The campus is situated firmly in the residential section of the rapidly expanding city of Waltham. While Waltham isn’t exactly the most exhilarating place, there are supermarkets, pharmacies, cheap takeout, and other amenities necessary for college life. However, it lacks a 24-hour fast food place that has become a staple of most college towns. Moody Street, which provides many exciting distractions for Brandeis students, is a short distance from campus. Full of ethnic restaurants, bars, a movie theater, Lizzy’s Ice Cream, and even a porn shop, Moody Street offers students many opportunities to stop studying and go do something. Bentley University is also in Waltham, and while the two schools rarely interact, there are some great partying opportunities if one dares venture off campus.
If Waltham still seems too small, Cambridge, home of Harvard and MIT, is extremely close; and Boston is always a viable option. The Commuter Rail and subway system run seven days a week, as do various city buses. It is certainly worth investing in a Charlie Card to ensure hassle-free transportation. Shuttles provide frequent free transportation Thursday through Sunday to Cambridge and Boston. Boston is a legendary college town—it is home to more colleges than any other area in the country—and offers anything a student could want in the way of food, music, sports, or other entertainment. On any given night, there is something going on at Northeastern, Harvard, MIT, Boston College, or Boston University, and everyone seems to have friends at other schools. It is no secret that the party scene at Brandeis is dull and monotonous, so events at other schools are the perfect way to spice up a weekend.
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Local Atmosphere at Brandeis University
B+
Waltham
Waltham has a great main drag called Moody Street with amazing ethnic food and a movie theatre that shows lots of independent films. There are plenty of good bars also. There's not much else to do, but Waltham is nearby many larger towns with malls and shopping, and is not too far from Boston as well.
Apr 06, 2012
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Local Atmosphere at Brandeis University
B
College Area
With Harvard just a fifteen minute bus ride away, Bentley just up the road, and Boston, the mother of all college towns, just twenty minutes from the school, Brandeis is a great place to be part of the college student hype but still have the peace and quiet of Massachusetts. Not a bad place to be situated, as long as you're okay with going back to the quiet each night.
Mar 11, 2012
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Local Atmosphere at Brandeis University
B+
Waltham
Some people don't like Waltham, but I find it to be a cool town. Bentley College is nearby and local bars can get pretty crowded with college kids on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Waltham is home to a diverse population with lots of Latinos. There are some great restaurants in the area.
Jan 30, 2012
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User rating for Brandeis University - Local Atmosphere is
3.5 out of 5
based on 33 user reviews.
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