Harvard Square

Home to news-makers and news-breakers
Talk of the town: 'Good Will Hunting' (starring and co-written by Matt Damon, class of '92) was partly filmed in Harvard Square.

The tangle of narrow streets retains its original colonial layout, but mournful locals say that their beloved Square has lost much of its classic charm in just the last generation, as independent bookstores, restaurants, and mom and pop stores have given way to national chains. These days, the square looks more like an upscale shopping plaza at first glance - but a few indie stalwarts remain. Leavitt & Peirce, est. 1883, offers a wide selection of tobacco and accoutrements. And award-winning burgers have been served by three generations of the Bartley family at Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers.
Emblematic of artsy, cerebral, and alternative Cambridge, the square also provides a stage for street performers and buskers who hustle alongside teens looking to buy and sell pot.

For the more refined, the densely packed neighborhood is also home to the famed American Repertory Theater as well as posh restaurants like Rialto and Harvest where fashionable Bostonians come to dine alongside celebrity academics and Cambridge gourmands.