Visit MIT and the other school...
by kjow
Visit MIT and the other school in Cambridge (Harvard). Harvard Square is a huge tourist area, but there's a lot of shops and restaurants there and tons to do. Usually there are buskers performing in the square near Au bon Pain or the T stop. Walk on Memorial Drive along the Charles River and cross Harvard bridge (which is actually right by MIT). If the weather is nice, you'll see a lot of small sail boats on the river and maybe some 8's (crew boats) if you visit during the school year. Definitely go to Cafe Mami at the Porter Exchange (near Porter Sq T stop, Red Line, one stop past Harvard Sq towards Alewife). They have excellent chicken katsu curry and spicy sirloin beef yakiniku. mmmm :) MIT. Sadly enough, a lot of students here develop a kind of masochistic attitude toward school work. I hate working on impossible problem sets and staying up until 3am every night, but there are a lot of times when you really appreciate the effort you've put into an assignment when you finally get it done as the sun is rising.
I'll definitely miss running bridge loops along the Esplanade (paved walk/runway along the Charles River). It's also gorgeous to walk around Cambridge just after a lot of snow has fallen.
Central Square
by zChris
Head down to Central Square, Cambridge's eclectic downtown. Central Square is an ethnic delight...filled with a plethora of stores selling food and goods originating from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The multiculturalism is further emphasized through the great number of churches and music stores in the area catering to every different taste. Central Square is positioned midway between Harvard Square and MIT, making it the true anchor and soul of Cambridge, a city defined by its two major colleges. In stark contrast to the chic yuppie/suburban/tourist crowds of Central Square and the staid poured concrete of MIT, however, Central Square shows off what Cambridge is really about- diversity, acceptance, liveliness, and joie de vivre. The square itself is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Western Avenue, and River Street, but its influence extends for about a mile in either direction along Mass. Ave.
Head up, eyes open
by SullyBiz
Bostonians are notorious jaywalkers. As pedestrians we would rather risk our lives than wait at a crosswalk for a second longer than we have to. So if you are a walker waiting calmly for the light to change, don't be surprised to see people head straight into the road with barely a side glance. They're more likely to be looking at you with a puzzled expression than watching for oncoming traffic.
And if you are driving in Boston be aware that we often don't even bother with crosswalks. If we think we can make it across before your speeding vehicle hits us with bone-shattering force, we're going for it.
Packing List
by Alcinoe
SPRING: Bring warm clothes, sweaters, light jackets or coats and a raincoat. Also, bring summer clothes, shorts, T-shirts, etc. The weather changes suddenly from being very hot and sunny one day to being cold and rainy the next. You never know what to wear. People who live here don't either. It is possible to have snow even in April. We had a blizzard one year on April 1. SUMMER. It is still a bit chilly sometimes at the beginning of June, but July, August and the beginning of September are usually warm. You can't depend on it, though...our weather is strange, so be sure to pack a sweater even in summer. AUTUMN: Pack clothes similar to those for Spring for September and the beginning of October. By mid-October a Winter coat is often needed. November is cold. WINTER: Bring a Winter coat or jacket, a hat, a scarf and gloves. Bring boots if possible, and thick socks. People don't always do a good job of shovelling the snow, and there are sometimes puddles of slush that you simply can't avoid wading through. It is very cold sometimes in the winter. Also, bring sweaters and shirts to layer under your coat. Wearing many layers of clothing is the best way to stay warm in the winter. Bring an umbrella, too, because it sometimes rains in the winter. GENERAL: People tend to dress quite casually here, so unless you are going to a nice restaurant or club or to the theatre,etc., you can basically wear whatever you want. We are very accepting of differences here in Cambridge, so you can wear the national dress from many different places and nobody will think anything of it. There are many drugstores here where you can buy toiletries and medical supplies.
Tufts University
by meteorologist1
Another good university with a beautiful campus in the Boston area. It is actually located in Medford, very close to Cambridge. Can be reached by the Red subway line. Take the "T" to the "Davis" station. Then take the #94 or #96 bus. Get off at the Memorial Steps at Tufts University, just before the intersection of College and Boston Ave. Or you can walk 15 minutes along College Ave to the Tufts campus.
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The library
The Harvard Museum of Natural History
Asmara at night
RUN AWAY FROM HERE!
