Showing posts with label MBTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MBTA. Show all posts

Friday, April 30, 2010

Appreciating Boston

You know how people say "you don't know what you've got until it's gone"? They were right, you really don't. I'll be outta here in a few weeks and I'm kinda upset that I didn't get to spend very much time exploring Boston. That was actually my New Years Resolution, to explore Boston more, looks like I dropped the ball on that one.

But in all seriousness, this is a great city, probably one of the best in the country. I wish I could say that I've been to the Commons and all the other hot spots in the city, but sadly I haven't. Maybe next year I'll make the effort to spend my free time in the city instead of in a dorm room.

Either way, to anyone reading this, explore Boston. It's a once in a lifetime chance to see a city as a college student and really get to know the city inside and out. The T makes the city so accessible it's ridiculous and you can have a really good time for little or no money.

When you come to BC you're not going to school in a college town, your going to school in a city, and one full of colleges at that. Really take advantage of all the city has to offer, you won't regret it I promise.

Jake

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Adventure through Boston!

Hey all,

Today, I went for a bit of an adventure through the streets of Boston. I think it's a pretty good (if tourist-y) route, so I figured I'd share some highlights:


View Walking Tour! in a larger map

We took the BC Shuttle down the road to hop on the D Line of the T:

Blue - Got off train 20 minutes later at Copley Plaza, left the stop and immediately found something interesting. I've never been in the Boston Public Library, and, oh my, was it enormous. And free!

Red - Walking past all the ritzy boutiques and art stores and cafes along the famous Newbury Street.

Green - Walked through the lovely spring-time Boston Gardens, and by the also famous Swan Boats (they were not running today, sadly). We then continued through Boston's version of Central Park, the Boston Commons. Lots of frisbee, dog walking, and Merry-Go-Rounding on a nice day here.

Teal - Hit up historic Tremont Street, one of the first routes of the Freedom Trail through downtown Boston. Strange that some of the people responsible for the creation of this country walked along that exact road.

Yellow - The circus was in town... literally! The Big Apple Circus tent was set up in the middle of the expansive Government Center plaza, outside the *gorgeous* (sarcasm) City Hall. We continued our walk past that irrational excitement that surrounds circuses, to

Purple - Quincy Market and Fanueil Hall, one of the main tourist centers and a very handy marketplace, entertainment center and shopping plaza for everyone. We watched one of the many street performers balance on the top rung of a 10-foot ladder while juggling three daisies, spinning a pillow on a pole off his mouth and doing comedic stand-up. Needless to say, he earned a tip from us.

Red - Finally, we made it to our destination! Annddd... way past it, accidentally. But after a bit of backtracking, we sat down and tasted the glorious Mike's Pastries (though personally, I'm partial to Modern Pastries across the street). Located in the heart of the Italian-influenced North End, and in the middle of downtown Hanover Street, you really can't go wrong with a trip to Mike's, Modern, Cafe Vittoria, the Gelateria, Pizzeria Regina, or really anywhere else in that neighborhood. Mmmm...

So there's your introductory walking guide to Boston. I'm two years in, 20 years native of the suburbs, and still love walking around to see all the things I've seen before, while finding all the new things I've never noticed. More to come soon, of course!

Meantime, email me!
~Joe
mahonjc@bc.edu

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Boston

Hey y’all,

My name is Katherine McKenna, and I’m an economics major from Houston, TX. One of my favorite things about BC is the city of Boston. One of the cool things about BC is that we’re out in the suburbs, and we have awesome football games and tailgates just like other big schools, but you can also hop on the T (the subway) and go into downtown Boston or Cambridge. The trip usually takes about 20 minutes, and it is definitely worth it.

There are a ton of fun things to explore in Boston. My friends and I love to go to Newbury Street when the weather’s nice on Saturday or Sunday to go shopping and eat lunch. There are also lots of really cool museums and historical sites around Boston. Being in a city full of colleges is a blast. You can go check out parties at other schools like MIT or Harvard (who actually have fun parties, shocking huh?) or go see a concert at the House of Blues or other venues.

There are a ton of schools in Boston, and therefore there’s always something cool to check out. However, BC is nice because it is not directly in the hustle of the city.

Thanks,
Katherine

Saturday, February 20, 2010

February Recap

Hey all!

I've had quite a remarkable past couple weeks, for which I want to briefly share some highlights. Moving from the future, backwards:

Tomorrow: I'm going to see The Lion King at the Boston Opera House!

Yesterday: I went to the ALC Ball (AHANA Leadership Council) at Copley Plaza Hotel. They bused hundreds of students into the city for quite the night of semi-formal dance-floor mayhem (and lots of really good food)! A popular event every year, it certainly lived up to its reputation as being "like Prom, but in college!". Well done once again, ALC!

Last week: Much of my last week of class is a bit fuzzy in my memory, as between my three exams and a paper - analyzing the use of Goethe's Gretchen in Faust in the lieder (songs) of Franz Schubert compared to that of Carl Loewe, in case you were wondering what it was about - all due in the first half of the week, I slept less than any human ever ought to (mostly due, of course, to my own procrastination). Still, I am loving all of my classes this semester, and I'm starting to feel like an actual college student. I'm not sure when this began, or how or why it is the case, but I'm just going to roll with it. And I'm falling in love once again - with Bapst Library.

Last weekend: An incredibly eye-opening experience at a Kairos weekend retreat. I won't get into details, because in case you ever end up going yourself, this retreat simply does not work if you already know anything about it.

Monday, Feb. 8th: Pretty exciting night, started with hundreds of Eagles packing onto a single T line train (MBTA) - which effectively prevented some of our opponents, the BU Terriers who live down the street, from getting on our train. Getting off in downtown Boston, we had to walk a bit to the TD Bank Garden for the BC/BU Beanpot Tournament Championship hockey game. While the game was incredibly close towards the end, BC held on for the 4-3 win! "We are!" - "B-C!"

Well, that's enough for now, I'll be back later in the week!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Free Time in Boston

Hello, prospective Eagles. My name is William, and I am a sophomore at BC in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Political Science.

In my time at Boston College, I have found that dull moments are few and far between. The university and the city of Boston together offer more options for entertainment than anyone ever needs. This past Saturday was a perfect example. I woke up at 6:50 (which is a little atypical, believe you me) and hiked up to the Dust Bowl for the live broadcast of ESPN’s College Gameday on Campus. It was very rainy and I got drenched, BUT I got free ESPN memorabilia and thoroughly enjoyed myself through it all. I picked up lunch around noon, and returned to my room to dry my clothes just before heading to the actual football game—a nail-biter win against Florida State. The game ended at about 7:00, and I immediately headed from the stadium to the nearest T station for dinner and a concert downtown. I returned to campus at about 11:30, and as much as I would have liked to perpetuate my ever-active Saturday, I was so exhausted that I had to just retire to my residence hall, watch Saturday Night Live, with some friends, and call it a day.

That is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest features of Boston College. The school hosts plenty of events--lectures, plays, concerts, panels, games, the works—that you practically never need to leave campus for entertainment. Simultaneously, the city of Boston offers such a wide array of opportunities and activities--shows, shopping, restaurants, professional sports, museums, historical sites, et cetera--that tempt you to just travel downtown every day. So I’ll say it again: there’s never a dull moment during your time at Boston College. The university and the city together have too much to offer, plainly speaking.

Until next time,
William,
A&S ‘12