- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Central Square
Rating Details »
Categories: Transportation, Local Flavor [Edit]
Neighborhood: Central SquareCentral Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 441-7707
- Nearest Transit:
-
Central (Red)
- Good for Kids:
- No
63 reviews for Central Square
...or as I often choose to refer to it as, "Stenchral Square".
So, what do I love about Central Square? As far as things you need in life go, you could probably cover about 90% of them within the square.
You've got a wide variety of restaurants at different price points ($ - $$$$) and ethnicities (American, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Ethiopian, Mexican, Tibetan) to choose from. Coffee shops (far more than just Dunkin or Charbucks), bars (too many to list), bakeries and ice cream (I think Toscanini's alone can cover pretty much all of these things in itself). So you have all your immediate food and drink needs ready to be satisfied.
You have culture/entertainment provided by a variety of clubs with live music at night. Places like the Dance Complex which will fill the Square with echoing drum beats in the summer. There is even a theater there now.
If you are trying to live in the area, you have groceries (co-op, Indian, Korean) and a couple liquor stores... so consider your self well stocked. Throw in a couple of bookstores and a mish-mash over other shops and you have got a pretty full package of offerings.
So where is the downside? after all I am selling it a star short of 5.
Well, I don't call it Stenchral Square for nothing. The place can get pretty rancid in the summertime, especially if you don't have a good amount of steady heavy rain. I think they must try to actually detergent clean the sidewalks sometimes, but I feel like it can just make it worse. The cleaner combined with the results of a homeless guy drinking a quart of CVS generic Listerine turn out some seriously funky biohazards.
As for the homeless population: You have got a steady population from multiple area shelters streaming into the Square on a daily basis. You get some who just park themselves on a bench somewhere and maybe shuffle around a bit, but then there are the ones who park themselves with bottle smashing distance of the two main liquor stores yelling, fighting, etc. Throw into this mix an assortment of thieves, dealers and con artists coming from who knows where.
So why am I still a fan? The general character of the Square is a lot bigger than the problems. Also, it might be a bit of a twisted take on things, but the permanent homeless and criminal element play a major role in keeping Central Square from ever getting overly gentrified. Things looked a bit bad the year a Gap and a Starbucks rolled in, but the Gap is gone now... so hope lives on.
Listen, there are plenty of places in Boston where, as a young woman in her early twenties, I'm not comfortable walking at night. That's to be expected in any city; even in parts of Beacon Hill, I do look over my shoulder occasionally. Fine.
In Central Square... I'm uncomfortable in broad daylight.
Now, there ARE some really cool things going on there. Lottts of different kinds of restaurants and bars. I took pictures all throughout an alley that was covered in incredibly creative graffiti, posters for free concerts, and a rainbow-colored glass ceiling. There were murals galore, and independent coffee shops. Go with a friend and check some stuff out and I'm sure you'll be impressed by the vibrant art and culinary scene.
This place, however, has a serious dark side. Last time I went, there were some really obvious drug deals going down. (Note the plural.) And believe you me, I've seen some drug deals in my day. No, they were not happening in that alley, but on the very busy street, right in front of pedestrians and storefronts. No hiding, no keeping it secret.
There are four 'wet' shelters within a few blocks of one another in Central (look that up if you haven't heard the term; I don't want to go into it here) and there are meth clinics. (Yes, I know those need to exist, but it doesn't mean I want to live next door to one.) There are people shooting up at bus stops. I once interviewed at a local business, and the manager told me this was a straight-up bad neighborhood and I shouldn't walk alone to the T stop (a block away) if I worked a night shift.
I also got the most disgusting and explicit cat-call of my life here, so bad (and from so many men at once while onlookers -- male and female alike -- CHEERED THEM ON?!) that I literally went home and showered (because I felt so damn dirty), called the guy who'd just interviewed me, and told him I'd taken another job.
I hadn't. And I still can't bring myself to hang out in this neighborhood.
what? I've lived here for how long and haven't written a review yet?! what what what? Time to get to it.
