Once at a conference, someone saw “Cambridge, Mass” on my name tag and said “You live in a great place!” She was right.
You’re not in the suburbs anymore, so try to support local businesses when you can. Find them here at the Cambridge First website.
Here’s a short, incomplete list of places to check out:
Mass Ave. going toward Harvard
Central Square: Monday Farmer’s Market
Miracle of Science: Great atmosphere, great burgers.
Music: The Middle East. The food’s pretty good too.
Harvest Food Coop. The original locovores and a great alternative to (Co-op the) Whole Foods (movement). You don’t need to be a member. Sandwiches, snacks, bulks grains. Monday farmer’s market in the parking lot.
Economy Hardware in Central Square. There’s a Target in Somerville but this place has a soul. (Tags in Porter Square is another “hardware” store with a lot of the laundry, kitchen and shelving stuff you’ll need for your dorm.)
Pubs: Try the Phoenix Landing or The Fields, on Prospect Street and Mass Ave
Kendall End—Weds and Thursday farmers markets.
Kendall Square, offers the Wednesday and Thursday farmers markets. Legal Seafood?Go for the chowder, skip the rest. Nearby find the hipster heaven clothing store, the Garment District. Also nearby, a bunch of eateries and pubs clistered around the Kendall Cinema and its selection of indy-sh film. (Both a bit out of the square.)
Then head back to Third Street and take it toward the Lechmere T stop
The Galleria Mall offers all the shopping of the suburbs along the Charles
Left on Cambridge Street will take you all the way to Harvard Square via East Cambridge and Inman Square. It’s a good hoof so grab the 69 bus if you get tired.
First Aram’s Pizza then to Court House Seafood – Clam shackish with a market attached. It’s hard to find a better fried clam. Also, find the legendary New Deal seafood market down the road – right across from that East Cambridge landmark – the “Live Chickens, Fresh Killed” sign.
Courtside Restaurant: If you love Karaoke and don’t mind Keno, this is the place for you. Down the road find Pugliese or Pugs – and updated dive bar where you can watcvh the game and get to know the locals. Atwoods is a bit further down the block – a mall pub with great food, music and trivia contests.
Inman Square
Too much to describe but we’ll try. Old school deli S&S, new school pub Bukowski’s (Happy 90th Birthday you old dead dog from Hell.) When the parents are treating, East Coast Grill. Punjabi Dhaba for Indian Food, Christina’s for the best ice cream this side of Martha’s Vineyard and Olecita for Mexican take-out
Harvard Square
Harvard square has been invaded by chains but it’s still Harvard Square. Hit Newbury Comics and its sister store Hootenanny for music, posters and clothes in the Doc Martin vein. Berks is a great shoe store for those who don’t want to spend $300 a pair.
Cambridge is full of great Pizza Places but Harvard square host three great ones: Pinocchio’s, Oggis and Cambridge One. Hit Cardullo’s for takeout sandwich, gourmet whatever and a TV with the Red Sox on that you can watch from the sidewalk
And, of course, Harvard bookstore, the best. Across the street from but not affiliated
with that other Cambridge university. Check out the used section in the basement.