My Own Boston: Sara Tavakoli (SDM’25)
My Own Boston: Sara Tavakoli (SDM’25)
My Own Boston: Sara Tavakoli (SDM’25)
When Sara Tavakoli moved to Boston in summer 2020 to start a job as a research assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the COVID-19 pandemic had the city in lockdown. But the avid biker and runner began discovering neighborhoods in and around town and wonderful outdoor spaces where she could both train and relax.
Now a first year dental student, Tavakoli (SDM’25) says that “exploring the city has taught me not to wait for anyone. I’ve learned that I really enjoy doing things on my own.” She often encounters the same people on her runs—athletes like herself, who hope to one day run the Boston Marathon. “Seeing the same people motivates me to stay committed,” she says.
“I usually spend my weekend running with no end destination. I have been able to explore the city in a more intimate way. This is the one thing in my life that makes me very happy and grateful for the beauty and motion of the city.”
Here are three of Tavakoli’s favorite places to visit.
Harvard Stadium
79 North Harvard Ave., Allston
Modeled after the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece, Harvard Stadium is not only home to the University’s football team, it’s also a popular destination for amateur athletes to work out. Many use the stadium’s 37 sections of reinforced concrete stairs for conditioning. The U-shaped stadium, built in 1903, can hold up to 30,300 people, and in 1987, it was named a National Historic Landmark.
Corey Hill Outlook
Summit Ave., Brookline
Sitting high atop Brookline and the neighboring Allston-Brighton area and looming 260 feet above sea level, this outlook in Corey Park offers panoramic skyline views of Lower Allston, as well as of Boston and Cambridge. The 4.16-acre parcel has a playground and dog park, along with plenty of space to toss a frisbee or catch some sun. It’s a steep climb by car or on foot to get there, but the trek is well worth it.
Eliot Bridge
Cambridge
Built in 1950 and boasting distinctive brick-and-granite arches, the Eliot Bridge connects Lower Allston to West Cambridge. The surrounding area is filled with bike paths and boathouses—a perfect spot for a leisurely ride, or in October, for viewing the annual Head of the Charles Regatta, which has special meaning for Tavakoli, since she was on the University of Connecticut rowing team as an undergrad. The bridge was named in memory of Charles W. Eliot, president of Harvard University from 1869 to 1909, and his son Charles Eliot, the original landscape architect for Boston’s Metropolitan Park Commission.
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