What’s hot in Boston #4: The Freedom Trail

Hey Guys,
I've got an important recommendation for you:
When you come to Boston do the Freedom Trail!
The Freedom trail is a red pedestrian trail which links historic sites and landmarks of Downtown Boston and is one of the most popular tourist activities in Boston. You will see the Old State House, the Paul Revere House, Faneuil Hall, old graveyards and much more. Usually people start at the Boston Common (green/red line: "Park Street or green line: "Boylston") so you will also have the chance to take a look at this beautiful park! You can also take a tour with guides who are dressed up as puritans.
By the way don't be intimidated that you see so many things on your way, the Freedom Trail is just a 2,5 mile walk, so it is definitely managable to follow the entire path within a couple of hours.

So there is nothing more to say except: Don't forget your comfortable shoes at home!

NBA Basketball-finally!

After month and month of difficult negotiations there were some good news for all sport fans last week: The NBA basketball season will finally start in the end of december!

We already told you about Boston´s amazing sport teams, and the Boston Celtics are definitly one of them. Founded in 1946, the Boston Celtics are still the most succesful team in the whole NBA, they won 17 championships!

Tickets are a little expensive but not too bad (as Football for example...) and they start around 50 $ in the cheapest category.

You can find tickets in the web, for example on this page:

http://www.ticketsnow.com/boston-celtics-tickets/

And to see some nice Basketball moves from last season, watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vl2XwC7h4M&feature=fvst

Traveling in the US: Cape Cod!

Every exchange student is eager to see what the United States has to offer. Fortunately I was lucky and got the opportunity to see Cape Cod. Cape Cod is the easternmost part of Massachussets and is known for its beaches and countryside. There are numerous things to do: you can do beach walking, biking, boating, fishing, go-karts, golfing, kayaking, miniature golf, and unique shopping. Of course you can visit Cape Cod and just enjoy the view.
The best way to visit Cape Cod is to drive by car. We used the Car rental service Alamo and had no problem at all, so you guys should definitely check it out. On your way you will have the chance to see typical small all-American cities, which is a nice change and a new thing to see in America after spending so much time in Boston.
Also guys don't forget to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore with its beautiful beaches, dunes and cliffs. You won't believe your eyes!
Btw: I did this trip in the beginning of November and even though it is nice to see Cape Cod during the summer, it was great to experience the "Indian Summer" first hand! This is just a reminder that it is never too late to visit Cape Cod since there are always new things to explore!

Neighborhood Review - Part Two: Cambridge!

Looking for a good and safe neighborhood to stay? I would definitely recommend you the marvelous Cambridge! First of all, Cambridge is not as far as you might think. It’s just on the other side of Charles River and a few stations to Downtown Boston!

Did you know Cambridge is the home of the famous MIT and Harvard University? It makes this area very pleasant to stay because you are surrounded by a bunch of students, just like you! So, there are plenty of nice restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and pubs in Cambridge, especially around Kendall Square, Central Square, or Harvard Square. You can find all those stations on the red line!

I love living in Cambridge so trust me, you won’t regret your choice :)

Don't miss Student Rush

Boston offers awesome theatres, museums, music halls (for example the famous Boston Opera House) and many other great cutural experiences an exchange student should not miss!

Unfortunatelly, tickets for all the nice concerts and shows cost a lot of money and might blow the budget of an average exchange student.

But there is a way to enjoy Boston´s cultural offer without ending up completely broke, the Student Rush!

Student Rush tickets are available at cultural facilities like the Boston Opera House, the Boston Ballet or the Huntington Theatre Company and many more. In most cases all you have to do is go directly to the ticket counter about two hours before the beginning of the show, show your student ID and ask for Student Rush.

Usually you won´t find an extra announcement for these special tickets but in our experience after using the "code word" Student Rush, tickets were always available and much cheaper then the regular ones :-)

Some weeks ago, we went to the Boston Opera House to see the ballet show "Romeo and Juliet" and got SR tickets for only 20 bugs and we even had pretty nice seats!

So, no more excuses for spending your next saturday night in a shabby bar drinking cheap beer because of your small budget!

Also check out these links for SR tickets in Boston:

http://boston.povo.com/Tag:Student_rush_tickets

More information for SR at the Boston Ballet:

http://www.bostonballet.org/rush-tickets-ticket-donations.html

You can even get them for the Blue Men Group:

http://www.blueman.com/popups/5

What’s hot in Boston #3: Boston Common & Boston Public Garden

Today, I would like to share a very interesting afternoon I spent in Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. Those two places, right next to each other, are easily accessible with the “T”. Park Street station (red or green line) and Boylston station (green line) are right in front of Boston Common, and Arlington station (green line) is right next to the Boston Public Garden.

You wanna spend a relaxing afternoon, enjoying the sun, laying on a blanket? Then I definitely recommend you those two beautiful places, the perfect spots to enjoy a cup of coffee with friends or to do some homework!

I hope you will like those places as much as I do!

