Cambridge

Tucked between Porter Square and Harvard Square, Baldwin is a pocket Cambridge community by the Charles River. With proximity to Harvard, Lesley University and Tufts University, Baldwin is embedded in a collegiate atmosphere, and residents often walk past art and history museums as well as people in crimson Harvard sweatshirts. Locals are also in proximity to Massachusetts Avenue and several retail squares and centers, the Red Line, city parks and reputable schools, making living in Baldwin lively, convenient and sought-after. “Baldwin is considered an extension of the Harvard Campus, and its residents are a blend of Harvard affiliates and longtime Cambridge residents,” says Gary S. Vrotsos, a broker associate at Coldwell Banker Realty with 19 years of experience who services the greater Boston area. “Baldwin has a very neighborhood feel. Even though it’s in the city, it’s a totally comfortable area to walk in, and you see lots of people commuting with alternatives to cars.” Sitting along the narrow residential streets and enveloped by New England trees, Baldwin’s single-family homes typically list from $900,000 to around $3 million. The Garfield Street Historic District is dotted with 1880s Queen Anne and Victorian residences, and these homes may go for $3 million or more. Sitting at the heart of the neighborhood, the Ivory Estate is a sprawling 7,000-square-foot Colonial Revival manor that lists for close to $10 million. Pre-war and modern townhouses go between $1 million and $2 million, while one-bedroom condo units start around $650,000 and may go over $1 million for two or three bedrooms. Multi-unit buildings can fetch between $2.5 million and over $5 million. Yard sizes tend to be on the smaller side as per the character of city plots, and residents may expect to park on the streets. Young students may begin schooling at Maria L. Baldwin School, which has an A Niche rating. Prospective middle schools include Putnam Avenue Upper School and Rindge Avenue Upper School, each of which scores a B-plus and an A, respectively. Cambridge Rindge & Latin School has an A-plus and is ranked as the No. 22 “best public high school in Massachusetts” by Niche. Cambridge High also offers the Rindge School of Technical Arts, which offers career-focused programs in biotechnology, computer science and engineering. Listed as a National Historic Landmark, residents often unwind and take strolls at Cambridge Common, which is home to monuments, walking paths and the Alexander W. Kemp Playground. People can also venture to Veterans Memorial Rink for ice skating or play soccer at the adjacent Conway Park. The War Memorial Community Center is home to swimming pools and an indoor gym while offering adult and youth recreational lessons. Nearby, Joan Lorentz Park has tennis courts and additional play areas, and Danehy Park is complete with comprehensive facilities and athletic fields for sports, sprawling green space and a dog park. Sacramento Field offers additional green space. Residents often walk to the eclectic boutiques, coffee houses and chic restaurants that line Massachusetts Avenue, which is simply referred to by locals as “Mass Ave.” People may grab a cup of cold brew at Simon’s Coffee Shop and dine at Sugar & Spice Thai Restaurant. Alternatively, locals can order a bowl of ramen at Yume Wo Katare, which is located at Porter Square Shopping Center. Porter Square is also home to Star Market and Target, where residents can shop for groceries and household essentials. Additional popular dine-out choices include Felipe's Taqueria and Cambridge Common Restaurant, which is a relaxed joint offering classic gastropub fare with a loyal following amongst Cambridge residents. Café Rustica on Beacon Street is a popular place for breakfast and sandwiches. “It’s a nice, locally owned spot that’s been here for years,” says Hudson Santana, founder and CEO of Santana Team. Downtown Boston is about a 6-mile drive, and Boston Logan International Airport is less than 10 miles east via Interstate 90. Mount Auburn Hospital is less than 2 miles from Baldwin. Those who prefer to utilize public transport may take the Red Line “T”, which is a subway line by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), for direct access to Downtown Boston. Sidewalks and cyclist lanes are also abundant in Baldwin for those who prefer to walk or bike to neighborhood hotspots. On weekends, residents may venture to one of the various art and cultural centers around Baldwin, including the Harvard Art Museums, the University Museum, the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the New England Aquarium. Cambridge also has festivals throughout the year, including the Cambridge Arts River Festival in June, Boston Calling, which is a music fest in May, and the Cambridge Carnival in September.

