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“There’s nothing to do here.”
“I hate this city.”
“Boston is so boring.”
These are all statements that I’ve heard shared between friends or thrown over dining hall meals at Harvard College; it is shockingly common to hear general disdain for the Boston area here at Harvard. Many students are convinced that Boston is lackluster and offers no cultural scene outside a handful of big-name attractions like the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Faneuil Hall, or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Where does this misunderstanding of Boston and its cultural scene come from, and, more importantly, how can we address it?
Unpacking this question first requires reflecting on why I personally love Boston. I am from a small town in rural Maine. My family is full of avid Red Sox fans, so we made the six-hour trek to Boston at least once a year to watch the game. When I was little, I called it “the city,” since Boston was the closest place with over 100,000 residents and felt like the most crowded an area could get.
When I came to Boston, I found it overflowing with things that were unavailable in my hometown: stunning museums, never-ending lists of restaurants, and weekly musical performances. My love for the city existed long before I knew about college acceptances, but now that I live in Cambridge, I am especially appreciative to have a rich cultural scene next door.
Perhaps negative attitudes come down to a difference in rural versus urban perspectives. Often, it is people hailing from major cities that I hear complaining about Boston the most. Boston is unique in its layout; its twists and turns are hard to navigate, half of its good restaurants are literally underground, and it never was advertised to be a loud and overstimulating city — except when Yankees fans clash with Bostonians at Fenway, or when the Montreal Canadiens play the Bruins. It is markedly different compared to other American cities. Most importantly, it doesn’t throw all of its gems at your feet; it requires curiosity and time.
Yet most Harvard students won’t give Boston the energy it deserves — a disconnect that demonstrates students’ active attempts to stay within the “Harvard Bubble.” Harvard students often believe that the entire world centers around their little pocket of East Cambridge. Time is a precious commodity on campus, and people are often unwilling to look into what isn’t easily accessible. This results in a lack of time invested in getting to know Boston, because people are only scratching the surface of what the city has to offer.
Boston deserves so much more than this casual dismissal. The city has been a cultural center of the United States since it was founded. Here, the American Revolution brewed, the first art collections grew in size, and some of the greatest minds gathered. However, people have stopped believing in Boston’s present capability as a cultural hub. Yet take a moment to look around you: New England’s greatest museums surround us, historical sights abound, and concerts, festivals, and events occur nearly every week.
Before you complain about Boston, I urge you to take time to actually acquaint yourself with the city. It isn’t as sprawling as L.A., or as bustling as New York City, but it never promised that it would be these things. Stop looking for the familiar in the city, and find what is unique.
As a native of Maine, not Massachusetts, I’m nowhere near an expert when it comes to knowing Boston’s ins and outs. However, I carry an immense love for the city and its cultural scene, and exploring it has brought me so much joy. Here are a few of my favorite things to do in the city that I hope at least one more Harvard student looks into and appreciates:
Tours at the Nichols House Museum
Grabbing pizzelle at Parziale’s in the North End
Browsing shoes at Bodega
Following the historical Native American Trail, in lieu of the Paul Revere Trail
Hitting Boston’s surprising large number of speakeasies
Catching a film at Coolidge Corner Theater
Dancing at Mariel Underground
Getting historical at the Gibson House
Free weekday student coffee at Cafe Landwer (not very underground, but underappreciated)
Walking through the ruins of Schoolmaster Hill
Getting radical at The Lucy Parsons Center
Studying at the Boston Athenaeum
…And much, much more. Before passing judgment on Boston’s culture scene, take a second to explore the city that surrounds you — its wonders may surprise you.
—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.
