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Detailed pages on related topics: Cambridge colleges • Cambridge travel • Cambridge mortgage and property.
Introduction to Cambridge, Massachusetts
The city of Cambridge is part of the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts. The city is best known for being the home of two world-class universities, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), located within just two miles of each other. Cambridge is bordered by the city of Boston, located on the other side of the Charles River just 3 miles to the southeast. Other surrounding communities include Somerville (to the north), Watertown (to the west), and Arlington (to the northwest).
Settled in 1630 by a band of Puritans from England, Cambridge was originally called "Newtowne". The founding of Harvard College in 1636 prompted the choice of a new name, one more appropriate for a college town in New England. The name "Cambridge" was chosen due to the familiarity of many of the settlers with Cambridge University in England. The year 1636 also marked the incorporation of the town, which became a city in 1846 when the original town (Old Cambridge) merged with two villages (Cambridgeport and East Cambridge) which had formed to the east along the roads leading to bridges linking the area to Boston. The city's major industrial focus in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries centered on factories (largely furniture and glass) but since that time the emphasis has shifted to technology-based enterprises, including electronics, software, and biotechnology research. Cambridge today is very much a college-influenced community combining a strong mix of cultural and social diversity, intellectual vitality and technological innovation.
Cambridge Area Attractions
The charming neighborhoods ("Squares") of Cambridge are rich in options for shopping, dining, and sightseeing, offering plenty of theatres, museums, and historic sites. Central Square, the seat of city government, contains a variety of international restaurants and music clubs. Kendall Square, home to MIT, is the focal point of the Massachusetts high tech and biotechnology industries. Harvard Square, surrounding the historic brick walls of the nation's oldest university, offers a plethora of cafes, bookstores, boutiques, and entertainment choices. Likewise, Porter and Inman Squares offer a diverse selection of dining options, and many artistic and cultural attractions as well.
Among the many attractions in Cambridge is the Museum of Science, featuring more than 400 interactive exhibits, a planetarium, and a state-of-the-art IMAX Theatre. Harvard's Busch-Reisinger Museum is the nation's only museum devoted specifically to the arts of Central and Northern Europe. The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, also at Harvard, is one of the world's oldest museums devoted to anthropology. The Longfellow House, a National Historic Site built in 1759, was the home of the celebrated poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and also served as George Washington's headquarters in 1775 and 1776.
Cambridge is home to a number of annual street fairs and festivals. The Cambridge Carnival in Massachusetts, held in August, is a Caribbean-style carnival featuring costumes, music, street-parades, dancing, and food, which represent the diverse cultures of the Caribbean islands. The Cambridge River Festival, held in June, features music, art, food, and a variety of hands-on art-making activities for kids. October's Head of the Charles Regatta is a 2-day regatta where sailing fans can watch racers from all over the world compete along the Charles River. Each September on the weekend after Labor Day Cambridge celebrates the Italian Festival of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Considered one of New England's premier cultural festivals, this large celebration consists of parades, ethnic food, candlelight processions, amusement rides, games, and live entertainment.
On the other side of the Charles River, the neighboring city of Boston is filled with its own long list of attractions. A small sampling of these is listed here:
The city of Boston is also home to a number of major league professional sports teams. Prominent among them are Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, who play their games at historic Fenway Park, itself one of the city's major tourist attractions. Also in town are the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics, holders of one of most storied dynasties in all of sports. Hockey fans can root for the NHL's Boston Bruins, while lacrosse fans can enjoy the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). World Team Tennis (WTT) also has a franchise in the city known as the Boston Lobsters. Down the road (about 30 miles to the southwest), the town of Foxboro is home to the National Football League's New England Patriots (winners of three Super Bowls in recent years) and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution.
Cambridge strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Massachusetts):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers) | Top 1% |  |
| Public Transportation Use (vs. Peers) | Top 1% | |
| College Educated Adults (vs. Peers) | Top 2% | |
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 3% | |
| Well-Paid Single Women (vs. Peers) | Top 4% | |
| Well-Paid Single Men (vs. Peers) | Top 8% | |
Comparing Cambridge to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Massachusetts (State):
Ratings range from 
(lowest) to 
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Well-Paid Single Women | | |
| Well-Paid Single Men | |  |
| Racial Diversity |  | |
| Male Share of the Population |  |  |
| Female Share of the Population |  |  |
| Senior Citizens |  |  |
| Age of the Population | | |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Portion of People Married | | |
| Average Household Size | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | | |
| Median Family Income | | |
| People in Middle Class or Better | | |
| People Above Poverty | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Walking and Biking to Work | | |
| Public Transportation Use | | |
| Working at Home | | |
| Short Commute Times | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| People Living Alone | | |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | | |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | | |
| Affordability of Rents | | |
| Housing Recently Built | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Property Crime | | |
| Low Violent Crime | | |
Detailed pages on related topics: Cambridge colleges • Cambridge travel • Cambridge mortgage and property.
 | Cambridge Colleges Cambridge colleges and trade schools. |
 | Cambridge Hotels & Travel Cambridge hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
 | Cambridge Mortgage Cambridge property, mortgage, and real estate. |
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We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.
Select a photo to view (Source):
Wadsworth House (Harvard University) c1904.
Cooper-Frost- Austin House between 1910 and 1920
Riverbank Court between 1900 and 1920
Are you an official in the Cambridge government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.
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