What's hot in Boston #2: The Blue Man Group

When you are in Boston you should definitely check out the Blue Man Group. I saw them recently and their show is amazing! It’s not just fascinating how they play with sounds and colors; the show is actually really funny and the end is just a really great party.

The home of the Blue Man Group Boston is at the Charles Playhouse in 74 Warrenton Street. It’s in the theater district and you’ll find it easily once you get off the green T-Line station “Boylston Street”. Luckily the Charles Playhouse is offering student rush tickets, which are always $38. This is a great deal, because depending where you get seated you are able to save more than 50% of the original price. In order to get the student rush tickets you just have to show them your student ID (you can get two tickets for one ID). The only downside of this offer is that you get the tickets only when you arrive an hour earlier, because you can buy them just at the box office and not online. You also have to pay in cash. In order to be sure that you get tickets, just call the playhouse before you leave and ask how many tickets are left. You can also pick the rather unpopular dates & times like in the afternoon instead of in the evening.

In case you don’t know what the Blue Man group is really about, just check out the following video:

You have still no idea what the show is about? Well, then I guess you just have to go and find out!

They belong to Boston like the Hancock Tower or the Charles River and if you haven´t seen the Boston Red Sox you haven´t seen Boston!

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most traditional baseball teams in the United States and their home ballpark, Fenway Park, is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use.

Baseball strongly belongs to the American culture and once you find your way to Fenway Park (directly on the Green Line, exit Kenmore) you will not only explore a huge sport event but also a big social get-together!

It is hard to say how many people at the game really understand all the rules and regulations of baseball, but quickly you will find out that it doesn´t matter at all.

Going to a baseball game means meeting your friends, eating hotdogs and enjoying the amazing atmosphere at Fenway.

But in case you want to be well prepared for your first vistit at Fenway Park, here you can find some links about the rules of baseball and the history of Fenway Park:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx9bgs6aoW0&feature=related

http://baseball.about.com/od/thebasics/a/basebasicrules.htm

http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/american/fenway.htm

Dine in the Famous North End!

The North End is one of the most historic and iconic neighborhoods in the Boston area. It is the oldest residential community in the whole city, as people have lived here since settlement in the 1630s. It is very small, only one third of a square mile, yet it harbors more than 100 family-owned Italian restaurants!

Restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bakeries line the lopsided brick sidewalks and twisting one-way streets. The aromatic mix is indescribable and something that needs to be experienced. You could spend each weekend going to one restaurant or cafe and it would still take you more than two years to taste everything!

Here is a list of some of our favorites in the North End. You can find a more thorough list at http://www.northendboston.com/2011/03/restaurants/


Lo Conte’s
114-116 Salem Street
Boston, MA 02113
Tel 617-720-0339


Pagliuca’s Ristorante
14 Parmenter Street
Boston, MA 02113
Tel 617-367-1504
Fax 617-523-3863


Joe Tecce’s Ristorante & Cafe
61 North Washington Street
Boston, MA 02114
Tel 617742-6210
Fax 617-742-6665 


D’Amore’s
76 Salem Street
Boston, MA 02113
Tel 617-523-8820


Il Villaggio Ristorante
230 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02113
Tel 617-367-2824


In addition to the seemingly unending line of dining choices, the North End is steeped in rich history and culture. Here is a nice look at the neighborhood by National Geographic

Halloween with the witches in Salem

If you're in Boston during the Fall semester, you must experience Halloween in Salem!

As you might have heard of, Salem is known for all its witches stories, which makes the city the perfect place to celebrate Halloween. Among all the attractions, you can find haunted houses, the Witch House, and museums. When the attractions are closed, then you can end the night in a bar where everyone wears a costume!

Salem is about 30 minutes driving from Boston. If you don't have a car, there are plenty of ways to get there such as the commuter rail or by bus.

To get more information about the event, I suggest you to visit the website hauntedhappenings.org.

Enjoy :)

Public Transportation in Boston

Are you wondering if Boston is one of those cities you can't live in without having a car? Well I can assure you, even though Bostonians might complain a lot about their public transportation system, it's one of the best in the States and you are able to get everywhere you want.

THE FAMOUS "T"

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, also known as "T", is the subway system in Boston. As long as you live near a T-Station you won't have transportation problems.
If you live right next to the campus and don't use the subway on a regular basis, you should consider getting a charlie card, the discount card of the Boston subway. Instead of paying $2,00 for one ride, you just have to pay $1,70. Believe me, in the end it will add up!
If you are a commuter and need to use the "T" daily, you should consider buying a monthly ($60,00) or a weekly ($15,00) pass, which allows unlimited travel with the subway and local buses. You should contact your university and ask them in advance if they offer monthly passes for students! I can just talk about UMass Boston, but my university was offering monthly passes for students only for a given time, so make sure you won't miss this opportunity.

It's also worth mentioning that the "T" is NOT working all night. The last train leaves around 12.30 AM, so never forget the money for a cab!