<p>Is the Medford Area around Tufts Urban or Suburban? Does it feel like an extension of the city of Boston, or not?</p>
<p>Worth noting is that Tufts straddles Medford and Somerville. Neither are really urban, but on the whole Medford has a bit more of a suburb feel than Somerville. Most students don't have much reason to go into Medford, though, as the nearby commercial area is Davis Square in Somerville.
A direct answer to your question is that no, it does not feel like a direct extension of Boston, which in my opinion is a good thing and is one of the reasons I came here.</p>
<p>How far of a walk is it to Davis Square and do Tufts students go out here or do they mostly stay around campus or go into Boston on the weekends?</p>
<p>davis is something like 2 t stops/15 min walk or something like that, if my memory's good for anything. my friend goes to boston on occasion but not really regularly...its pretty accessible though</p>
<p>A parent here-
Davis Square is about a 15-minute walk. Lots of of places to eat-- Indian, Mexican, Chinese, ice cream, plus bars and an old movie theater. Not as upscale as Cambridge, but it attracts a young crowd and seems pretty bustling on weekends. Our 14 y/o daughter loves it, so every time we visit her brother we take a walk over there for dinner. S. doesn't go to Davis very often except for a quick dinner or occasional movie. Can count on one hand the times he's gone into Boston, though am guessing that might change a bit once they're of age for bars and clubs. There seems to be enough going on on-campus to keep him happy.</p>
<p>The neighborhood surrounding Tufts is mostly residential and I guess I would describe it as suburban, but with an urban feel. Working-middle class neighborhoods, older homes, very tight together, tiny yards, sidewalks, etc. No high-rises. Like anywhere else you need to be cautious, obviously. There were several armed robberies near last year, but fewer this year, I think/hope. Many of the houses near campus are student rentals, as the majority of juniors seem to live off campus.</p>
<p>I've walked to Davis in under 15 minutes from uphill, so depending on how fast you walk/where on campus you're starting it could be closer to a 10 minute walk. I haven't been to the movie theater there yet, but there are a lot of good places to eat and also some handy places for quick shopping (CVS, etc).
Harvard Square is two stops away from Davis on the red line, which is probably what you're thinking of.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info. I cant see him taking off to go into Boston too often except to perhaps visit friends that go to BC or harvard, but I had read about the area being kind of Iffy surrounding the school, but when we visited we didn't see Davis Square so wasn't sure how close it was.</p>
<p>Modadunn:</p>
<p>Did you get my PM?</p>