I HEART CENTRAL SQUARE. I love the people (crazy, sane alike), the stores, the food, the vibe...everything, everything about Central gets giant thumbs up from me. Fine, some of you may not love the street scene here...but you know what? everyone is happy. You walk down the street and someone who is either drunk or homeless tells you they like your shoes, or your hair...you can get indian food from like 9 different restaurants, not to mention 3 different indian grocery stores! There is fabulous live music, great bars...a James Beard nominee, amazing Ice Cream and all sorts of funky shops & people all in one fabulous place. you can take your fear of culture & lack of compassion and stuff it...Central Square is my home & there is no place like home!
Once, a homeless man approached me in the Subway. He skipped from side to side, front to back, his long smokey beard following just slightly behind. "I been to Alaska!" He'd say over and over. His volume grew louder each time, and finally he began to yell, "I WON'T GO TO MENTAL SQUARE! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO TO MENTAL SQUARE!"
I was new to the area, and I didn't know what he meant. Now, I'm not afraid to say I agree with him. Unless I'm on my way to work, I will not go to Mental (Central) Square.
Central Square is basically a pin cushion. Imagine the fluffy pin cushion as a nice mix of soft and enjoyable bars. Now add the crazies, the thugs, and the homeless. They are the pins, piercing my cushy enjoyment. That's a metaphor... and I'm full of them. I'll be here all week.
Old man vomits here
Crazy winos, drunkard hoes
To Central they go
Enjoy that Haiku, and if you don't then go get knifed in the face in Central...trust me, it could happen in Central.
Vomit.
Yep.
Oh, sorry, also urine.
To me, Central Square is about the only part of Cambridge left that hasn't changed all that much from when I was a kid. It still has a real urban feel to it, and it can be gritty and tough in some places. But it has a sort of weird charm to it, and there are some real gems if you are looking for places to dine or shop.
You still have to be a little careful around here at night, especially if you're not familiar with the area. But overall, it's a fairly safe neighborhood that you don't have to worry about strolling through as long as you use a little common sense.
I love Central Square with all of my heart.
A lot of the people giving Central 1 or 2 stars sound like elitist assholes. I'm sorry, but insulating yourself from the reality of suffering people (whether they be substance abusers, in need of psychiatric help, or just plain down on their luck) doesn't mean that they don't exist. Hell, I'm happy to live near them, because it means that I can give them food, a smile, or a kind conversation from time to time.
/moralizing-rant
There are just so many fantastic places to go out for a beer, mixed drinks, music, cheap food, more upscale food...basically whatever you could possibly want or need as a 20-something is available here.
I live about 50 meters from River Gods, so I am clearly biased toward that fine establishment .
Other great bars:
Green St.
The Cellar
Miracle of Science
The Field
The Enormous Room
The Phoenix
People's Republic
Music:
Middle East
T.T. the bear's
Cantab Lounge
Casual Food:
Cinderella's
Toscanini's
La Luna Cafe
Mary Chung's
Rangzen
Falafel Palace
Coast Cafe
Rajdhani Express
Upscale Food:
Salts
Cuchi Cuchi
Green St.
Central Kitchen
Central Square, I will always love you, all your faux dangerousness and drama, Hi Fi pizza, people pissing onto Mass Ave from 2nd floor windows, drunk but charming and generally harmless homeless, and all the debauchery that all your fine drinking establishments encourage.
If this area ever becomes gentrified, I've lost all hope in humanity.
Central Square is the opposite of Cheers. Rather than a place where everyone knows your name, instead you recognize the faces of the eclectic individuals that comprise Central Square. Theres the guy with the felt hat and the flower patch on it, the woman who constantly yells at her man, the people who appear normal, but there's just something slightly off about them, in a rough, potentially scary low voice "Can aaaanyone spare some chaaaaange...??" oh wait, he's in Park Street.
