The city of Boston, Massachusetts is a vital urban community, a key site in the nation’s history, a cultural center and an industry hub. BU ECE students have many options for networking and connection beyond their home institution, with collaborative opportunities at many other first-class academic institutions, area labs, and hospitals.
However, being a student in Boston is about more than just work! In a city like this one, there’s always something fun happening, and fascinating new perspectives and experiences to enrich and entertain. Here are just a few examples!
Entertainment
From the Boston Symphony Orchestra to the House of Blues, and storied smaller venues like the Paradise Rock Club or Cambridge’s folky Club Passim, the Boston area offers a broad range of musical enjoyment. The annual Boston Calling festival is not to be missed! And of course, BU hosts major acts right at our own Agganis Arena.
Boston’s Theater District hosts productions by top-notch performers, ranging from the Bard to Broadway and everything in between.
For multicultural dining, Chinatown and the North End are both a few stops away on public transit, as are a wide array of restaurants around the city and its near neighbors.
Sports
Boston is famous for its sports culture, and you’ll barely need to step out your door to sample that heady buzz – Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is our next-door neighbor. Or if you’re not a baseball fan, there are always the Boston Celtics, the Boston Bruins, the New England Patriots, and of course, our own Terriers.
Museums & More
Both the Museum of Fine Arts and the famously unique Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are a few minutes from campus, and it’s not too much farther to the harbor, where you’ll find the Institute of Contemporary Art.
The family-oriented Museum of Science is just down the river, and the New England Aquarium and Franklin Park Zoo host conservation efforts and an opportunity to connect with wildlife from around the world.
History & Tourism
As one of the oldest cities in the United States, we are surrounded by historical sites, monuments and educational opportunities. Walk the iconic Freedom Trail for a self-guided tour of colonial & revolutionary-era landmarks, ride a swan boat at the Boston Public Garden, visit Old Ironsides for a taste of the nautical past, or just sit back and enjoy a semi-aquatic Duck Tour!
Recreation
When you need to get your nose out of your books and out into the fresh air, there are all kinds of convenient opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors! BU’s main campus borders the Charles River, which hosts walking/cycling paths, plentiful parks, and all kinds of boating – whether through BU, a local sailing association, or canoe and kayak rentals. The Head of the Charles Regatta, a major rowing competition that draws teams from around the world, takes place every October!
If you’re looking for a break from the urban environment, the Boston area boasts many parks and nature preserves, from the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, to Cambridge’s historic Mt. Auburn Cemetery, to the sprawling Middlesex Fells Reservation to the north, and many more.
Of course, as a coastal city, Boston also features opportunities for marine adventures! The Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park, which includes both ferry-accessible islands and mainland peninsulas, offers campsites, trails, boating and all kinds of events. And of course, there are the beaches! Pleasure Bay, M Street Beach and Carson Beach are clustered right in South Boston, Revere Beach is a popular option just north of the city (accessible via the MBTA’s Blue Line), and of course there are plentiful beaches farther up and down the coast and on Cape Cod, within easy day tripping distance.
In winter, the Blue Hills Ski Area is just a 40-minute drive south, and the mountains of New Hampshire are not much farther away to the north.