5 Best Picnic Spots at Harvard

It's getting to be spring, and that means picnics—the perfect excuse for Vitamin-D starved Harvard students to bask in the sun, until we start shivering and have to put our winter coats back on.

Sure, we can all sit on a towel in the Yard and nom while tourists photograph us.  But why not grab some cheap wine and sandwiches from Darwin's or Cardullo's (or, let's face it, Adams d-hall) and explore some of Harvard's secret-yet-superb grassy patches?

1. BARKER CENTER LAWN

Wooden benches, green grass, small trees, and what seems like perpetual sunshine. Pretend you are famous as people walking by on the street (and in the Barker Center Café and basement) spy on you through the gate and windows.

How to Get There: Corner of Quincy and Harvard Streets.

2. FRESH POND

This isn't technically Harvard property, but it's closer than the Medical School, so it counts. Wander the meadows, woods, and parks for the perfect spot to eat.  And if you feel bloated, go for a run around the pond!

How to Get There: Walk toward the Quad, then take a left on Concord.

3. DIVINITY SCHOOOL (ANDOVER LAWN/CONTEMPLATIVE GARDENS)

For the quiet picnicker interested pondering the world on a bench beneath trees.  Really this is on the list because who doesn't want to have a picnic on a labyrinth? (Not that kind.)

How to Get There: Just past Vanserg and the Bio Labs, adjacent to the greenhouse.

4. RADCLIFFE YARD

There are lots of little courtyards and benches tucked away alongside the Radcliffe Institute houses, so keep your eye out. Also the buildings are prettier than Harvard Yard. Women just do it better.

How to Get There: On the way to the Quad, on the left side of Garden Street.

5. CHARLES RIVER

An oldie but a goodie. Sit on benches or the grass, watching adorable elderly couples ambling down the path and your toned classmates rowing down the River.

How to Get There: Walk away from the Quad as far as you can until you hit water.