Anyway, the above, and many others, are reasons you HAVE to walk from The Miracle of Science all the way to Cambridge City Hall along Mass Ave to get a taste of the personality of Central Square. But to fully understand and appreciate Central Square, you MUST be a resident.
Lately, I consider Central Square my baby. I've seen it grow and advance and I love the newly constructed theater (to come!), the park at the Y of Main and Mass, the cafes, restaurants, hippies, my old office building, lunch, dinner, many stores to explore like JAX, the battle of the Art Stores, Hubba Hubba, Venus, and more.
From morning to late night, Central Square has something to offer people of all backgrounds and demographics. Everyone is welcome!
I moved here from Florida about a year ago and I've been living in Central Square ever since. I personally LOVE it! It is a great location to live in relation to Inman Square, Harvard, Square, and Kendall Square. Yes, there are homeless, but I have never had a problem with them. I have never witnessed anything that would make the area unsafe for kids, and luckily, I've never had a problem with getting peed on.
Central is so much more than a lot of the negativity it's getting in these reviews - tons of restaurants that cover multiple cuisines, and ever-expanding options of nicer dining options (Greenstreet, Central Kitchen, Craige on Main, Cuchi Cuchi, etc.); a great variety of music venues and bars; and many locally owned businesses. I don't plan on moving out of this area any time soon - love it!
Closest thing to "home".
Hating on Central Square means you just hate so you can hate.
Mad love to the Spare Change crew: http://www.homelessemp.../
More to come.. have to take a cigarette break to calm my nerves/express fully and I don;t even smoke.
Central Square is the best place around. Where else does a tee shirt command a cult following re Central Square is For Lover's http://trainque.com/bl... (besides Virginia) only to be discontinued to everyone's dismay?
Let's see,
Green Street, YMCA, Miracle, Baraka Cafe, Teddy's Shoes, Venus WIgs, The Cantab (for chissakes), The Field, The plough & Stars (on the periphri), The aptly named Central Kitchen, the alley, Enormous Room, the crazy purple house on Brookline, Pearl Art- just to start.
Other squares lack the maniac flavor that Central includes. Sammy, The Ricker, Can you spare 50 cents? guy- this is the only place to be In Cambridge.
Only in Central would a staple like Sammy (think mardi gras beads- leather coat, pacing up and down Mass Ave while chain smoking) or better yet: http://www.cambridgeym...... write a poem about my friends and I on hot pink xeroxed paper. Feel the love. It's there for the taking.
Harvard is for families visiting from suburbia. Porter goes to sleep by 8PM. Inman is a close 2nd in general radness, but Central is numero uno.
Cheers to you Sammy!
* Buckaroo's & Rodney's too! & the Middle East, & Zuzu's & Hollywood Express & Mass Ave DIner...
Lived here for 3 years after moving from Colorado, land of the homogeneous. I absolutely loved it, dirt and all.
Best part about Central is location. You can walk to Harvard Square in a heartbeat, or head down to the Charles. Hop on the red line and see the most beautiful view as you head into Boston.
Love the Coop for grocery shopping, the hole in the wall restaurants and indie coffee shops and the non-douchey bars. Hope things haven't changed too much.
Sometimes I wonder if anyone who gives Central Scare a 5 star review actually... lives in Central Scare. Visiting Central warrants MAYBE a 4 star rating, but living there? Not so awesome.
After moving across the country to our dumpy sight unseen apartment right on Western, I nearly murdered my husband for moving me to the bowels of Cambridge. Could I take my dogs on a walk by myself after dark? Suuuuure, as long as I only walked on certain streets and didn't let my dogs poop or pee anywhere, because I'd be screamed at by crazy people sitting on their porches drinking beers....
At night, 5 star reviewers would come down to Central to be merry, and then walk down the streets screaming at the top of their lungs, pissing in doorways, and being drunk in general. Maybe I'm getting old, or maybe I just fail to see the cool factor of hypodermic needles and trash littering the ground, I dunno. All I do know is LIVING in Central was gross.
