My home square! Porter is probably the most convenient Cambridge square to be close to. You've got…read moregroceries, liquor, pharmacy, Red Line T stop, and it's the easiest spot to get back onto Route 2 or take Alewife Brook Parkway out to Medford, Malden, etc. Parking in Porter is better than any other Cambridge square; there's a huge lot and it's free! There are great Porter Sq restaurants along Mass Ave--Sugar & Spice, Christopher's, Gustazos, Darul Kabab, Wasabi at Porter, Newtowne, all of the little eateries inside Lesley (ramen, sushi, etc), Chalawan, The Abbey, Poke City, Cambridge Common, Luce, Giulia, Upper Crust Pizzeria, and Changsho. There's a dozen more I'm forgetting right now but these are some of my top choices. Best little bars nearby are Toad (live entertainment) and Paddy's (very affordable!). Thistle & Shamrock is hands-down the best corner store I've ever been to (Walden St), I am so grateful to have this one-stop shop in the neighborhood. They've got fresh food, freezer stuff, beer/cider/wine, little gourmet odds + ends. I always get my manicures at Nails by Porter. This is where Elizabeth Warren gets her nails done too so you know they're good! They owners have confirmation pics with her on their wall. I've gotten my hair done at Salon Luna and Judy Jetson, both are wonderful. Luna is very minimalist/modern; Jetson is super fun and funky. For cafes there's Hi-Rise (really good sandwiches), Starbucks, Bourbon Coffee, Café Nero, Café Zing, Panera and Dunkin. Café Zing is located in Porter Square Books, which is one of the cutest spots in Porter, there's always a very high demand for their window seats. Tags has everything tool/yard/kitchen related that I need. Michaels and Target have everything else. Two different Bank of America ATMs in Porter. I'd definitely say Healthworks is a top-quality gym; love their two saunas and whirlpool. I've also heard great things about Down Under Yoga, but have not yet actually tried that one myself. Several cute little shops around Porter--Mudflat Gallery, NOMAD, WardMaps, Stereo Jack's Records, Made by Me. If you're looking for something quick and sweet you can hit BerryLine or Yotopia for froyo, or head over to Violette Gluten Free Bakery. And if you want to keep walking we're right in between Davis and Harvard squares which are my other two favorite spots in Cambridge. I feel very lucky to live in Porter :)

The Porter Square studio is so convenient to get to by T and has ample studio space and natural…read morelight. I love practicing here (i.e., yoga sculpt, hot power flows), as this studio has been my home base for 2+ years. The front desk staff and instructors have all been welcoming and friendly.

Very cute shopping center, recommend following their socials and keeping up with their event…read moreschedule. They often have live music, crafts, and entertainment for small children. Outside of events it is a great place to walk around and spend time outside. Lots of dog friendly stores as well!

Exploring Massachusetts with my entire family for the first time turned out to be a delightful…read moreexperience, especially for the little ones and our furry friend. The Street open mall impressed us with its cleanliness and excellent upkeep, making us feel truly welcome. With a diverse selection of restaurants to choose from, the mall catered to our...

Well there are good sides and bad sides of downtown Crossing!…read moreYou just need to be aware of your surroundings and be cautious if texting or not paying attention there are many unsavory persons on the lookout for vulnerable and targeted marks! There are Transit Police in the area but not always present! I personally have seen pick pockets and grab and run in the past several years so be aware and enjoy the multitude of shops and spots to eat there! Boston has many many more interesting spots to wander and shop and eat!

Best neighborhood in Boston - with music and art and shopping. This is the only permanent walking…read morestreet in Boston lined with theaters, shops and restaurants. Not just big restaurants but also street cart with roasted peanuts. Great atmosphere with frequent events. There is often music performances and art display on the stage. I walked by today and saw this ice sculpture. Such an uplifting message during a cold winter day.

I've been coming here since I was a kid and while it's no longer what it was in it's prime, there…read moreare still some great stores (Apple, Sephora, Zara, Mango, Aldo, Footlocker, Journeys) and good shopping to be had, as well as some bargains at TJ Maxx. They've tried their best to reinvent themselves for the current times in order to survive which is nice, so they also host traveling exhibits. They still have some classics like the Cheesecake Factory. It's worth a stop in though you can no longer spend the whole day walking around, there's not enough to see and I miss having any of the classic mall food staple snacks. Overall, this place is an institution and I hope they survive.

I didn't hold out much hope for this place in its old iteration. They have done a great job with it…read morethough, especiallly with the food court! It is very well designed, with deferrent seating options and quality food choices. I like the stores they have as well, and the location by the canal and park is really nice. Also: the bathrooms are clean!