Quiet historic neighborhood of Cambridge Along the banks of the Charles River, Cambridgeport's port and industrial roots have developed into populous residential blocks. Bordered by the river and Magazine Beach to one side and the active commercial center of Cambridge Square to the other, Cambridgeport ensures residents have access to many of Cambridge’s urban amenities without losing touch with nature. Boasting proximity to Cambridge employment hubs like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, a 3-mile commute into downtown Boston and a bridge crossing away from the Longwood Medical Area, Cambridgeport positions residents in a cozy, neighborhood atmosphere with ample access to the many urban hubs of Boston. More room in Cambridgeport Many of Cambridgeport’s residents live in large, historic single-family homes built in the 1860s through 1930s which were renovated into multi-family dwellings. Two- and three-story attached and detached homes with charming architectural details like Mansard roofs or protruding bay windows frequently house a handful of condos, selling for $650,000 to $1.5 million. Entire single-family homes positioned a few yards away from their neighbors range from $1 million to $3 million. “Cambridgeport has more greenery, room between houses, yard space and available parking than other similarly priced Cambridge neighborhoods,” says Bernadine Tsung-Megason, senior vice president at Compass with 10 years of real estate experience in the Cambridge area. Red brick and cement sidewalks connect Cambridgeport’s closely plotted blocks, overhung by mature trees and bordered by street-parked cars. Shopping, dining and “coffee around the corner” Groceries and daily essentials are easily accessible to residents, with Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Walgreens all positioned on the western side of Cambridgeport. “The restaurants and coffee shops are spread around, and that makes it feel like a neighborhood,” says Tsung-Megason of the local dining scene. “You see neighbors walking dogs and pushing strollers to go get bagels around the corner.” Cambridge Pizzeria is a local favorite for a quick slice and classic pizza joint ambiance, while Flour Bakery + Cafe provides residents with a casual, elegant space to catch up on work and enjoy specialty sandwiches and pastries. More extensive dining and specialty shopping options can be found just to the northeast of Cambridgeport in Cambridge Square. Scattered green spaces and Magazine Beach Cambridgeport is dotted with small community parks like Dana Square Park and Pacific Street Park which provide the surrounding blocks with short, tree-shaded walking paths and the occasional playground or soccer field. The area’s largest park is Magazine Beach, an expansive green area along the Charles River lined by walking paths and shady trees where community members can often be found running along the river or swimming in the free outdoor swimming pool. The Riverside Boat Club launches competitive and recreational rowers into the river and has done so since 1869. Cambridge Public Schools Children can attend Morse School for Pre-K through fifth grade which earns an A-minus on Niche, Putnam Avenue Upper School for sixth through eighth grade which earns a B-plus and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School for ninth through 12th, which earns an A-plus. The Cambridge Public School District supports its district families beyond typical academic and extracurricular programs by providing monthly Free Food Markets at which families can stock up on free fruits, vegetables, and pantry staples. Magazine Beach events and pedestrian takeovers Mass Audobon puts on frequent free events at the Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, notably the recurring Nature in the City Festival which features close encounters with live animals, themed creative programming, rotating live music performers, dancing and food trucks. The stretch of Memorial Drive just outside of Cambridgeport between Western Avenue and Gerry’s Landing Road is closed to vehicles from Saturday morning to Sunday evening, giving dog walkers, bikers, and roller bladers a long stretch of riverside views to enjoy every weekend for almost 40 years. Commute by subway, bus, bike or foot Cambridgeport’s sidewalks and proximity to the employment hubs of MIT, Boston University and Harvard means residents may choose to walk or bike to work. There are several MBTA bus stops across the area, and the Central Subway Station is a few blocks outside of Cambridgeport, giving residents access to the Red Line and greater Boston area. Car commuters can hop onto Memorial Drive and cross the Longfellow Bridge for a 3-mile trip into downtown Boston.

