Hey all,

I just toured Boston for the first time this month and had such a great time I'm planning on visiting again for the first few days of July! I stayed downtown last time I was in Boston, and it seemed like traffic and parking  sometimes made things difficult for my visitors.

I don't drive - New Yorker here - so I'd prefer to stay somewhere with lots to do within walking distance from where I'm staying, which means outer suburbs aren't really an option.

Do touring providers ever stay in Cambridge? Guys, what are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Especially Harvard Square, but if anything the congestion and traffic are even worse than Back Bay.

I've seen gals who got a room on the other end of Cambridge, Kendall Square, it's not quite as nice as Harvard or Central Square, but it is getting better.

it's considered a pretty dingy area wit lots of filthy restaurant kirchens. Would think hotels are few ... maybe some nice apts.  
I certainly don't claim to kniw, just a general impression of the hood.

it's considered a pretty dingy area with lots of filthy restaurant kirchens. Would think hotels are few ... maybe some nice apts.  
I certainly don't claim to know, just a general impression of the hood.

Harvard Square might be the nicest place to stay _and_ still have some fun things to see/do in walking distance.  I like to get pizza at the stall for Otto Pizza, and there's always Newbury Comics upstairs in The Garage, just to name 2.  There's $1 oysters at Rialto on Mon evenings until they're gone.

Kendall might be next nicest to stay, but you'd probably want to take the T over to Central or Harvard for fun things to do.  There's a few things there, but not a whole lot.

Central Sq is the most like being in NYC, a little more sketchy, but there's some fun nightclubs there and Hubba Hubba is there, the BDSM clothing shop

I'm sure the Cantabrigians would love for you to visit.  

I've visited hostesses near Central Sq (Red Line), near the Galleria Mall (Lechmere on the Green Line) and close to Alewife Station (Red Line) ... so those all work.  Easy free parking no longer exists near Harvard Sq or Kendall Sq, at least none that I know of.  (I know some secret spots but they're, well, secret and I'm not going to post them here.)  It's pay to park and there goes your tip!  

Anybody know the Cantab Lounge on Mass Ave?  "Cantab" is short for Cantabrigia and it's also the thing you pop off a can of beer.  

If you like to shop, there's the Galleria Mall area.  I think there's a free Mall Shuttle Bus to other Cambridge locations.  Central Sq is kind of dirty but it's also very busy with all kinds of interesting people, stores, bars, clubs and other activities.  Gentrification has changed Harvard Sq tremendously. Are there are any street buskers out there this year? Classic, one-of-a-kind Mom and Pops have been replaced by upscale franchises.  "The Pit" (the area outside Out of Town News at the Red Line entrance) used to be a very punk hang out so you might want to check it out.  (Google "Harvard Square "The Pit"")  Out of Town News has newspapers from all over the world and also tattoo and body art magazines from all over the world.  You've got to check out The Pit and OoT News!  And there are also the Harvard Museums.  Kendall is pretty upscale but I don't think of it as tourist friendly, except for the restaurants.  

I can't PM you at the moment.  I sent a Money Order VIP renewal to TER but they say it hasn't arrived yet.  Grrrr ...  

Have a great trip!  (And if your stay overlaps July 4th, be sure to check the Boston Pops and Fireworks on the Esplanade.

END OF MESSAGE

there are some nice 4 star hotels in some of the squares, aka Harvard and Kendall.

If you look at some of the outer burbs, there is T access and commuter service to many of the them...certain areas you may need to call a cab or Uber from the station.

PM me if you want you want more hotel/location info, I know Boston and public transportation like the back of my hand.  MBTA also has apps, they will tell you what you need to know to get where you need to be.

Boston is not like most areas in New England, you can get there from here!

(sighing nostalgically) and there used to be ManRay...

Right!  (I think Nnoway means the shop on west side of Mass Ave right near Central Square.)  And non-BDSM vintage clothing on River St, just off of Central Square.  Well, it could be BDSM vintage clothing with a little imagination.

I remember the ManRay and the all you can eat pasta next door to it.  And Hi-Fi Pizza!  All gone.  (Hi-Fi is now juice bar or something?)  There's a whole new slew of places for people to remember disappearing 20-30 years from now.

But the Middle East and TT the Bear's are still there

NOB, Central is not a dingy area. They don't put two Whole Foods on the outskirts and Harvest Natural Foods right in the middle of dingy areas  
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon live at Central (I've seen Ben at Harvest) and I suspect they wouldn't buy or rent in dingy neighborhood too. While Harvard is for VIP students, chess fanatics and visitors from the suburbs, and Kendall is for yuppies and MIT students, Central is where Cambridge's Bohemian crowd is, where cool places are. If you like to be surrounded by artists, musicians, actors and painters, and have less problems with parking - you stay at Central.  

Central has a look of quintessential American city but a character of its own. Think of the average street in Queens, add some great clubs (TT, the Bear's and the Middle East if you're younger, Cantab and Green Street if older, there is a salsa club next door to Green Street) and varied eating establishments from el cheapo Moody's to super nice ones like Craigies and everything in between, plus totally cool crowd and you're up for good times. Parking on Central is easier then on either Harvard or Kendall.  

I love Harvard - I used to live there. I don't care much for Kendall - I find it boring and a bit too scattered. Central is more like Harvard then Kendall but not as posh and has much more cool about it and good time and greater variety of restaurants then either Kendall or Harvard do.

-- Modified on 6/20/2015 11:38:22 AM

No I meant ManRay the dance club on Brookline St right across from TT, the Bear's where people used to come dressed in all kinds of fetish clothes. There were always a few topless girls there and the ages of those present varied from 21 to 80. Great place it was. In the 90s we used go there a lot - it was such a great tragedy (or rather calamity ) when it closed, just like with the Rat at Kenmore beforehand. Who remembers the Rat?

Yeah!  ManRay, the Club, on Brookline (or Pearl? I don't remember.).  But it was diagonally across from TTs, on the other side of Green or Franklin.  Right next to it was the all you can eat pasta place (maybe AYCE was one day a week, Wednesdays?).  The pasta place closed long before ManRay closed.  We're talking about the same place.  

The BDSM clothing store you mentioned is, I guess, the one on Mass Ave near CheapO records.  I forget the name of it.

I remember The Rathskeller, too

most on mass Ave but as mentioned. don't know the periphery ... I live in Somerville, both T there and drive. Guess I need to walk the hood. I get the arsty/bohemian feel. Thanks ... btw. some of my comment was directed at hobbying, a little off center of the OP.  

Somerville's nice. Davis is somewhat like Central ...I guess Central's hobbying's limited to occasional street on Mass Ave which is mostly below unremarkable And yea, you're right - there are no hotels on Central as far as I know.

Ahh, the memories!  At least the ones I can remember lol.

That was a very unique club indeed