Kendall Square facts for kids
Kendall Square is a lively neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The main part of the square is where Main Street and Broadway meet. It's also a big business area near the Charles River, close to the famous MIT. People often call Kendall Square "the most innovative square mile on the planet." This is because many new and exciting companies, especially in technology, have started here since 2010.
About 50,000 people work in Kendall Square every day. More and more people are also choosing to live here, making it a busy and growing community.
Contents
From Factories to Future Tech (1800s–1990)
Long ago, Kendall Square was a salt marsh (a wet, grassy area) next to the Charles River. It became important for travel when the West Boston Bridge was built in 1793. This bridge was the first direct road between Boston and Cambridge. Later, in 1810, the Broad Canal was dug. This helped connect the area to a system of smaller canals, making it a busy seaport.
In the 1800s, Kendall Square grew into a major industrial center. By the early 1900s, it had factories making things like soap and socks, and even electric power plants. The square got its name from the Kendall Boiler and Tank Company, which was named after one of its owners, Edward Kendall. The original square was a small triangle of land where Main Street, Broadway, and Third Street met. Today, this spot is home to the Galaxy: Earth Sphere fountain.
When the Longfellow Bridge replaced the old West Boston Bridge in 1907, it was built to include a future subway line. This subway, now called the Red Line, opened its Kendall station in 1911. In 1916, MIT moved its campus to Cambridge, right next to Kendall Square. Since then, MIT has greatly influenced the area, helping it become a center for new technologies.
In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy wanted to build a big NASA space center in Cambridge. He even had some old factories removed to make space. However, the center ended up being built in Houston, Texas, instead. In 1964, Kendall Square did get a smaller NASA research center, but it closed just five years later.
Later, the former NASA buildings became a research center for the US Department of Transportation (DOT). For many years, other parts of Kendall Square that were cleared for the big NASA project remained empty.
Another important step for Kendall Square happened in the 1970s. Harvard University wanted to do new research with DNA. After some discussions, the city of Cambridge created clear rules for this kind of research. These rules helped new science companies feel confident about setting up in Kendall Square. This led to the growth of many biotechnology companies here, like Biogen, which moved to the city in 1982.
Modern Growth: Offices, Shops, and Homes (1990–Present)
From the 1990s onward, the area around Kendall Square changed a lot. Old industrial buildings became modern offices and research labs. By 2011, over 150 biotechnology and information technology companies were located here. In 1997, some of the remaining old factory buildings were recognized as a special historic district.
Many high-tech companies are drawn to Kendall Square because it's so close to MIT. MIT owns a lot of the business buildings in the square. It has been actively building new spaces for tech companies and updating its own campus buildings. Important MIT buildings like the Stata Center are right in Kendall Square.
The Cambridge Center office complex is very close to the main intersection of Kendall Square and the subway station. For a short time, the Kendall/MIT subway station was renamed "Cambridge Center/MIT," but people complained, and it was changed back.
The Cambridge Innovation Center is another important place nearby. It's a shared office space for many small startup companies and investment firms. Big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and IBM also have research labs in or very near Kendall Square.
Other tech companies are located in two large office parks. Technology Square is behind MIT's main campus. The One Kendall Square complex is a bit further away, between Broadway and Binney Street.
The "@Kendall Square" development is a modern area with offices, labs, homes, and shops. It also has parks, an ice rink, a farmers market, and a place for boating. These buildings have won many awards for their design.
In 2016, the City of Cambridge approved MIT's plans for six new large buildings. One of these, at 314 Main Street, will be home to the Boeing Company, a major aerospace company.
By 2014, a large area of land owned by the US Department of Transportation was one of the last undeveloped spots in Kendall Square. There were ideas to use this land for new buildings. In 2017, MIT bought this 14-acre site from the government. As part of the deal, MIT will build a new research facility for the Department of Transportation. After that, MIT plans to develop the rest of the land.
The MIT Press Bookstore used to be a popular spot in Kendall Square. It offered many books from MIT Press and other publishers. It moved temporarily to Central Square because of construction. When the new building at 314 Main Street is finished, the bookstore will return. The MIT Museum will also move to Kendall Square for the first time, sharing the same building.
Businesses and Community
The Kendall Square Association is a group that helps businesses and the community in Kendall Square. It was started in 2009 by about 80 organizations. They even have a free "Kendall Square Walking Map" to help people find places.
You can find several hotels in Kendall Square, like the Boston Marriott Cambridge and the Kendall Hotel. Many new apartments and condos have also been built, bringing more residents to the area. As of 2020, MIT is building new homes for graduate students and other residents.
There are many restaurants in the area, including The Friendly Toast and Cambridge Brewing Company. You can also find food trucks near Main and Vassar Streets during lunchtime on weekdays. They offer a variety of fast and affordable foods.
The Harvard/MIT Cooperative Society (known as "The Coop") has been a big store in Kendall Square for many years. It sells general goods and books. In 2019, it moved to a temporary spot because its old building was being torn down. A new, taller building will be built there, and The Coop plans to move back into a new space.
In 2017, a grocery store called Roche Bros agreed to open a market in Kendall Square. This smaller "Brothers Marketplace" opened in November 2019 at One Broadway. It offers fresh foods and ready-to-eat meals.
International Offices
The British Consulate-General (an office representing the UK government) is located at One Broadway.
Getting Around
The Kendall/MIT station on the MBTA Red Line subway is right under Kendall Square. Several MBTA bus routes also stop here. There's also a shuttle bus called EZRide and a free shuttle to the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall.
Public Art
Kendall Square has some interesting public art. One popular piece is the Kendall Band, an interactive sound sculpture by Paul Matisse. You can find it underground in the Kendall/MIT subway station.
Another sculpture is the Galaxy: Earth Sphere fountain by MIT professor Joe Davis. It's a bronze fountain at the main intersection of Main Street and Broadway. It was designed to have water flowing and steam, but it hasn't always worked perfectly.
You might also notice unique bicycle parking racks on the sidewalks. These are made of stainless steel and have science-themed shapes, like a sine wave or a caffeine molecule. They were created by local artists in 2012.
Images for kids
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Global headquarters of Genzyme
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Former Global HQ of Akamai Technologies
