Escaping into Boston

In all the "excitement" of midterms week(s) it's pretty easy to get caught up in the routine of staying on campus and just studying. My friend and I decided to take a break from all the stress and go out to breakfast in Boston on a Tuesday morning. One of the major reasons I chose to come to BC is because of it's location. I love having a home here on campus, but then being able to get to the amazing city of Boston so quickly. Being so close to Boston is what made it so easy to go in quickly to eat and escape campus on a weekday morning. I had actually never gone into Boston before class so I felt awesome having this new experience. We took the T (Boston's subway) into the North End and had breakfast at one of my favorite places in the whole city, Mike's Pastry. (If you ever want cannoli or any other Italian cookies/pastries, go to Mike's. They have the greatest tasting treats... they're delicious!!) We then walked back to the T and made it back in time for my class at noon. I don't think I've had a better morning at BC. What's great about BC is that we can explore Boston and all the opportunities it presents and then be able to come "home" to campus when we're done.

Alyssa

Boston College '13

Boston Excursion: From Chestnut Hill to the North End

Hey everyone! In my last post I shared some of the things I love about Boston and being so close to the city. I spoke about how I loved Boston’s many neighborhoods and that because it is relatively small, it’s fairly easy to get around even if you are just walking. To prove my point my friend and I went on a little excursion last Columbus Day weekend and walked all the way from Chestnut Hill (Boston College) to the North End. To get a sense of the neighborhoods in Boston, check out this map.

When you want to get from place to place in Boston, it is usually easy and cheap to take the T, the Boston subway system. But when it is a beautiful day I would recommend walking through some of the neighborhoods yourself. You will notice that things are not to far away from each other and it is easy to get across the city just by strolling along through each neighborhood. On a Saturday afternoon my friend and I began walking down Beacon St., heading towards the center of Boston…

We first arrived at Cleveland Circle, a common destination right down the street from the main campus. Here students will find a variety of eateries such as Roggies and Eagle’s Deli, convenience stores such as CVS, the Reservoir T stop, and even off campus housing. After saying hello to some friends, we continued our way down Beacon St., passing through several beautiful neighborhoods, and then arrived at Coolidge Corner. This Brookline intersection and the streets surrounding it have a quaint and pedestrian-friendly feel, and are home to many small and family-run shops and restaurants (not mention my favorite Jewish deli and brunch location, Zafitgs.) You can also catch a glimpse of the restored art deco Coolidge Corner Theatre. This is a great place nearby to walk, eat, shop, and relax with friends.

We soon reached Commonwealth Ave. and passed the famous Boston Citgo sign (see the photo of me above.) With the top of the Prudential Tower growing in the distance, we crossed over to Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, which was filled with pedestrians. This is a popular destination for anyone visiting or living in Boston. Newbury Street is lined with historic 19^th century brownstones with house an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and salons, making it a great destination for shopping, dining, or just enjoying a day in the city. The area of Back Bay itself is part of old Boston and one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods. It is home to many great Boston destinations such as Copley Square, the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, John Hancock Tower, and also the Berklee College of Music.

After being entertained by a college jazz band playing outside of Starbucks and perusing in and out of boutiques, we exited Newbury Street and entered the Boston Common, one of the oldest city parks in the country. On beautiful days the Common is filled with picnickers, dog walkers, musicians, families, and street vendors. Here you can walk through the public garden, ride the famous swan boats, or enjoy the “Frog Pond.” My friend and I decided to buy a snack from a street vendor and enjoy a small musical performance taking place that afternoon.

The Common is surrounded by the Boston Theatre District, Financial District, and Beacon Hill Area; however we decided to make our way down to Faneuil Hall. This building is a historical Boston market and meeting hall and one of the most frequently visited sites in the US. Inside and around Faneuil Hall you can find lots of great places to eat, shop, and walk around-you might even see some really awesome street performances by various dance and musical groups. Faneuil Hall is also part of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walk marked with red bricks that leads one through 16 historical sites in the city.

My friend and I finally followed the Freedom Trail all the way to the North End, Boston’s “Little Italy,” and one of my favorite areas of Boston. The North End is Boston’s oldest residential communities and home to Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church. Its quaint streets are filled with Italian restaurants, pastry shops, cafes, and markets. It’s almost impossible to leave with out a box of cannoli or having eaten some gelato or pizza. We ate at a tiny restaurant off of Prince Street and ended our day with some delicious homemade pasta and gnocchi. As you can see, Boston is fairly easy to navigate and accommodates a wide variety of interests. This is something every Boston College student should take advantage of.

Hope you enjoyed this post, if you have any questions feel free to send me an email! papastam@bc.edu

Thanks for reading!

Sofia Papastamelos

8 Great Things About Living Near Boston

When searching for colleges, a great way to narrow down your choices is to take into account the location and setting of the university. Are you looking for a large rural school on the west coast? Or perhaps a small urban college in an east coast city? The location may very well shape the culture of the school and the experiences you create while you are there.

Personally, I was looking for a school that was in or close to a city, which is one of the reasons I was intrigued by Boston College. What’s great about BC is that the students here are able to enjoy all of the benefits of a traditional (and beautiful!) college campus while still having quick and easy access to the city of Boston and all of its resources. Students here love living so close to the city. We have convenient access to two T stops that can transport anyone into Boston fairly quickly. Because of this, there are so many things to do on the weekends for fun -so if you don’t feel like taking part in the numerous activities occurring on campus, you can easily get away and do your own thing in the city whenever you please.

