smaller than we expected and a lot of construction going on so we weren't impressed. There is a student run Harvard store you can buy stuff right there. read more

What a cool place to be! There is so much history just lying around here. We walked all around for a few hours. We stopped and shopped and ate ice cream and drank coffee and had ourselves a good ol' time. Who needs grammar, I'm near Harvard! LOL My kids would never even entertain the idea of coming here for school so I never had a chance to come and visit the campus. I was glad we took the time to hang out and pull in the vibes. Very cool and historical place this is. It's strange to me that so many non students are here walking around. Most college campuses seem pretty well just for the students. Nice to get this off the list. Maybe I can convince my grandkids to attend Harvard. We shall see. '26 - 64 read more

See all

Lots of shops to walk around and browse through in the center of Cambridge. This area is bustling during the day with traffic from college students and professionals. Nice for a casual stroll or a quick walk between classes. read more

It was really neat visiting the grounds of Harvard. The campus is beautiful, full of history and has such a unique atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Cambridge! read more

For students , locals and those wanting a taste of the Ivy League , this is a must when in Boston ! From walking Ivy League grounds , grabbing coffee or a bite to eat, retail shopping or just wanting to hang out, Harvard Square has something for everyone 16 and up ! There are tons of food , coffee, retail and financial stops here. Grab a book and go sit down in the lawn at Harvard or enjoy coffee and ambiance inside the amazing love struck bookstore . Want a good bite to eat, there are a lot of Places but my go to is Joes pizza or Felipe's ! Just caution because Felipe's is probably the busiest and it's hard to find a seat. I stayed at the Atlas hotel and HS was about a 20-22 min walk but a beautiful one ! You can catch the train or uber here as well, but you'll enjoy it I promise. read more

See all

Lively, crowded area that I had to visit. Needed to see Harvard University, such a great, historic pillar of education. My husband used to come here in his college time, but now he didn't recognize much. Nice architecture if you choose to wander the streets around. Lots of restaurants and stores, but I wasn't impressed with the options, lots of chains unfortunately. Initially, we wanted to dine here, but the choices were poor. T-stop is right in the middle of everything, very convenient. Cute area, but not super impressed. I wish I had more time to check Harvard's campus. The area has some character, too bad it's taken over by generic chains. I guess it's like this everywhere! read more

See all

Great touristy area around Harvard! Before I headed off to Rhode Island, I appreciate being able to work in the Smith Campus Center, which had ample seating and reliable WiFi. Plenty of food options in the area, and I also enjoyed visiting the Harvard bookstore. read more

See all

They have plenty of fast food options and a lot more options when it comes to different places to tour and enjoy the experience

It an area about a ten block area abutting Harvard university. It has a variety of restaurants, bookstores and coffee shops. It is geared towards students but has become a shopping area attracting tourists and of course the locals. It has a T stop which brings people to the area. I like to go for coffee to watch the people. Occasionally, there are musicians out on the street working for tips. I will return. read more

As a bluebiker, I sometimes get/dock bikes in the three bike station in the Harvard Square. Biking is not easy in the Harvard SQ because so many oen-way road without bike lanes. For the Harvard SQ itself is good to walk around. There are some good restaurants and shops. read more

Great spot for walking around and exporing! Pros: + Amazing restaurants nearby + Metro accessible + Plenty of Live music Cons: - Very very difficult to find any parking IG: QueenOfAdventureNYC read more

It's one of the quintessential tourist spots in the area. I'm a local so that just means elbowing people out of the way, but it's got cool stuff read more

Nothing much here. Stores filled area. Thinking much of like the time square kind of vibes. read more

See all

Harvard Square can be found right next to Harvard University.  It's a small square that's full (almost to bursting) with groups of tourists from sunrise to sunset.  Despite the plethora of tourists, it's still very much worth paying a visit to this small square.  There's so much history here, and its wide range of eateries and small shops gives the place a charm that's unique and vibrant. Tip: The best time to visit is in the evening or late afternoon.  At those times, you'll find the smallest number of tourists here read more

See all

Harvard Square is a great place to checkout if your visiting from out of town. The shops, eatery's and live street performers make it a must to visit. If your local then your probably annoyed by the tourist and I'm sorry. You can find the Coop which is the Harvard Bookstore and much more. My daughter enjoyed walking, shopping and eating at the square. A highlight was the live music which was in the green space. But they also had performers in the alleys. I'm not getting the haters here as this is certainly not in the three star scale whatsoever. There is construction around a few of the areas I walked. Come and enjoy. read more

