Imagine you and your friends just got out of school and you all want to go out and do something. One friend decides they want food, another might want to get homework done, and another may want to do something fun. Well, there’s actually a place that meets all these criteria Boston Public Library – Central Library is the place where you and your friends can both get food, finish homework, and do something fun.
The majority of teens get food after school and then head home for the day but the location of this library changes that. Most kids when they go home either don’t get a lot of homework done or wait until the last second due to distractions or obligations. The library is conveniently placed near a bunch of restaurants where teens can go and pick up some food after class making it an ideal spot to grab food and do any work before heading home.
The library is located in Greater Boston, specifically in Copley, Boston. This is in Back Bay, an area that is known for shopping and food. Entering Copley Square there are a lot of historical and iconic architectural buildings making this area really important to Boston’s history and the library is no different from these other buildings. The library is within walking distance of both the Orange and Green Line making it extremely convenient to get to. But the convenience of these train stations isn’t the only thing that draws us teens in.
The overall design of the library when walking in is stunning, from the outside the library itself looks to be a random abandoned building but as soon as you enter you see that the building is filled with murals and statues that capture the history of the building. While the library does have a modern side, the front side still has the original components that reflect its founding in 1895. This isn’t the only type of architect that draws teens in.
When you enter through Boylston Street you see there is a barrage of colors flowing into your eyes, it shows the modernness of this building. The colors aren’t the only thing that shows the modernity of this section of the building, the high ceilings and open area really give the impression of a modern school or area made for teens and youth.
While similar to a school in the interior aspect it is different due to its dedicated places for teens and children, where there is no forced reading. The place made for kids is a place that almost has a mystical look to it like it’s fresh out of a cartoon. They specialize in encouraging kids to read more. This place is an area made for both parents to interact with their kids with the hope of giving them a positive outlook on reading and literature.
Moving across the hall from the kid section is the teen section. The teen section is so dedicated to making teens feel comfortable that they don’t allow any non-teens into that specific area of the library. This section is the section I stay in mainly and personally, I love it.
While on the topic of the teen section — I love their staff. I haven’t experienced much of the other staff from the other sections but if they are half as good as the teen center staff then they are great. They made a bunch of my friends feel welcome and wanted there. When you walk into the teens center you see on your left-hand side on the wall a variety of flags corresponding to the sexual orientations of the LGBTQ+ community, having this here really does make the area more welcoming. The staff even sometimes have freebies for teens when they walk in. The last time I went they were giving out putty and stickers.
While staying in the teen section they offer a variety of board games to keep teens entertained. My friends and I play the Monopoly game they have quite often. But it doesn’t stop at board games, they have a plethora of other games that include computer games and a game room with gaming consoles set up for teens to enjoy to their heart’s content. This room is always kept nice, and clean and is set up for optimized gaming.
As teens, we usually judge a place based on the vibe and here it is extremely good and can only be described as a chill and welcoming place. The combination of the staff with their welcoming attitude and the wonderful decor of the room gives it an overall welcoming vibe. I strongly recommend this place to all teens in Boston.
