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by jessica t.

So many memories in Boston - and most of them lead back to Harvard Square. From Andrew climbing onto John Harvard's lap, placing his Rockets hat upon Harvard's glistening head in front of a mass of Japanese tourists  - to the truth behind what really makes Mr. Harvard's foot so shiny. And let me tell you that it is not due to an abundance of kisses from tourists for good luck; which I would definitely advise against , after learning of an icky Harvard custom. There was many a night spent waiting for my housemates' mystery 'platonic' date at Brother's Jim. Uneaten burritos, so my other housemate, could try his hand at asking out the uninterested counter woman.  And when I was in the mood for  tacky 'Euro' night - the Redline was a perfect fit. Hacking up lungs in cars, to lost cars, to CVS afternoons,  to meeting old friends for Cheech adventures, it was all so good. Harvard Square - I fell in love with you back in Middle School as I traipsed around you with siblings and parents in tow. Later, a litlte older, probably not much more mature, I fell back in love - as I sat in Au Bon Pain. Sitting, while watching the belligerent  retired 'Boxer' bum, a Harvard legend, perfect his social skills.  His mantra being to  smile  politely at all women and  then growl and challenge all men to a  full on boxing match. This Thansgiving we have a date. I'll bring the Californian charm, you bring the freezing cold weather.

by Anubha T.

Harvard square is unlike other areas in Boston. Mainly because of the interesting shops (except the occasional Gap of course) and the youthful crowd around. It was also the host for the last Oktoberfest which was awesome. I like the independent book stores and CD stores here. I think its best to go when there's a fest on. That's when you feel the energy.I also like to hang out at the mini park after getting some awesome coffee from Peet's. It can get very pretty in the spring or fall, pretty enough to grab a bite and sit around and read a book or just listen to some music. You pretty much get everything in this area. I recommend walking around till you're dead tired. But that's just me!

by Dan C.

Oh such bittersweetness in this entry.I still like Harvard Square. It's got a depleted but still significant share of one of a kind/few of a kind gems...Algiers, the Brattle Theatre, Burdick's, Bartley's, Pinocchio's, Cafe Pamplona, random stuff in the Garage...lots of great bookstores with different themes...the Harvard museums, Harvard Film Archive, lots of activity in general. Every time I go there though it always brings mixed emotions, for a few reasons:-I feel like everytime I visit, something I used to like is gone and has been replaced by one of the three types of suckage 1) a bank   2) a chain  3) something really overpriced and unaffordable-every time I visit something I like, I can't help but feel like the next time I come back it will be gone only to be replaced by one of the above-overall, it could just be so much betterAlso, while one chain is kind of depressing enough in this area, Harvard Square seems to double up on a lot of them too...2 ABPs, 2 CVSs, 2 Starbucks, 2 Dunkin Donuts, 2 C'est Bons...egh stop!Still, like I said there are still good places to go to, a good mix of people, and of course it's still a very historically significant area and all that.Oh the other thing I have to say is take advantage of Harvard musical events at Sanders Theatre and Paine Hall. The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra is a really good college orchestra, and Sanders Theatre brings in enough well-respected performers in general. Also, though they are not well publicized, a lot of end-of-term concerts put on by Harvard classes are very very good and free at Paine Hall (I am of course talking about mainly classical music)Oh, and cover your ears if you are walking in front of the Coop/Bank of America - the Chinese guy who can't play his erhu/Chinese violin that everyone's talking about, he sits there haha

by Ames F.

