Winter gets a bad rap. It’s responsible for pretty annoying things: cold, frostbite, nine foot mountains of snow you have to climb over to get to class—I would go on, but you know it all too well.
Sure, there are some perks to snowy weather. Without it we wouldn’t go skiing, ice skating, or have snow days. I happen to enjoy the wintertime, but for another reason. Winter is one of the only times I can stay indoors and not feel judged for my lameness. Any other time of year I feel pressure to go enjoy the outdoors, but not when it’s an arctic tundra out there.
There are plenty of fun things to do around Boston that won’t make you freeze to death. Here are some warm places to go when the thought of a snowball fight or a sledding race make you cringe.
1. To warm up, I usually grab a chai tea from Starbucks, but sometimes I need a change in scenery. Try Crema Café, located in Harvard Square. Enjoy drinks, treats, and really awesome sandwiches (my personal favorite is the one with nutella and banana). It gets busy on weekend mornings, so try going on a weekday or in the evening. Bring some homework with you so you can sit, sip, and scope out some Harvardians. What could be better, right?
27 Brattle Street, 617-876-2700
2. Going to the movies is the quintessential bad weather activity. So step out of your movie comfort zone and take a trip down the C Line to the Coolidge Corner Theater. This non-for-profit theater offers a variety of independent films. Watch the Academy Award-nominated documentary, Inside Job, or catch a few of the short films featured in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
290 Harvard Street, 617-734-2500
3. Want to stay warm and get cultured? Then spend an afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts. The best part is admission to the MFA is free to BU students. Even if you’ve been to the MFA before, the Art of Americas wing just opened in November, so there’s even more art to discover.
365 Huntington Avenue, 617-267-9300
4. Take in the breathtaking beauty of winter—from indoors—at the Top of the Hub. This restaurant, located at the top of the Prudential Building, provides stunning panoramic views of Boston. Dinner might not be affordable on a college student’s budget, but the lunch and dessert menus have some more cost-effective options.
800 Boylston Street, 617-536-1775
5. Take advantage of one of the best facilities on campus, the FitRec. What better way to stay warm then by getting your sweat on. Hey, the cold may even be a welcome refresher after a tough workout. They offer tons of inexpensive, noncredit classes from kickboxing to zumba. It’s not too late to sign up!
915 Commonwealth Avenue, 617-353-0865
6. Winter can do a number on your cuticles. So grab a girlfriend and treat yourself to a manicure. My favorite place is Lauren’s Nails on Newbury. It’s fast, cheap, and they always do an amazing job.
164 Newbury Street, 617-267-1496
7. If you’re looking for a true escape, then visit the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library. This exhibit places you inside a three story, painted glass globe, looking out from the middle of the earth. It’s a must visit if you love geography like me, or if you just enjoy a really cool view.
200 Massachusetts Avenue, 617-450-7000
8. Everyone dreams of taking a mini tropical vacation, but now you can! The tropical forest exhibit at the Franklin Park Zoo is kept at a steamy 72 degrees. This exhibit is also home to some of the coolest animals in the zoo, including gorillas, ring-tailed lemurs, tapirs, and a pygmy hippo!
One Franklin Park Road, 617-541-5466
These are just a few of the way to battle cabin fever, boredom, and chapped lips. So grab your Charlie card and get out there—or in there, I should say!