Emerson graduate 'MAPs' out Boston for students

Simona Sudit

Issue date: 12/6/06 Section: Campus Life

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Media Credit: News Courtesy/Morgan First

Morgan First, a 2006 Emerson College graduate, founded 1st Publications. With the help of her college-age staff, she developed Motion Affair Planner (MAP) Boston, an agenda book and city guide all in one.

With the winter cold finally settling in and finals overtaking most students' schedules, it can be hard to keep any type of social life in tact. But with Motion Affair Planner (MAP) Boston, students can keep track of their agendas while finding Boston destinations worth trekking to, even in the cold.

Morgan First, a 2006 Emerson College graduate, founded 1st Publications and created MAP Boston, a weekly planner and Boston guide all in one.

First developed the idea while studying publishing at Emerson.

"At first I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the city," she said. "Then I studied abroad and backpacked Europe a few times and loved using 'Let's Go' guides [to navigate] my way."

The "Let's Go" guide book website describes its books as travel guides with "descriptions of off-the-path havens away from over-touristed cities, ideas for travel on the cheap, and tips for adventure-craving backpackers."

This gave First the idea to map out Boston the way the guides she used in Europe did and combine it with a planner to meet all students' needs.

Aside from weekly recommended locales, the planner also includes 56 recommendations for things to do, such as sailing on the Charles River or riding in a helicopter over cranberry bogs, along with 14 road trip ideas.

MAP Boston's first few pages include maps of the T, the commuter rail and several pages dedicated to pinpointing all the destinations around Boston's neighborhoods to make for easy navigation. These maps also feature the closest T stops, in case travelers get lost along the way.

The planner also includes a list of important numbers, such as various local taxi companies, shuttles to the airport, bus companies and hospitals.

Keeping night owls in mind, the "fun info" page includes phone numbers for 24-hour supermarkets and pharmacies along with late-night eateries, such as Bova's in the North End (open 24/7) and Apollo Sushi in Chinatown (open until 4 a.m., seven days a week).

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