Home of Two of America's Elite Universities and Now of the Tech Hub
CAMBRIDGEPORT & RIVERSIDE (02139) Hugged by the Charles River to the south, this primarily residential neighborhood is a picturesque parade of triple-decker homes, children-strewn parks, and the occasional grade school or academic research building.
Central Square T Station, Red Line
CENTRAL SQUARE (02139) Eclectic doesn't even begin to describe the levels of communities that overlap in this tiny-but-tenacious patch of the city. Ground zero for live music starts at the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Brookline St., and the sound bleeds outward from there. Precisely brewed caffeine, Prohibition-inspired cocktails, and high-octane smoothies are always near at hand.
Red Line, Central Square T Station
EAST CAMBRIDGE (02141) This neighborhood is probably the most "below the radar" for visitors, but what it lacks in glamour it more than makes up for it in total, earnest hidden-gem-ness. Cruise down its main aorta, Cambridge Street, for access to some of the best fish markets, Portuguese bakeries, and well-loved bars in town or shop at the Cambridge Galleria Side or Twin Plaza. The residential makeup is richly diverse, anchored with strong Irish and Portuguese communities.
Kendall square T Station, Red Line and Lechmere, Green Line
HARVARD SQUARE (02138) Any trip to Cambridge isn't complete without a proper stroll through storied Harvard Square—it's too historic, too beautiful, too simply fun to resist. You can walk through the Yard and absorb every inch of ivy-leagued glory on your own, but a proper tour can be ever-more-rich icing on the cake.
Harvard Square, T Station, Red Line
INMAN SQUARE (02139) If you have the patience to walk for ten minutes from the nearest subway stop, you don't have any excuse to pass up this shoo-in winner for "most adorable place, ever." This highly livable area houses a mix of residents—strong Brazilian and Portuguese communities, plus academics and young professionals—and a smattering of healthy small businesses. Inman square is a destination for foodies.
KENDALL SQUARE (02141) It's difficult to comprehend how much of the future is created in these parts. Between web behemoths like Google and Microsoft, plus a super-dense cluster of biotech companies, not to mention the festering research going on at Massachusetts Institute of Technology—this is, simply put, a brainy playground for scientific progress.
Kendall Square T Station, Red Line
NORTH CAMBRIDGE (02140) As Mass. Ave. unfurls northward from Porter Square, things start to get weird—and wonderful. Strewn along the main drag are some of the funkiest small businesses and authentic ethnic restaurants around.
Porter Square, T Station, Red Line
Excerpt from www.cambridgeusa.org
WEST CAMBRIDGE (02138) West of Harvard square and comprised between the Brattle Street historic district, Danehy Park and Fresh Pond, West Cambridge resolves around its wonderful village, Huron Village.
