<p>I have a simple question, and I want an honest answer.</p>
<p>How are the parties and night life at Harvard? If it is pathetic, are neighboring schools accesible for social purposes? Answers from Harvard alumni only please.</p>
<p>Boston has easily 100,000 students. If you don't like Cambridge parties there is a student social scene in the areas near BU/BC across the river in Allston, and also a club/bar scene literally down the street from Harvard, near Fenway Park. The latter is close to Northeastern, BU, and the music and art (and medical) schools and is full of students. For on-campus or near-campus socializing there is more of a tie to MIT and Wellesley than the other schools, partly due to transportation in the form of shuttle buses. For the most part, student parties are Harvard-internal, as few students have cars (difficult in Cambridge) or off-campus apartments.</p>
<p>Thanks, that answer was very informative and encouraging.</p>
<p>re: night life, Boston shuts down early compared to NYC, but not early compared to smaller college towns of Harvard's competitors. I mean, there is not much night life in Princeton, New Haven or Hanover NH. The only things open late in Providence RI are strip clubs and massage parlors.</p>
<p>Well NYC never seems to shut down, so how early is early in Boston?</p>
<p>NYC shuts down in the sense that not every place you might want to go is open at 4:00AM. After 2AM is mostly but not 100 percent dead in Boston, i.e. some bars and diners might be open late (maybe 3AM for some clubs, don't remember). Most restaurants close 11pm. If you are wealthy there is always a hotel bar or somesuch. I think nothing is open 24 hrs in Cambridge except convenience stores.</p>