Harvard Square facts for kids

Harvard Square Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Harvard Square in 2015
Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Architectural style	Colonial Revival, Greek Revival
MPS	Cambridge MRA
NRHP reference No.	82001944 (original) 86003654 (increase)
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	April 13, 1982
Boundary increase	July 28, 1988

Harvard Square is a famous spot in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's a triangular area where three streets meet: Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street.

People also use "Harvard Square" to talk about the whole business area around this meeting point. This area is right next to Harvard University and is the historic heart of Cambridge. It's a busy shopping and gathering place for Harvard students. Many people from western Cambridge and nearby parts of Boston also come here. You can easily get to the Square by subway or bus, as it has a big transportation hub called Harvard station.

Sometimes, "Harvard Square" can mean the entire neighborhood for several blocks. The nearby Cambridge Common is a park with a playground and sports fields. It also has monuments related to the American Revolution, a very important time in American history.

Where is Harvard Square located?

Aerial view of the Mass Ave/Brattle Street junction, with Harvard Yard at the right

The main part of Harvard Square is where Massachusetts Avenue and Brattle Street cross. Massachusetts Avenue comes from the southeast. It turns sharply north at this intersection.

This area has a large space just for people walking. Here you'll find the subway entrance and a newsstand. There's also a visitor information booth and a small stage for outdoor performances. Brattle Street and John F. Kennedy Street join Massachusetts Avenue at "Nini's Corner." Another newsstand is located there. The main building of the Harvard/MIT Cooperative Society is on the west side of the intersection. You'll also find banks and shops there.

What's near Harvard Square?

The famous Harvard Yard is right next to the Square. This is the historic center of Harvard University. Many Harvard buildings are just a short walk away. These include the Harvard Art Museums, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and the Museum of Natural History.

Other important places nearby include the Cambridge Public Library and Lesley College. You can also find the Longy School of Music and the American Repertory Theater. Historic homes like the Cooper-Frost-Austin House are also in the area.

Because so many people walk through Harvard Square, it's a popular spot for street musicians. These performers, called buskers, need a permit from the Cambridge Arts Council. Famous musicians like Tracy Chapman and Amanda Palmer used to perform here. There's even a small bronze statue of "Doo Doo," a puppet, honoring street performers.

What else can you find in the Square?

The Harvard Square subway stop used to be the last stop on the Red Line until 1984. It's still a major station where people switch between the subway and buses. Driving can be tricky here, and parking is hard to find.

Many buses use a special tunnel next to the subway tunnel. This tunnel was first built for streetcars. Now, it helps buses cross the Square without getting stuck in car traffic. It also makes it safer and easier for people to get from the subway to the buses.

In the middle of the Square is the old Harvard Square Subway Kiosk. It's now a newsstand called Out of Town News. It sells newspapers and magazines from all over the world. You might even see it in clips on CNN! There's also a public art display called Lumen Eclipse at the Tourist Information Booth. It shows art by local and international artists.

The offices of Dewey, Cheetham, and Howe, home of the radio show Car Talk

The office for the NPR show Car Talk is across from the Square. It has a funny sign in the window that says "Dewey, Cheetham & Howe." This is a made-up law firm often mentioned on the show.

The sunken area next to the newsstand is called "The Pit." It looks a bit like an arena. It attracts skateboarders and young people who like countercultural styles. Sometimes, there's a difference between these groups and the older, more formal people from Harvard University. Harvard sports teams sometimes use "The Pit" for funny or silly initiation activities for new members. Singer Amanda Palmer remembered it as a place for "Cool People."

Chess players in Harvard Square

Across the street from The Pit, there's an outdoor cafe. It always has busy tables where people play chess. One famous player, Murray Turnbull, has been playing chess here since 1982.

In the southwest part of the Square, on Mount Auburn Street, you'll find the Igor Fokin Memorial. This statue honors Igor Fokin, a beloved puppeteer. It also celebrates all the street performers who make the Square lively, especially in the summer.

Other public squares are nearby, like Brattle Square. You can see many street performers there all year. Brattle Street has the Brattle Theater, which shows art films. The American Repertory Theater is also on this street. The John F. Kennedy Memorial Park is close by, next to the Charles River. Cambridge Common is two blocks north.

