Davis Square is just a 15-minute walk (or a Joey ride) away from the Tufts campus, and there are so many places to explore. My first trip to Davis was during my own orientation week—and two semesters plus a full summer at Tufts later, I’m still discovering new places! Here are some things you should definitely check out in Davis Square during your first few weeks at Tufts:
1. The T – Get a Charlie Card
Don’t get me wrong, Somerville and Medford are great places—but Tufts is only 20 minutes from the greatest city in America (a.k.a., Boston!). For that reason, you’re going to want a Charlie Card. You can go to Tedeschi (right across the street from the huge CVS) and get one of these lovely plastic cards that will allow you to explore all that Boston and the surrounding areas have to offer (can you say ‘fall shopping spree’?!).
2. JP Licks – Yum!
The warm weather isn’t going to last forever, so this should be a must on your to-do list. In my opinion, the ice cream at JP Licks is to die for (and that’s saying a lot, considering I’m more of a fro-yo kind of girl!). I suggest the Brownie Brownie Batter, but there are many other flavors to try.
3. Music – Listen up!
One of the hidden gems I discovered in Davis this summer is that local artists are always playing their music in the middle of the Square. I assume this trend doesn’t continue into the frigid winter, so try to check out the music while it’s still warm. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll catch the guy dressed in a teddy bear costume playing guitar—he rocks!
4. Find your favorites
Now is the perfect time to go crazy and check out all of the eateries—and pick your favorites! Every girl’s got her go-to Mexican food place. Will yours be Anna’s Taqueria or will it be Chipotle, like me? Or will you venture to Medford Square for Tenoch? And how about fro-yo? There’s Orange Leaf, Pinkberry and Iyo…which one will be your favorite?
5. Bike path
Are you a runner, or did you make it your goal to start running in college? Did you bring a bike? If so, check out the bike path that’s located behind the T-stop on Holland Street. It’s a great place for an early morning or daytime run. It goes all the way to Alewife, and if you get tired, you can take the T back from Alewife to Davis (with your Charlie card!).
6. Find your study spot
Unfortunately, summer can’t last forever and soon enough we’ll all be back to studying like crazy. Libraries and dorms are great study spots, but sometimes it’s nice to just get away from campus. There are some great cafes in the area that have Wi-Fi and are the perfect locations to grab a coffee (or tea, in my case) and study all day. My top three favorites are Iyo, Diesel Café and Blue Shirt Café.
These are just a few suggestions, but don’t be scared to get out and explore! We’re so lucky to have such a great area so close to campus, and my advice is to take full advantage of it.
Photos courtesy of: boston.com, carrotsncake.com, jefftk.com, gtfoodandtravel.com, yelp.com.