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10/24/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2024 19:42

Guide to Commonwealth Ave Shops, Dining, and Spots

Guide to Commonwealth Ave Shops, Dining, and Spots

Today, you'll find everything from high-tech high-rises to 19th-century brownstones on this bustling street, with some eclectic architectural gems hidden along the way. Photo by Kate Kotlyar (COM'26)

In the City

Our Guide to Comm Ave's Shops, Dining, and Spots to Hang

Exploring the 1.5-mile stretch of BU's main thoroughfare

October 24, 2024
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Just as the Beatles left their imprint on London's Abbey Road and country music on Nashville's Music Row, Boston University students have turned Commonwealth Avenue into its own iconic thoroughfare. Without a traditional college quad, the University's long section of the avenue that houses the Charles River Campus is integral to the lives of most BU students.

Comm Ave's connection to the University started decades before students carried silver laptops or studied in high-tech buildings. In 1920-81 years after its founding-BU purchased 15 acres of land between Commonwealth Avenue and the Charles River. This swath of land quickly unified the University's motley group of schools and buildings scattered around Boston, and Greek life organizations and alumni field days on Nickerson began popping up along the Avenue in the early 20th century.

Today, you'll find everything from modern high-rises to 19th-century brownstones on this bustling street, with some eclectic architectural gems hidden along the way. But don't let the road's many academic buildings and chain restaurants fool you. It's also home to delicious local eats, picturesque green spaces, quirky shops, and more.

Read on to discover what this iconic-and undeniably BU-coded-thoroughfare has to offer.

Cafe 472
472 Commonwealth Ave.

What better way to start your Commonwealth Avenue adventure than by ducking into a comforting late-night eatery? Open from 11 am to midnight seven days a week, Cafe 472 serves up tasty grub at an affordable price. The small café, tucked underneath a smoke shop in the Kenmore area, offers a range of choices, from pizza and paninis to frozen yogurt. They also have pasta dishes, soups, and smoothies, with many options under $15. Enjoy your food on the outdoor patio or inside at one of the cafe's snug wooden tables.

Panopticon Gallery
502 Commonwealth Ave.

Nestled inside the Hotel Commonwealth, the Panopticon Gallery provides an inspiring world of contemporary photography to explore. Established in 1971 and now one of the country's oldest fine art photography galleries, Panopticon regularly displays work from international photographers. Wrapping up November 1 is How I Spent My Summer Vacation, an exhibition featuring 25 photographs that capture the joy and nostalgia of summer memories.

Shu Da Xia Hot Pot
580 Commonwealth Ave.

Shu Da Xia offers authentic Sichuan cuisine. Its menu centers around hot pot, an interactive dining style where diners dip raw meats (like short ribs, Tiger shrimp, and chicken), veggies, and other ingredients into a simmering pot of flavorful broth. Save room for dessert, too. From strawberry matcha lattes to brown sugar ice pudding, Shu Da Xia makes it easy to end your meal on a sweet note.

Noodle Street
627 Commonwealth Ave.

Delicious Asian bites meet refreshing drinks at this centrally located eatery. Noodle Street, with its unmistakable green sign, serves up familiar favorites like tom yum soup, drunken noodles, and yakisoba. The menu spans many regions, offering Japanese ramen, Thai pad see ew, Szechuan noodles, and a Korean-style noodle plate. Prices are mid-level, with most noodle dishes under $17.

College of Communication Lawn
640 Commonwealth Ave.

Photo by Cydney Scott

Need a break from concrete and classroom walls? Relax on the COM Lawn, a grassy expanse just outside the College of Communication building. Take your pick of the many Adirondack chairs and tables in the area, soak up some sun, and enjoy the relaxing fountain gurgling beside you. Created by artist Edward Monti in 1976, the fountain features the natural sound of water flowing over a waterfall of sculptured granite. If all that people-watching leaves you thirsty for refreshments, Starbucks is right next door in the Warren Towers residence hall.

Tsai Performance Center
685 Commonwealth Ave.

At the heart of BU's campus, the Tsai Performance Center regularly welcomes concerts, lectures, and theatrical productions. The performance space has a seating capacity of about 500 and offers shows by BU organizations and other local arts groups. This month, catch a concert by the Boston University Symphony Orchestra or the BU India Club's fall show. Find a full list of events here.

Boston City Florist
714 Commonwealth Ave.

Stop and smell the roses without ever stepping foot off campus. This florist just across from the College of Arts & Sciences offers a wide range of exotic flowers and 16 different colors of roses. They also sell special flower arrangements for occasions like birthdays and weddings. If cut flowers don't last long enough for you, explore the shop's selection of potted plants instead.

