The Boston/Cambridge area, in my opinion, is the perfect balance of city life, but also an environment where nature can be appreciated. As someone who is not only a student in Cambridge but has also lived in the Boston/Cambridge area my entire life, here are some of my favorite places in the area (not ranked in any particular order): 

1. Reflecting Pool at the Christian Science Center Plaza 

Photograph by Toby McGuire from Pixels 

The Reflecting Pool is located by Copley Square and the Prudential Center. It is not just any regular pool that you would swim in. It is actually a pool of water in the middle of beautiful architecture that is reflected in the pool at night. This is a great place to sit and talk with friends, have a meal, and enjoy the weather and scenery. The Reflecting Pool neighbors many food places and shops located on Newbury Street.  

2. The Seaport District 

Photograph by Rick Berk from Fine Art America 

Located by a long stretch of water, the Seaport is a great place to take a walk, have a picnic, check out the delicious restaurants, grab ice cream at Taiyaki NYC, and sit on the dock. In addition to the many food places and shops, there is also the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)! In fact, Harvard students can get a discount to go visit the ICA with our student IDs.

3. Boston Common and Downtown Boston 

Photograph by David Trinks from Unsplash 

Boston Common is known as a fairly popular tourist attraction, located in Downtown Boston, as there is always something to do no matter the season. When the weather is nice outside you will see people taking walks and having picnics and kids playing in the swimming pool. During the wintertime, the pool will turn into an ice skating rink, and the trees will be covered in colorful LED lights. During the summer, you will also see the Swan Boats running and if you are lucky, you may see a live swan during your ride! Next to the Boston Common is also the Freedom Trail marked by red bricks where you can learn a lot about Boston’s history on a historical tour and be taken to various historical landmarks. There are also lots of amazing food places including the food court, Halal Guys, Black Seed Café, and more. In addition to that, there are a lot of big shopping stores such as Macy’s, Old Navy, and Primark. If you are in the mood to watch movies, AMC Theater is only a couple blocks down, which is actually where I watched The Batman movie not too long ago.  

4. Chinatown 

Photograph from Boston Discovery Guide 

Chinatown is the perfect place to explore East Asian Cuisine. There are so many bakeries, cafés, and restaurants to explore! Some of my favorite dessert places are Tiger Sugar and Sweet Waffles + Boba! There is also a very pretty park with a mini waterfall next to the main entrance. Also, Chinatown is located near Downtown Boston – I've walked between the two places many times! 

5. Lawn on D 

Photograph by Toby McGuire from Pixels 

Our final stop is Lawn on D! This is a great and cool place that consists of light-up swings to take pretty pictures, live music, and performances, as well as games. Many of the games you will see include life-size chess, Jenga, and Connect 4! 

If you can’t tell from the guide, there are many good food places everywhere and a lot of scenery and amazing walking places. One of the best parts is that Harvard students get discounts and exclusive deals to various places including food places, museums, stores, and more with our Harvard ID!