Features

For all its storied history—the Freedom Trail, Bunker Hill, Walden Pond—Boston feels familiar and friendly, says Stephen Fantone ’79 (PhD), a Connecticut native who has built his career as an optics entrepreneur over the past five decades in the Boston area.

Think of the region as one big neighborhood, he says. “Boston has a town-like feel. After all, one of its monikers is Beantown, not Bean City.”

One of about 5,200 alumni who call the Boston metropolitan area home, Fantone and other graduates say they’re also drawn to the region’s intellectual and cultural vibrancy.

With dozens of colleges and universities in the area, Boston has a constant influx of students and ideas and a spirit that fosters scholarship, discovery, and innovation.

Husband and wife Paul Bleicher ’83M (MD/PhD) and Julia Greenstein ’81M (PhD) say Boston is the perfect mix of big and small, old and new, and academic and creative.

What makes Boston a special place to live, work, play, and learn? Here are some of our Rochester guides’ favorite go-to places.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

The Buttery

314 Shawmut Ave., South End

With two locations in the hip and historic South End, the Buttery offers a great atmosphere and foodie fare, from salted caramel mocha lattes to breakfast scones to fig and arugula salads. One location hosts a market, where patrons in a hurry can pick up everything from sesame-crusted roasted salmon to glazed meatloaf to pies, tarts, and other desserts. Erika Illiano ’97 and her husband, Richard, make the Buttery a regular stop on their way to the Huntington Theater Company, where they have been season ticket holders for more than a decade.

S&S Deli and Restaurant

1334 Cambridge St., Cambridge

Fantone has been a regular since the 1970s, when he was an undergraduate at MIT and his brother, Joe, attended Tufts. They would meet here, the halfway point between campuses. Rochester connections run deep, too, as the family of Gary Mitchell ’79 founded the restaurant 100 years ago. Started by Mitchell’s maternal grandmother’s family, S&S stands for “essen and essen,” which means “to eat and to eat.” Although Fantone doesn’t order them as much as he did in his younger years, he highly recommends the pastrami sandwiches and cheesecake. “They are the best anywhere,” he says.

Hei La Moon

88 Beach St., Chinatown

“I love that Boston has a Chinatown,” says Dion Chay ’98S (MBA), who notes this as his favorite dim sum venue. “Try to go on a Sunday morning for brunch,” he says. “It’s the best time to get the full experience—lots of people chatting, carts being pushed around, and endless cups of tea.” Chay recommends the restaurant’s “char siu bao,” a tasty steamed pork bun.

Mike’s Pastry

300 Hanover St.

versus

Modern Pastry

257 Hanover St.

There’s a battle of confection going on in the North End, Boston’s Little Italy. According to Illiano, Mike’s Pastry is where the tourists tend to go, while Modern Pastry is where you’ll find the locals (and her Italian father-in-law when he visits). Her favorite item there? The Florentine—a chocolate Italian lace cookie. Beth Coughlin ’12 prefers Mike’s for its lobster tail. The good news? You can’t go wrong with either choice.

Hopsters Brewing Company

51 Sleeper St., Seaport and 292 Centre St., Newton

Hopsters is owned by Illiano’s good friend and fellow alumna Karen Forgosh Cooper ’97 and her husband, Lee. “In addition to their bar and locally sourced food, they have kettles you can reserve to brew your own beer with guidance from an expert brewmaster,” Illiano says.

Parks & Rec

Walden Pond

915 Walden St., Concord

With 335 miles of protected open space, visitors can hike, boat, swim, and visit a replica of Henry David Thoreau’s famous cabin as well as the site of the original structure. Drew Mittelman ’68—a self-proclaimed “urban person” who hails from Brooklyn and who, along with his wife, Maureen, thrives on the theater, music, and opera that Boston offers—enjoys visiting the idyllic spot to relax. “Thoreau really made this ordinary pond iconic,” he says. “Coming here to this beautiful place brings me back to a different, simpler time.”

Boston Common

139 Tremont St.

Often mistakenly referred to as Boston Commons, this is America’s oldest public park. Designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the Common continues to be a favorite spot for locals and tourists as well as a venue for public assembly and free speech. It is a central part of what is known as the “Emerald Necklace” in Boston, a stretch of connected parks that spans seven walkable miles. Bleicher and Greenstein recommend going to the Common’s Frog Pond in the winter for ice skating.

Lawn on D

420 D St., South Boston

Located in the Seaport area, one of Boston’s newer green spaces features swings, lawn games, food trucks, concerts, and other activities. “It’s really an adult playground,” says Illiano. “People actually wait in line for the swings, which glow in the dark at night.” Coughlin enjoys the venue, too. “The swings are really works of art that invite you to play on them,” she says. “It’s a great way to get people outside to interact with each other and enjoy something new that Boston has to offer.”

Museums & Culture

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

25 Evans Way

When Illiano first moved to Boston in 1999, she fell in love with the Gardner. “It’s completely unlike a traditional museum,” she says. “In addition to offering a distinct experience, the museum happens to be the scene of one of the most famous art heists in the world, and they’ve even kept the frames of the stolen paintings on the walls.” Bleicher encourages visitors to spend time there, too, especially in the garden. He notes that “even in the dead of winter, the space is really something, with the sun streaming through the skylights.”

Museum of African American History

46 Joy St.

The museum focuses on the stories of black communities from the Colonial Period through the 19th century. Chay is a museum regular and notes that the building that houses it used to be a school for African American children and, later, a meeting house for African Americans. “The museum should be a stop for anyone visiting the area,” says Chay. “It’s a historical treasure that highlights the roles and contributions of African Americans in our country’s history.”

Boston Public Library

700 Boylston St.

“I take visitors here all the time,” says Coughlin, who says that from the second floor people can get a great view of the Boston Marathon finish line. She also especially enjoys visiting the library’s Periodical Reading Room, which reminds her of the Martin E. Messinger Periodical Reading Room in Rush Rhees Library. “The similarity is uncanny,” she says. In January, the Boston Network hosted a New Year celebration for alumni at the library.

On the Waterfront

Wingaersheek Beach

Atlantic St., Gloucester

Illiano recommends heading to the North Shore for five miles of white sand at Wingaersheek Beach, always less crowded than Cape Cod. Explore its huge rocks, too, especially during low tide, which is also a great time to search for crabs and other creatures.

Charlestown Commuter Ferry

4 Constellation Wharf

“There’s no shortage of whale watches, cruises, and party boats to explore Boston Harbor, but one of the best and most economical ways to get an incredible view of our skyline is hopping on the commuter ferry to Charlestown,” says Illiano. “No need to buy tickets in advance—just walk up to the booth and catch the next available ferry for just a few dollars.” The ferry travels between Long Wharf and the Navy Yard, home of the USS Constitution Museum.

Castle Island

2010 William J. Day Blvd.

The hidden treasure south of the city anchors Pleasure Bay Beach, which was also designed by Olmsted and is part of the Emerald Necklace strand of green spaces around the city. The beach is near Chay’s home in Dorcester, and he often walks the narrow strip of land (it’s not actually an island) and enjoys taking visitors there. “This is an ideal place to stroll, bike, and even grab some of Boston’s famous fried clams.”