Dugout Cafe
722 Commonwealth Ave.

With a cozy ambiance, delicious pub food, familiar drinks, and community events, the venerable (90 years) Dugout Cafe provides the classic university pub experience. It's nine decades means both current students and alumni from decades past have tucked into this homey pub to seek refuge from stressful classes or to celebrate academic wins. Today, the pub offers trivia on Wednesdays and comedy on Saturdays.

Marsh Chapel
735 Commonwealth Ave.

Photo by Jacob Chang-Rascle (COM'22)

Marsh Chapel's elegant Gothic-style architecture offers a peaceful pause amidst BU's bustling campus. Every Sunday, the chapel hosts an interdenominational Protestant worship service in the morning and two Catholic masses in the afternoon. The chapel also offers yoga and tai chi sessions, as well as community dinners every week. University chaplains and campus ministers at BU are available for anyone looking for spiritual and pastoral conversation. A description from a past BU Today article: "With flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings, an enormous chancel, and ornate stained glass windows, the chapel evokes the architectural wonders of Europe's medieval cathedrals. Its walls are built from Indiana limestone, its tile floors carved from Italian, Belgium, Spanish, Tennessee, and Vermont marble."

Pavement Coffeehouse
736 Commonwealth Ave.

Since its 2009 founding by Larry Margulies (CAS'97), Pavement Coffeehouse has expanded throughout Boston. One of those spots is right in the middle of BU's campus, conveniently located near CAS and the George Sherman Union. Here you'll find coffee, tea, and fresh bagels in unique flavors, like rosemary salt. With a welcoming seating area that offers tables to study at, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better central eatery and coffee spot.

Nud Pob
738 Commonwealth Ave.

With a lengthy menu and an even larger fan following among BU students, Nud Pob is a reliable stop for tasty and affordable Thai food. A testament to its popularity: after it reopened last year following three months of construction, students packed the restaurant. Today, the menu continues to offer a wide range of Thai dishes, such as fried rice, curries, noodles, soups, and more.

BU Beach
270 Bay State Road

Photo by Cydney Scott

The BU Beach may not have the sandy expanses of a real beach, but it provides a similar relaxing atmosphere. This grassy knoll behind Marsh Chapel (OK, so it's technically not on Comm Ave, but it's still worth mentioning) is a popular location for students to meet with friends, skateboard, or simply lay on their backs and take a much-needed nap. Picnic tables and benches provide a great place to crank out some work, while tall trees offer shade for those fielding the brilliant October sun.

Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre
820 Commonwealth Ave.

Just a few blocks away from Marsh Chapel's historic arches, the ultra-modern Booth Theatre glitters with reflective glass panes and has a sleek geometric structure. Opened in 2017, the 250-seat theater was listed among the best new architectural structures around the world by the design magazine Wallpaper. This November, CFA's School of Theatre is putting on an innovative musical called The Rink at the Booth. The piece follows a woman in New York City facing the imminent demolition of her roller rink. Find more info here.

BU Bridge

Craving a stroll, but not a fan of dodging pedestrians, scooters, cars, and students rushing to class? Turn off of Commonwealth Avenue and onto the steel truss of the BU Bridge and stroll over to Cambridge. On the comfortable pedestrian walkway, you'll be able to enjoy stunning views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline while safely avoiding cars and bikes. Originally named the Cottage Farm Bridge, it was constructed in 1928 to replace a 1850s drawbridge and has been a Commonwealth Avenue staple for almost 100 years.

Life Alive
888 Commonwealth Ave.

Operating on a promise to provide healthy, organic food prepared from scratch, Life Alive serves up delicious salads, smoothies, grain bowls, juices, and more. But at this bright, airy, and surprisingly spacious restaurant, healthy doesn't come at the expense of tasty. A zesty ginger-tamari sauce elevates the uber-healthy ingredients in the Buddha bowl, which has lemon flax brown rice, quinoa, and an array of veggies, and the avocado green salad's seasoning-encrusted avocado makes for an appetizing and interesting salad. Specialty beverages like golden milk and cold-pressed juices come at an expectedly steep price (ranging from $2.50 for a wellness shot to $9.75 for a peanut butter smoothie), but also offer unique flavor combinations.

WBUR CitySpace
890 Commonwealth Ave.

Photo by Conor Doherty

Some of Boston's best stories are told from BU's campus at WBUR CitySpace. BU-owned radio station WBUR opened the performance space in January 2019 and it has welcomed the likes of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, Mayor Michelle Wu, and writer and former iCarly actress Jeannette McCurdy. This fall, catch The Moth StorySLAM, an open-mic storytelling competition, coming to CitySpace on November 12. Find a full list of events here.

