By Melissa Fitzgerald, news correspondent
After weeks of being battered by snow, wind and a striking lack of public transportation, Bostonians may be catching a bit of cabin fever. For those courageous enough to brave the bitter cold, The News has compiled a list of things to do around the city.
Boston Public Library (BPL)
The BPL, with 24 neighborhood branches in addition to its beautiful central branch in Copley Square, offers a respite from the cold – for those who can get to it.
“It would be a nice place to be if it weren’t so many blocks away with the roads being so bad,” sophomore behavioral neuroscience major Alexis Stefano said.
However, while Copley may be covered in dirty ice, worlds of knowledge, whole other universes of fantastical lands and dangerous fiends and underground organizations await within the pages of the library’s books.
“In Boston, you can find yourself stranded at home amid snow and ice,” sophomore computer science major Tom Hay said. “A couple of good books is what makes these inconveniences into rare treats.”
Additionally, the BPL recently revealed its newest Collections of Distinction, adding six to the initial 18, according to the BPL’s website. The collections include Massachusetts Newspapers, Boston Artists, Boston Pictorial Archive, the Book of Common Prayer and works by Daniel Defoe, as well as the Mellen Chamberlain Collection of Autographs.
The library is currently celebrating Black History Month through its annual “Black Is” book list, a compilation of recent books by black authors like Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams, Toni Braxton and Oprah Winfrey. There will also be film series, panel discussions and photography presentations.
Frog Pond
According to John Schaub, manager of the Frog Pond in the Boston Common, this ice skating rink is one of the city’s biggest winter attractions.
“Frog Pond is just … a cool place to be,” Schaub said. “It’s in the heart of Beacon Center, right in the Common … so you just look up and see where you are and think, ‘Wow.’”
The rink lowers its prices every Tuesday between 6 and 9 p.m. for anyone with a valid student ID. Instead of the normal $5 for anyone over 58 inches, admission is $2, attracting swarms of students to the Common. Skate rental is $10.
“[I see] all sorts of people from kids to retirees, but there is a big student contingent,” Schaub said.
With a café that serves mac and cheese and speakers that blare oldies music, the Frog Pond is a great place for one of the few outdoor activities winter encourages.
New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium is a thing of hope in this winter weather. The animals swimming elegantly in the cool, blue water reminds us all that summer, slowly but surely, is coming.
Tony LaCasse, media relations director at the Aquarium, says one of the biggest attractions in the wintertime is the giant ocean tank, which holds more than 225,000 gallons of water.
“What’s really cool about it is it’s got a spiral walkway that you walk up and a huge viewing window, so you see everything as if you were in a submarine,” LaCasse said. “[It has] thousands of animals, from 550-pound sea turtles to some of the strangest-looking tropical fish that look like they’re straight out of animation. It’s just stunning, and I think it’s an affirmation of how big the world is.”
According to LaCasse, the window gets much more traffic in the winter.
“We’ll have not only kids smeared up against the glass, but also a lot of adults who will sort of tuck into a window and daydream away,” LaCasse said. “I think, especially in the wintertime, people at the aquarium slow down and look more closely at the little things and just get drawn into a world away from the cold and white.”
For those looking for a cozy night out, LaCasse offers some advice: after a night shopping at Quincy Market or dining downtown, meander over to the aquarium to see seven giant harbor seals floating behind the glass.
“They’re literally two feet away, taking a nap vertically in the water, hauled onto some rocks or floating,” LaCasse said. “Everything’s at your eye level … You step away from the hustle and bustle and go towards the waterfront and see these really beautiful seals, and it’s this right intimate secret kind of moment that makes for a memorable evening.”
Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
Located just one T stop or a 10-minute walk away from Northeastern, boasting over 400,000 works of art and free to Northesatern students, the MFA provides a place to stay warm and appreciate beautiful masterpieces.
The museum also offers studio art classes from beginner to advanced, lectures like “Leonardo da Vinci’s Ideals of Beauty and Ugliness” and courses such as the multi-week “Hollywood Glamour and the Birth of the Cool.”
Roberta King, assistant director of Member and Visitor Services, says that there is an upsurge of visitors during the winter, particularly on Saturdays. For King, the MFA is a good winter attraction because of new and exciting exhibitions.
“The concerts are great. The films are fun and accessible,” King said. “Just the fact that the exhibitions are constantly changing is wonderful. There’s always something new to see.”
Students may be particularly interested to hear of the MFA’s later hours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – open until 9:45 p.m.
Huntington Theatre
Huntington Theatre, located at 264 Huntington Ave., is a 5-minute walk from campus and offers students $15 tickets with their school ID.
“The Huntington Theatre brings together superb local and national talent to produce a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current,” Desiree Barry, communications manager at the Huntington Theatre, said.
Though the theatre has had to cancel several performances and events due to snow, Barry has found that people are still coming out to see its productions, including “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” the Broadway production of which won a Tony Award.
“In the winter, our tendencies are to stay inside and hibernate, and I think getting out of the house and experiencing a live performance with other audience members can keep the wintertime blues at bay,” Barry said.
Be on the lookout for the Huntington’s next play, “The Colored Museum.”
Coolidge Corner Theater
With an appearance straight out of the Golden Age of Cinema – even featuring a velvet red curtain – the Coolidge Corner Theater shows movies ranging from Oscar nominees like “The Imitation Game” to independent releases and cult classics. The theater is an independent nonprofit cinema that’s been around since 1936.
“One reason we stand out so much is we have signature film series, where we have an interactive speaker beforehand who introduces the movie and gets people excited, and then we play the movie,” Marketing and Outreach Coordinator Bianca Costello said. “Right now, we’re showing ‘Evil Dead II.’ Before the movie, the speaker, Steven [Schlozman] ‘Dr. Zombie,’ is going to lecture why people love scary movies, and then the movie plays. This ties in science to the film.”
According to Costello, the theater provides relief from the winter in the form of a sense of familiarity.
“It is a good community place where you can just hang out with friends and watch films,” Costello said.
Photo by Scotty Schenck