Here are some other great things about Boston and being so close:

1. Just like in any city, Boston has a huge array of restaurants, shopping, art, historical sites, shows/concerts, and great nightlife. For great ideas or examples of fun Boston activities, I would recommend visiting this Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/365ThingsBoston?ref=ts or simply check out this awesome site: http://mysecretboston.com/ 
2. Boston is a college town! There are more than 100 colleges and universities located in the Great Boston area, so there are tons of college students and other young adults all over the city. Many businesses in the area take advantage of this, offering products, activities, and services that are specifically targeted to college students. 
3. BC sponsors or partners with other events that are going on in the city such as the Museum of Fine Arts College Night, tickets to sports events and Broadway shows, and homecoming at the House of Blues, so you have a VIP access to some of Boston’s greatest attractions!
4. Boston has great sporting events! For all you sports enthusiasts it is easy and fun to get tickets to Boston Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics games. Did I mention Fenway is only five T stops away…
5. Boston doesn’t have to be expensive! The T is very inexpensive to ride and there are plenty of cheap things to do in the city such as walking around, exploring, picnicking in the commons, and going to the MFA (art museum) just to name a few. Check out the photo above of me enjoying a beautiful day in the Boston Commons. 
6. Boston is also a great place for service and club activities. Many BC classes and service clubs such as PULSE and 4Boston have volunteer placements in the city that students visit each week. In addition, BC performance groups such as the Voices of Imani perform at Boston events/charity benefits and the CSOM business academies visit businesses and conferences in the Greater Boston area. There are just a few examples of how Boston College clubs and organizations take advantage of being so close to the city!
7. Boston offers great job and internship opportunities! Whether you are a nursing student looking to train at a local hospital or a CSOM student seeking an accounting internship, the city has a myriad of resources. 
8. Lastly, what I love about Boston is its wonderful historical aura and the fact that it is such a walkable city. Because of its relatively small size, it is pretty easy to find your way through each of its small and unique neighborhoods, making exploring a favorite pastime. To prove my point, I decided spend a Columbus weekend afternoon walking all the way from BC to the North End! To hear more about this excursion, visit my next post. 

Please feel free to email me with any comments or questions: papastam@bc.edu

Thanks for Reading!!

Sofia Papastamelos

May 1st is coming up!....

The deadline to decide on a college is coming up and to help you all decide if BC is right for you, I've compiled a list of Q&As that I have gotten frequently from friends from home and people I met at Admitted Eagle Day...

Question: "I keep hearing that BC is very Caucasian and preppy. Do you feel like you fit in just fine? Is the student body diverse enough? Also, do you know if there are any Southeast Asian/Indian clubs/dance groups and such? A Capella groups?"

Answer: BC is definitely NOT all Caucasian and preppy. Of course you have preppy students but that is a rumor stemming from the fact that BC back in the day was a very white-dominant school. Today, we have a very diverse population of both Caucasian and AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) students. There are a great variety of culture groups and dance groups. I am a member of UGBC this year and my mentor is the Director of UNITY, which is a liaison between UGBC and the AHANA Leadership Council and we plan a lot of diversity events. One event in particular featured three cultural dance groups on campus. Furthermore, next year's president and vice president have a lot of AHANA initiatives on their platform. The culture groups that you talk of are very widespread on campus.

Question: Do you like your classes/professors?

Answer: I love my classes and professors. I love my CSOM classes and I have such dedicated professors who do whatever they can to help you through the course, and through the four years of college. Professors are also very accessible. I frequently meet with professors to not only get extra help but even life-chat. Even though I am in CSOM, I still have to take a bunch of Arts and Sciences classes such as Philosophy and Theology. I have had two Jesuits as professors and they are amazing at what they do and you also have them as mentors as well, they aren't just professors.

Question: Why did you choose BC?

Answer: I'll admit it wasn't my first choice and I didn't think I would end up here, but now that I am here, I can't imagine going anywhere else. It was a really great fit for me. A couple of my favorite things about BC besides what I've already mentioned are:

1. beauty (love the churches and Fulton Hall, the home of CSOM)
2. proximity to Boston (we have our own T stop and we have a shuttle that goes to another quicker line. The trip takes about 10 minutes)
3. great social life and school spirit, particularly during football season
4. MARATHON MONDAY which was so much fun and inspirational. BC is such a crucial spot during the race and so a lot of people gather on the streets to cheer on runners.
5. such amazing people that you get to see, befriend, work with, and talk to every day

Question: Where do you currently live and do you recommend Upper Campus or Newton Campus?

Answer: I currently live in Fitzpatrick on Upper Campus. Regarding Upper vs. Newton, it really depends on the kind of person you are because there is no difference between the two, save the bus transportation necessary for students who live on the Newton Campus. I am not a bus-person at all. I need to be able to walk back to room whenever I need to because I tend to forget books, laptop, homework, etc. in my room....and I can't run on any other schedule beside my own.

Question: How do the housing/roommate situations work?

Answer: You can choose your roommates through the ResLife portal which you get access to once you decide you want to come here. Your freshman year roommate is usually randomly chosen based on a housing profile you fill out about how neat you are and whether you want to use the room to study, socialize or relax. You can also choose a roommate if you've met someone at Freshman Orientation that you want to live with: generally people do get who they request. Freshmen housing assignments don't come out until August. After freshman year, there is a lottery you enter with your friends based on the number of people you want in your room.

Hope this helps you make this important decision! If you have any more questions about CSOM, BC, or anything about college, shoot me an email (fangda@bc.edu)!

Good luck! Hope to see you on campus next year!