Places to Ignore Your Problems

Boston Spots perfect for distraction & relaxation

Neighborhoods Café

Neighborhoods Café in Fenway is not a museum, but it does feel like a time capsule. The café seems like a cottage in the woods or your grandmother’s apartment. The paisley wallpaper, the stacks of board games and the crêpes cooked right in front of your face are gentle, delicious distractions from final exams. Let the mantra “treat yo’self” wash over you as you look at the ever-so-pricey bill for a latte and crêpe. Life is hard, and a little gift to yourself once in a while is a good way to become grounded amidst all the chaos.

ArtsEmerson at Emerson College

Snag a ticket to one of Emerson College’s student-produced plays, which are held in one of their campus theatres, and avoid your unfinished work by visiting another school. Productions this spring include “17 Border Crossings,” a performance about the “imaginary lines” (and maybe walls, who knows) between countries. Tickets range on the pricier side, but as the government debates about whether or not to defund public arts, try to quell any nervous guilt you may feel by knowing you’re supporting collegiate arts—and a neighboring school!

Boston Athenaeum

If you feel cramped studying in Mugar Library during finals, head to the Boston Athenaeum off Park Street for a change. Only a select few rooms are open to non-member visitors, so make sure you get there early. The reading rooms are members-only admittance (but let’s be real, reading rooms are best for naps anyway). Tours of the entire Athenaeum are open to non-members, but require reservations ahead of time. So while you’re holed up on the fourth floor of Mugar planning out your every breathing minute for the rest of your college career, you might as well pencil in some fun, too. Even if you’re just treating yourself to a new study environment or a change of scenery, a light walk around a museum stretches the muscles of the mind and the body.

BY MEGAN MULLIGAN | ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESIGN BY KATIE HONG