Tufts University
- Local Atmosphere

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Tufts University - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Local Atmosphere

Quick Stats

Points of Interest
  • Boston Pops
  • Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Davis Square
  • Fenway Park
  • Franklin Park Zoo
  • Harvard Museum of Natural History
  • Museum of Fine Arts
  • Museum of Science
  • New England Aquarium

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

If you are venturing off campus for a night, chances are you’ll take the T into Cambridge or Boston—but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything going on in Tufts’ hometowns. Whether you pronounce them “Medfuhd and Sumahville” or “Medford and Somerville,” Tufts’ local areas can be accurately categorized as basic college towns. On the Medford side, you’ll find a few local favorite restaurants (Rose’s has the best Chinese around, and Sweet Creams is a tasty favorite with custom-made ice cream flavors), but generally, there is more to do in Somerville’s Davis Square. Sometimes called “the Paris of Boston,” Davis Square is Somerville’s “trendy night spot,” though what you’ll find there is pretty typical of any college town. You’ll find students all over the Square, in Diesel playing pool or sipping a latté, in the Somerville Theater watching second-run flicks at affordable prices, and at Denise’s/JP Licks where they’ll be sampling some of the best ice cream in Boston. Don’t forget to grab extra napkins.

Tufts has the advantage of being just a 15-minute T-ride from the center of a city where there is plenty of nightlife, concerts, and shows to entertain the Tufts student body, as well as those of the other 55 Boston-area schools. Although you won’t find as many Tufts students in the city as you will in Medford and Somerville, it can make for much better variety in nightlife and activities. Once you’ve explored the area, you’ll find there really is something for every taste in this varied, college-friendly region.

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Tufts Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Tufts University

herbert182

'15

Economics

3.8
B+

Somerville/Medford is okay

Obviously if we were situated right in Boston, it would be great. However, we're not really, and it takes approximately 35 minutes to get there (via walking out of your dorm and taking the T). Still, somerville/davis square aren't bad, as they have some things which are interesting and are pretty cool overall.

Dec 04, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Tufts University

Carey67

'15

Psychology Studies

1.9
C-

Rivalries

Townies and students have a mutually disdainful relationship. We try not to bother them, they get bothered by us, we're bothered that they're bothered...

Sep 15, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Tufts University

bribud22

'14

Mechanical Engineering

4.6
A

Never Bored

It's great living near Boston! Not only do students have the opportunity to experience city life, they can come back on campus for a more suburban atmosphere.

Aug 15, 2011

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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
  • CambridgeSide Galleria
  • Copley Place
  • Faneuil Hall Marketplace/Quincy Market
  • Newbury Street
  • Shops at Prudential Center
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
  • Boston: MA: 20 minutes
  • New York City: NY: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Did You Know?

Go to the MIT museum. It is an interactive, hands-on museum displaying Artificial Intelligence, Hall of Holograms, Mechanical Artwork, and other really incredible exhibits. Best of all, it is only $2 to get in with your student ID.

5 Fun Facts about Boston:
• Boston has over 55 colleges within a five-mile radius.
• When the school year begins, the average age in Boston is 26.
• The Big Dig (www.masspike.com/bigdig/index.html) is the most expensive highway project in U.S. history—at a cost of more than $1 billion per mile; the city has been building the new underground highway for over 13 years.
• The T is the first American subway system, opened in 1898.
• Boston Common was the first public park in America.

Famous Bostonians:
Samuel Adams
Aerosmith
Ben Affleck
F. Lee Bailey
Alexander G. Bell
E.E. Cummings
Matt Damon
John F. Kennedy
Jack Lemmon
Leonard Nimoy
Paul Revere
Donna Summer
James Taylor
Sam Waterston

Local Slang:
Beantown – Boston, denoting the town’s celebrity for baked beans
Book it – To get out of some place quickly
Bubbla – Water fountain
Chowdahead – Stupid person
Bulkie Roll – Kaiser roll for a sandwich
Hahvahd Sqaah – Harvard Square, spoken with a local accent
Jimmies – Sprinkles for ice cream
Rotary – A traffic circle
Mass-holes – Boston’s bad drivers
The T – The Boston subway system
Wicked – Adverb used to amplify the effect of another adverb i.e. “The Red Sox are wicked good this year!”

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

AMC Boston
175 Tremont St.
Boston
(617) 423-3499

AMC Fenway 13
401 Park Dr.
Boston
(617) 424-6266

Showcase Cinemas Revere
565 Squire Rd.
Revere
(781) 286-1660

Somerville Theater
55 Davis Sq.
Somerville
(617) 625-5700

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Tufts

Name: Chris Cote

Hometown: Ipswich, MA

Major: International Relations

see all student author bios > Become a student author to help update the guide for this school