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Cambridge MIT occupies the southeastern border of the City of Cambridge. Cambridge is bordered by Arlington to the north, Somerville and Charlestown to the east, the Charles River to the south and Watertown and Belmont to the west. Cambridge is somewhat of an academic mecca, home to both MIT and Harvard University. Cambridge's six and a half square miles also contain a number of widely differing neighborhoods, offering a distinct array of housing and lifestyles. The high numbers of students, academics, professionals and long-term residents attracted to Cambridge's multi-faceted character result in a city vacancy rate that is less than one percent. Harvard Square, Central Square, and Porter Square are the major shopping areas in Cambridge. Harvard Square caters to a student and academic clientele with numerous taverns, restaurants, movie theaters, book stores and shops as well as one of the squares major landmarks, The Harvard Coop. Central Square establishments tend to offer basic household and clothing necessities. Many of these stores have low priced merchandise, but beware of corresponding low quality. Porter Square shopping is on the expensive side of the scale but offers a unique selection in products. Harvard and Central Squares are also the transportation nodes of Cambridge, providing access to the red line and numerous bus routes. Western Cambridge tends to be more suburban in character with more single, two and three family homes and higher quality housing than the more densely populated, eastern urban portion of the city. As the quality of housing gradually increases as you move west, so too do the rents. Since Cambridge's neighborhoods differ considerably, those most generally occupied by MIT students will be discussed briefly: East Cambridge, the Central Square area, Cambridgeport and Mid-Cambridge. East Cambridge is a densely developed working class, ethnic neighborhood, located directly north of campus. A high portion of the area's rental units do not include heat. East Cambridge is the target of a major redevelopment project which is changing the character of this neighborhood. Rehabilitation of older buildings and condo conversions have begun, inflating rental costs. Bus service is limited in East Cambridge with the Lechmere green line T stop the major mode of public transit. Most of East Cambridge is within a half an hour walk of MIT. East Cambridge offers easy bicycle access to MIT as well. The tight knit, ethnic character of the neighborhood makes it safer than many other areas in the eastern portion of the city at the present time. Many students live in the area north of Central Square. The predominant housing type in this area is closely packed one, two and three family houses on small lots. Many units are unheated. A major consideration in this neighborhood is safety. According to Cambridge Police Department statistics, 50% of the city's street crime occurs in the area surrounding Massachusetts Avenue. House break-ins are also fairly common. Public transportation is accessible in the area via the red line and numerous bus routes in Central Square. MIT is an easy walk or bike ride from most of the area. Housing quality in the area tends to be low. If you choose to live in the Central Square area, make sure to carefully read the security and safety portion of this guide and take the proper precautions. The Cambridgeport neighborhood borders the Charles River and is located below Massachusetts Avenue, west of MIT and east of Harvard Square. The predominant housing stock in the area is older, one to four family wood frame houses, the majority of which offer rental units not including the cost of heat (unheated). Housing quality is variable with a number of buildings in relatively poor condition. The condition of the housing stock in the Cambridgeport area is, however, improving, Cambridgeport is a working class neighborhood with a high student population. The areas of Cambridgeport near Harvard Square, Central Square, Massachusetts Avenue and Western Avenue have access to public transit but the interior areas of the neighborhood are not well served. MIT is within a 30 minute walk of much of the eastern portion of the neighborhood and is generally easily accessible by bike. The southern half of Cambridgeport tends to be fairly safe but the area bordering Central Square is high in crime. If you are walking after dark, try to avoid Memorial Drive and the area near Central Square. Be sure to follow the security and safety suggestions discussed later in the guide. Mid-Cambridge is the area above Massachusetts Avenue and bordering Somerville in the central portion of the city. Housing in the area is varied with both one to three family houses and apartment buildings common. The quality of the housing tends to be higher than in the eastern portion of the city Public transit is accessible via the red line in Harvard and Central Squares and bus service along Massachusetts Avenue. Areas farther from Massachusetts Avenue tend not to be well served by public transit. The easiest route to MIT would be the #1 Dudley bus from Harvard Square or along Massachusetts Avenue. The eastern portion of the area could be within a 30 minute walk of MIT. MIT is easily accessible via bicycle from Mid-Cambridge. Mid-Cambridge tends to be fairly safe. Rents in the area are high. The western portion of the city and North Cambridge tend to be more suburban with a large number of single family homes. Families and professionals are far more common than students and the rents tend to be very high. Parking in Cambridge, especially in the more urban portions of the city, is a problem. The City of Cambridge has a residential parking sticker program in effect, prohibiting on-street parking without a sticker. Off-street parking is limited in much of Cambridge so be sure you check the parking situation before you sign your lease. If you are within easy access of MIT and public transit, it may be wise to leave your car at home. The Cambridge Police Dept. has one of the best crime analysis websites. The site is listed below and this should give you an idea of the type and volume of crime in the various Cambridge neighborhoods. Cambridge's proximity to MIT and variety of residential environments make it an attractive housing option for many students. However, you should expect to pay high rents in the middle to western portions of the city and be prepared for lower quality and higher crime rates in the lower rent areas. If you are interested in living in Cambridge, the Off-Campus Housing Service has maps of the city available.
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