Seaport: Bougie or Misunderstood?

Can one of Boston’s most expensive neighborhoods work on a college budget?

By Anika Mahansaria

Photo by Hannah Sender

Seaport is famously known as one of Boston’s most bougie neighborhoods. Whether in terms of apartment rent or an average meal, nothing seems to be affordable in Seaport. But is this simply a myth?

While most of the restaurants in the Seaport area are marked as $$$ or more, if you try a few cafes or select restaurants, you can make one of Boston’s most expensive neighborhoods quite affordable.

Restaurant 1: Serafina

Elevated luxury at an affordable price, Serafina is a staple in every Bostonian’s routine. With reasonable prices all-around, the starters at Serafina are among the best that I’ve had in Boston. As an added bonus, going with friends lowers the overall cost even more by splitting the bill. I would say it is $$, which, for Seaport, is on the cheaper side.

Restaurant 2: Madras Dosa Co. 

Madras Dosa Co. is an Indian restaurant with incredible food. Although it is nothing like you would have in India, the food is still amazing. The kitchen serves every dish piping hot, and I have no complaints about this place. I would say that Madras Dosa is extremely affordable, at just $.

Cafe: Little Wolf 

The coffee at this cafe is amazing! A perfect balance of sweet and bitter, their iced mocha is a particular standout. In addition, the menu boasts a large variety of drinks and customizations. They have a large selection of seasonal drinks as well, which I love. However, the food menu is not as extensive as some other cafes. Little Wolf does have a lot of co-working space, which is always a bonus for college students.

Obviously, in addition to these places, Seaport has the classics such as Shake Shack, Dunkin, Sweetgreen, Starbucks and more. While those are more affordable, they’re not as unique to this neighborhood as the other places on this list. Plus, Seaport always has a bunch of cool pop-ups to try too!