Harvard Square - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

I'd gone to Harvard Square a little before I was in college, but I really started discovering Harvard Square while in college, as we had a shuttle that took us to Harvard Square. I love how there are so many awesome shops, and especially restaurants to check out. They have everything from old to new, cheap to fancy, and everything in between. Not only that, but the area itself is great for a walk at any time of day or evening, or even at any season (though bricks and snow make for a slippery combination). I couldn't even start to name the businesses in and around HSq that I like, some of them are still around, some of them I never got a chance to visit before closing, and some others were favorites that have gone away. Gentrification here is taking away from the charm. Slowly those adorable small local shops, one that carried all sorts of teas, and another that carried various interesting gifts are slowly going away in favor of chains of various kinds. Rent is becoming unbelievably high, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Cambridge has higher rent than Boston (third highest rental market in the country). But I digress. Harvard Square still has a lot of charm, and when there is no virus and school is in session, there is a very energetic vibe that is hard to beat. The amount of people that are drawn also brings lots of different performers. There's already two CVS within throwing distance of one another, and there are plenty of chains to be found elsewhere. Let's hope that what makes HSq so awesome isn't forced out by chains that are out to make a buck. read more

Cool, cool, cool. So much history. So many greats have been here. Great food in this area. Do not eat before you go here. Try Mr. Bartley's. The burgers and the milkshakes are amazing. You have to stop by the bookstore and buy a Harvard T-shirt. Also stop and see the famous chess players. read more

Harvard Square - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A MUST DO! Harvard Square in Cambridge is an eclectic mix of businesses that are 50, 100 years old & even older along with new enterprises & restaurants too. Harvard Square is in the middle of a change with old standbys like the Newsstand that have closed after many years of operations but unique businesses & restaurants are coming into this area now. This is a great place to walk around & get your cardio in. There's always something happening here. You'll find new discoveries up & down many of the streets in this area that you have to check out. This is a college town with its most famous resident being the prestigious Harvard University. Besides a college town It is also a local town with lots of locals who come here to shop & dine. Yes, there are lots of tourists too & all share the same space. What's great is there are only a few big name chain stores here the rest are Mom & Pop & some really unique places to go. Here's just a few of the cool places to check out on some quaint streets: Harvard University, Coop & Book Store, Mr Bartley's (Tom Brady Burger), Lizzy's Ice Cream ( Charles River Chocolate), Spyce ( a completely computerized restaurant with robotics making your food), Mike's Pastry (Delicious Cannoli & other Italian Pastry & Cappuccino), The Giant DD Cup above the the Dunkin' Donuts, Felix Shoe Repair since 1913, Leavitt & Pierce (a Cool Store since 1883 with Gifts, Tobacco & Games- a Cigar Store & a whole lot more that has a little bit of everything including Apothecary & Soaps for both men & women), LA Burdick Handmade Chocolates & Hot Chocolate, Blackbird Donuts, Tate serving international Food, The Vintage & Bohemian Clothing Boutiques & so many other cool little places. It's a village of one of a kind shops & eateries. There's metered parking on lots of the streets & if you come on Sundays the meters are FREE! Lots of people bike here as well. It is also accessible by Train the red Line @ Harvard Square Station & there are busses too. It's an Enjoyable Day or Night trip right outside of Boston. Have Fun Exploring Harvard Square. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget! read more

Friend recommended to visit this square. I'm guessing it's a Main Street for Cambridge. I always imagined Boston to be red brick buildings, which painted the picture for me on the East Coast vibes! This common central is what I had imagined Boston to be. It's a good stroll with boutique shops here and there. read more

Harvard Square - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Nice area with young people. There are some really great restaurants around the place with a MBTA stop dead in the center. However, there are A LOT of homeless people which makes the situation less desirable. It wouldn't be so bad if some of them didn't get violent or belligerant. It is a shame that so much trash also gets left around. It would be a beautiful area if people just cleaned up after themselves. This is a classic tourist spot to visit due to the vicinity to Harvard University. The prices reflect it as such so be prepared to pay a premium for food and services. read more

Nice little town center, walking distance from HBS campus. Love the variety of food and drink choice; accessible subway station. Note: there are two Harvard bookstores (aka The Coop). read more

