Tufts Blogs

Since I have been here at Tufts, I have been trying to find good places to shop at. I was nervous because I was going to school in an urban area there would be a limited amount of shopping options. However, that fear was put to rest this weekend as I went to the CambridgeSide mall in Boston and I explored Assembly Row in Sommerville.

On Saturday morning I woke up early around 8. Went through my morning routine and headed to Davis Square around 10 to hop on the red line T. I changed trains at Park Street to the Green Line and headed for North Station. When I got to North Station I had to hop on a shuttle bus to go to Cambridge side mall which is right near the Museum of Science. CambridgeSide mall has so much to offer. Right behind the mall there is a scenic fountain and plaza. CambridgeSide mall has so much to offer! It contains name brand stores such as Best Buy, American Eagle, H&M, Footlocker and Lids, just to name a few. There also is not a shortage of food places to eat while you shop. The food court has so many option to offer such as Panda Express, Burger King, Taco Bell and Chipotle. If you would like to sit down and eat Cambridge mall also has Cheesecake Factory. It might not be as big as a mall in a suburban area but it has some of the same stores and eating places that a suburban mall has. That is why I found CambridgeSide Galleria mall so unique. It felt like a full-size mall you would go to outside the city. You rarely have a mall with so much to offer inside a city.

If you prefer an outside shopping experience Assembly Row in Sommerville is definitely the place to go! Assembly Row is very accessible. It is about a 13 min car or Uber ride. It is also very accessible through train. When I went this Saturday afternoon, I took the T from the Davis Square stop. I took the Red Line to the Downtown Crossing stop and changed to the Orange Line. I got off at the stop called Assembly. Assembly row has so much to offer just like Cambridge Galleria. What is great about Assembly Row the diversity of stores you get and the fact that you can also get some fresh air while you shop. Assembly row has stores such as Bed, Bath and Beyond which is a terrific option for getting anything you need to make your dorm room fill like a little piece of home! For anyone who loves sneakers like I do, there is also a Nike factory store! Right next to Bed Bath and Beyond is a Harris Teeter grocery sore and a Christmas tree shop. In the square there is also a Levi’s store, a Yankee candle, Banana Republic, Adidas’s store and an AMC movie theater that has reclining movie seats! If you’re looking for something to eat Assembly square has some outstanding options to choose from. If you have a sweat tooth try J.P. Licks ice cream or the famous Boston brand Mike’s pastry, which makes the best cannoli I’ve ever had! If you’re looking for something more savory try Shake shack (the burgers are immaculate!), Legal Seafood, or the Smoke Shop (which makes some of the most mouthwatering southern style barbecue in Boston).

There is something for everyone to enjoy at Assembly Row and Cambridge Galleria! Boston is a unique urban area in that it has both a traditional mall as well as a number of outdoor squares and shopping areas like Assembly Row. A lot of major cities don’t have the same shopping options like Boston has. That is the great part about being here at Tufts, you have access to all of it!