Boston

See also Wikipedia's article about "Boston".

Boston is probably the most exciting city on the East Coast after New York, but that's not saying much. Columbia's admissions officer for the region actually refers to the city as "that little New England fishing village". New Yorkers visiting are advised to be leery of the city's notoriously barbaric baseball fans - and to carefully research nightlife options, lest they find themselves stuck in a ubiquitous Irish pub (one could be mistaken for thinking that Bostonians subsist entirely on a diet of Sam Adams beer and Dunkin' Donuts, which is even more proliferous here as Duane Reade is in New York).

Across the Charles River is ultra-academic Cambridge, nest of some insidious Columbia rivals.

Getting there

By Bus

A one-way bus trip generally takes about 4 hours, but it could easily be more if there is traffic in New York and Boston. All buses make only one food/toilet stop. The Boston stop is at South Station.

• Fung Wah Bus (better known as "the Chinatown Bus") costs $30 for a round-trip and leaves from corner of Bowery Street and Canal Street hourly. The cost is the same, no matter when you buy it. Take the yellow NRQW to Canal Street, then walk east. The Chinatown Bus has quite a loyal customer base from the old days when it had little competition, but nowadays there is little reason to take it. Not only is it a hassle to get to, but your bus might lose its wheels or explode.
• Bolt Bus leaves the much more accessible location of corner of 34th Street and 8th Avenue. Take the 1 to 34th Street/Penn Station. Price varies, depending on when you buy, but it should not exceed $40; if you get them really early, you can get them for as low as $1. Also, there is on-board wireless.
• Greyhound. Costs $30 to $48, depending on when you buy and whether you buy refundable or non-refundable. Leaves from Port Authority: take the 1 to 42nd Street, then follow the signs to Port Authority.

By Train

Amtrak is expensive ($60 to $140), but it has its advantages over the buses:

• Trains are way more comfortable than buses. You can walk around, visit the snack car, and go to the bathroom with little grief.
• You will always be on time, unlike buses, which are strongly affected by traffic conditions.

The train takes about 4 hours 15 minutes. They leave from Penn Station; take the 1 to 34th Street/Penn Station. The Boston stop is South Station.