Crash Course
BOSTON:
Essential Guide to Transportation, Shopping,
Entertainment, and Culture
Introduction
• How to put BOSTON into Boston College
• Where are you living?
Brighton
Brookline
Newton
Chestnut Hill
Beyond?
Boston College and
Its Neighborhoods
• 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 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 planner
The 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 SPOTS
• Cleveland Circle
• Coolidge Corner
• Brighton Center
• Newton Center
• Harvard Ave. on B Line
• Harvard Square, Cambridge
Newton 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 Hammond 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 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 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
AVENUE
• 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 Corner
• Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop
• Coolidge Corner Theater
• Brookline Booksmith
• Zaftig’s, J.P. Licks
• Shopping conveniences
Other 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 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 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
CAMBRIDGE
• 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 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 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 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
neighborhoods
• North End
• South End
• South Boston “Southie”
• Charlestown
• Jamaica Plain
• Dorchester
Beyond 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 (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 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 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?
• Contact us!
• Murray Graduate Student Center gsc@bc.edu 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