Harvard Square is the main hubbub of Cambridge, with streets lined-up with comedy and nightclubs, galleries, museums, theaters, restaurants, and festivals/annual events. Easily accessible from the T station, but those who are drive-centric can find super limited and restricted parking in the area. Intersections are busy and usually filled with a lot of pedestrians. +accessible from the T read more

this is a great place to walk around and enjoy the epitome of harvard university and surrounding neighborhood. while swarmed by harvard students, you'll also find professors, and visitors/tourists alike. on a semi-warm spring evening in april, i actually spent about 2 hours walking around this area, checking out local stores, gift shops, bars, cafes, bakeries and specialty stores. it is very safe and transport is easy with buses and the harvard square t station. if you're in the boston/cambridge area, don't leave without a visit to harvard square. read more

It's HARVARD Square, that's pretty much all it's got going for it. Parking is going to be a total pain so you should probably take the subway. The shops and restaurants in the area are ok but I can't imagine anyone really doing any real shopping here. Basically the first thing that hit me was how dirty the area was, trash everywhere...smells like urine...so basically if you love NYC you'll be fine here haha read more

See all

The big empty space above the T station, where Mass Ave and Brattle Square meet, you'll find Harvard Square. It's busy and there are a lot of homeless people and there are also a number of artists selling their wares. Coffee shops, newspaper stands and the unique Curious George store are here. If you're crossing the street, there are clear crosswalks with a button to push that will enable the crossing signal. Note that some bicyclists don't stop. :-( Tip: There is a public restroom on the third floor of the Coop store. read more

Very nice walkable Square on campus. Many shops and restaurants and cafés are scattered around here. Not as many students as usual which is understandable because of Covid, not sure how the school will proceed under these conditions. A lovely place to walk, study, or just enjoy the view. read more

Nice spot. 1) Took the T train to get here. 2) The paid tour of Harvard can be purchased at the newsstand here. 3) Not much else is going on though. read more

So much to do here. You can literally find something on every corner, to Insomnia Cookies, Lizzys, clothing shops, and tons of restaurants... and Felipes! I love the field where everyone lays and hang out. This area is so scenic! read more

So many memories in Boston - and most of them lead back to Harvard Square. From Andrew climbing onto John Harvard's lap, placing his Rockets hat upon Harvard's glistening head in front of a mass of Japanese tourists - to the truth behind what really makes Mr. Harvard's foot so shiny. And let me tell you that it is not due to an abundance of kisses from tourists for good luck; which I would definitely advise against , after learning of an icky Harvard custom. There was many a night spent waiting for my housemates' mystery 'platonic' date at Brother's Jim. Uneaten burritos, so my other housemate, could try his hand at asking out the uninterested counter woman. And when I was in the mood for tacky 'Euro' night - the Redline was a perfect fit. Hacking up lungs in cars, to lost cars, to CVS afternoons, to meeting old friends for Cheech adventures, it was all so good. Harvard Square - I fell in love with you back in Middle School as I traipsed around you with siblings and parents in tow. Later, a litlte older, probably not much more mature, I fell back in love - as I sat in Au Bon Pain. Sitting, while watching the belligerent retired 'Boxer' bum, a Harvard legend, perfect his social skills. His mantra being to smile politely at all women and then growl and challenge all men to a full on boxing match. This Thansgiving we have a date. I'll bring the Californian charm, you bring the freezing cold weather. read more

During a previous business trip, I had some time on my hands and thought that exploring the Harvard University area would be kind of cool. In a previous life, I was accepted to Graduate School here, so why not find out (years later) what I missed? Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the historic center of Cambridge, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It's also adjacent to Harvard Yard (of course). The Square functions as a commercial center for Harvard Students, local residents, and for Tourists such as myself. It's also easy to get here via the MBTA Red Line. In an extended sense, the name "Harvard Square" can also refer to the entire neighborhood surrounding this intersection for several blocks in each direction. At the center of the Square is the old Harvard Square Subway Kiosk, now Out of Town News, stocking newspapers and magazines from around the world. A video of it appears in transitional clips used on CNN. The office of NPR's Car Talk radio show faces the square, with a stencil in the window that reads "Dewey, Cheetham & Howe," The popular show references this by asking its viewers to send in answers to the "Puzzler" to "Puzzler Tower, Car Talk Plaza, Harvard Square, Cambridge (our fair city), MA 02238". I also took the opportunity to walk around the Harvard University Campus, explore a cool Unitarian Church headed by a former Minister of mine, and shop around the extended commercial area around the square. I had a nice time and remained happy that I was privileged to have attended Graduate School at Texas A&M instead. read more