A couple tips for getting the most out of Hahvid Skwayuh:--The Red Line is the best T line in Boston. Fast, and straight to Harvard Square. --You can drive yourself mad looking for free/street parking spots. In fact, parking is probably the #1 reason folks cite for why they never go to Harvard Square. And that's a travesty. The most reliable parking spot in Harvard Square is in the structure right across from the JFK School of Management building and the schmancy hotel. (From Storrow, you'll head across the Harvard bridge, and go straight thru the intersection of Mem Drive. At the first light after Mem Drive, you'll see the entrance to the parking structure opposite you on the far left corner.)--They filmed a scene from Good Will Hunting in the sports bar at the street level of that parking structure building, on the side facing the Harvard dorms. (Matt meets Minnie and makes a fool of the Harvard guy to impress her.)--Newbury Comics is the very best record store in the world. Go.--Some sunny day, go hang out at the tables in front of the Au Bon Pain and watch the people play chess. They're serious.--Then, with your back to the chess tables and facing Hahvid Yahd, take a right and go have lunch/dinner at Bartley's Burger. Best burger EVAH. And the place is a total trip.--A walking tour of Harvard University architecture never disappoints.

by Kiwi H.

I know it's frequently filled with tourists and students. For the past several months, it's had almost intolerable construction all around it. BAH! There aren't really any grocery stores nearby, and there aren't as many cool apparel/accessory shops as I might have once thought, but I still adore Harvard Square. Why?The Garage mall for fun, Newbury Comics for fun browsing, Chameleon for tatts and piercing, 9 Tastes or Spice for Thai, Rendang (ex-Penang) for those delicious flat rice noodles with beef and bean sprouts, BERRYLINE for addictive-as-crack frozen yoghurt, Algiers for mint tea and ambiance, Oona's for fun vintage and costumey goodness, Wagamama for a quick bite of chicken katsu. Bombay Club for curries and naan and poori, Boston Tea Stop for ice tea, Tealuxe for lemon cake and teas, EMS for sporting gear. 24-hr Kinkos for copies, Henrietta's brunch (ouf oh my!), Le Pli for magically painless waxing and incredible massages.Urban Outfitters bargain basement! Upstairs on the Square's whimsicalness, patio goodness at Red House, Grafton, Grendel's and Daedalus. Drinks at Noir, John Harvards, or Redline for dancing and beats too. Pinnochio's for luscious pizza. Bartley's for incredible burgers and malt shakes! Berk's for shoes. Monello (ex-Jasmine Sola), The Tannery, Mudo, Baak Gallery, Beauty Main and more to make you purdy. Schoenhof's for an excellent selection of foreign books and out of town news for international publications. Globe bookstore to take you to another world, and other bookstores (including the Harvard Coop) abound! Cardullo's for delicious picnic-basket-stuffing delights.Curious George goes to Wordsworth for a magical world of stories and more. Boloco for wraps and Felipe's for burritos. So close to so many things: Porter, Davis, Central, Charles River. Taxi stand when needed. Peet's coffee and tea and perhaps a John Malkovich sighting. Silly trinkets and fun browsing at Hidden Sweets and Black Ink. Yoga studios for stretching out. Used CDs at Planet. Cinemas, theatres, museums to enhance or edify the cranium. Hotels to rest your pretty little head.Little patios of green areas to stretch out on and relax. Live music often everywhere in warmer weather days. Concerts and festivals all the time, from bazaars to plays (some free) to festivals. Turning it into Hogwarts Square for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release, oh how I'll never forget that for the rest of my life! And so much more.Harvard Square, as evident, is a gem. Sure, it has its faults, but nowhere is perfect and that me a good thing. It's got all those things that tug at my heartstrings, and always calls out to me with its charm and appeal. Love.

by Devon M.

This is by far one the lesser squares within Boston, in my opinion. Reasons Harvard Square rules:1.) Cheap food and drinks at Charlie's, often consumed on the patio.2.) Scorpion bowls and taking over big sections of the restaurant portion of the Hong Kong.3.) Having options of what comic/music stores to go to.Reasons Harvard Square sucks:1.) Parking is a NIGHTMARE.  We arrived in Harvard Square this morning to see a movie and on top of getting  a parking ticket on a broken meter, we circled for at least 20 minutes2.) Tourists.  They make me so mad when they clog up the square so bad that you can't even walk, particularly when you really just want to get your errands done.3.) Students.  Enough said.4.) Kids who hang out in the pit during the day, and go home to mommy and daddy at night.  5.) Massive corporate takeover of a once more townie place.The negatives far outweigh the positives.

by Arthur M.

