Crash CourseCrash CourseBOSTON:BOSTON:
Essential Guide to Transportation, Shopping, Entertainment, and Culture
IntroductionIntroduction
• How to put BOSTON into Boston College
• Where are you living?BrightonBrooklineNewtonChestnut HillBeyond?
Boston College and Its Boston College and Its NeighborhoodsNeighborhoods
• The BC shuttle is the quickest way to get around the area immediately surrounding campus and to the MBTA (public transportation)
• Bordering Streets: Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon
Street
• Take a look at the map in your Orientation brochure
The T: Your FriendThe T: Your Friend
• The easiest away to get around Boston, even if you have a car, is to take the T
• Charlie Cards have a better price
• Discount on monthly pass from BC Office of Transportation
• MBTA website can help you plan your trip
MBTA trip plannerMBTA trip planner
The Green LineThe Green Line
• Three different lines run near BC and through the surrounding neighborhoods:• B Line (last stop is Boston College;
goes along Comm. Ave toward downtown; can be painfully slow)
• C Line (leaves from Cleveland Circle; goes along Beacon St. toward downtown)
• D Line (has Reservoir and Chestnut Hill Stops)
LOCAL HOT SPOTSLOCAL HOT SPOTS
• Cleveland Circle
• Coolidge Corner
• Brighton Center
• Newton Center
• Harvard Ave. on B Line
• Harvard Square, Cambridge
Newton CenterNewton Center
• Great local stores
• Sol Azteca
• Union Street Bar & Grill
• Johnny’s Luncheonette
• Sandwich Works
• Panera Bread
• Starbucks
• J.P. Licks
Chestnut Hill by way of Chestnut Hill by way of Hammond StreetHammond Street
• Chestnut Hill Shopping Center: Macy’s, City Sports, The Container Store, AMC, La Rotisserie, and Comella’s
• Chestnut Hill Mall: Bloomingdale’s, Apple, Upscale Boutiques (kate spade)
• Atrium Mall: Anthropologie, GAP, J.Crew, Restaurants
• Star Market on Hammond Street (Rte. 9)
Cleveland CircleCleveland Circle
• Accessible by Shuttle--Reservoir Stop
• C Line begins here; D Line has stop at Reservoir
• Conveniences: Banking, CVS, Hardware Store, Tedeschi
• Restaurants: Pino’s / Presto’s Pizza, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Eagle’s Deli, Chill
• Bars: City Side, Roggie’s, Mary Ann’s
WASHINGTON SQUAREWASHINGTON SQUARE
• Grocery Stores: Star Market, Whole Foods
•Restaurants: Publick House, American Craft, Washington Square Tavern, The Fireplace, American Craft, Rod Dee, Athan’s Bakery
•Conveniences: Starbucks, Connelly Hardware, Liquor Store, Banking, Shoe Repair, Marathon Sports, Movie Works
Harvard/BRIGHTON Harvard/BRIGHTON AVENUEAVENUE
• Harvard Avenue Stop on the B line
• Staples, TJ Maxx, Kelly’s Roast Beef, S&I Thai, La Mama’s, Starbucks, Pita Pit
• Several Popular Bars• Great Scott’s• Big City• Sunset Grill• Common Ground• Barley Hall (Griggs St. on B Line:
GSA Grad Night Out!)
Coolidge CornerCoolidge Corner
• Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop
• Coolidge Corner Theater
• Brookline Booksmith
• Zaftig’s, J.P. Licks
• Shopping conveniences
Other B Line AttractionsOther B Line Attractions
• Packard’s Corner: Large Shaw’s/Star Market
• Boston University Stops (lots of bars, restaurants): T Anthony’s, T’s Pub, Super 88/Hong Kong Supermarket, Brown Sugar
• Charles River trail
• City Sports, EMS, Landry’s Bicycles
• Kenmore Square: Fenway Park, Eastern Standard, Barnes & Noble, Uno’s, Bertucci’s, Post Office, Banks, Sports Bars
Brighton CenterBrighton Center
• Located within walking distance to BC
• 57 Bus Line
• St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, YMCA
• Bars: Green Briar, Porterbelly’s, The Last Drop
• Restaurants: Devlin’s, Brighton Beer Garden, Smoken Joe’s BBQ
• Coffee: CafeNation, Athan’s Bakery, Starbucks
• Conveniences: Banking, Post Office, Hair Salons, Flower Shops, CVS, White Hen Pantry
• Johnny D’s Fruit and Vegetable Stand
Along the D LineAlong the D Line
• Brookline Village• Matt Murphy’s, Sichuan Garden, Village
Smokehouse• Local Conveniences
• Fenway Stop:• Regal Cinemas• Bed, Bath and Beyond• Best Buy• Staples• Cold Stone Creamery • Blick Art Supplies• Panera Bread
CAMBRIDGECAMBRIDGE• Must see with tons of shops, restaurants,
Harvard University, MIT (Kendall Sq.)
