How to ditch the Hill for a weekend
November 8Ever feel like the air at Tufts has become stifling, and a ride on the T to downtown Boston won't quite cut it? Are your exploratory instincts relentlessly tugging you toward fresh, new landscapes? Then it's time to pack a bag with the bare essentials and head off into the proverbial sunset — at least until Monday morning. New York Most Jumbos know how incredible "the City" is, particularly compared to the small size and quiet nightlife of Boston. Many students who need to get off campus for the weekend hop on the bus for a four-to-six-hour ride, depending on traffic. Once you are there, the vast array of museums, restaurants, bars, stores and sights in the city will keep you ceaselessly entertained. New York is well known as a walking city; particularly in Manhattan, any part of town welcomes exploration by foot. In the downtown area, worthwhile parts to traverse include SoHo, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, the Meatpacking District and Times Square. On weekends, an enticing lunch option is one of the massive Dim Sum restaurants in Chinatown, such as Jing Fong or the Golden Unicorn, where large round tables are shared with complete strangers. The Brooklyn flea market offers a medley of vintage items and collectibles, and takes place every Saturday in Fort Greene and every Sunday under the Brooklyn Bridge. Those who want to duck out of the city's hustle and bustle for a moment of tranquility should visit the Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum's Washington Heights outpost, which focuses on medieval art and boasts a secluded, verdant location. Other possibilities for museum visits include the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum itself and the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side — which is less well known but offers an immersive look into America's urban immigrant history through some of our early settlers' eyes. Shabazz Stuart, a junior and a Brooklyn resident, suggested visiting Bushwick for a taste of Brooklyn's edgier cultural side. He said the neighborhood offered "a much more up-and-coming scene than the neighboring Williamsburg, which is almost like SoHo by now." According to Stuart, one of the most underrated parts of Brooklyn is its waterfront. "My favorite place to take friends is the Brooklyn Heights promenade. It's the most beautiful view of Manhattan, and not many people have been there," Stuart said. Stuart also suggested that people visit Manhattan's High Line Park, an abandoned elevated freight railroad that was recently converted into a greenway. "It's like walking through Manhattan in an urban oasis," Stuart said. "People should also look into comedy shows, which I think are a big, underrated part of the city," he added. But what do you do if you're dreaming about a weekend in NYC and your best friend doesn't go to NYU, your sibling doesn't live in the city and you can't afford a hotel room? Well, if all else fails, there is a large selection of inexpensive hostels scattered around Manhattan that can rapidly be found on Google.com. Greenwich Village and SoHo are popular areas in Manhattan for young people, so try to locate a hostel somewhere downtown. If hostels really aren't your thing, then students who are willing to live a little and risk disaster can also try couch-surfing.com. A popular option for traveling to the city is the Bolt Bus, which combines affordable rates (usually between $17 and $20 on Fridays) with comfortable and consistent service, wireless Internet access and outlets to charge electronic devices. When using this bus company it's best to buy the tickets well in advance, since they sell out early in the week. Fares are also cheaper early on — early buyers can find tickets for as low as $1. The Greyhound and Peter Pan buses are also a reliable option, with tickets costing around $20 each way. The Fung Wah and Lucky Star buses have the most frequent and reliably cheap service, and drop off hardy travelers in Chinatown. All buses leave from Boston's South Station. Cape Cod For those looking to escape the endless string of street lights, Cape Cod, Mass. is a short trip away, accessible by the Peter Pan Bus or by ferry from the Boston Harbor. From Logan Airport in Boston, the Cape Cod peninsula is only 75 miles away, and a ride by ferry usually takes close to two hours. During the fall, prices for many hotels, motels and inns are reduced to more accessible rates. "People who like deserted beaches and rural settings will enjoy Cape Cod," said sophomore Andy Espinosa, a Cape Cod resident. "Thanksgiving is popular, since people visit the Plimoth Plantation, which is where the pilgrims landed. Bed and breakfast options are good for people trying to find a quiet weekend away from the traffic of the Boston area," Espinosa said. Some of the options for activities in Cape Cod include humpback whale-watching cruises, biking through the Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth and weaving through the shops at Commercial Street, located in Provincetown. Although the beaches may be slightly less inviting during the months of cold weather, for those who wish to breathe fresh marine air, the Cape Cod National Seashore has 40 miles of sandy shoreline to offer. For lovers of seafood, the area is well known for its shellfish and lobsters, which entice even the most discerning enthusiasts. Smugglers' Notch During the upcoming months of winter, one alternative to complaining about the snowy weather is to hit the slopes. Smugglers' Notch, Vt. is home to some of the best skiing slopes in the New England area, and is also 20 minutes away from the more up-market resort of Stowe. The Notch comprises three mountains: Morse Mountain, Madonna and Sterling Mountain, all of which offer "little hidden nooks and treasures," according to sophomore Zachary White, a Burlington, Vt. native. For budget-oriented students, the accommodations in Smugglers' Notch are more affordable than those of other nearby skiing hubs, while still offering direct access to excellent slopes. Another alternative is to stay in Burlington, in the heart of the University of Vermont's college scene, and take the Burlington-Smugglers' Notch shuttle that runs on weekends. For students who do not own cars, the best and most inexpensive way to reach the area is by bus, with the Greyhound. The ride from South Station to Burlington lasts approximately four-and-a-half hours. It is 35 miles from Burlington to Smugglers' Notch, which may be reached by train, rental car, taxi or the aforementioned shuttle.
