You know the routine – spend your Friday afternoon shopping on Newbury Street, then get glammed up to go to a party in Mission Hill or somewhere around campus. But why not try to explore some of the other neighborhoods Boston has to offer? Brookline is less than 2 miles away and is full of fun places to eat and shop on a Saturday afternoon. Plus, the area is easily accessible by the Green D line or the 66 bus.
One of the first places you should visit in Brookline is one of the numerous Jewish restaurants in the neighborhood. Stop by Zaftigs (335 Harvard Street) for a lunch of matzo ball soup and then head over to Kupel’s Bakery (421 Harvard Street) to stock up on bagels and flavored cream cheese. Or, you could have a picnic in one of the numerous parks within Brookline – they’re perfect if you’re looking for a park other than The Fens.
For history buffs, the John F. Kennedy National Historic Site (83 Beals Street) is a great place to visit for a guided or self-guided tour. The cost is $3 per person and visitors get to see the house as it looked in 1917, when John F. Kennedy was born there.
Next, you can bring out your inner child at Eureka! Puzzles (1349 Beacon Street). It’s a great place to goof around with your friends or get a birthday present for your little cousin. The store even sells “adult” board games, such as Adult Loaded Questions and What In The World Did I Do Last Night? Right around the corner is the Coolidge Corner Theater (290 Harvard Street), a not-for-profit movie theater that shows both mainstream and independent movies. Now playing? The King’s Speech, Inside Job, and two Oscar-nominated short films. The theater also offers live shows.
At the end of the night, you can stop by the Clay Center (20 Newton Street), which offers an observatory that is open to the public one night a week. There, you can learn how much you weigh on the moon or Mars and learn about the constellations that are visible from Brookline. If you’re looking for first date options, this could be the place to see if your signs align.