I feel like most of the negative reviews for Harvard Sq (most, not all) are from folks of a certain age for whom its hip to hate on gentrification, for whom only up-and-coming or down-and-out neighborhoods are cool.  Harvard Sq is less and less for hipsters and more and more for real students and thinking and working adults and families and visitors.  For my money, Harvard Sq is the best at what it is in the city.  Compared to the other college-centric areas in Boston which other has this many bookstores?  This many coffeeshops and cafes?  This many avenues of public expression and live music?  This many nooks and crannies in so few square yards? The architecture is lovely and right on the river.For those young and restless in society, please do stay away from Harvard Square. Its certainly not cool enough for you... and how could it be? This neighborhood houses one of the country's top schools; its probably not where you'd enjoy hanging out, so... Leave it alone to the Cantabrigian residents and families who enjoy it, as well as the tourists and serious students.

by Meghan B.

Perhaps my expectations were too high.  But on my first (and likely only) visit to Harvard Square, I found the campus creepy and aggressively elitist, the surrounding area nothing more than the chain-store smattering that has invaded college towns in recent years, and at the end of the day... very little to get excited about.The highlight for me was seeing the window decal for the law offices of Dewwy Cheetam Howe.Worth seeing?  Sure.  But not my thing at all.ps:  Where the hell can someone get a drink around here?

by Leighann F.

Why are anniversaries so momentous? So celebrated? So let's-have-a-drink-to-commemorate-the-occasion and then take pictures? Well, they mark the passage of time linked to something, or someone, you love. It's a chance to show the world your passion and achievements, your aspirations and perhaps your future goals. And with no further ado, I would like to annouce my yelp anniversary of my 200th review, titled, HOORAY for HARVARD SQUARE!On my very first trip to Boston, I was taken to Harvard Square and immediately fell in love! I love the little shops, the proximity to everything, the historical lore. I love the fairs that go on there, how they close the whole square down and fill it with cool vendors, food and of course, BEER!I love that my bank, favorite burrito place and a 24-hour CVS are all located within a few feet of one another, right next to some of the area's coolest clothing stores.It is home to the best subway line in Boston (don't even try to deny it), some very curious peeps (hippies, hipsters, greenies, students, geniuses, yuppies, old money, new money, no money at all) and it borders the beautiful Charles River.I haven't even cracked the ein termsof the plethora of food and drink options, from Oggies, to Upstairs on the Square, Charlies, Noir, John Harvards, Berryline...the list can go on forever...Three years ago I said, and this is a direct quote, "If I ever move to Boston, this is the place I'd want to call home." And now I do. And I LOVE it!

by Jennifer N.

Land of ATMs and burrito shops (Qdoba, Chipotle, Boloco, and Felipes...).  And yes, a lot of the quirky stuff- think The Tasty- is gone. And yes, a lot of the things that made Harvard Sq a distinctive and special place are gone.So thank god for the things that are the beating heart of the place. Thank you Harvard Bookstore, thank you Berks Shoes, thank you Algiers, thank you Out of Town News, thank you Nini's Corner, thank you Curious George...

by Colleen Y.

Ya, ya, ya H Sq is 'cool.' But is it somewhere you really want to spend your days and nights?  I need a little squareversity.  Harvard during the day, then central by night.  Inman by day, then Kenmore by night.  Union square by day, Washington by night.    Too many great squares to declare Harvard 'the one.'  Better during June through August than any other months...students crowding the streets was only fun when I was one.  They tend to be a bit lost in their thoughts and unaware that some people work for a living and might be busting their ass to get to the T in time without pouring hot coffee from a to go cup down their blouse and dropping their Tupperware full of soup in the ice slush puddle.  But we have some winner businesses...like the bookstore and some of the cute boutiques and I lots of respect for the but otherwise we are a bit overwrought with CVSs and 7/11s for me.However...it is my home and I love it because it feels like home when I hustle down Mass ave every morning and night.

by Dan C.