Even when you're forced to wear a combination of the clothing you slept in, and the clothing you found in your living room because your roommate locked you out of your bedroom again...
And even if you waited for an hour and a half for someone to unlock your bedroom door but they never showed up...
And even if you're now and hour late to working for a stipend that is less than you could make standing on the side of the road jingling a DD cup...
And even if the 1 bus (which every other day is trusty and true) decides to break it's sorry ass down in front of Hynes...
And even when you have no cash in your wallet to hire a cab to drive you away from said bus...
And even when you are so dang late you can't even stop at 1369 for your morning iced tea...
I can guarantee you an ever faithful truth.
When you finally make it to your destination, you will toss your last quarters to the Spare Change man on the corner and smile.
There is only one reason and the reason is this:
You can never feel like a bum in Central Square.
I must agree with the reviewer who wondered , "Do any of the people who give Central Sq. 5-star reviews actually live here?" I am thinking that as well, because I certainly don't get the charmingly bo-ho, Williamsburg-y feel they get. Perhaps things just look prettier from far away ...
Take it from someone who has the misfortune of waiting until their lease ends, so they can move out of the smelly crotch of Cambridge: there is very little "charm" in the scabby bum who sleeps in front of 7/11 and once prominently displayed his own fecal matter for passersby. There is very little charm here at all, just a lot of crappy post-war housing with faulty plumbing and a whole lotta bum fights.
Now I've lived in a city, so I'm not some frightened country bumpkin in her first apartment. I'm used to Philadelphia (also known as both Killadelphia and Filthadelphia) but for God's sake, parts of Central Sq. make Philly look like the Hamptons. It's the amount of dirt and garbage that lines the sidewalks (I'm not sure where it all comes from) and the crowds of loud, crushing people--homeless and otherwise; again, not sure where they all come from--and the fact that during the summer, it smells like rotting milk and human feces. At first, it was appealing, like a miniature Mission tucked away in Cambridge, Land of the Ivory Tower and Hemp Pants. But really, I think it's just a dump, masquerading as a very hip place to live. It's similar to being Amy Winehouse: for a few seconds, it sounds great, but after that, you realize it's just a receptacle for crack-cocaine and insanity.
The pros, and the reason it gets two stars, are the fantastic ethnic eateries within a two-block radius. There are some great cheap eats (Moody's Falafel is the cat's pajamas ... the cat's falafel ... the shwarma's pajamas?) And I love the produce at Harvest Co-op. I'm also of the opinion it's generally a safe area. There is a police station literally off Mass Ave. I was only threatened with grievous bodily harm once, and I think it was by an Emerson student. But at the cost of having to deal with some of the most unpleasant homeless people in existence? (They're honestly disgusting. See also: the time that lady proceeded to eat her own leg scabs at the #1 bus stop.) Or what about the time that I stepped on a bloody maxi pad? The ridiculous apartment housing costs, for pretty shite living conditions?
Nay. This bitch is moving to Brookline. Deep down, I too am a yuppie Jew. I'm done with the fauxhemian life.
I love Central Square. It's what my late grandmother used to refer to, between drags of her cigarette, as "life's rich pageant."
It's incredibly dirty. Used condoms, syringes on the side streets and in alleys, human waste, various garbage everywhere...and, of course, plenty of what Central Square is most famous for - homeless people. The words "Central Square" are almost synonymous with the homeless around here. The place turns into an open air drug market at night, and the safety level drops considerably. The Cambridgeport neighborhood, to the southwest of Central, is surprisingly a pretty nice place to live. The dealers and the destitute don't seem to come down here much. Central's location is also great - in between Harvard and Kendall, walking distance to the Back Bay - right in the middle (almost as if it was the...center...or something....) of the Boston-Cambridge-Somerville axis. So if Central doesn't have it, everything else isn't too far away.
