I love to try new things. I always have.
This love of adventuring was passed down to me from my parents, who have constantly tried new restaurants and spots since I was a little kid. Part of the reason I chose to attend school in a big city like Boston was to constantly immerse myself in new opportunities and activities. Growing up in the Midwest, I craved to live in a big city on the East Coast.
Now that I’m here, I’ve gotten to try so many new things with the people I’ve forged friendships with. However, I will always be the girl who needs to have those “comfort spots” to go back to when I’m craving a bit of familiarity. Back home in Minnesota, I have those neighborhood restaurants and places that make my town feel like home. In Boston, my goal was to find similar places and make them my designated spots. So here are my favorite places to hang out in the city when I’m looking for a little bit of comfort.
- Coolidge Corner
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The town of Brookline reminds me a lot of where I’m from in Minnesota. It’s an adorable suburb with access to quaint cafés and beautiful views of brick homes. Specifically, I love to hang around Coolidge Corner, a little spot within Brookline that is home to many cute stores and neighborhood joints. I love putting in my headphones and walking from West Campus to this area.
I’ll start in the Boston General Store, looking for little knick-knacks as gifts to bring home to my parents. Then I usually find myself at the Brookline Booksmith, my favorite bookstore as of right now. It has many trinkets and books of all kinds. If I ever need to get a friend a birthday gift, that’s the first place I’ll go. There’s also the Coolidge Corner theater, and if you walk a little further down, you’ll find Bakey, one of my favorite bakeries in Brookline. Their chocolate croissants are insane.
Coolidge Corner feels like a warm hug; there’s no other way to explain it. In the business and bustling chaos of Boston, sometimes taking a break and hanging around a quieter area is what I need.
- Happy Lamb Hot Pot
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Everyone at BU knows that Allston is home to delicious Asian cuisine. When I arrived at BU in August, I immediately sought out ways to get involved with people who shared my racial identity. I was lucky enough to find my own little student “family” through the Korean Student Association. Now, our family has made it a tradition to go to Happy Lamb Hot Pot every once in a while for a delicious, all-you-can-eat hot pot experience that heals the soul.
We create our own sauces and spend hours sitting in the hot steam of the food. It’s incredibly healing when I need a source of comfort after a hard week, but it’s also something that heals the younger version of me that missed out on eating Asian food whenever I felt like it. That’s another reason to love big cities: you’ll never go hungry because there are so many vibrant options for what to eat.
- The Scoop N Scootery
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This place has completely gone viral on TikTok and for the right reasons. On my first official night at BU, a group of girls and I found ourselves at The Scoop N Scootery, a deliciously eclectic ice cream shop in Allston with a great range of ice cream flavors and toppings. This was where I met one of my best friends for the first time, and seven months later, we still go together when we’re craving a sweet treat.
Though there is usually a crazy line, the ice cream is well worth it. Who doesn’t love something sweet to end the night? Just a brisk 15-minute walk from my dorm, I find myself at the Scoop an unhealthy amount of times during the year…
- The Charles River Esplanade
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Who doesn’t love a good walk? I’ve always been a walker, not a runner. I grew up traveling on my own two feet across twenty-some countries with my family, which is probably why I now walk at a concerningly fast pace in Boston.
On the Esplanade, I can walk at whatever pace I want. I put my headphones on and completely tune out the exterior world. I can walk for miles next to the Charles River, gathering my thoughts or daydreaming about the future for hours. I am so easily distracted by my own brain. I love a good opportunity to completely dissociate from daily life and to go into my own kind of “flow state.”
The Esplanade spans across the BU campus and goes even further into Boston. On a nice day, I really enjoy taking the opportunity to walk with my thoughts without any distractions. My roommate was the one who inspired me to do this, and ever since, I’ve found a lot of respite in it. I highly recommend going for a walk to clear your head or to get lost in your own ideas.
- Tatte Bakery and Café
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Extremely basic, I’m aware. But not every place you go has to be some underground, incredibly niche, and never-heard-of spot. Sometimes, cafés are basic for a reason!
Tatte is well-liked by almost everyone I know. It has something for everyone to eat, with great coffee and breakfast food. I love going to Tatte because the workers are always friendly, and they have locations everywhere. It’s the perfect way to start the day. My friends and I will often go to the Tatte location on Newbury Street and then spend the day shopping. What’s better than that?
When my aunt came to visit me, I took her to Tatte, feeling bad that I couldn’t think of anywhere more creative. But she was very pleased with the food and enjoyed the café’s ambiance. As a lover of brunch, Tatte’s menu is so versatile, and it’s a great place to get work done or chat with friends. It was also one of the first cafés I went to in Boston. After road-tripping to my sister’s graduation in Maine, we stopped in Boston before flying home. She took me to Tatte and said that when she was interning in Boston, she always used to go there. So now it’s my own spot as a college student.
The truth is, no matter where you’re from, you can find spots that make you feel comfortable and at home in a big city. Boston is a very approachable place, but if you ever need a taste of comfort, don’t feel sorry about going back to some of the basic places you already know and love. You probably like them for a reason!
That being said, don’t forget to push yourself and Mix in some new things too…
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