Want to Get Away from City Living? Try Fenway Campus
With newer dorms and more privacy, BU’s Fenway’s Campus may be the perfect fit for students looking for a small campus amongst a big school.
By Mara Mellits
Boston University’s Fenway Campus was opened in 2009 with three dorms: Riveryway House, Pilgrim House, and Longwood House. Housing 386 students and sitting 0.7 miles away from BU’s Charles River Campus, Fenway is the perfect place for students looking to escape the hustle and bustle of main campus along Commonwealth Avenue.
Transfer student Ethan Combs (CAS ‘25), found Fenway’s campus to be refreshing and a good way to separate himself from his classes.
“Honestly, one of the good things about it is [that it’s] formerly Wheelock College, which was a small liberal arts college. So it does have a bit more of a campus feel —which you don't really get anywhere else,” Combs said.
But because of its somewhat-isolated location, most students are blind to Fenway’s perks. For Carolina Ceribelli (Wheelock ‘25), Fenway wasn’t her first choice, although now she’s taken a liking to the campus.
“It's a peaceful dorm outside of BU —outside of the chaos of Comm. Ave.,” Ceribelli said. “I think it's really nice to be honest, to be able to go home and just relax and be in a different space than where you have all your classes, [Fenway] feels more like a closed campus.”
While Ogenna Oraedu (CGS ‘25) didn’t live on Fenway’s campus freshman year, she spent at least four days a week in the area because her friends lived there. She compared her experience at Warren Towers to Fenway and found Fenway to be much more favorable.
“They have these big suites with really nice common rooms. And it was just really spacious and even if you were on a floor with a communal shower, it was nice,” Oraedu said.
Oraedu added that, “everything feels newer,” including the dining hall, which felt much more upscale.
“You knew the food was actually going to be made right then and there,” Oraedu said. “I think there's something a bit nice about actively seeing them put it in the oven or putting your burger on the grill, when you're right there.” Ceribelli said the Fenway dining hall adds to its small campus feel, “Everybody who works there kind of knows the people who live there. [They] really care about everybody who lives there because it's not a lot of us.”
In addition to BU’s Fenway Campus buildings, the neighborhood itself offers students a chance to leave the familiar Charles River Campus and explore the city.
“There's a couple of good restaurants and obviously, parks are close,” Combs said. “When you're in a city a lot of the time, it's good to have a nice quiet spot.”
However, there are some downsides to living in Fenway. The dining hall only caters to a few hundred students, so hours are limited, and there aren’t a lot of nearby spots to use dining points. And without easy access to public transportation besides the BU shuttle bus, the walk back to main campus can be tiring.
Despite that, Ceribelli said she would choose the experience all over again, “I think that if we can't get an apartment, I would definitely consider living there again.”