Show Us Your Town: Boston

A few of the 5,200 alumni in the Boston area share why their bustling, vibrant city feels like a familiar neighborhood.

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.

Meet Your Guides

The Boston team of guides includes members of the National Alumni Board and the Boston Network Leadership Council as well as alumni who have advisory, admissions, and volunteer roles.

Greenstein and Bleicher were originally from the East Coast and were drawn to Boston as a hub for biotechnology and health care innovation. “Boston really offers so much, and it is small enough that it is easy to get to experience the activities. The city, our professions, and our community keep us here, and there is always something new to do,” says Greenstein.

Dion Chay ’98S (MBA)

A job opportunity brought Chay to Boston, but the history, culture, and ambiance of the city keep him there. “I love the fact that Boston has all the amenities of a big city without being overwhelming.”

Beth Coughlin ’12

Coughlin has been in Boston for six years, having arrived for a job in health care. “Boston isn’t a concrete jungle. You can walk almost anywhere in the city, and I love the easy access to parks, gardens, and festivals and events like the Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles.”

Stephen Fantone ’79 (PhD)

After finishing his thesis work at Rochester, Fantone returned to Boston, having been an undergraduate at MIT. “You can really get your arms around Boston, and the area has everything you can imagine—an unmatched scientific and intellectual environment, arts, recreational options, and an ocean you can readily enjoy.”

Erika Illiano ’97

For Illiano, there are many reasons to love Boston—the number of colleges and universities keeps the city energetic and provides a rich arts and cultural scene. “Our central location means we can be in New York City or the mountains of Vermont in just a few hours.”

Drew Mittelman ’68

Except for two years in military service, Mittelman hasn’t left the Boston area since arriving for dental school at Tufts. “I love the area— it is aesthetically diverse with the ocean and the mountains, but it is the young, vibrant city that keeps me excited about being here.”

A College Town

The Boston Metropolitan Area is widely recognized for its rich diversity of colleges, universities, and other educational, cultural, and civic institutions. Rochester has connections to many of them. Here area few examples:

Rub George’s Nose
On the campus of MIT, near the entrance to Room 120 in Building 6, there’s a bronze plaque featuring the image of Kodak founder George Eastman. The plaque recognizes Eastman’s multimillion dollar contributions to MIT, gifts that were made anonymously during Eastman’s lifetime. (He was known as the “mysterious Mr. Smith.”)

Unveiled after Eastman’s death in 1932, the plaque became part of a campus tradition at MIT: for decades, students have rubbed the bronze nose for good luck. Supporting education was a key component of Eastman’s philanthropy. In addition to his historic support for the University, he was also an important benefactor for Tuskegee University and Hampton University, two historically black universities.

Share an Architectural Vision
The prominent architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White left its mark throughout Boston and Cambridge in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, playing a role in the design of the Boston Public Library, Symphony Hall, and Harvard Business School.

At Rochester, the firm was hired to design the Eastman Theatre and a 1926 addition to the Memorial Art Gallery, as well as to consult on the original design of the River Campus. The firm also designed interiors for George Eastman’s mansion, at one time home to University presidents.

Know Your New Presidents
In April, Andrea Kalyn ’02E (PhD) was formally installed as the first woman to lead the New England Conservatory. Located a block from Symphony Hall, the conservatory is the nation’s oldest independent music school. One of the guest speakers for her inauguration was Mark Volpe ’79E, president and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And in Quincy, Jack Connell ’14W (EdD) became president of Eastern Nazarene College last fall. Founded in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Christian liberal arts school is celebrating the centennial of its South Shore location this year.

Boston Regional Network

Cochaired by Stephen Fantone ’79 (PhD) and Drew Mittelman ’68, the Boston Network Leadership Cabinet plans activities for the University community in the region.

Regional Networks and You

The University’s regional networks offer alumni, parents, students, and friends a variety of social events, networking opportunities, and community service projects in Boston as well as in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Rochester, New York City, and Washington, DC, with new cities added regularly. Many volunteer opportunities exist, too, and include organizing events, interviewing and mentoring students, welcoming new alumni to an area, and serving as social media ambassadors.

For more information on how you can get involved, visit Rochester.edu/alumni/regional-network.