How to Survive (and Maybe Enjoy) Winter in Boston

A Practical Guide to Warmth, Routine, and Frosty Days

By Marianna Gavurmadzhyan

Graphic by Katie-Ann Small

Boston winter has a way of humbling you. One minute you’re romanticizing your hard-earned snow day and earmuffs; the next, you’re questioning every life choice you’ve ever made that landed you here waiting for the T in freezing wind. But once you accept that winter isn’t something to beat but to work around, the city becomes surprisingly livable, even enjoyable.

The first rule of surviving winter in Boston is finding places that make you forget it’s cold outside. L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates is one of those rare spaces that feels like an immediate exhale. Softly lit and found throughout most of the city, it’s the kind of café where time slows down. Their rich hot chocolate isn’t just a drink, it’s an experience, allowing you to enjoy your time watching the snow outside while remaining perfectly warm. Paired with one of their delicate pastries, a gray afternoon suddenly feels just a bit more alive.

Museums are another winter survival staple. When the weather turns brutal, places like the Museum of Fine Arts or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum become escapes rather than destinations. Winter crowds are noticeably calmer, making it easier to wander aimlessly and lose track of time. Not to mention all the time available to browse the gift shops for things you’ll never buy, all while avoiding going outside. On days when motivation is low, museums provide structure without pressure — you can stay for hours or leave after one gallery and still feel like you did something.

Winter is also the season of third places. Third places are informal public spaces outside of home and work where people gather, linger, and build a sense of community. Think libraries, bookstores, and cafés. These become a second home when the cold makes lingering outside unbearable. Just large enough to get lost in and quiet without being isolating, the Boston Public Library, especially, feels made for winter afternoons. There is something grounding about sitting in a warm space surrounded by other people doing nothing particularly urgent, all collectively hiding from the cold.

Food plays a bigger role in winter than we like to admit. Cold days justify longer meals, warmer drinks, and the decision to build an entire evening around your dinner. Whether it’s ducking into a small restaurant to escape the wind or planning your day around something warm to look forward to, winter eating becomes less about convenience and more about comfort. In Boston, that small shift makes a noticeable difference.

And then there’s the final option: braving it. Winter, harsh as it may be, is also beautiful, offering moments you won’t find any other time of year. Go walking around a frozen Swan Lake, take a short walk along the Esplanade in search of the rare bald eagle (I’ve seen it!). Dodge hanging icicles while secretly picking a few off window sills, just to hear the crack. When you step outside, despite the cold, the city reveals details that disappear in warmer months. If you’re willing to brave it, winter rewards you with beauty everywhere you look.

Remember, surviving winter in Boston means lowering expectations. You don’t need to be productive. You don’t need to love the cold. You just need a few rituals, a favorite café, a warm place to wander, and a reason to leave the house that doesn’t involve suffering through work or classes. Once you have those, winter stops feeling like something to get through and starts feeling like a season with its own rhythm.

And soon enough, you won’t just be surviving winter in Boston, you’ll be enjoying it.