Boston Winter Spots
by Danny McCarthy
Photography by Callie Ahlgrim
Surprisingly, winter does not end after the holidays eter off. Instead, especially in Boston, winter can last anywhere from two to sixteen months (it defies logic). So the average Bostonian is left bereft of holiday cheer and faces their icy future with dread in their heart. Thank god you don’t have to do that, because there are some great winter spots around Boston for you to go and enjoy!
OUTSIDE
If you’re sporty/eleven, Boston has some amazing locations for sledding.
One hill worth the trek is the “Sugar Bowl in Jamaica Plain,” said Grace Pearson (COM ’17). The JP native also recommended the Larz Anderson Park in Brookline. The park, in addition to great hills for sledding, has an ice-skating rink and the country’s oldest car collection at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. The oldest automobile dates back to an 1899 Winton 4-hp Runabout.
If Jamaica Plain is too far, the Boston Common Frog Pond has open expanses and their own ice-skating rink. For ice-skating, the price of admission is $6 and skate rentals are $12. After skating, there are cafés lining the Common for hot chocolate to dispel the wintry chill.
EATING
The Thinking Cup on Tremont Street is minutes away from the Common. Duck underneath the heavy curtain that keeps the heat in. The space is cozy and small, but finding a table isn’t impossible for the sharp-eyed and savvy. The prices are reasonable, the ambience is priceless and the furniture is Instagram-worthy. The tabletops are newspapers under resin and the lighting is always forgiving.
For somewhere a little closer to campus, Tatte Bakery on Beacon Street in Brookline is every Pinterest board you’ve ever lusted over. It’s all clean white subway tile, an intricate cluster of chandeliers over the main table, and mason jars filled with interesting sweets. It’s priced above average, but it has Wi-Fi, disconcertingly nice staff and a killer BLT.
DOING
Inspired in part by the Bryant Park winter marketplace in New York City, the city of Boston is making use of the City Hall Plaza. The space is now designated as “Boston Seasons,” a year-round project. Currently, it’s winter-themed, with a reconfigured ice-skating rink, food and drinks.
“Museums are always nice to get out of the cold,” said Michael Manni (SAR ’17), “like the Harvard Museum of Natural History.”
Just because the holiday season is over—minus Valentine’s Day—doesn’t mean that the next few months are going to be completely dreary. There are some great spots and activities in the city if one knows where to look.