Cambridge (Massachusetts)

Cambridge is a city in Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston. It is renowned as the home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both widely considered to be among the best universities in the world. The city's population was 118,000 in 2020; the fourth largest in the state.

Understand
Tourists, new residents and students may see Cambridge as part of Boston, but in fact, it is a separate city with many neighborhoods (called “squares”).

It is closely connected with nearby Somerville – you may hear the phrase "Camberville" used by locals – although each has its own distinct personality.

History
The first European settlers were English Puritans in 1630. Cambridge developed as an agricultural town and was not really convenient to Boston until bridges were built over the Charles River in 1793 and 1809. The latter of these opened up East Cambridge for industrial development led by furniture and glass factories. A major influx of penniless Irish immigrants fleeing the potato blight in 1845 increased the Irish population to 22 percent in the next ten years. Toward the end of that century they were followed by immigrants from Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Germany. French Canadians and Russian Jews also came at this time. A small African American population had been growing from colonial times, attracted by the integrated schools. Harvard University, the oldest university in the United States, and one of the most prestigious universities in the world, was founded during the colonial era in 1636.

The result today is a highly diverse population augmented and further diversified by brilliant men and women drawn to Cambridge over the years by Harvard, Radcliffe and MIT, and later by the local high technology companies. "Cantabrigians" (from the city's Latin name, Cantabrigia) are regarded as progressive and tolerant. Decline of the industrial base in the early 1900s led Cambridge to become an intellectual center. Universities are the major employers, but cutting edge companies in information technology and biotechnology such as Akamai Technologies, Google, Genzyme, Biogen Idec, and Novartis are located adjacent to the MIT campus in the Kendall Square area.

Cambridge now advertises itself as "a city where counter-culture still lives, classic culture thrives, and multicultural is a way of life." "Boston's Left Bank: A little funkier, a little spunkier and definitely spicier than Boston."

By plane
or (about one hour away):
 * Logan International Airport, Boston. This is the closest option and is served by the MBTA public transportation. The Silver Line, a special bus route come every ten minutes during the day, and every 15 minutes early morning and late evening. For $2 (Charlie Ticket) or $1.75 (Charlie Card), it takes you directly to South Station (20 minutes travel time), where there is a free connection to the Red Line, which goes to Cambridge. Free shuttles also provide service to the Blue Line Airport station; one may take the Blue Line in from the airport to the Green Line (transfer at Government Center), the Green Line to the Red Line (transfer at Park Street), and the Red Line to whatever stop in Cambridge is closest. A taxi to Cambridge will cost you about $28–35, including tolls and tip, and take about 15–20 minutes, depending on traffic.
 * Manchester - Boston Regional Airport, in Manchester, New Hampshire.
 * T. F. Green Airport, Warwick, Rhode Island.

By train
Amtrak train service is available to nearby Boston from many east coast cities as well as Chicago and upstate New York.

Mass Bay Transportation Authority - MBTA or "the T":
 * Subway: The Red Line stops from Kendall/MIT station to Alewife station (except Davis Square, in Somerville) are in Cambridge. The Green Line has a terminus at Lechmere station, near Lechmere Square in East Cambridge.
 * Commuter rail: The Fitchburg line has a stop at Porter Square. This line serves the northwestern suburbs and ends in Boston's North Station, where you can connect to other northbound commuter rail lines.

By car
Interstate 90 to Exit 18, or Interstate 93 to Exit 27, "Storrow Drive" to Monsignor O'Brien Highway (Rt. 28) to Cambridge.

Route 2 comes into Cambridge from Interstate 95 to the northwest.

Cambridge has a great many one-way streets and most streets and roads are not on a grid system. Drivers unfamiliar with the area are well advised to have a GPS device as one wrong turn can easily result in getting lost.

By bus
The MBTA has local regional bus service. For intercity buses, see Boston.

By public transportation
Public transportation is provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority ("MBTA"), which serves the entire Boston Metro area (including Cambridge.) The local subway system is called the "T" and can take you to most points of interest. The T's Red Line has Cambridge stations in Kendall Square, Central Square, Harvard Square, and Porter Square. The Green Line has one station in Cambridge: Lechmere.

Directions are often marked "inbound" and "outbound", with reference to downtown Boston, where all four lines converge at four stops: State (Blue and Orange), Park Street (Red and Green), Government Center (Blue and Green), and Downtown Crossing (Orange and Red).

The MBTA does not operate 24-hour service. Service begins for the day after 5:30AM and ends before 12:15AM on weekdays. Weekend schedules are slightly different and do not open until 6:30AM on Sundays. Transport still runs for a short time after this — stated times are "first train leaves the station" or "last train leaves the station" — and thus, to complete the route, will actually be in service for as much as an hour longer or an hour before, but it is imperative to find out when last service is scheduled to the stations you need, and allot time for early or late arrivals.

MBTA employees can offer information on scheduling, but are not always available at all stations. Communication between stations is complex and while significant changes will be announced, often T employees themselves are not informed of delays or minor changes. Bus stations that are not also subway stations are unstaffed.