I lived in Cambridge for 2 years in the late 90s while doing postdoc (i.e. Post Doctoral Research,…read morea fancy term for unemployed person with a Ph.D. degree, gets paid peanuts, often more poor than students). I can hardly remember any places any more, but I remembers the porter square Japanese food stalls vividly. It's a hard to find underground gem, actually I didn't even know about it for an entire year until a Japanese friend took me there, I was hooked. The stalls serve more genuine Japanese food than fancy restaurants (My Japanese friend, Hamie, loved these stalls but won't eat sushi, he resented that America cheapened sushi to a point you can get grab em at super markets. It was considered an expensive, formal fair in Japan & he had it only a few times growing up). The Una Don ( eel on rice) was the best I've ever had, I can't remember the name of the stall that served it but I intend to go back there one day & find it again. It was a huuuuuuge piece of eel! Only one piece but about 4x5 inches in size, grilled right in front of my eyes, put over a bowl of rice & topped with killer eel sauce & served steaming, the flavors exploded in my mouth & I kept my eyes closed so that I could concentrate all my senses on my tongue... I've been ordering Una don a lot when I get to eat in Japanese restaurants, it's been disappointing most of the time because most places serve it as multi pieces of small sushi size & they often serves it cold, nothing comes close to the giant piece of eel grilled right infront of me in porter square stalls. Writing this makes me missing my Japanese friend Hamie, who has since moved back to Japan, I visited him during my one business trip to Tokyo & we have since lost contact, sad :(. I really want to go back there one day, but I am also afraid of being hugely disappointed. Will it still be as good as I remembered after all these years? Will the stall that served the amazing Eel still be there?

Lots of small Japanese food restaurants. Parking in the back affordable rates. Street parking also…read moreplenty. There's , udon Ramen, sushi etc

This should easily be a five star review however because of the parking lot and accessibility and…read morejust chaos going on, I've made it a four star. This place has all the major retailers, restaurants, and even AMC movie theater, so definitely a great place. No matter what you wanna do, you can accomplish it here you want to bargain shop at TJ Maxx easily done do you want to get some high-end perfume at Macy's? This place has got you covered. You're in the mood to cook a great dinner head over to the Stop & Shop also here, unlimited breadsticks God has your ticket no matter what you want. It is here. Just be careful trying to get into the lot and driving around a lot. You might hit a curb here in there as they just popping up everywhere. However, they have so many parking spots. You'll definitely get one, but you might be walking for a good hundred or 200 yards just to get to your location. This place is huge. With so many high-end retailers and restaurants, you would think that the parking lot would be better attended to seem to have an abundance of miscellaneous, dirty spots, and trash. Anyways, I'd still suggest that you come over here no matter what you wanna do you could spend the whole day here there is just too many places to go in too many things to do just come over and enjoy yourself.

Chaotic parking lot. Tight spaces The shopping strip…read moreoneself didn't make sense Wouldn't return but loved the stores as options

We had a wonderful First Friday evening in the SoWa district and I wish that we had more time as…read morestores & studios wrapped up fairly early in my opinion. It was so nice to spend time in our son's friends studio and see how the artist created his works, displayed them and greeted all of the visitors. Each studio was unique and impressive. This visit was 10/3, but I am eager to return again in the early spring to explore further. I will say, while most artists and shop people were friendly, a few were a bit standoffish. Maybe it is exhausting hosting so many people who are flowing through all day & evening. I loved the whole concept !

I came here for an evening and was blown away by the amount of raw talent in our city. I checked…read moreout 2 full floors but was unable to see everything because there were so many studios to see. This is a really special piece of Boston, and it almost feels magical to witness so many creative minds in the same building. It's worth your time to check it out. Apparently they also have a parking lot filled with food trucks so it's a perfect date, romantic or with friends.

This is one of the coolest stores in Cambridge! As a life long Bostonian I frequent the MBTA lines,…read moreso it was so cool seeing it all come to life. I picked up a full view map of the MBTA system for my room and my friend got a few MBTA pictures. One of the most noteworthy components of this store is the service, it is incredible! My friend and I came in 10 minutes before close, unknowingly, but the sales associate and manager helped me find exactly what I was looking for and didn't rush us at all. They also have a real-time tracker of the MBTA trains which is one of the coolest techno gems I've ever seen. If I could, I would buy everything in this store.

I've been passing by here and didn't get a chance to check it out until now. Upon entering, I was…read moregreeted by a friendly staff. The shop was busier than I thought, with plenty of customers browsing through their selection. They have a plethora of signs and maps on not only posters and boards but also on magnets and even T-shirts! I wouldn't have thought there could be a shop dedicated to Boston-related maps and subway systems. Also, I finally figured out where people get their MBTA Halloween costumes; it's here. Overall, a cool niche shop. Glad I stopped by.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​