Harbus

Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: News

There are three reasons that you should live and work in Boston: 1. This is the home to consulting and biotech, which means there might still be jobs available - thus solving the 'work' part of the equation. 2. Now that NY has effectively shut down, most of your classmates will probably stay here, thus preserving the section experience for another year. 3. It's not that cold. Or at least compared to where some of us are from. I suppose I should add a fourth point. 4. Boston is a great city in which to live.

Despite what you may believe, HBS is not Boston. Though a scarce 3 miles separates us from the city, 02139 is a different world entirely. And sadly, most HBS'ers will graduate thinking they know the city. We don't. We don't live in Boston. 9 Tastes is not Boston. Tommy Doyle's is certainly not Boston.

Okay, so HBS may be technically located in Boston, but we all know that's a lie. For most of us, Boston will be a complete afterthought in our business school careers. Over two years, you'll probably visit that cute Italian place in the North End that you'll never remember the name of, you'll wait in line at a handful of clubs thinking "it's probably not worth the wait," and you may even craigslist your way into the most uncomfortable seats in Major League Baseball. If you're especially ambitious, you might fit in a trip to the MFA or a stroll down Newbury, but let's face it, you probably never got around to it. Which is a shame.

Sure, it's miserable in the winter. Sure the sports fans are crazy. Sure you might lottery into that Wine & Cuisine tasting tonight. But that doesn't mean Boston's not a great city. Just because we're too busy to go there doesn't mean you should write it off. It is steeped in history, packed with great restaurants and bars, and has enough old school charm to make even the hardest Yankees fan soften. Next time you're thinking of hopping in a cab for an overpriced HBS event in the city, consider heading in a little earlier and exploring a few treats of the neighborhood:

Firstly, there is nothing, nothing like dim sum to kick-start your weekend. The best food can (surprisingly) be found at Super-88, but if you want the proper experience, Hei La Moon in Chinatown can't be beat. For the uninitiated, don't be scared: just point at whatever dumplings you see, and you'll be happy (so long as you're not kosher).

Second, if you're interested in food at all, you can find your heart's delight in either the North or South End (no, there is no East or West End, and no, there's no good reason for that). Boston's best collections of restaurants are clustered along two streets: Salem St. in Little Italy, and Tremont St. in the South End. Any city would be lucky to have them.

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