But Central Square has flavor! It's one of my favorite places in Boston. The number of fantastic ethnic restaurants including Indian, Chinese, North African and Thai, is one major selling point. There's a Harvest Co-op Market (filled with the typical yuppie scum you'd expect - I hope someday organic food becomes untrendy again) and some unpretentious bars. It's never boring here - there's always some kind of barely contained chaos going on.
This isn't a place for kids - at least, I wouldn't let any hypothetical children of mine go here. But if I was stupid enough to have children, who knows what else I'd do?
I totally understand why people hate Central. Lots of homeless, drugs, crime...it couldn't really be called a "nice" place. But I think it's fantastic.
I think you have to live here to really understand Central Square. There are some incredibly interesting stores and restaurants all over the general area (stretching on Mass Ave down from about Middlesex and Miracle of Science to People's and the Plough and Stars). Furthermore, the shops are unique, though a few seem a little out of place (while places like Harvest and 1369 fit right into the neighborhood, the random Gap seems a little out of place).
Yes, it doesn't have the cleanliness of Kendall Square, the large bustle of Harvard, or the larger shopping areas and windmill art thingy of Porter, but what it lacks in those areas it makes up for in its own unique perspective meshing with the many other perspectives and squares of Cambridge.
If you want to see how great Central Square is from the point of view of a resident of the area, read Kabir H.'s review. I think that pretty much sums it up. ;)
When I first came to Boston, I admit Central freaked me out a little. It was a bit dirty, full of people, crowded, and there was just so much going on everywhere all the time that I didn't know how to handle it. Plus, some evil person in the Starbucks in Central told me that a place I was looking for in Cambridge was just "1-2 blocks walk away!" when really it was in bloody Lechmere, and I walked until I almost fell on the sidewalk, crawling and gasping for breath in the cold. Oh yes, and the crackheads scared me a little too.
The crackheads are still there, and the place is still always busy, bustling, crowded, but now I've learned to overcome my fear and explore. And trust me, if you don't do this, you are truly missing out. I love where I live in the Back Bay very much, but if I were to choose another neighbourhood in which to live in Boston, this would probably be it. So many friends of mine live in the area, making it a great destination. It is absolutely jam-packed with interesting shops from art stores to fetish shops, to craft and gift and bookstores to clothing places, to shoes and record shops, to wigs and hair supplies to giant pink gorillas as a shop mascot. And so much more in between.
Some of my favourite restaurants in Boston are located around this place, whether it's to have a romantic, intimate dinner, a loud and atmosphere-filled drink and snack, a place to dance in, a quiet bar to lounge at, a cafe to sip hot cocoa and dream and scribble in, a cafe to msoke shisha and choose from a box of teas at, there is just so much I don't even know where to start or stop. Corny as it is, it really is very Central, and a quick hop and a skip over the river to Boston's Back Bay area is so easy. It's just so convenient, being so accessible from both Boston and the rest of Cambridge as well with the taxi stands and T stops right there. And the crackheads are harmless really. It is vibrant, and filled with culture and life. I love Central!
Just because James K. probably *doesn't* smell like urine doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about when he badmouths central. It took me like 3 seconds after graduating from college to move to central, and I've been here ever since. Why? Three reasons:
1. It's hip enough to have plenty of the stuff I need--good rock (Middle East/TT's/Phoenix Landing even though I never go there), a sweet co-op (Harvest Market), a decent japanese food store (Yoshinoya), an art supply store (Pearl, and also Utrecht if you're into that), a fantastic indie video rental place (Hollywood Express), a great coffee shop (1369), a great used bookstore (Rodney's), the best blues club in Boston (the Cantab), two fantastic places that are open 'til 3:00 on weekends (Hi-Fi and Falafel Palace), and the greatest ice cream place in the world (Toscanini's). Still plenty hip even if Man-Ray is gone, and don't you say otherwise mister.
2. It's a great walk to MIT, Harvard, Porter, inman, and kendall, and concentrated around a T stop so you can get anywhere else. If there's something you want that you can't get here, it's still readily accessible.
