We used to hang out (and get stoned) at Walden Pond. That was very cool, as a college senior.
As long as the topics involve Orange County freshmen migrating to the East coast, I thought I’d ask on behalf of my daughter, who will be attending Marymount Manhattan.
Is she likely to be able to find serviceable winter clothing at the Goodwill store, or will that tend to be kind of picked over? I’d kind of like to have as few bags as possible to put on the plane with her.
The solution to all such problems: LLBean.com.
Couldn’t get into Miskatonic, huh?
Other than that & Congratulations, I got nothing!
Serviceable, sure. Stylish, probably not but kids make their own style. There are plenty of places to get inexpensive warm clothes in a city.
Why so negative?
Moody St is about 1 or 1.25 miles from Brandeis, and the Commuter train does go into Boston and Cambridge (Porter Sq, right on the Red Line).
Source: lived in Waltham for 4 years.
Not being negative, Waltham does have quite a bit more going for it than do most leafy upscale suburbs. I enjoyed my time working there, and even hopping all the Moody St. (and Main St.) bars with coworkers. There’s just a lot *more *going on right down the tracks.
There is a nice little song about Waltham, by French-Canadian singer Marie-Jo Therio.
So how is the OP liking Waltham?
You are going to freeze your ass off your first winter. An MA winter can be damned cold (especially this past one, that was the second-coldest of my entire, twice as long as yours, life) for even natives. I hate hate hate dressing in layers, but you need to, so the best thing you can do is find layers you can stand wearing. Old Navy’s “vintage” tees work really well under sweaters because they’re so thin, for example, and I hate them a lot less than more noticeable under layers. And get a nice, insulated coat, like from LL Bean or Land’s End, and that’ll help a lot on windy, frigid days. Get one that’s long enough to cover your whole butt!
What no one warns you about when it comes to freezing your ass off is that it might actually be worse when you go home for winter break. Why? Because your dorm probably doesn’t charge students for heat separately, and that means dorm temps average around 80F - I lived on the first floor and never turned my radiator on due to how hot other kids kept their rooms all around me. Once you get home, even the low 70s will feel cold so prepare to take a week or more to adapt.
Oh, and here’s a thread full of New Englandisms so you have a clue what we’re talking about 
Moody Street. Everything is on Moody Street. Food, nightclubs, everything. The T station even intersects Moody Street.
Lots of restaurants and bars, lots to do. Lots of college students so things get crazy on the weekends.
Congratulations! I really enjoy seeing our doper kids grow up. I hope you still have time to hang out with us here.
I find these boots to be very comfortable and warm.
Does it? Granted, it’s been almost 15 years since I’ve lived there, but I don’t recall it every getting “crazy”.
It does seem like there are more bars and restaurants now. Although it also appears Watch City Brewery closed, which is too bad.
I dunno about Massachusetts winters but it was always hilarious when I was in college in MN to see the californians pull out parkas, scarves and big ole boots as soon as the temp dipped below 50F. You do that and you’ll have nowhere to go when it actually gets cold! Start with sweatshirts and long pants and wait until there’s actually snow on the ground before you start with the heavy duty stuff.
When you feel settled in, let us know here - it’s about time for another Boston DopeFest.
Bleh, I haven’t been up to Moody St since spring and I hadn’t heard that. That really is too bad, they brewed some good beer.
(… but $100k in unpaid taxes? Seriously?)
The taxes thing is all too common around here. Suspect it’s not unique to Boston, but it annoys the crap out of me.
Anyway, latest rumor I heard was that Boston Beer Works was looking to take over the Watch City facility, so that’s OK by me.
They did at one time, but for the past 5 years they’ve brewed crap and their food was mediocre at best. Too many better options to be had.