Welcome back to Hoot Recommends! Last week, our editors shared their favorite on-campus dining options. In this article, members of The Hoot editorial board will be sharing their favorite things to do in the Greater Boston area.
Calli: Having grown up in Massachusetts, I feel tremendous pressure to answer this question to its fullest. Thus, I will provide a list of seasonal fall activities to do this season! Here is my list: Apple pick at Honey Pot Hill Orchards, go to a college football game, leaf peep at Wachusett Mountain, go to Witches Woods Scarefest and most importantly, making a pile of leaves and jumping in it (never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker ikyky). Always remember to dress properly, check for ticks and have fun!
Avery: I also am from Massachusetts, and I wish I had a perfectly curated list of fall (my favorite season!!!) activities, but alas, fall has been dominated by schoolwork, family projects and Halloween. Apple picking is fantastic, my family frequents Tougas’ Family Farm and Davidian’s Farm Market, the former of which has caramel apples which are sticky, sweet and perfect, and the latter of which has gummy lobsters. I also really like taking pictures of the fall, the landscapes are so beautiful!
James: I am also from Massachusetts, so I’ve been going into Boston for years. There are a lot of great things to do in Boston. By far my favorite, however, is to go to an ice cream store called Taiyaki NYC. Do not be confused by the name. It is located in Boston, not New York. They serve ice cream in Japanese fish-shaped cones. Their main location is in Boston’s seaport district. The one downside is that the seaport district is not accessible by the Brandeis shuttle or the subway. If you do not have a car, there is a slightly worse but still good location in Harvard Square.
Lucas: As a fairly insular person (and one without a car), I don’t really venture into the Greater Boston Area very often. That being said, my sister does live in Waltham, so I guess my favorite thing to do in the Greater Boston Area is to visit my sister. I also visited the Pfizer offices once a couple of years ago in Boston, because my dad used to work there (He’s retired now). It was not particularly fun.
Rachel: Having the ability to take the campus’ free shuttle to Boston is a lovely perk of going to Brandeis, one that all students should definitely take advantage of. When going into Cambridge or Boston, there are a lot of fun activities that you can do with your friends. When I was a freshman, my friends and I went into Boston, through the shuttle, and went to an escape room at Boston’s Escape the Room. In the room that we choe, we were stuck in an apartment and we had to solve a series of puzzles to escape and win the “dead woman’s” inheritance. We had an hour to escape this room. After a lot of exploring, interpreting clues and finding keys, we escaped the room in 50 minutes and 36 seconds. It was a fun and exciting time that I would say made my friend group tighter. However, if you feel you don’t have the time or energy to do an escape room, then you should make sure to check out one of the fabulous restaurants in this city, as they are all over. For dessert, you should check out Mike’s Pastry in North End. They make super good cannolis. Yes, I know I am suggesting two places that are not really near each other, but you have dozens upon dozens of weekends to explore Boston, so you can take a look at so many different neighborhoods during this weekend. Go forward and see what makes Boston such an exciting city, from the places you can enter to the rooms you are meant to leave.
Ella: As a Boston native whose favorite season is fall, I would have to say my favorite place to go is Salem. For me, it’s an October tradition. I used to go a lot as a kid with my family and the museum of the witches was my favorite. The vibes are immaculate. It’s magical. It is absolutely gorgeous in the fall, there is so much to do, so much overpriced coffee and treats to try, and lots of people are dressed up in their costumes. It’s like a little taste of Halloween before it’s actually Halloween. Only thing is in the fall, especially in October and on weekends when it hasnt gotten too cold yet, there is absolutely nowhere to park! Everyone and their mother will be there. You will most definitely see other Brandeis students too. However I am smart and plan ahead so I usually take the commuter rail from Brandeis to North Station and then North Station to Salem. And it’s only $10 in total if you go on a weekend and get the unlimited weekend pass (Lifehack!) I would highly recommend Salem to literally anyone and it’s not that hard to get to … so long as you use my tip.
Cooper: The Harvard Museum of Natural History is a really cool place. Whether you’re into rocks, the climate or bugs, this place has something for everyone. Plus, it’s close to a lot of other really cool places in Cambridge if you’re looking for a way to kill a few more hours after visiting. I highly recommend checking it out, it’s definitely worth the visit. Plus, it has discounted tickets for students!
Michael: My favorite place in Boston is probably the Museum of Fine Arts. Admission is free for Brandeis students, so you should definitely take advantage of it! There are a lot of amazing cultural artifacts to see at the museum; ranging from ancient Egyptian mummies, to fully furnished rooms from colonial houses, to lavishly decorated musical instruments, to the beautiful European Art galleries. The building itself is amazing too; the interior combines a monumental classical staircase and dome with sleek, modern parts as well. There’s even a Zen garden as well! And, in my humble opinion, the chicken tenders in the food court are some of the greatest in any museum food court, ever. Right next door is the smaller Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, which has an even better collection of art, a beautiful indoor courtyard and a colorful history involving an unsolved art heist – you can still see the empty frames where burglars tore out several world-renowned paintings. Unfortunately, it’s only free for art students at Brandeis. But if you are one of those, you should visit the Gardner as well!
