Rummage through Coolidge Corner

By now you probably think from my previous posts that all I ever do is eat! In my defense, I do love trying out new dishes and new types of food. Who doesn't? :) Why not share about the food experiences I have enjoyed? I also cannot write about Coolidge Corner, located in Brookline, without mentioning some of the fabulous places I have eaten at in this historic neighborhood. However, I have enjoyed much more than just eating in Coolidge Corner as well. Of course, I can't resist mentioning some of the tasty eateries first.

If you are fond of sushi, you will love Fugakyu Japanese Cuisine on Beacon Street. If you haven't tried sushi, you should definitely got to Fugakyu for your first sushi eating experience. That is what I did and I have been a fan of sushi ever since. I recommend if you go to this restaurant with a group, that you each order a different house special roll so that you can share and try the many tasty options.
If you are looking for a less expensive meal, Dok Bua Thai Kitchen on Harvard Street has affordable, appetizing meals. An added bonus is that this restaurant is vegetarian friendly.

After filling up on a nice meal, walk on over to Brookline Booksmith, also on Harvard Street to explore this independent bookstore. There are many great titles to be found throughout the aisles. There is also a bargain basement of used books and if you are lucky, you will be able to find a book you may have seen upstairs for half the price. The basement also boosts a collection of indie and foreign films for rent. A great aspect of the bookstore is the Writer's and Reader's Series, where author's offer readings and book signings. The calendar of events is available on the website and also the location. Most of the readings are held at Brookline Booksmith, but the readings that expect higher volume are held across the street at the Collidge Corner Theatre.

The Coolidge Corner Theatre is an independent movie theater which shows both modern indie films along with classic films and often is having special event movie showings. The theater is made up of 4 screening rooms, which vary in size and can seat as many as 450 people in one room and as little as 15 people in another, for a more intimate movie viewing experience. The Coolidge Corner Theatre also
hosts film festivals, and one coming up on October 9th is the "Found Footage Festival," which will showcase footage from videos found in thrift stores, garage sales and the like. The unique concept fits in quite well at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.

A Glimpse of Ireland

Brighton Center is located in the center of the Brighton neighborhood, which is not too far from Allston and is just a bit farther up on the Green Line. The 57 bus, which runs up Comm. Ave., also takes you right to the doorstep of many delightful Irish Pubs in Brighton Center. I didn't explore this lovely part of town until I lived in Brighton myself. The Brighton crowd is not quite as young as the Allston crowd. Instead, it is made up of a blend of college students and young professionals and most of the pubs and bars in the area close at 1AM. Some nights when I couldn't decide which of the Irish pubs to venture to, I made a night of it and went to a few of them throughout the night because they are all minutes away from one another.

Devlin's Bistro and Bar on Washington Street is the best place to start, especially on a cool summer evening because they have an outdoor patio in the back. The decor is more upscale and doesn't have the "living room comfort" feel to it, but the food is quite tasty. For an authentic Irish pub outing, right next door to Devlin's is Porter Belly's Pub which often has live Irish music at nights. A few minutes away are two other great pubs on Market Street, Corrib Pub and The Irish Village. Either of these pubs will make you feel like you are in Ireland because many of the employees are Irish men and women. If you ask for a Magner's cider, you will be asked if you want that with ice, just as they serve Magner's over in Ireland. Not only are the bartender's Irish, but so are many of the patrons and you will most definitely strike up an interesting conversation with the regulars.

Friday Night in Allston

Allston is steps away from the heart of Boston University's campus and is filled with local hotspots for college students. The location is convenient and the fact that you can ride the Green Line outbound just a handful of stops from BU makes this a great spur of the moment part of town to explore on a Friday night. You are guaranteed to find this neighborhood abuzz with college students on a weekend night.

One great Allston attraction is Sunset Grill and Tap located on Brighton Ave. Start the night off with a meal from the Tex-Mex food menu. I recommend the cheesy fries as an appetizer starter to share. With over 100 beers on tap, if you head over with a group of friends, there is bound to be a beverage on the menu for everyone to enjoy. The atmosphere is laid-back at Sunset and flat screen televisions are located throughout the restaurant so you can watch a Boston sports team while chowing down.

If you are interested in catching indie music, you can always mosey on over to Great Scott at the corner of Brighton Ave. and Harvard Ave., which hosts The Pill on Friday nights, a dance night with a local DJ spinning indie beats. Other nights of the week, you'll be sure to find a mix of local cover bands, DJ's and the like. Most shows tend to be 18+ but you can always check the website to be sure. It's a great staple of the neighborhood, also known as Allston Rock City, and a great venue to shell out a small cover charge in support of local musicians.

Allston has a variety of eateries located on Harvard Ave, from Columbian at Camino Real and Malaysian quisine at Aneka Rasa. There is also just as much of a variety in pub food fare from cheap wings and $1 drafts at The Avenue located on Commonwealth Ave. or Our House, also on Comm. Ave. The location is not only perfect for BU students, but many local area college students flood the streets of Allston each weekend.

Welcome to Boston

As a transplant to Boston myself, I know firsthand what it feels like to move to this wonderful city without knowing much about where anything is, other than the taxi stand right outside the baggage claim area of Logan airport. Eventually, I began to explore things to do, seeing as I had 4 years of college ahead of me, and I definitely needed to find other things to do besides read 8 chapters every night from my textbooks. Of course I still needed to get my reading done, but every once and I while I needed a breather.

It has been 7 years now since I first arrived in Boston and so I've had a decent amount of time to wander the streets and come up with some ideas of great things to do while you are in town. I have found that there are many sites to see, restaurants to explore, and instrinsic neighborhoods to visit. If you are in the mood for trying something new, I hope you get a chance to check out some of these great places.