NORTH END: LITTLE ITALY
Top tier food and entertainment on a budget.
By Daniela Cejudo
As a new college student, Boston may seem overwhelming; with its never-ending nightlife, array of delicious restaurants and multiple daytime activities, it feels as if you’ll never get to it all. Being a freshman, it can also be difficult to figure out your way around a budget, trying to figure out how to spend and save money. Although it is not an easy transition, there are multiple places that are not only entertaining, but will also help you maintain your budget (and not overspend over the weekend).
There will be weekends where you and your group of friends will be scouring the streets of Allston, trying to find something to do, yet a quick ride down to the North End will lead you to the perfect place to spend some time with friends: Little Italy.
After not more than 20 minutes on the T, you will arrive at North End, where a couple of weeks ago there was a spectacular festival celebrating Saint Anthony’s Feast and St. Lucia’s Feast. You could immediately take in the heavenly smell of Italian baked goods, which did not only taste exquisite but will not leave a huge dent in your wallet. The cannoli also comes highly recommended and at only four dollars a piece, you can indulge more than one!
Along with the food, the festival also included traditional carnival games, which provide a fun yet cheap source of entertainment. This is a simple, yet fun activity to kill sometime before a dinner reservation at one of the delicious Italian restaurants around this area. If you are in fact interested in some Italian cuisine, feel free to walk over to Massiminos: a rustic Italian restaurant, with an elegant terrace where you can sit to enjoy the live music. It is only a couple of blocks away from North Station, allowing you to explore more of the village itself. The atmosphere is delightful and the staff is magnificent.
“I never expected to find a hidden gem like this! I never thought that the best Penne Vodka I’d ever tasted would be so affordable as well!” said Anna Maria Diedier (Sargent ‘25).
Exploring Boston can truly lead you to the best places, and North End (or Little Italy) is definitely an adventure waiting for you and your friends! See what it has to offer, enjoy the area and spoil yourself with some rich Italian food.