boston common – COM Ambassador Blog

Kate: 5 Boston Hot Spots to Hit in Your First Week

I know your first week at school is going to be insane so maybe tackle these in your first month but here are some of my favorite Boston places:

1. Shop on Newbury. One of the best shopping strips in the country, Newbury Street is just a 15 minute walk from campus. With everything from Forever 21 to Burberry, more fro-yo places than I can count and some of Boston’s best restaurants, it’s a great place for a little retail therapy and some delicious food.

2. Hang out in Boston Common. You may have heard that Boston gets a little chilly in the winter so the Common should be one of your first stops. I’m the kind of person who could spend a whole day on a bench people watching but if you’re not into that, you can also take a Swan Boat tour, wander the Public Garden or walk the Freedom Trail, which begins in the Common (however, that’s a favorite of Mom and Dad so maybe wait until Parent’s Weekend to take that 3 mile trek).

3. Explore Faneuil Hall. A historic marketplace near the waterfront, Faneuil Hall is an outdoor marketplace with tourist-y stores and lots of restaurants. More shopping and eating, seeing a trend here? They do have one of my favorite stores in the city though- Christmas in Boston where you can buy cheesy holiday decorations all year round.

4. Hit the Beach at Revere. Who knew there was a beach only a short T ride away? Not this girl until it was too late so I am letting you know now. Take the Blue Line to the end and its less than a five minute walk to a day of fun in the sun.

5. Dinner in the North End. New York has Little Italy. Where I’m from in St. Louis, we have The Hill. In Boston, we have the North End. It even smells like Italian when you walk onto Hanover Street. One of my favorites is The Daily Catch where they serve your pasta in the pan it was cooked in and you drink your water out of paper Dixie cup. And of course, a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry is to. die. for.

Since I won’t be in Boston to welcome you all to college, I hope you have a FANTASTIC first semester and I will see y’all in the spring!

Daniela: Into the City We Go

Hey everyone! As a new COM Ambassador, this is my first blog, and let me just say I’m so excited for this semester. It’s only been two weeks, and already my schedule is crazy hectic. As much as I love everything I’m a part of, taking a break every once in a while can do wonders to your mindset.

Boston is one of my favorite cities in the world. I grew up in the suburbs, and even though I had Miami and Fort Lauderdale nearby, it’s not the same as actually living in a city. When I came to BU, I told myself I was going to take full advantage of what the city had to offer me, everything from concerts to internships. Sometimes though, it’s difficult to find those precious free moments. These past couple of weeks have definitely been like that. So yesterday, after a long weekend of work and studying, I decided to put everything on hold and enjoy a stress-free night.

Last night, a couple of my friends and I went into the city to watch a movie. Instead of just walking to the Fenway Regal, we took the T downtown to the AMC Loews Theatre by Boston Common. I had never been there before, but I liked it immediately. It was a huge theater, practically empty since it was a Sunday night. The walls were decorated with classic movie posters and large black and white photographs. I looked up to find famous quotes beautifully inscribed on the ceiling. We bought our tickets for Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which I was dying to see after reading the books. We got some ice cream and made friends with the people who worked there, which got us about four extra scoops each!

When the movie ended, it was too late to take the T back. So we walked. There’s something really beautiful about a quiet city in the middle of the night. The chilly air kept our legs moving as our voices echoed in the silent streets. We passed by the Fairmont Copley Plaza and stopped outside the entrance. It was built in 1912, one hundred years ago. We admired the huge golden lions that guard the hotel and decided at once to go in and explore. It’s a beautiful building. Golden lights flood the hallways and the lobby. Everything was polished and classy. We walked around slowly, talking in hushed voices, completely in awe. As we were making our way out, one of the managers came out and politely inquired what exactly we were doing. We told him we had never been inside and were just about to leave. We were then subtly escorted back outside, in the classiest manner possible. We burst out laughing as we walked away, all agreeing that was probably the nicest, most sophisticated way we’ve ever been kicked out of a building.

We kept walking through the streets, until we turned onto Newbury and then finally Commonwealth Avenue. We talked about our happiest memories, and I thought in the back of my mind that this night would have to be added to my list.

I feel very lucky to have such simple opportunities like this. Life moves so fast; it’s easy to get swept away. In everything I do, I’m always looking ahead. But it’s nights like those that remind me how important it is to look around.

So work hard and get involved as much as you can in the BU community. I know I wouldn’t have my schedule any other way. But if you ever need to relax or clear your mind, take a walk around and explore. It might just be exactly what you need.

Kate: Boston Summer Bucket List

It’s summertime, and while most of my friends from BU and high school have returned home, I am still in Boston enjoying this amazing city in warm weather (when you actually want to get out and see it)! I am still working at COM (stop in and say hello when you get here for orientation!) and am also a New Media intern for TalentCulture, a company that focuses on the world of work through blogging and social media. It has been a fantastic experience so far and I am learning a ton! But I live by the motto “Work hard, play hard” so I made myself a Bucket List of Boston activities to do this summer! Here we go:

1. Go to the beach. If you’re from a landlocked state, you will understand how excited I was to finally live closer than 10 hours from the ocean. Castle Island, the Harbor Islands, and the North Shore have all been recommended to me and I am determined to hit the beach as many times as possible this summer.

2. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables from a Farmer’s Market. There are a TON of markets all around Boston with fresh fruit, veggies, fish, cheese, bread, and all the noms you could want. There is a HUGE one down near the North End that I could shop at all day and the SoWa market in the South End every Sunday. Yumm….

3. Watch a free show in the Common. Free Movie Fridays and Shakespeare in the Park are all highlights of summer. I’ll see you all at Toy Story 3 at the end of July! J

4. Pet sharks at the New England Aquarium. Boston has a fantastic aquarium, home to penguins, sting rays, seals, and thousands of fish. It’s a little expensive but this is a must-see for me this summer.

5. See the Chihuly Exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. In case you didn’t know, we go to the best school in Boston- BU pays for its students to go to the MFA for free (that’s a $22 savings)! Chihuly glass is gorgeous so it should be a fabulous exhibit in addition to all the other awesome art in the MFA.

6. Hang out on the Greenway. Boston is definitely a busy and crowded city, but there is a great green space downtown called the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It’s a mile long set of parks with fountains, a carousel, and tons of events every weekend to enjoy! Oh and did I mention free Wi-Fi? At some point, I will be grabbing a big blanket and heading down there to enjoy the gorgeous weather!

7. Attend a festival. Boston is home to tons of different ethnic festivals and parades. While St. Patrick’s Day may have fallen during spring break keeping me from experiencing the Irish heritage, I refuse to miss the Italian celebration in the North End on August 6. Your fellow COM Ambassador Tom Schrank will be joining me for this one!

8. See a movie at the Coolidge Corner movie theater. Open since 1933, the Coolidge Corner Theater is a Boston landmark that shows everything from great old black and whites to intriguing indies, even that newly released romantic comedy you’re embarrassed to admit looks good. Coolidge Corner is only a 15 minute walk from campus so this may be happening more than once this summer.

9. Walk the Esplanade. The Esplanade is a great area along the Charles River. It goes right by campus and into downtown. There are boat houses, river landings to hang out on, and the Hatch Shell where they put on summer concerts. It should be much nicer now that it is not negative ten degrees outside.

10. Enjoy a Fenway Frank at a Red Sox game. A Boston classic, I couldn’t go the summer without entering Red Sox nation at least once. I’ll be decked in my Cardinals gear but hey, at least the colors are the same.

Let me know if there is anything I left off this list, I am looking for tons of fun things to do this summer! Can’t wait to see you guys this fall- BU is a blast!!