Kendall Square
Kendall Square is one of the more professional, rather than community-based, squares. Packed with banks, offices, and research labs, Kendall Square is often a constant blur of business suits and fax machines. Meanwhile, in the background, Kendall Square provides a contrast to the hustle of the modern crowd with its large, brick buildings that give off an old-fashioned appeal.
Kendall Square is also a major part of Massachusetts' high-tech industry, since it is home to the ever-busy Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Where else can a hard-working scientist keep tabs on the newest research going on at MIT, and also remain close to Boston?
But Kendall Square is not all work and no play. The MIT branch of the Cambridge Cooparative Society (COOP) is located in the heart of the square, as are many small cafés and restaurants.
Ride the Wave
Just a shuttle-bus ride away lies the Cambridgeside Galleria. The "Wave" bus stop is located in front of the MIT Coop at 3 Cambridge Center and runs every 20 minutes.
MIT Press Bookstore
The MIT Press Bookstore stocks most of the books and journals published by the MIT Press, as well as the best of other publishers' books in related fields. You can search the entire MIT Press catalog online at the main MIT Press website or visit the press in person at its location in Kendall Square (above the Kendall subway station), 292 Main St., telephone: 617-253-5249.
Other Businesses along Main Street, Kendall Square
- Bank of America
- Cambridge Trust Company
- Post Office
- Kendall Drug Store
- Kendall Barber Shop
- Rebecca's Café
- Au Bon Pain
- Marriott Hotel
- Food Court (between MIT Coop and Marriott Hotel)
- Garden (top of parking garage between MIT Coop and Marriott Hotel) — a quiet lunchtime refuge.
One Kendall Square
Located at the corner of Hampshire Street and Broadway, One Kendall Square has restaurants, copy centers, businesses, and billiards. In the summertime, this area is hopping with an outdoor barbecue.
Kendall Square Cinema
The Kendall Square Cinema, located at One Kendall Square in Cambridge, is part of the California-based Goldwyn/Landmark Theater Corporation, and offers a variety of films. It is known for its distinctive programming mix with an emphasis on first-run foreign, American independent, and sophisticated Hollywood studio films. Sound equipment at the theater includes Dolby Stereo, JBL speakers, sub-woofers, and infrared listening devices for the hearing-impaired. The theater can also accommodate all film formats so that "all films, even classic revivals, can be shown as they were meant to be seen," according to the company. The theater is accessible by car — with low-priced validated parking in the adjoining garage — and from the MBTA subway stops at Kendall Square and Lechmere.