Harvard Square is a place where many different people gather. It's a great spot for people-watching. There are lots of benches, terraces, and outdoor cafes where you can sit and observe the lively scene.

"The Garage" is a small, multi-story shopping mall. It's called that because it used to be a parking garage. You can still see the original car ramp inside! One popular store in The Garage is Newbury Comics.

History of Harvard Square

1873 Map of Harvard Square

Even though Harvard Square is a busy business center today, famous people lived here a long time ago. One example is the colonial poet Anne Bradstreet.

How Harvard Square has changed

Harvard Square

Many people talk about how Harvard Square has changed recently. It has become more "gentrified," meaning it's now a more expensive and modern area. The Square used to have local shops like a grocery store and a Woolworth's.

Today, you can still find a hardware store (Dickson Hardware). But many local shops have been replaced by bigger chain stores and banks. The Square is now more of a place for students and commuters to shop, rather than just a neighborhood center.

Some long-time local businesses have closed. The Tasty Diner, a tiny sandwich shop, and the Wursthaus, a German restaurant, closed to make way for national chains. Elsie's Lunch, a popular deli, also closed. Another old restaurant, Leo's Diner, closed in 2013.

The student co-op, the Harvard/MIT Cooperative Society ("The Coop"), is now managed by Barnes & Noble. However, a board of Harvard and MIT students and staff still oversees it. Many independent bookstores have also closed over the years.

Following national trends, the local Harvard Trust Company bank became part of the national Bank of America. The famous Out of Town News newsstand is owned by a large international company.

However, some local businesses with unique styles are still around! These include:

• Leavitt & Pierce tobacconists (since 1883)
• Laflamme Barber Shop (since 1898)
• Harvard Book Store (since 1932)
• Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe (since 1950)
• Charlie's Kitchen (since 1951)
• The Brattle Theater (since 1953)
• The Hong Kong Chinese restaurant (since 1954)
• Club Passim (since 1958)
• Café Pamplona (since 1959)
• Mrs. Bartley's Burger Cottage (since 1960)
• Dickson Brothers Hardware (since 1961)
• Million Year Picnic comics (since 1970)
• Algiers Coffee House (since 1970)
• Grendel's Den (since 1971)

In 2005, Raven Used Books opened, helping Harvard Square keep its reputation as a great place to find books.

In 2012, there was a plan to make big changes to the pedestrian island in the Square. This plan even suggested removing the Out of Town News kiosk. People had different opinions about this idea, and no changes have been approved yet.

Harvard Square in movies

Harvard Square has been featured in many movies!

• The 1969 film Goodbye, Columbus has a scene in Harvard Square.
• The 1970 film Love Story takes place mostly in and around Harvard Square. It shows Harvard students meeting and falling in love. This movie is still shown to new students at Harvard College every year.
• The 1973 film The Paper Chase, set at Harvard Law School, shows old Harvard Square landmarks.
• The 1977 film Between the Lines also features scenes from Harvard Square.
• In the 1994 film With Honors, a scene was filmed in Harvard Square, showing the Out of Town Newsstand.
• Parts of the 1997 film Good Will Hunting were filmed in and around Harvard Square. This included the former Tasty Sandwich Shop and an outdoor cafe.
• The 2005 documentary film Touching History; Harvard Square, the Bank, and The Tasty Diner talks about how the Square is changing. It focuses on a small diner closing to make way for a bigger store.
• Ben Affleck filmed parts of his 2010 movie The Town in Grendel's Den, a local restaurant.
• The 2010 film The Social Network, about the start of Facebook at Harvard, shows aerial views of the area near the Holyoke Center.

Gallery

A panoramic view of Harvard Square, May 2014

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  Harvard Square in 1869

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  Harvard Square, May 2004

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  Harvard Square on a rainy day

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  Harvard Book Store at dusk

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  former Loews Movie Theatre, Church Street (now closed)

Images for kids

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  Harvard Square from above, 1921

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  The Out of Town News newsstand, which opened in 1955, occupied the kiosk from 1984 to 2019.

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  Harvard Square on a rainy day

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  former Loews Movie Theatre, Church Street (now closed)

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  Storefronts along Massachusetts Ave. in winter