There is often little to look forward to for a typical Tufts student on a Sunday afternoon. Most hours are spent slaving away on problem sets at Tisch or holed up in the dorms trying to sleep off the previous night's hangover. Sophomore Beth Doyle, however, has figured out her own way to beat the Sunday blues.
Every Sunday around 6 p.m., Doyle and her friends venture down Boston Avenue for a meal at the local Medford establishment Pasta Pisa. Doyle enjoys frequenting the restaurant as a way to break free from the Tufts bubble and is happy to give her business to such a hospitable institution.
"The best part about eating at the local eateries is the people there really love getting to know Tufts students," Doyle said. "My friends and I love going to Pasta Pisa because they always greet us with a warm welcome. It makes the whole experience more fun when they call us regulars and joke about our favorite orders."
While some students may venture off campus simply for a change of scenery, traditions of eating out at nearby establishments can also be essential contributions to the local economies of Medford and Somerville.
University President Lawrence Bacow recently addressed this important economic link between Tufts and its host communities of Medford and Somerville in a speech to the Medford civic clubs on Feb. 26. In his speech, Bacow stressed the strong connection that Tufts has to its host communities and spoke about the many economic benefits that Tufts brings to Medford and Somerville.
In addition to employing a large number of local residents, Tufts also draws around 60,000 visitors to the area every year, most of whom actively spend money at local eateries and hotels. Bacow also highlighted the fact that many Tufts students choose to remain in the community even after graduation, helping Medford and Somerville to thrive financially.
For current Jumbos, it seems that the easiest and most satisfying way to contribute to local economies is in patronizing the many local restaurants and bars. Packs of Tufts students are found hanging around the establishments lining Boston Avenue or surrounding Davis Square. Between downing morning cups of coffee at Diesel Café, sitting down for lunches at Mr. Crepe, or grabbing late night drinks at Sagra, it is clear that the troubling economy has not slowed many students at Tufts from infusing local institutions with their business.
"One of the reasons I like going off campus to eat is because Somerville attracts a very eclectic crew," Doyle said.
Sophomore Louisa Bradberry agreed that it's nice to see some new faces every once in a while. "I think it's cool to get away from somewhere that's all students," she said.
Kathleen Flahive (LA '04), co-founder of the Danish Pastry House, understands the need for students at Tufts and residents of the Medford and Somerville communities to interact. "People see us as a university coffee shop in a lot of ways," she explained. "But we opened it so that everybody would be welcome and everybody could share the space."
Flahive felt that the area surrounding campus lacked a common space where students and nearby residents could come together. "While I was at Tufts I was really involved in [Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS)], and I always wanted to get involved in the community," she said. "There's always the idea of Tufts being up on the hill, and although the students live in Medford, they don't always get involved in the community. Sometimes even when they do want to get involved, the only way is LCS and the community service way. That's the only route."
Flahive is proud of the eclectic mix of customers her restaurant draws.
"When you go in, you see we have students and people from the community," she explained. "We have local politicians, elderly ladies who come in for luncheons and families and kids. What we like about the café is that it's somewhere everybody can come and everybody can enjoy."
Besides the obvious perk of drawing in more business, storeowners also appreciate the atmosphere that college students bring to their establishments. "The community loves that there are students here," Flahive said of her shop.
Liz Hilt, a barista at Davis Square's Mr. Crepe, values both the business and presence of students from Tufts. "It keeps everything going," she said. "It keeps the place young."