East Cambridge, also known as Area 1, began as a community full of factories and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. However, from the 1960s to the 1980s, the neighborhood began changing and repurposing factories to create a mix of commercial and residential options that locals have come to love today. Located just east of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the neighborhood thrives within the greater Boston area. However, there is enough going on that residents can forget the college is there. “You don’t feel like you’re in Cambridge,” says Alex Wong, a Coldwell Banker Realtor who has been serving the area for over five years. “You are right across the river from Boston and so close to the airport and sports fields.” Full of dining, retail experiences and close to the city's popular attractions, there’s little wonder why East Cambridge is such a sought-after neighborhood. Being near the city’s universities and Downtown Boston, residents have access to many of the area's major employers. Not only can locals commute to and from work on the nearby Interstate 93, but they also have access to public transportation. Residents are close to the Green Line stop at Lechmere Station and can access Red Line and Orange Line stations near the neighborhood, making all of Boston is accessible. “Most of the people in the area don’t really drive,” Wong says. “It is very walkable; lots of people like to jog along the river.” For medical care, Massachusetts General Hospital is just across the river, less than 2 miles away. Flights to the west coast and across the Atlantic are easily reached at Boston Logan International Airport 4 miles to the east. In the center of East Cambridge, residents can find row houses and colonial revival homes built in the 19th and 20th centuries next to new construction. While there are still single-family homes available, much of the area has been transformed into condos and apartments to accommodate the growing number of residents. Housing prices can range from studio apartments and condos around Route 28 starting at around $500,000, to penthouse suites and historic single-family homes capping off at around $3.5 million dollars. East Cambridge is home to a wide range of dining options like 9Zaab Thai Street Food, which offers “authentic street food” Wong says. “You cannot find it anywhere else in Boston, it's like something you could find in Bangkok.” For a sweet treat, many head to Toscanini's Ice Cream on the southern end of the neighborhood, which has served the community for almost 30 years and has been rated as The World's Best Ice Cream by The New York Times. Long-time residents also enjoy heading to the nearby Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream for additional delights as “it has been there for many years,” Wong says. Residents can shop for groceries at the Star Market at Twin City Plaza, and browse the retailers at CambridgeSide Shopping Mall along the river. Cambridge Crossing, at the northern end of the neighborhood, holds community events throughout the year, including Cambridge Summer Nights, a series of summer gatherings with live music, food trucks and games. In downtown Cambridge, locals can also enjoy the Central Square Food and Mural Arts Tour each Tuesday for a tour of public art spots as well as local restaurants. For additional fun, the Museum of Science is located in the middle of the Charles River on the neighborhood’s eastern end. It is famous for its IMAX theater and the Charles Hayden Planetarium. The Cambridge Public School District serves students in the neighborhood. They can start their education at The Amigos School, an A-minus rated school and then finish up at the A-plus rated Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. The school offers over 30 different sports throughout the year, such as fencing sailing, football and cross country. For higher education, residents are only a short walk away from both Harvard and MIT, two of the most established universities in the United States. East Cambridge is home to a variety of green spaces hidden among the city’s high rises, like Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Park where visitors make use of the dog park and a playset that was constructed in 2020. Locals can also head to Gold Star Mothers Park, which has shaded walking paths, a playground, and a softball field. The park also offers seasonal fun at the splash pad and next-door ice skating rink.

Art museums, a distinguished Ivy League university and proud brick buildings draw residents to the Mid-Cambridge neighborhood. This large area features ample sidewalks, plenty of dining spots and access to historic Harvard University. “Mid-Cambridge is an active college town,” says Karen Morgan, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Realty with over 38 years of experience. “Students who don’t live on campus rent condos, and faculty members move to the neighborhood to be close to Harvard.” Residents might walk to a local coffee shop before heading to class or work. Some spend their weekends studying art exhibits at the nearby museums or sampling the different dishes at popular restaurants along Massachusetts Avenue. Although Cambridge has been standing since 1630, locals enjoy modern amenities among the historic buildings. “It’s a college town, but there are high-end businesses and biotech companies that students work for after graduating,” says Gary J. Vrotsos, an experienced broker with Gary Vrotsos Realty Services and long-term resident in the area. “People can easily bike around, and we’re close to vacation spots like Cape Cod.” Brick condo buildings, Queen Anne townhouses and multi-family homes with Italianate designs fill Mid-Cambridge. A limited number of single-family homes with small front yards sit in the neighborhood and often sell for $1.7 million to $4 million. “About 70% of available properties are condos, 15% are single-family homes and the rest are multi-family houses,” Morgan says. A studio condo might sell for $400,000, while a