3. It's got the best grass in the entire Boston area for sitting and people-watching. Have you ever traveled through central and asked yourself who that dude is who's on the grass practically every single night during the summer and fall? Yeah, that's me. No I'm not one of the crazies, I swear. The grade is perfect and you can just sit there for hours basking in the sun, watching the crazies/MIT students/Harvard students/gentrificators/etc., or reading. What a relaxing place to sit!
Do I wish they weren't building condos and gentrified types weren't moving in and driving up rent prices and out misfit youths? Do I wish 1369 was Diesel? Do I wish Man-Ray hadn't closed? Do I wish so many MIT students weren't instructed that it's sketchy when really it's not at all? Yes yes yes yes yes. But these are minor things! Central is awesome! The people are friendly and have PhDs but don't tend to be pompous about it! The places are hip! The homeless guys are funny and tell me I'm pretty! And hey, if you happen to want a handjob, take Kabir's advice--get some crack and talk to one of our many urban outdoorsmen.
You can't beat Mental Scare. I've been living here for 7 years now, signed on for at least one more and have no desire to move any time soon. You really can't beat the hodge podge that you get in Central ... the gritty, the uppity, the old school, the brand new, the young, the old, the bum, the rich. Its all good in this hood.
I'm a big fan of this sort of melting pot ... I don't like the overly gentrified/disneyized thing some places have, I don't like hipper than thou areas, etc etc etc. Central's the sort of area where you can be yourself and no one really cares. Not even the guy mumbling to his hand.
My all time favorite Central story ... for a while I was taking the 47 to work. There was this bum who was staying there, with a big pile of his worldly possessions. He started off pretty normal, but every day he'd get a little nuttier and nuttier, gradually losing clothes. After a few days he had a patch of sod on one of the pedastals, it was his 'lawn'. A few days later and he was holding a cassette case up like a bible and was preaching random gibberish.
The next week I saw him in a business suit talking to someone on a phone.
You never know what you'll get.
pyla T, you make me so sad with your review of my old stomping ground!
Granted, when I first moved to Central Square (This is back in 1998) I spent a good hour overturning my "lawn" and uncovering vials and syringes (I was with my dad who was helping me move furniture into the place after I had decided that two years living amongst the insanely wealthy at Emerson was enough for me) and I remember fearing that he was going to throw me in the van and book it down to Long island.
In 2000, our landlords burned down the building in an attempt to evict all the tenants in an efficient manner while also collecting insurance money so they could rehab the building into "Luxury Apartments". That was awesome.
Yeah, Central has some sketchy elements, but it also has 1369, Pearl Arts, the better art store across the street, TT the Bears, Middle East, Addis Red Sea, The Enormous Room, Hubba Hubba, the Coast Cafe, the trashy shoe store, Phoenix Landing, the harvest co-op....But they replaced Manray with condos,ugly ugly condos at that, the Rev. Larry Love passed away, they've got a Gap (though people keep throwing etching acid at it I've noticed), Lucy Parson's is long gone, $tarbucks, the loss of Liberty Cafe, the Japanese grocer is gone....
Central Square is a delicious mess of sketch gentrification...it's also damn expensive, otherwise I'd live there again...though I fear my former arsonist landlord.
When I don't have anything to do and my ADD is flaring up I go Central square to ease (tease) my nerves.
Oh! Oh! Goodwill, Salvation Army, falafel palace, 1369 Coffee shop, Toscanini's, middle east, kids on bikes, record stores, food, booze, venues, cheap cheap goodies, Hubba Hubba, taxi cabs, drunken indecency. Sick twisted heaven on earth? Keep your children at home!
Substantial entertainment. 4.5 stars for the necessity of the buddy system at 3 am.
I was hanging out in Central long before I actually moved to Central. That should tell you something if I was taking cabs back and forth from Allston to have all my fun here. Plenty of places to go to: restaurants, bars, shops, etc. and plenty of crazies in the street to keep you entertained/mildly horrified at all times. What more could you want in a neighborhood?! Central keeps it real while other neighborhoods are too willing to be gentrified without a fight.