• Notable stops: Harvard Film Archive, The Raven, Schoenhof’s, Grendel’s Den
• Cambridge One for gourmet pizza and Border Café for great margaritas, Sole; Vegetarians hit Veggie Planet (Harvard Sq) and Life Alive (Central Sq.)
• Shopping, unique boutiques
• Great movie scene
The 86 BusThe 86 Bus
• Leaves from Reservoir Station (BC Shuttle stops here)
• Goes through Brighton Center at Market Street, Watertown, to Harvard
• Target, Old Navy, Best Buy, Arsenal Mall are accessible at the Western Ave/Arsenal Rd. Stop
Downtown BostonDowntown Boston
• Fenway Park: take B or D Line (Fenway stop or Kenmore Stop)
• Boston Marathon
• Symphony Hall (Boston Pops)• Hynes Convention Center
• Museum of Fine Arts (E Line)
• The Esplanade (Charles River)
Downtown bostonDowntown boston
• City Hall and Faneuil Hall
• Prudential Center
• Newbury & Boylston Streets• Upscale shopping, AMC Theatres
• Boston Common and Public Garden
• Boston Public Library, Athenaeum membership library
Other boston Other boston neighborhoodsneighborhoods
• North End
• South End
• South Boston “Southie”
• Charlestown
• Jamaica Plain
• Dorchester
Beyond BostonBeyond Boston
• Beaches, Skiing, Hiking
• Buses to New York City
• Canada, Upstate New York
• Cape Cod (Bus or 1.5 hour drive)
• Cape Ann (Rockport, Gloucester)
• Basketball Hall of Fame
• North Shore (Marblehead, Salem); Newburyport, Portsmouth
• “Leaf Peeping” in Vermont, White Mountains in New Hampshire
• Apple Picking, Walden Pond, Tanglewood, Salem, the Berkshires
Family-friendly boston Family-friendly boston (and Beyond)(and Beyond)
• Frog Pond year-round
• Museum of Science, Children’s Museum, Aquarium, Franklin Park & Stoneham Zoos
• Harvest Festivals, Cranberry Bogs, Apple Picking
• Old Sturbridge Village
Free things to doFree things to do• http://www.boston.com
• Harvard Sq.: street performers, Harvard Book Store
• The Freedom Trail• Tours of Sam Adams Brewery (Jamaica Plain)• Admission to MFA for BC students• Mass Historical Society, Mass State House• Tours of Boston Public Library, Institute for
Contemporary Art• Arnold Arboretum (Orange Line)• Wine Tastings at Best Cellars (Coolidge)• Brookline Liquor:
• All you can drink beer tastings on Fri• All you can drink wine tastings on Sat
• Mass DCR Parks and Beaches
Student DiscountsStudent Discounts
• Coupon Sites• Groupon: www.groupon.com• Buy With Me: www.buywithme.com• Living Social Deal: www.livingsocial.com • CoupMe: www.coupme.com
• Restaurant.com: Google “80% discount”!
• Upromise by Sallie Mae: www.upromise.com
• Student Advantage Discount Card: http://www.studentadvantage.com/
• AMC Loews Theatres: Thursdays =$8.50
• Student Universe (travel): www.studentuniverse.com
• When In Doubt: Always Ask!
Questions?Questions?
• Contact us!
• Murray Graduate Student Center [email protected] or www.bc.edu/gsc
• Graduate Student Association: www.bc.edu/gsa • Facebook: “Boston College Graduate Student
Association (GSA)”• Twitter: BC_GSA • Executive Board Members:
• Director of Advocacy and Outreach: Victoria Pineiro
• Director of Programming: Emily Halstead• Director of Finances: Jon Piron