If I were to use some antiquated youth pop culture reference involving a game in which tiny monsters battle each other in a gladiator manner for their masters chance at fame, and a television show that induces seizures, "I choose you, Harvard Square"Let me start by saying my square could kick your square's ass.  Central...too dirty.  Porter...a wanna be Harvard Square.  Inman? Forget your Inman Square.Want to get the full flavor of Cambridge...well you came to the right place.  Harvard is the heart of Cambridge and reflects every part of it (the loads of pan handlers are the delegates from Central Square).  If you have to pick a place for a date, Harvard has a lot of restaurants, as well as a number of ice cream and dessert shops.  One possible date idea would be: Cambridge 1 for a gourmet pizza and some beers, off to Finale's for dessert, take a walk through Harvard yard at night, then off to LA Burdick's for the deal sealer (a gourmet cup of hot chocolate).Harvard Square can get a little busy, but that just adds to the local flavor, keep an eye out for May Day, and if you have a chance stop by the ART for a show.  Also you can bring your parents to watch the spray paint artist...spray paint stuff.Bottom Line: Gotta catch 'em all? SEIZURE TIMEEEE.

by Josh W.

God I hate it here.  It's a shame I've vowed never to return because there is some damn good food there.  Doesn't make up for the awful bars and corporate stores.Harvard Square is dead to me.

by Christina G.

Not as quaint as some of the other squares, but  a nice place to hang out and grab a bite to eat or do some shopping. Harvard square has a little more going on and a lot more chain retail stores and food places if thats what you are looking for. Definitely a fun little place.

by Miriam L.

I'm not sure having issues with Harvard square is in any way related to gentrification, though I certainly belong to that generation for whom it is "cool" to hate on gentrification.  Of course, we also are a huge part of that trend.However old I am, I do still enjoy spending time in Harvard Square.  It's not the same place I remember when I was a little kid, when my parents took my brother and me here to watch a multitude of street performers in the summer and wander around the bookstore when we wanted to go inside.  There are still a few street performers, but far fewer than I remember 15 years ago.  Wow, that made me feel old.Sure, Harvard Square has its share of commercial chain stores like the Gap, Starbucks, and Qdoba, but plenty of other chains are local (i.e. Le's, The Tannery, and Second Time Around), and there seems to also be an influx of new locally owned stores and restaurants.  I'm particularly a fan of Crema Cafe.Given that I'm a grad student at Harvard, it seems unlikely I'd stop spending time here regardless, but for coffee shops, some good food, and a few interesting stores to wander in and out of, I'm pretty satisfied anyway.

by Hubert H.

Boo - all the cool stuff (The Tasty, The Crimson) have left; and now Out-of-Town News might be closing, as well as Herrell's Ice Cream. Shameful. The younguns are too young to know that there was a time when Grafton Street Pub (and places that looked like it) didn't exist. And where did the spare change guy go? "Hellooooooo, young lady! Helooooooooo young man!"

by Alan P.

Still go here every now and then for a bit of supper and a film, but this place will never be as good as when the HMV and Tower Records were still present. Eastern Mountain Sports is over priced and basically just sh#t, Gap is the same = sh#t, and all the other shops are cack. If the cinema goes I will not be returning.

by Susie C.

Man oh man... how this place has changed over the years. Harvard has become that stop on the red line that I almost never get off at anymore, unless I need $200 jeans from Diesel, a $300 pair of binoculars at Eastern Mountain Sports, bland, tasteless food from Crazy Dough and Qdoba, overpriced Martha Stewart cardigans from the Gap, $500 leather boots from the new Tannery, a new blackberry from one of the *^%teen cellphone stores... Legal Seafoods, Pizzaeria Uno, The Upper Crust, another Starbucks? I swear, if you take Pinocchio's or Charlie's Kitchen from me, the battle will be long and bloody.

by Jeffrey C.

