<p>This is for FauxNom-- adding on to Bromfield’s suggestions (H loves Italian - will have to try Bistro 5!)–
The Hyatt Place in Medford has become our regular base for Tufts visits. Affordable, clean, efficient, and nice staff. There’s a computer room off the lobby and a little kitchenette downstairs where you can get a decent small meal at odd hours.<br>
The only downside is that it’s NOT within within walking distance of Tufts or Davis Square. It would be fine if you had a rental car, and they have a free shuttle to Davis Square that runs continuously until 10 or so at night. Our one bad experience was the time we had to wait almost an hour for the shuttle, because some pushy hotel guests had convinced the driver to take them to Target (grrr). But I digress… Usually it runs every 20 minutes or so. Driving around Medford/Somerville is quirky-- it’s a working class area, with houses close together and streets going in all sorts of directions. </p>
<p>LaQuinta Suites are also nearby, but not quite as nice and clean.</p>
<p>We also stayed at the Marriott in Cambridge near MIT (I forget which one). The hotel was nice enough, but more expensive, and the area is very cement-y (for lack of a better description) and pretty deserted at night. Great access to the red line, though-- right downstairs. If you’re going to do any sightseeing or shopping, Cambridge covers a big area, and the part around Harvard Square has more to do and see.</p>
<p>Davis Square, near Tufts, is sort of like a mini version of Harvard Square. Not fancy, but tons of young people around, and lots of neat small restaurants. As noted above, there is a Red Line stop there. Just know that it’s close, but not THAT close, to Tufts. Be prepared for a 15 minute walk to campus. Good luck!</p>
<p>Little Mother, we just sayed at the Bertram…nice place but we felt a bit out of place with our 11 year old daughter. The staff was great , but a couple of other guests walked onto the front porch while we were eating our breakfast…turned right around when they saw us…we were just as quiet as everyone else and I am pretty sure we smelled okay :)</p>
<p>For Cambridge area colleges, we stayed at the very elegant La Meridien right near Mass ave by MIT for $89 a night, and there were plenty of rooms–just call Starwood, who now owns it, and book.</p>
<p>Zip Cars rent by the hour and are available in Boston. These are good for trips outside the city - for example to Providence. One nice thing about these (versus a rental car) is that they are conveniently found by most campuses. See [Car</a> Sharing, an alternative to car rental and car ownership – Zipcar](<a href=“http://www.zipcar.com/]Car”>http://www.zipcar.com/)</p>
<p>I agree that you do not want to drive within Boston as buses and the T are more than adequate.</p>
<p>I just got a Marriott email (we have their points) which offered the Courtyard Cambridge on Memorial Drive for $109 a night from now until April 30. There is a code, so PM me if you need/want it.</p>
<p>We stayed in Boston Sunday night and got the Hyatt Cambridge for $60 a night through priceline. Can’t beat the location or the view of the Charles. The T is definitely the best way to get around. When we visited Tufts we also stayed in Boston so we could see how far it is out to Tufts. Not too far!</p>
<p>I’ll recommend rental if you are visiting multiple colleges especially Brown in Providence.