two-bedroom condo can cost $950,000. Residents park their cars on the street, but most walk or bike along the brick sidewalks to get to class or nearby shops. Oak trees stand every few feet on the sidewalks’ edges and coat the ground with colorful leaves every fall. Joan Lorentz Park, which neighbors the Cambridge Public Library, welcomes dog walkers, casual strollers and kids to use the paved pathways, layout on the grass or have fun on the playground. Parents and children who want more shade visit Robert Paine Square Playground to play on the jungle gym or sit at a picnic table under the cover of tall oak trees. The War Memorial Recreation Center also draws in locals from all around with its different programs, such as synchronized swimming and gymnastics. The nearby Whole Foods Market and Broadway Marketplace give residents easy access to fresh produce, essential groceries and premade meals. A two-story Target sits less than a mile away on Massachusetts Avenue. Mid-Cambridge residents visit the store to restock their pantries and refresh their wardrobes. Those who want more options for shopping and dining head west of Harvard to shop at The Atrium. Residents often start their day with a latte from Broadsheet Coffee Roasters. They also visit Life Alive Organic Café for lunch and get the burger of the month at Boston Burger Company. Multiple coffee shops, diners and eateries line Massachusetts Avenue, giving residents plenty of options when they want to change up their usual breakfast, lunch or dinner routine. “We have lots to choose from, like Italian, Irish and Portuguese restaurants,” Vrotsos says. Morgan and Vrotsos both also recommend Henrietta’s Table. Finding something fun to do takes no time in Mid-Cambridge. When locals aren’t seeing a show at Sanders Theatre, they’re usually walking around the Harvard Art Museums to see the current and new exhibits. Crowds of residents gather every January to taste tantalizing treats at the Harvard Square Chocolate Festival. Spring isn’t complete without joining the Mayfair celebrations every May. Guests enjoy the warm weather, listen to live music and hang out at one of the beer gardens. John M. Tobin Montessori School, which offers pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, operates a school garden program called CitySprouts, where children engage in practical lessons about food choices and the natural environment. Niche gives Tobin Montessori an A. Students later attend the A-rated Martin Luther King, Jr. School for middle school before transitioning into high school at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, which earns an A-plus. Some residents avoid paying for parking passes by simply walking and biking around the neighborhood. “People can easily use the bike paths to get around the neighborhood or take a 15-minute trip on the train to get into Boston,” Morgan says. Others drive down John F. Kennedy Street to get to Boston. Harvard Street and Boston Street also take residents directly to Harvard when they need to get to class to learn or lecture. The bus system nicknamed “The T” also runs throughout the neighborhood and takes residents to Harvard, Boston and around Mid-Cambridge. Harvard University rests in the neighborhood. First-year students often live in Harvard Yard, the oldest area of Harvard. Mid-Cambridge residents can walk the historic university grounds to see the timeless architecture or catch an ice hockey game. The CHA Cambridge Hospital also sits off Cambridge Street in the northern section of the neighborhood.

With breathtaking, 19th-century homes, the largest park in the city and walkability to urban amenities, Neighborhood Nine has a lot to offer residents. The neighborhood is punctuated by Porter and Harvard squares – two of Cambridge’s five prominent “squares” that serve as geographic anchors when locals describe where they live. Even when they aren’t familiar with all the local neighborhoods by name, they can use the squares as touchstones. According to Max Dublin, the vice president at Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty’s Cambridge office who has been selling in the area for 18 years, proximity to these squares and to Huron Village, which has several popular shops and restaurants, are major draws to the neighborhood. “It’s just kind of right in the middle of all those things, combined with having genuinely really nice houses with walkability and a neighborly feel,” he says. “Lots of Cambridge has an academic feel with its proximity to Harvard and MIT, but it’s also an urban environment with a little bit more of a neighborhood feel.” Neighborhood Nine’s tree-lined streets offer a variety of housing styles, from condominiums closer to Harvard’s Radcliffe Quad to townhouses, a few multifamily homes and a large collection of historic single-family homes. These homes vary in style from Dutch Colonials and New Englanders to Federal-style and Second Empire houses alongside the occasional new contemporary style. The area also includes the historic Avon Hill, which sports brick sidewalks and slightly larger lots that contain some Cambridge’s most beautiful homes, with Victorian and Second Empire homes dating back to the 1800s. A one-bedroom condominium starts at around $600,000, while single-family homes can cost anywhere between $1.5 million for a two-bedroom home and $5.1 million for a five-bedroom, five-bath home. Once in a while, a large historic home may hit the market for more than $10 million. Walkability makes it easy to reach Neighborhood Nine’s eclectic collection of restaurants and businesses. “Everything is nearby, it’s lovely,” says Barbara Baker, a Realtor at Coldwell Banker Realty who has lived in the neighborhood for decades. “I think that’s why I like it here. I grew up in the city, right off Michigan Avenue, but I also had parks around me and the lake on the other side, and it has that mix.” Bagelsaurus offers handmade bagels and routinely has a line stretching out the door, and The Abbey is a popular pub with New American fare. The small-batch Honeycomb