Harvard Square is eerily reminiscent of Guadalupe Street (fondly called "The Drag" by locals) in Austin. Sure, it's an easy place to disparage by Austinites as uncool, corporate, touristy, and/or what the F happened to it?!? Seems like that's the popular consensus with Harvard Square.Were I a local or a Harvard boy, I'd tell you that, like the Drag, there's hidden treasures there if you stop and look for it. Unfortunately, being a tourist, I just walked up and down the streets. Our only stop was Leo's Place (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), a nifty little diner that has my seal of approval.

by bubba h.

Crowded.  Impossible to drive through.  OK To walk around and shop or eat but beware the area is FULL of freaks- either Harvard elite or punk rockers with nothing better to do.  I try never to go through this area.

by Jessica M.

I feel like if I give any of those young crusty pseudo homeless kids money they are gonna blow it all on overpriced Lip Service and Tripp clothes at Hootenanny.I once got yelled at by a Harvard student for smoking a cig in front of one of the many entrances to the school. Go fuck yourself.Hanging in "The Pit" hasn't been cool since 1984 and even that is arguable.

by Harri S.

Things to try at Harvard Square to avail you of boredom:1) Eat an over sweet cupcake at Sweet.2) Hyped on your sugar rush, put on your CRAZY EYES and chase a member of Amnesty International around the square. Stop before anyone calls the police.3) If the police come, hide behind a tree. As they leave proceed to "ghost" (follow really close from behind) a Harvard Campus Policeman. When he turns around five minutes later ask for the library and run in the other direction. This place smells like homeless people, pseudo-intellectuals, and pigeon poop. That is all.

by Garth S.

Many complain that Harvard Square is full of chain stores and lament that it's no longer the funky, independent area it once was.  Quite frankly, however, I wonder how the old Harvard Square survived all those years existing as it did in the shadow of Harvard University, undoubtedly one of the most corporate of all Establishment mega-corporations.  At Harvard Square, you can have breakfast at IHOP, browse for books at the Harvard Coop (really just Barnes Noble), have lunch at Au Bon Pain, stop for refreshments at Dunkin' Donuts, and pick up some clothes at the Gap or Urban Outfitters.  What's not to like? Four stars for now but Harvard Square will get five once it's finally enclosed and the bums that litter the streets are relocated to Central Square.  Why do I want to be reminded about Life's unfortunates when I'm hanging out at the mall?

by Orly M.

I am so over Harvard Sq.Growing up, this was the place to be.  It was where there were cool independent stores.  We would go to Harvard Sq on weekends, drink spiked sodas, smoke cigars, watch street performers and watch kids with too many piercings fight in The Pit.  We would look on with glee when the paddy wagon would pull up when old cracked out ladies in leopard print would start pulling each other's hair (I think these would be called "cougars" now, what has the world come to?)Well, I guess Harvard Sq has changed and so have I, because I'm not 15 anymore.  As much as I love yuppies, screaming children, yuppy screaming children, yuppy students, and homeless people who call me a f-cking c-nt (yes, this happened not too long ago), Harvard Sq can suck it.  Seriously, Abercrombie, the Gap, and IHOP do not excite me.  Neither do tourists, overpriced food, and did I mention yuppies?  I will take the hipsters and homeless folk at Central or Inman over Harvard Sq's offerings any day.

by Matthew E.

3.5 stars...Harvard Square is a bit touristy but still has a bunch of great little spots and a few nice shops. There's a train stop that drops your right by the college so it's really easy to get to but unless you really want to walk though Harvard (which is beautiful) you're better off strolling through Beacon Hill or Newbury Street in Boston (or the North End if you're into history).