Sunset Cantina
916 Commonwealth Ave.

Flanked by academic buildings and the BU Campus Store, Sunset Cantina offers a fun-filled break from studying. Here you'll find delicious Mexican food, well-crafted cocktails, and an energetic ambiance that makes for a stellar evening out. Enjoy big portions of birria quesadilla or blackened swordfish tacos for a filling and flavorful entrée. If you're looking for smaller plates to accompany drinks, check out the loaded steak nachos or the Mexican street corn. Don't forget the drinks: cocktails start at $12 with the La Cantina (a mix of tequila, triple sec, fresh lime, orange juice, and agave) and go up to $20 for the El Chapo (a 20-ounce goblet filled with Patron silver tequila and other fruit flavors).

Raising Cane's
949 Commonwealth Ave.

Whether fueling up for class, emerging hungry from a concert at nearby Paradise Rock Club, or grabbing a post-workout meal after going to FitRec, Raising Cane's is a convenient food stop for anyone finding themselves on Comm Ave. Menu options like chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, and Texas Toast are classic and sure to satisfy fast food cravings. Prices are just as enticing: fries are under $3, a chicken sandwich is $8.18, and a box combo with chicken fingers, sides, and a drink is only $11.79. Don't forget to dip into the Cane's sauce as you dig into the meal. Creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy, the sauce's unique taste will almost make you forget you're in a fast food chain restaurant.

The Vintage Underground
957 Commonwealth Ave.

When the sun shines on Commonwealth Avenue, a small selection of The Vintage Underground's unique clothing selection pops up on the sidewalk. It's a sampling of the treasure trove to be found inside the store, which is hidden away in a basement unit next to Raising Cane's. Once inside the colorful vintage shop, you'll find rows of secondhand clothing and a considerable vinyl collection. Prices aren't as cheap as the Goodwill bins or an affordable flea market stall, but you'll find both menswear and womens wear and a generous selection of graphic tees.

Paradise Rock Club
967 Commonwealth Ave.

Photo by Cydney Scott

With a capacity of just under 1,000, Paradise Rock Club is considerably smaller than other Boston venues, like TD Garden or Roadrunner. But the Paradise stage-first unveiled in 1977-has carved a name for itself as an intimate, inviting concert location popular among local alternative rock bands. Over the years, benefiting from its close proximity to BU students, Paradise Rock Club has welcomed the likes of U2, Sinéad O'Connor, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This fall, catch pop and country singer Dasha and many other artists coming to the Paradise stage.

Pho Viet's
1022 Commonwealth Ave.

Craving a taste of Vietnam? Step into this family-owned restaurant tucked away in Packard's Corner. Its exterior may seem unassuming, but the beloved eatery has been recognized by local publications like Eater Boston and Boston Magazine for its vibrant flavors. Try the new Saigon noodles, which the restaurant describes as a "pad thai in disguise" on their Instagram account, or a heart-warming bowl of pho. The menu also features classics like banh-mi-a Vietnamese sandwich filled with meats and vegetables-or fresh summer rolls wrapped in rice paper. Luckily, bold flavors don't come with a huge price tag at this Allston mainstay. Most entrées start at around $15 and appetizers at $8.25.

BE Pasta Bar
1029 Commonwealth Ave.

A newcomer to Commonwealth Avenue, BE Pasta Bar serves homemade pasta with a casual ambiance. From buffalo mac and cheese to lasagna rolls, the menu offers comforting pasta favorites as well as sandwich and salad options. Guests can also build their own pasta cups with toppings like shaved parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. Be sure to check out the store's "Pasta Mondays" as well, where patrons can enjoy half off any pasta dish included in an order of $15 or more.

Brown Sugar Café
1033 Commonwealth Ave.

Brown Sugar Cafe's quaint exterior may be easy to overlook among the other shop fronts lining Packard's Corner, but this Thai restaurant is worth your time. Inside, you'll find a large dining room, with artwork, warm lighting, and granite tables that-in a testament to the food's quality-are usually packed during the dinner rush. Taste classics like crispy pad thai, wonton soup, and fried rice, or opt for unique dishes like the Thai chili fish, an entire fish deep-fried and then seasoned. Before vegetarians turn up their noses: the menu also features a meatless section, with options like vegetable curry and tamarind tofu.

Click on the points in the map above for more information on the places listed in our guide to the Commonwealth Avenue area.

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