Life in Boston

Harvard Medical School is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, across the Charles River from Cambridge. The two cities offer a geographically compact, rich, and varied academic and cultural environment. There are forty-three colleges and universities in the metropolitan area, that sponsor a multitude of cultural and intellectual activities, all easily accessible via public transportation. The close proximity to MIT, the natural science departments at Harvard in Cambridge, and the medical schools at Boston University and Tufts University creates an unusual concentration of scientific research that draws visiting scientists from around the world. The main Harvard campus in Cambridge supports a wide variety of facilities for athletics and graduate student activities. Students have access to all the libraries of Harvard University, which is the largest university library system in the world.

In addition to a long list of renowned institutions, such as the Museum of Science and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston itself is a museum, with hundreds of historical sites, an exciting range of architectural styles, and ethnically diverse neighborhoods offering an international flavor. Recreational opportunities in the Boston area are many and varied. Sports fans can follow the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, or the Red Sox. Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, is only a short walk from Harvard Medical School. Within the city, the Charles River offers an afternoon of sailing, kayaking, or windsurfing, while the network of parks known as the "Emerald Necklace" winds from Kenmore Square, through Olmsted Park, past Jamaica Pond, to the 265-acre Arnold Arboretum, which is both a city park and a Harvard research facility. Walden Pond and the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge in Concord are within biking distance. There are many beaches of Cape Cod. Ample and affordable skiing, hiking, and camping is available in the Berkshires, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. All are accessible in day trips.

The Longwood Medical Area

Adjacent to the Medical School are the Harvard School of Public Health, and the Countway Medical Library. The Countway is one of the most complete biomedical research collections in the country. There are also the research laboratories of seven affiliated hospitals and institutes. A free shuttle bus links the area with MIT and Harvard Square in Cambridge. Many students live near the Medical School, or in neighboring Brookline. Others find affordable housing elsewhere in Boston or in Cambridge. Harvard University provides dormitories for married students and graduate students in Cambridge. University housing is also available for single students in Vanderbilt Hall at the Medical School. Vanderbilt Hall also houses some athletic facilities and a branch of the University Health Services. The Medical Education Center houses the office of the Division of Medical Sciences, a graduate student lounge, and a computer room. Computers are also available in other areas of the Medical Education Center, in many laboratories, and at the Countway Medical Library. These facilities give students access to email, the internet, bibliographic search systems, and word processing programs.

For Further Information:

Boston.com and Boston Online
City of Cambridge
City of Boston