Four tips to navigate CRA’s Boston office

The guide to the CRA Boston office:
The Commute: Even as one of the major cities of the East coast, Boston is small enough that you can find affordable housing a short commute away from the office. The junior staff mostly live in the South End, Brookline, Cambridge, Beacon Hill, or even in Back Bay, where our office is located. The T (our local subway) is very simple to use and CRA offers a T-pass program as a pre-tax benefit. But, a handful of us actually walk to work every day. I get to walk through the beautiful Boston Common every morning and commute for a short 20 min. I love the walkable city feel of Boston.
Lunch Spots: The Boston office is located in Back Bay, so there are a number of great lunch options. A few of my favorites are: Flour, which offers fresh salads and sandwiches as well as amazing cookies and cinnamon buns for those of you with a sweet tooth; Panera Bread, which offers cheap squash soup in bread bowls for the cold weather (a flashback to my Swarthmore days); and of course, the numerous food trucks parked right outside the building. If you enjoy cooking or want to save money, the office is also equipped with fridges, microwaves, and utensils for you to enjoy your home-cooked meal in the office. The junior staff usually enjoy a social pause to gather in the newly renovated kitchen overlooking Copley Square. I have learned a lot about sports during this time. Go Patriots!
Dress Code: As you’ve probably heard before—the dress code is business casual. What does this mean? Everyone might have a slightly different twist on the answer. If you want a tip, overdress the first day and then adapt yourself to what others wear in the office. It is quite simple for men: a long-sleeve button-down with pants (jeans are usually more acceptable on Fridays). Women can wear the same but have more options with blouses, skirts, and my favorite, dresses. Basically, look clean and professional.
Social Outings: I enjoy participating in the volunteer committee’s events which are open to all employees. The last event I attended was the Boston Cares Bed Project. We built beds for children in need from scratch to finish, which involved sanding, drilling, assembling, and painting. This was a great way to meet people from other practices and from all levels in a casual and informal setting, while contributing to a good cause. I also had a good workout from sanding those pieces of wood! The social committee organizes happy hours and themed-events which are a great way to bond with colleagues. To celebrate the first Red Sox game at Fenway this year, the office enjoyed a catered lunch of famous ballpark food; hot dogs, Boston beans, cracker jacks, and Italian ice! The junior staff also gets together outside of organized work events which speaks to the friendly and social culture of the office. We recently enjoyed a fun night of bowling and discovered some hidden talents!
Stay tuned for more!