Harvard Square is a cool spot just to kick back and chill. There are often some sort of street performers playing music or doing magic shows which is cool... There are a bunch of cools restaurants, bars and novelty stores for you to get your shop on. It is also very centrally located near Harvard University and the coveted John Harvard Statue. Do be warned there is often a lot of panhandling and homeless people on the area, so that may make some people feel a bit uncomfortable. Pros- Restaurants Shopping Pinkberry Near Harvard Street performers Cons- Ghetto Dirty Lots of homeless Crowded read more

Surely a great place to visit right next to Harvard. You'll find some touristy shops selling mostly Harvard memorabilia and some local Cambridge stuff. It's a small area within just a few city blocks and has some great restaurants to stumble into. People seem to find it interesting to visit Harvards campus but you're better off just spending time in the square. Not much to really see or do at the campus. read more

See all

Harvard Square is an interesting collection of random people and cultures clashing together. Lots of tourists come here because of its obvious name and the fact that there are plenty of stores and shops around to keep people entertained. Although I think mostly this place isn't know much for any of the food or shops around here (look up their reviews! typically not so good ...) but more for the location, historical significance and pure sightseeing destination aspect of it. I enjoyed my stay here but don't make a day out of it. read more

Although there may be plenty of tourists, the large array of shops and restaurants make it a pleasurable place to spend your time here. Not pleasurable if you are driving though because you probably won't find parking here. The cobblestone streets are cool, but I got lost here! Thank goodness I had my Iphone, and used the GPS. The square often attracts activists, street dwellers, goth subcultures, street performers, conservatives, tourists you name it! They have it. A cool thing to do is to check out "The Garage". It's a small shopping mall that used to be a parking garage. I'm not a fan of the national chains in the square though like Urban Outfitters (See my review and find out why) and corporate banks like Bank of America. I would rather support the small locally-run businesses with unique styles. It's one of the reasons why I dislike gentrification. Because of high rent, the small, independent mom & pop stores suffer, and it changes the culturally heterogeneous character of the neighborhood. This is the reason why I have to give the place 3.5 stars. read more

Such a nice little shopping square to walk around at, right next to Harvard Yard. Honestly, it is more entertaining than walking around the college campus. You'll find boutique shops, a large CVS (with a restroom for customers), and the sole Curious George store in the world! I think the most worth-it part of the square is venturing into the Curious George store and reliving your childhood. This square is accessible to public transit, being right at the Harvard stop on the Red Line. You can also walk from here to the river for a nice view. Prices here are kind of steep, so I wouldn't necessarily buy anything here. read more

Harvard Square can be easily forgotten, overlooked or under-appreciated by Bostonians, especially folks who have lived here their whole lives. But, like Davis Square or Central or even Kendall and Porter, dense and exciting clusters of stores with a ton of foot traffic and interesting architecture are fairly rare once you leave the coasts. There are a ton of cookie cutter towns out there, with only a couple of strip malls on a four lane road to entertain them. But we here in the Camberville have a wealth of squares that intrigue us, allow for walkable bar crawls, and let us spend money on all sorts of cool stuff without having to drive 45 minutes to do so. Love your squares, Boston. Love them and realize how rare they are. read more

Harvard Square boasts 70+ Shops, 90 Restaurants, & other businesses in the triangular plaza bordered by Brattle St., John F. Kennedy St., & Massachusetts Ave. Over 70% are locally-owned independents. The 600 sq. ft. brick-&-glass subway access kiosk built in 1927 is globally recognized as the heart of Harvard Square. The Harvard MBTA Red Line, located directly beneath Harvard Square, is the 3rd busiest subway station in Boston. Buses & trackless trollies, or Trolleybuses, also frequent the area. "Harvard Square" can also refer to the entire neighborhood for several blocks in all directions. I walked almost every street, admiring the stately architecture & traditional landscaping. read more

See all

Ah how this place has changed. Once upon a time, hackey sacking, cigarette smoking, book reading and low key, Harvard Square is a tourist haven. Although many good restaurants have come to the area, the cool, sweet spots have mostly been forced out. The garage houses a few remnants. read more

Harvard Square - The garage - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Unbeatable sense of history. The Square has an incredible past, shopping, transport, coffee houses, and of course, Harvard. It brought me back to the pre-Giuliani days in New York's Washington Square... Including the bums and panhandlers. Fortunately, I didn't see "windshield cleaners" like they used to have in NYC. For local flavor and history, Harvard Square is awesome. Clean it up a little and it would be superb. read more

Big square in Cambridge Harvard square has hotels hair salons restaurants banks and much more Harvard square is great