Boston

See also Wikipedia's article about "Boston".

Unlike New York, which gives its residents a fairly cosmopolitan cuisine, New England offers only donuts and Joe.

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 or between New York and Boston. All buses make only one food/toilet stop, usually at McDonald's or Burger King. The Boston stop is at South Station.

• Chinatown buses, including the Fung Wah Bus and the Lucky Star Bus, cost $30 for a round-trip. Fung Wah leaves from corner of Bowery Street and Canal Street, while Lucky Star leaves from Christie Street, right around the corner. The cost is the same, and your ticket is always valid, no matter when you buy it or what bus it's for. In fact, the buses are always first-come-first-serve, so it's best to arrive early to beat the lines. Lately, Fung Wah has been leaving a little more often than Lucky Star. The best way to get to the buses from Columbia is to take the yellow NRQW subway lines 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 one has more options. Not only is it a hassle to get to from campus, but your bus might /lose its wheels or explode.
• Bolt Bus leaves from 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 (often marked as Peter Pan on these routes) 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. It leaves from Penn Station; take the 1 to 34th Street/Penn Station. The Boston stop is South Station.