Subway fare is $2.40 and includes transfers between all four subway lines (Red, Green, Orange and Blue) and bus fare varies between $1.70 (local bus) and $5.25 (outer express bus; none in Cambridge) and also includes transfers. Fares are paid via a stored value ticket (called a CharlieTicket) available in vending machines at subway stations. Fare is $2.40 subway, if using the freely available reusable plastic pass (the CharlieCard), which can be obtained at Harvard Square station, 7-11 convenience stores or Star supermarkets.

Information on fares, routes, delays and schedule changes is available at the MBTA's web site.


 * Parking at the Alewife station on the Red line is ample and costs $8 per 24 hour period.
 * MBTA Commuter Rail (color-coded purple) leaves from Porter Square, serving one of the twelve commuter rail lines. This should not be confused with
 * Amtrak, the US national rail service, departs from South Station, Back Bay Station, and North Station, all of which are in Boston.

By taxi
A taxi trip of a mile or less costs $5, excluding tip. Most of the major tourist areas will be a $10–25 fare. A trip to Logan Airport can cost up to $55, including tip, tolls and any waiting time. Flat rates are set for trips to Logan Airport from each hotel in Cambridge, which include all but luggage handling and gratuity.

Taxis are abundant in Harvard Square and Central Square, with many being queued up waiting for fares. The places that they will queue are designated as cab stands by street signs. Taxis are less abundant in Porter Square and rare near Alewife and Lechmere.

It is possible to signal a taxi from the sidewalk by waving an arm or a hand — a taxi cruising for fares is watching the crowds for this — and have it stop for you; however, taxi drivers from towns and cities other than Cambridge are heavily penalised if they accept passengers flagging them down on the street. This rule is not always rigorously followed, but taxi drivers from Boston, Brookline, Somerville and other towns will be wary of street pick-ups.

Taxis are regulated by the Cambridge License Commission, which sets fares and handles complaints.

The two primary taxi companies in Cambridge are:

By bicycle
Cambridge is perhaps the most bicycle-friendly city in the Greater Boston area and probably has the most people who use bikes to commute and just to get around. While there are few bike routes, most major streets have bike lanes, and many minor streets do too. Car drivers tend to be aware of bike riders and generally respect bike riders' right of way. All of these features make Cambridge the safest place to ride a bike in Greater Boston.

Lock your bike when you park it! Bike thieves are skilled and quick. Be sure to lock your front wheel in addition to your frame, and your back wheel too if it is a quick-release.



See




Do




Learn
Many visitors to Cambridge are there to see its two major universities, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, either as tourists or as prospective students. Both universities have extensive information for visiting prospects. As this typically varies with type of student (graduate, undergraduate) and program of study (for graduate students), prospectives are best advised to visit the school websites that interest them.



Harvard Yard, located right by the Harvard stop on the Red Line subway, is the center of Harvard College (the university's undergraduate arm) and a favorite of tourists, who can often be seen taking pictures of each other at the statue of John Harvard, located in front of Massachusetts Hall.

In the shadows of these two giants are other fine schools.



Eat
With a dizzying array of options, and slightly less stringent liquor laws, Cambridge is every bit as much a dining destination as Boston. Sometimes more so. Many restaurants cluster around Harvard and Central Squares, and finding standbys like Anna's Taqueria and Clover Food Lab is a piece of cake. If you're willing to stray a bit beyond the subway stops (and you should be), you'll quickly discover many less-travelled neighborhood gems. Consider this simply a brief overview of current trends and old standbys. By all means follow your instincts, just don't make any rash decisions due to an empty stomach!

Budget




Drink




Sleep
One budget option is to peruse craigslist.org Boston for temporary listings for people who are gone for a week or a month and trying to rent out their apartment. In the summer, you might find a bedroom for $200–300/week, which will be a lot cheaper than a hotel.

Stay safe
Cambridge is generally very safe, though it is a city and the standard precautions should be observed. The neighborhood of East Cambridge, which is near the Charlestown border and on the Charles River, usually has the city's highest crime rate (of course, this observation is relative to the Cambridge's low crime rate overall).

As a rule, most crime in Cambridge that might affect a traveller is property crime. Parked vehicles with electronic equipment visible — laptops, mobile phones, GPS units, iPods, and the like — are the most likely to be targeted.

Pepper spray is considered a weapon in Massachusetts, and is sold only by licensed dealers to persons who have obtained a firearms identification card. Massachusetts does not honor firearms licenses from other states.

For more information, visit the Cambridge Police Department online.

Go next

 * Head just across the town line and get a taste of one of the many squares of Somerville.
 * Head over to South Boston and decide if you prefer the ambiance of the contemporary Seaport district, or Fort Point's charming bricks.
 * Stroll past stately Victorian architecture along scenic Newbury Street, Boston's preeminent shopping and dining destination.
 * On weekends find treasures you didn't know you were looking for at SoWa Open Market, the biggest open air marketplace around.
 * Enjoying the museums? Don't miss the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner, both found in Fenway.
 * If there weren't enough music options here for you, try your luck with scene in Allston Rock City.
 * Explore more of Massachusetts' revolutionary history in nearby Lexington and Concord.
 * Seek out early American history on itineraries such as From Plymouth to Hampton Roads or American Industry Tour.