Creamery sells seasonal, classic, soft serve and vegan ice cream to anyone who pops in. Thistle & Shamrock is a small local market that sells groceries, beer and wine, hot coffee and grab-and-go food right in the neighborhood. On its western edge, Fresh Pond Mall offers Whole Foods alongside T.J. Maxx & HomeGoods, a gym and a movie theater. Trader Joe’s is right across the street, and Pemberton Farms Marketplace is just to the north of Neighborhood Nine on Massachusetts Avenue. In addition to Cambridge-wide events like the annual Cambridge Carnival, which is rooted in African and Caribbean traditions and attracts thousands of people to enjoy costumes, music and dance performances, food and more, smaller events like block parties, outdoor summer movie nights and holiday events are held at Raymond Park throughout the year. Children can attend Graham & Parks School, which has an A-minus from Niche, from prekindergarten through fifth grade before moving on to Putnam Avenue Upper School, which has a B-plus, and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. With an A-plus rating, the high school offers over 70 extracurricular activities for students, including a ski club, jazz ensemble and disability alliance. Alternatively, the private, A-plus-rated Cambridge Friends School teaches kindergarten through eighth grade in a method guided by Quaker principles. Harvard University’s Radcliffe Quadrangle is located in the neighborhood, as is the Bard College-affiliated Longy School of Music, which teaches students from 31 states and 27 countries. “What I love about it is that it’s very urban but also very green,” Baker says. Right in the heart of the neighborhood, Raymond Park is a beloved local green space with a playground, basketball courts, athletic fields and a community garden. Danehy Park, the largest park in Cambridge, is 50 acres of outdoor space built on the site of a former landfill. It features a football field surrounded by a running track, soccer and softball fields, basketball courts, a playground and tot lot, a dog park and even a small wetland conservation area. It’s a true natural getaway in the middle of the city. U.S. Route 3 and U.S. Route 2 are easily accessible from Neighborhood Nine, and residents can walk to either Porter Square or Harvard Square on the Red Line. Porter Square also has a MBTA commuter rail line stop, which Baker points out makes reaching Boston easy.

North Cambridge, the northernmost pocket of the City of Cambridge, is an area that maintains a true neighborhood feel. It’s an area lined with inviting residential corridors that place its residents close to a couple of important transportation hubs, an assortment of outdoor recreation areas and a range of shopping and dining options. Most of North Cambridge’s housing dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s era in Victorian and Colonial Revival styles. There is a smattering of new builds in the area, too. Area Realtor Charles Cherney, of the Charles Cherney Team at Compass, says that North Cambridge contains a mix of condominiums, single-family homes and multi-family homes, but that most of the sales in the neighborhood are for condos. Those condos are converted spaces, within the area’s classic homes. Renovation work on North Cambridge’s inventory of classic houses is common, too. “There’s always activity,” Cherney says. Sale prices for residences in North Cambridge vary by type — a two-bedroom condo typically goes for at least $650,000, Cherney says. A single-family home in North Cambridge may sell for north of $1 million, he adds. Demand can be high, too. “North Cambridge and Cambridge, collectively, remain a solid market,” Cherney says. Two of the focal points of North Cambridge are the pair of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority stations in the vicinity. The Alewife station is situated on the northeast end of North Cambridge, the northernmost subway stop on the Red Line. Alewife also offers MBTA bus service, in addition to train access. Alternatively, Porter Station is located on the southern end of North Cambridge, a hub that is also on the subway’s Red Line. Porter also is a spot to catch the MBTA’s commuter rail train. “People do like access to the commuter rail and, more importantly, the Red Line, from these stations,” Cherney says. The Porter station sits adjacent to the Porter Square Shopping Center, a more-than 175,000-square-foot complex whose tenants include a Star Market grocery store, a CVS Pharmacy and a Michaels. A Target is nearby, too, as are multiple eateries, lining Massachusetts Avenue, one of the neighborhood’s primary thoroughfares. “That’s sort of ground zero for the neighborhood,” Cherney says, of the Porter Square area. Sugar & Spice Thai Restaurant is among the nearby eateries, known in part for its expansive selection of vegan options. Or try Frank's Steak House, farther up Massachusetts Avenue. Established in 1938, Frank’s is the oldest steakhouse in Greater Boston, and its prime rib is among patrons’ favorites. After fueling up on Massachusetts Avenue, perhaps hit up one of the public outdoor spaces in North Cambridge. Go for a run or a walk along the Alewife Linear Park trail, which stretches some 2 miles, connecting to the Alewife MBTA station. Or hike the trails within the Alewife Brook Reservation, an urban forest with opportunities for bird watching. Another option is to spark up a game of tennis or shoot some hoops at the Pemberton courts, by Rindge Field, a neighborhood baseball diamond. Peabody School and Rindge Avenue Upper School are a pair of North Cambridge’s public schools. Peabody School features prekindergarten through fifth grade and gets an A grade from Niche, while Rindge Avenue Upper School services students in grades six to eight with an A-minus. Both institutions are outpacing state averages in terms of the numbers of their students meeting state testing benchmarks in English, science and math. Students may then attend Somerville High School, which also has an A-minus grade, for grades nine to 12.