Julianna: Venturing Out

Well, it’s happening. I am in the second semester of my senior year. As expected there are a lot of emotions going on at this time –– a sense of “calm before the storm” before job applications and graduation roll in. Then there are serious bouts of nostalgia –– remember that time during sophomore year when we saw Chairlift at Brighton Music Hall or all the fun, bizarre nights we had on 11C? Above all, I am motivated to do and see as much of the Boston area before the semester runs out. Luckily, I have a lot of free time (the first semester ever since coming to BU). Some of my must-do’s are to check out Inman Square in Cambridge, spend a leisurely afternoon at the MFA and go to Howl at the Moon with my friends.

 

On a recent Sunday my friend and I explored Davis Square in Somerville, which is the second-to-last stop on the Red Line before Alewife. I pretty much adore the Red Line because it runs through my favorite spots in Cambridge: Kendall, Central and Harvard Squares. I have heard a lot buzz about Davis Square (and Somerville overall) for some time in terms of it’s eclectic dining options and growing “hipsterism.” We walked along Elm Street and browsed through racks at Buffalo Exchange and other clothing stores. Then we left the square and strolled along College Avenue to get a look at Tufts University. Since it was a frigid day we decided against going onto Tufts campus, and instead headed back to Davis Square to Diesel Cafe. This is the best cafe that I have been to in a while. First of all, Diesel was packed with people –– local students hovering over books and laptops, young families pushing strollers and groups of friends stuffed into four-person booths. Diesel has pool tables, a photo booth (which seemed to be out-of-order) and two, open-air rooms. We each ordered the “Monkey Wrench,” which had turkey, avocado, cheddar cheese, greens and other fixings on a baguette. I also sipped from a mug of perfectly spicy chai tea latte. We ended our afternoon in Davis Square without any knowledge of a Winter Vintage Market that occurred that very day at the Arts Armory. Of course, we can look forward to the springtime for the reappearance of markets (outdoor!) in the Boston area.