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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler5.00

Local Atmosphere

A+
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Quick Stats

Fun Local Trivia
  1. There are "boat-cars" touring the city at all hours of the day called the Boston Duck Tours. If you make eye contact with the travelers atop this vehicle and shout, "Quack!" they will turn to you and simultaneously reply, "Quack, Quack!"
  2. Boston is home to the nation's first public park (Boston Common, 1640), the first public library (1653), and the first subway (1897).
  3. The Longfellow Bridge is the only place in the nation where a plane can fly over a car, traveling over a train, going over a boat (or submarine or hovercraft, etc.).
  4. Blue Man Group originated here. Student rush tickets cost only $25 and can be picked up an hour before the show.
  5. Kurt Vonnegut wrote the majority of his autobiography, Slapstick, set just outside of the Boston Public Gardens, where he grew up.
Notable Natives
  • Aerosmith (all band members)
  • Ben Affleck
  • Matt Damon
  • Conan O'Brien
  • Mark Wahlberg
Local Slang Drop your R's—they have no business in this city. For way more than you ever wanted to know about Boston slang, visit the Wicked Good Guide to Boston English at www.boston-online.com/glossary.html.:
Points of Interest
  • Boston Common
  • Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Fenway Park
  • Freedom Trail and related Historical Boston sites
  • MIT Museum
  • Museum of Fine Arts
  • Museum of Science
  • Public Gardens
  • TD Banknorth Garden

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

MIT is in Cambridge, about a 10-minute walk from Boston. In fact, a large percentage of students actually live in Boston in the various MIT-sponsored FSILGs (Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups). Boston is the perfect college town, and sandwiched between Harvard and Boston University, MIT is in the hub of the ultimate college city. With so many high-quality schools in the area, Boston is a city that is driven by young, hip, and ambitious students. And because of the thousands of college students wandering the streets, many Boston businesses cater to this population. Concerts, clubs, restaurants, and malls are everywhere. One of the great things about Boston is that nearly all big music names will make a stop here while they’re on tour. Also, be sure to check out some of the local bands—they can be incredible.

In addition, public transportation is fairly reliable and convenient, but if you’re feeling cheap, you can walk wherever you want to go. Boston is small relative to places like New York City, and walking is an integral part of life here. And every now and then, you may see some famous people walking around or hanging out on Newbury Street and Boylston Street. Don’t forget to go see some of the landmarks, walk the Freedom Trail, and go to a Red Sox game in Fenway Park. Going to college in Boston is an experience unlike any other. Unfortunately, some students at MIT get so wrapped up in their schoolwork that the only problem with living in Boston is finding the time to enjoy it.

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MIT Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

elisetch

Environmental Engineering '12

5.0
A+

OMG, Boston!

If you've lived in Boston, you probably know how beautiful a giant river looks when it's frozen over. To those of you who don't, it is spectacular. The campus is great too. Lots of old, techie buildings, tunnels that go under all the buildings on campus, giant ridiculous-but-fun statues, and the Big Dome. The campus is also really safe with a fantastic (and really nice!) police force. There's a mall and Newbury Street a bus ride away, tons of food just off the campus grounds, and of course everything in Downtown Boston (China Town, The North End (Italian), Faneuil Hall, etc.).

Jan 29, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

calvinandhobbes46

Computer Engineering '14

4.2
A-

So Much to Do, So Little Time

Everything around MIT is really awesome. There are a lot of restaurants, shopping areas and movie theaters in boston and cambridge. The only problem is that there isn't a lot of time to go out and explore those things. With all the work that MIT hands us, it's hard to make time to go out a lot. Maybe I'm just not making it a priority, though. I feel like all of the great places around MIT are really interesting, and I wish I could get out and see them more often.

Jan 19, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Priyanka

Mechanical Engineering '15

5.0
A+

Cambridge to Boston to Anywhere!

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is not only considered a great research university where students from barely-adult freshman to aged and wise post-doctorates get to rub shoulders with Nobel Laureates but it is also an amazing place to live. Just a walk across the Harvard Bridge to Boston, our location is the perfect hub to enjoy the fast life of Boston as well as take the collegiate route by enjoying MIT-living and launching an occasional "hack" on Harvard. With over 30 colleges around the area, there is no dearth of students around the atmosphere is electric with intellectual and physical energy. People of all ages run, work out, go sailing, or row crew in the area. The night life is impeccable and every TV screen in taverns are hooked on some New England sports channel. Even in the coldest of winters is there a shining light that "Yes, Cambridge is indeed a magical place to live."

Aug 15, 2011

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Page 1 of 5
User rating for Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Local Atmosphere is 4.6 out of 5 based on 15 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • Cambridge Galleria
  • Newbury Street
  • Prudential Center
  • South Shore Plaza in Braintree
Major Sports Teams
  • Boston Bruins: hockey
  • Boston Celtics: basketball
  • Boston Red Sox: baseball
  • New England Patriots: football
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities New York City: NY: 4 hours
Did You Know? John Steinbeck's famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is makes a good point: "'Everybody says words different,' said Ivy. 'Arkansas folks says 'em different, and Oklahomy folks says 'em different. And we seen a lady from Massachusetts, an' she said 'em different of all. Couldn't hardly make out what she was sayin'!'"

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

AMC Fenway 13
401 Park Drive Ste. 7
Boston
(617) 424-6266

Copley Theatre
100 Huntington Ave.
Boston
(617) 266-1300

Kendall Square Cinema
1 Kendall Square
Cambridge
(617) 494-9800

Loews Boston Commons
175 Tremont St.
Boston
(617) 423-3499

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Sun Kim
Hometown
Duluth, GA
Major
Mechanical Engineering

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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