Looking Back on Harvard's History in Allston

In Allston Notebook, we burst the Harvard bubble and explore Allston—one of Boston's oldest and most eclectic neighborhoods.

To start off this series, we've created an interactive timeline illustrating the relationship between the neighborhood and the University over the past 15 years. Click on the blurbs for links to relevant Crimson articles.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Harvard secretly purchased 52.6 acres of land in Allston, with plans to expand the University's campus across the river. When the University revealed this in 1997, a tense town-gown relationship developed. These tensions were heightened when President Faust announced the halt on construction in December 2009. Over the past several years, Harvard has tried to maintain its commitment to Allston. In recent years, Harvard has built a miniature golf course, established the Harvard-Allston Educational Portal, and plans to build the Harvard Business Innovation Lab in Allston.

From where to buy the cheapest booze to where to eat delectable doughnuts, this series will showcase the wide variety of leisure and entertainment venues Allston has to offer students.

Allston plays a large role in the Harvard community, and this series will also provide a round-up of bi-weekly interactions between the two.