Julia’s Day Out by Julia Potts

It was so exciting to be able to welcome the 1000+ adMITed students to campus these past two weekends. Many of you have explored our campus before, but for some of you, this was your first time. I also know that many of you got the chance to explore the Cambridge area. So, I figured this is the best time to tell you about some of  the things I first learned when I moved and explored Boston. Maybe you’ve experienced some of these already  or maybe I just gave you another reason to come back 👀. 

As you can see from my bio, I am not from Massachusetts. In fact, this is the furthest north I have ever lived. Here is a list of almost ten random things that I have learned since moving to Beantown. 

• Beantown at Jordan’s Furniture. I recently found out about this place from a couple of coworkers, but “Beantown” is a replica of downtown Boston entirely out of Jelly beans! This furniture store also holds an IMAX theater. I have not yet been, but when I do it just might deserve its own blog.

• Sports are serious. Though I have opinions on specific athletes/sports that I just do not like (hint: deflategate) it is just much safer to lie. My advice is to say you don’t watch sports or say your favorite team is any one of the 5 professional teams from Boston. 

• The “T” is your friend. The “T” is the shorthand for the MBTA subway system in Boston. Since the city is so congested, living close to a train station will be one of the best decisions you can make when you move. Luckily for me, the Admissions Office is right off of the Kendall/MIT stop on the redline.

• Everyone bikes. As someone who lived in Washington, D.C. for a few years, trust me when I say that I’ve been to a place where so many people bike. I have seen people of all ages and sizes riding around on bikes here.

• Traffic is 24/7. I thought that there would be traffic downtime. Nope, there are always cars on the road, if you live in the city, so plan accordingly. 

• Seasons are not real.  In most places, you will have four distinct seasons. Boston has two. It will either be hot or it will be cold. The cold months will last at least from October through March. If you always have a jacket and an umbrella, you’ll be fine (Beware: It has snowed in April in recent years).

• Boston runs on Dunkin.  I feel like there is at least one Dunkin Donuts every block or so. Dunkin is not just a fast food chain, it is a way of life for Bostonians (They take their Dunks very seriously). The first thing I ordered was a Boston creme donut. Surprisingly, it tastes better in Boston!
• The typical Boston accent is a myth. Maybe it does exist. I was just disappointed that I don’t hear it often. When I first got here, I really wanted to hear someone yell “mah” or “cah”.

Moving to Boston has been one of my latest adventures, and as I prepare to move again, I look forward to seeing what this new area holds. I feel like there is never enough exploring of Boston to be done, so be on the lookout for another exploration blog.