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Wellesley College
- Local Atmosphere

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Wellesley College - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Local Atmosphere

B
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Fun Local Trivia
  1. Boston built the nation's first public park (The Boston Common in 1640), the first public library (1653), and the first subway (1897).
  2. Boston has the highest percentage of pedestrian commuters out of the major American cities.
  3. The famous "Citgo" sign in Kenmore Square contains five miles of neon tubing.
  4. In 1958, a group of MIT fraternity brothers used their shortest pledge, Oliver Smoot, as a unit of measurement for the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge by having him repeatedly lay down on the bridge. Today, the bridge has painted markings that indicate its length as 364.4 "Smoots."
  5. There are 250,000 college students in the Boston area.
Notable Natives
  • Samuel Adams – American Revolution patriot
  • Aerosmith – rock band
  • Ben Affleck – actor
  • Louisa May Alcott – 19th-century author
  • Alexander Graham Bell – inventor of the telephone
  • Elizabeth Bishop – 20th-century poet
  • E.E. Cummings – 20th-century poet
  • Jane Curtin – actress and comedienne, original SNL cast member
  • Matt Damon – actor
  • Emily Dickinson – 19th-century poet
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson – 19th-century poet and essayist
  • Benjamin Franklin – inventor, diplomat, American Founding Father
  • Robert Frost – 20th-century poet
  • Winslow Homer – 19th-century painter
  • Jack Kerouac – Beat poet and writer
  • Denis Leary – actor and comedian
  • Jack Lemmon – actor
  • Robert Lowell – 20th-century poet
  • Samuel Morse – inventor of electric telegraph and Morse code
  • New Kids on the Block – boy band popular in the early-'90s
  • Conan O’Brien – late-night talk show host
  • Paul Revere – American Revolution patriot
  • James Taylor – folk singer
  • Mark Wahlberg – actor
  • Barbara Walters – journalist and TV news anchor
Local Slang
  • Barrel: Trash can
  • Bubbler: A water fountain (pronounced "bubblah")
  • Carriage: Shopping cart
  • Going yard: Hitting a home run (only used for the Red Sox)
  • Jimmies: sprinkles, colored ice cream topping
  • Wicked : very
  • Wicked pissa: very good or very bad
Points of Interest
  • Boston Common
  • Boston Harbor
  • Central Square
  • The Charles Riverfront
  • Chinatown
  • Downtown Crossing
  • Faneuil Hall
  • The Fleet Center
  • The Freedom Trail
  • Gardner Museum
  • Harvard Square
  • Isabella Stewart
  • The Museum of Fine Arts
  • Museum of Science
  • New England Aquarium
  • Newbury Street
  • The North End
  • Quincy Market

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Students are pretty much in accord: The town of Wellesley isn't here to cater to the students. In fact, it often seems town residents are trying to forget that the students are here. Wellesley is one of the richest communities in the country, and the shops and restaurants show it. Some students report they feel uncomfortable in the Ville, while others enjoy the exclusivity and convenience of the main drag that is Washington Street.

Boston is the saving grace for Wellesley students. Hop on the Exchange Bus or the Commuter Rail (see Transportation section), and you're in Boston in less than an hour. Make runs to CVS in the Ville for necessities or grab a bite to eat on a lazy Friday night, but don't expect to be partying anywhere nearby. Boston, for many students, is a beacon of hope (Real life! Parties! Men!) that breaks through the hazy, money-drenched clouds of the suburbs.

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Wellesley Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Wellesley College

smoazeni

Theatre, Arts, and Media Management '10

2.3
C

The Ville

the town of wellesley is extremely expensive. no one goes there though - take the free bus to boston. boston is great.

Dec 13, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Wellesley College

magazinez

Art History '11

3.5
B

Gotta Make an Effort

The town of Wellesley is nothing to write home about- small and upscale. You can get your coffee and your prescriptions, but that's about all that will appeal to a student. The school makes it easy to go into and come back from Boston during the week and weekend evenings. There you'll find all kinds of excitement, but your social life is dependent on you making the effort to get on that bus!

Dec 13, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Wellesley College

purpleblue

Social Sciences '14

4.6
A

Boston!

Downtown Wellesley is not the main attraction. The "Ville" as we call it has a few places to be a consumer: Lemon Thai Cuisine, J.P. Licks Ice Cream, Brueggers Bagels, and Upper Crust Pizzera, Starbucks, Gap, a book store and CVS.

The main attraction is the proximity to Boston. Just a bus ride a way is the largest college town in America. Enough said.

Dec 01, 2011

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Page 1 of 11
User rating for Wellesley College - Local Atmosphere is 3.5 out of 5 based on 33 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
  • Atrium Mall
  • Natick Mall
  • Newbury Street
Major Sports Teams
  • Boston Bruins: NHL
  • Boston Celtics: NBA
  • Boston Red Sox: MLB
  • New England Patriots: NFL
  • New England Revolution: Soccer
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Boston: : 20 minutes
  • New York City: : 3 hours, 20 minutes

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

AMC Chestnut Hill 5
27 Boylston St.
Chestnut Hill
(888) 262-4386

AMC Framingham 16
22 Flutie Pass
Framingham
(508) 628-4422

The Embassy Cinema
18 Pine St.
Waltham
(617) 499-1995

IMAX at Jordan’s Furniture
1 Underprice Way
Natick
(866) 856-7326

West Newton Cinema
1296 Washington St.
West Newton
(617) 964-8074

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Lauren Foster
Hometown
Safety Harbor, FL
Major
English & Cinema and Media Studies
Grad Year
2014

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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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
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.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.