, but there is still so much to do both there and in the surrounding areas. One of my biggest regrets was failing to go to nearby places such as the Bunker Hill Monument or the USS Constitution Museum. The USS Constitution was one of my parents’ favorite places to bring me and my siblings when we would visit Boston as kids, so its a shame I never had the chance to see it while actually living nearby!
The Institute of Contemporary Art
This museum is on the water! You probably see your friends there on Snapchat and realize that it’s a super cool museum and wish you took the time to visit! Or maybe that’s just me…
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
I’m noticing a trend here with museums. Again, I lived about ten minutes away from this museum over the past three years and somehow never managed to visit it. Fun fact, it’s free to get in with a student ID or if your name is Isabella (I only qualify for one of those), so I really had no excuse not to stop by!
Well everyone, this was just a short list of the things I did and wish I had done while in Boston. I think it serves as a way to commemorate the many great memories I made while visiting these places, with friends or on my own, all while learning the city and growing to call it home. I’m sad that my time as a student at Boston University has come to a conclusion so soon, but I am beyond excited to see what the future has to offer me. I’m so thankful for the many opportunities I have been offered during my time in Boston, especially those offered to me via COM. Being a COM Ambassador is one of my favorite memories of all, and I’m so happy I was able to spend the better part of my time at BU helping welcome in new students.