Driving is not bad at all any where in MA including Boston, NYC is tough but not bad. You have to drive in London, Tokyo and many cities in India to realize what bad driving is. I’ve done that so US driving have always been fun. Staying wise ‘Le Meridien Cambridge’ is just steps away from MIT and is a nice hotel. Harvard Sqaure Inn is right at Harvard sqaure which is a fun place to be. ‘Courtyard by Marriott’ in downton Providence was good too. Parking meters were available at all the colleges we visited including Harvard, MIT, Brown, Yale, U Penn. Columbia was different and had to pay $40 for 8 hours. Princeton had free parking in the garage and run a shuttle to admission office.</p>
<p>I had no major problems driving in Boston either. A portable navigation system was very helpful when I had to venture outside of the city; otherwise, I relied on the little map provided by Dollar. I found Boston similar to Seattle when it came to drivability and parking prices. If one is not comfortable with city driving, public transit in Boston is excellent (this is where Boston beats Seattle big time).</p>
<p>One thought…when our kid was looking at colleges in Boston (he graduated from one), we wanted him to use the public transportation system so he would be well aware what he would be dealing with while in college. There was NO WAY we were going to pay to park or insure a car for a college student in Boston. We live close enough to drive to Boston, but we parked the car and took the T.</p>
<p>oreo45 - Jacob Wirth would be appropriate for teens - it’s one of the oldest restaurants in Boston and has great wiener schnitzel. Another fun thing to do is visit Chinatown with its many different restaurants and even stores with live poultry, etc. And it’s easy to reach via the T. Chau Chow City is huge and has a reputation for good dim sum. East Ocean City Restaurant is very good - I’ve eaten there. Spike’s Junkyard Dogs is great for hot dogs - also found near a number of campuses. And if you get a chance to get a super burrito at Anna’s Taqueria (found on MIT’s campus in the student center as well as in other locations), definitely get it - it’s the best! Anna’s and Spike’s are very popular with college students because they’re so affordable.</p>
<p>lje62 - I know what you mean. Just thought I’d throw those out there - no endorsements of the hotels - just info. Some B&Bs are more tolerant than others.</p>
<p>Zipcar has a lot right on BU’s campus. And I think you can take Amtrak to Providence and walk to Brown’s campus.</p>
<p>Zipcars are great but not for everyone. There is a huge penalty ($25?) for returning the car late. It works wonderfully for us (we gave our old car to S1) because we know how long it will take to do grocery shopping and similar trips. You also need to reserve in advance.
For someone who is touring colleges and does not know whether s/he will get lost, how long the visit will last, etc…, it may be better to either go by public transportation or rent a car. I think there is a maximum cost per day for zipcars, however, so if you’re going to use it for more than 5-6 hours (not sure what the maximum is), it might be worth investigating.</p>
<p>The maximum depends on the day of the week and what car you’re renting - I think it’s about $80. Generally I’ve heard that Zipcars are really only good for college students who aren’t old enough to rent actual rental cars, or if you need one for a short amount of time. They run about $10 an hour plus the initial sign-up fee.</p>
<p>It’s not easy driving around Cambridge. Between the MA drivers, the jaywalkers, and the narrow one-way roads, you probably would shave off several years of your allotted life-span.
In Cambridge, take the T. You can also take the T (Red Line) to Tufts though it’s a bit of a trek from the train station to the campus (there is a bus but I don’t know how often it runs). You can take the commuter train (purple line) to Wellesley Square from South Station which is both the AMTRAK station and also a stop on the Red Line (the one that goes to MIT, Harvard and Tufts)</p>
<p>I did not find driving around Cambridge too troublesome when I had a navigation system. But I have been trained to navigate the treacherous urban terrain on the hilly, one-way streets of Seattle Long-term parking in Cambridge (more than a couple of hours) may cost a fortune. Where are you planning to stay? Near Wellesley or in Cambridge?</p>
<p>The thing about Boston Driving, besides the roads, are the other drivers. Boston drivers are typically aggressive and usually don’t signal their intentions. The popular making a left turn from the right lane maneuver can catch visiting tourists off-guard.</p>
<p>I usually only drive into Boston on the weekends, usually Sundays now. There’s less overall traffic and you don’t have to feed the meter. I have my special on-street parking spaces that I look for when we go in.</p>
<p>Tufts is in the western part of Somerville (near Powderhouse Blvd I think) and driving there (outside of navigating Routes 2, 3 and 16) shouldn’t be too bad.</p>
<p>And let’s not forget those insidious rotaries! Remember, the cars in the rotary have the right of way UNLESS there are signs that say otherwise. :)</p>
<p>Someone mentioned Jacob Wirth–which has OK food and a fun atmosphere–if you want much better food in the same geographic area and great atmosphere, try Locke Ober. It’s been in Boston forever and in recent years, Lydia Shire (one of Boston’s great chefs) has taken it over and updated the menu. We took my elderly aunts (who were visiting from the midwest) last summer and they loved it. The staff was really friendly and made a big deal over the fact that they’d never had lobster stew (which they ordered because it was JFK’s Lobster Stew–they’re 83 and 85 and Catholic and loved JFK).</p>
