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!

 

 

 

Tiffany: Favorite Places in Boston

Tiffany ImageCongratulations COM class of 2016! I can’t wait to meet you all at the Open Houses coming up in the next couple weeks. Open House is not only a great time for you to learn more about all the exciting classes, programs, clubs, and activities at BU and COM, but its also the perfect time for you to fall in love with this city that has stolen my heart. I know many of you will only be in town for a couple days so here’s a short list of some of my favorite places in Boston that I recommend you visit during your short stay:

  • Newbury Street: Great shopping, beautiful scenery, and delicious restaurants
  • Fanieul Hall: Historical sites + architecture, delicious food in Quincy Market
  • Legal Seafood: My favorite Boston clam chowder
  • North End: Dessert at Mike’s Pastry
  • Boston Public Garden: On a nice day, take a relaxing stroll and see the historical Swan Boats

Safe travels to those who are coming out of town and I can’t wait to meet you in a couple weeks! Congrats, again!

Julianna: Boston- The Ultimate De-Stress

Julianna ImageFirst and foremost, CONGRATS on your acceptance to BU COM! Time to attend Open House, submit your final decision and rock your new BU gear in school. Next up is finishing senior year on a high note and attending summer orientation. Believe me when I tell you that once you go to orientation you’ll never want to leave Boston for the rest of the summer. By the time the weekend is over you’ll be planning lunch dates with your new friends for September. While at orientation you will get a small taste of Boston’s vibrant culture. Just wait until you get here in the fall when you can fully explore (and eat and shop your way through) the different neighborhoods.

Take advantage of the city as much as you can because as the semester goes on and your workload builds up, you may venture out into the city less and less. Here’s my advice: the best time to actually enjoy Boston is when you’re super stressed. Manage your time, hide out in a quiet space in-between classes and then at night unwind by taking a mini shopping trip to Newbury or attending a concert. You’ll see that by taking a few hours off from assignments will feel incredibly therapeutic.

On a recent Monday night my best friend and I went to the Chairlift concert at Brighton Music Hall. Getting the chance to dance just a few feet away from one of my favorite current bands not only helped me to de-stress for a few hours, but gave me a boost of energy for the rest of the week. So be spontaneous, enjoy Boston. YOLO.

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Richie: A Picnic in Boston

Richie Duque
Richie Duque

Hey guys!

Everyone on campus has been super excited since Spring finally decided to come to Boston. I walk around campus and see people playing frisbee, tossing a football around, or just laying out on the grass trying to catch a tan (yes there are some areas with grass on the BU Campus). Well, since my girlfriend was visiting for the week I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and plan a little picnic in the Boston Common.

We went to a Whole Foods Market and bought some “picnic” food on Saturday. I’m not to sure of the usual “picnic” food, but we did get cheese and crackers, some all-natural sodas, sandwich materials, vegetables for salad, and some raspberry licorice for dessert. Then on Sunday we prepared everything, put it in a backpack, grabbed a blanket from my dorm, and were off. I have to admit the floor was a little wet from some rain earlier in the morning, but the day was beautiful. The sun was out and we had an awesome meal. I even brought my laptop and put a chill Spring-time playlist on my iTunes to accompany the beautiful day.

The Swan Boats were open in the Boston Commons and my girlfriend and I went on a ride around the little lake. Afterwards, we packed everything back up again and walked down Newbury Street. A lot of the shops had prices that scared my wallet away, but my girlfriend managed to find a bunch of awesome sales at the new Forever 21 store.

It was also the day before the Boston Marathon so we got to walk on Boylston Street and see where the finish line would be. People from all over the world were walking around. We were in a sea of different languages.

The day was basically awesome. It took a while for Winter to end but Spring time in Boston is great. I definitely recommend the picnic idea to anyone who hasn’t tried it yet. The only thing I regret was we were missing the big red and white checkered blanket!