Ah... home sweet home.
Central Square is undergoing some changes, many not for the better. The gentrification and Disneyfication that have overwhelmed Harvard Square are threatening its dirtier, hipper neighbor. The difference is that Central seems to be fighting back. While some of the new places boast prices that would have earned derision not too long ago, they aren't all the soulless, bland restaurants and clubs you might expect with rising rents and incomes. The Enormous Room, Middlesex Lounge, and others are still hosting nights with underground music, while the Middle East and TT's hold down Mark Sandman Square admirably following the loss of neighbor Manray. You can still find cheap food after hours at Hi-Fi, and parking is the best in the city due to the public lots on Bishop Allen and cheap garage on Green Street.
Note on other reviews - if you think Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the Mission, San Francisco were "up and coming" in 2006, you have officially voided all credibility. Central isn't an up and coming hip spot, it's been a center for Boston area underground culture for years.
Great place to meet random people. Everything is a few mins distance from each other. I prefer it to Harvard Square.
Start the night at Central Kitchen, Baraka, or Cuchi Cuchi for delicious dishes. Have your delight at Christina's or Toscanini's. Have an after dinner coffee at one of the little, "entel" places...
Go bar hopping, starting from Plough& Stars- People's republic, to Cantab Lounge, Tavern on the Square, The Field, Middle East-Zuzu, TT Bear's, Phoenix Landing, Enormous Room..
Note: See my reviews for these places!
End the night at Hi-Fi with some greasy late night pizza.
I get it, 4 and 5 star raters. Central Square is "raw" and "real." But come on! There is nothing charming about hanging out in a place full of people who should be living in psychiatric institutions and/or are strung out, which smells perpetually like a men's room. It's freaking gross and scary and obnoxious. Can you really give a place that is unsafe for children 5 stars? Do you think Hepatitis is right on too? 5 stars for infectious disease! Getting doored by cars rules too. Central is definitely the place to get doored or acquire the Hep.
I do like some parts of Central, its accessibility to less nasty parts of Cambridge and Boston, decent bars and restaurants, music venues, ummm, maybe city hall? But the rest of it really doesn't make up for the horrendousness that overwhelms Central Square. Great job avoiding gentrification (except the Gap), but isn't there a way to clean up just a little bit? A few less gallons of pee saturating the streets and I'd totally be on the bandwagon here. But sorry, I draw the line at urine-soaked shantytowns.
Central Square loses a star for sketchiness, although I'll give back half since Cambridgeport Saloon closed. Of course, having a boarded up old bar in your neighborhood is pretty sketchy, so I'll take that half star again.
Oh, Central Square... I remember back in the day, when I felt kind of funny walking down the street during the day. Oh times have changed...
This is my Century Mark, for reviews. One Hunnert!
I purposely picked Central Square for this review.
Reasons to be Cheerful:
Venus Beauty Supplies
Central Kitchen
Harvest Co-op
Pearl Art, and ArtisanCrafts
Hubba-Hubba
TT the Bears
The MiddleEast
Buckaroo's Mercantile
Great East Trading Co.
Moody's Falafel Palace
PuPu Hot Pot
Cinderella's
Miracle of Science
The Cellar
Izzy's Sub Shop
The Beautiful Black Ladies, going to Church Every Sunday, down my street. Hats, gloves, and Pride. Love it!
RIP:
The Waverley (I'm old, yo!)
The Cambridgeport Saloon (scary, but great rugby girl nights!)
The fact I could eat the world, within two blocks of home :(
Woolworth's (I vowed I would move when Woolworth's closed, and I did)
Man Ray
The Old Green Street Grill
Despite all complaints, Central Square is really cleaned up now. Dude, there used to be a prostitute stroll two houses down from me.
As sketchy as you young 'uns think Central Square is now; you should have seen it , back when.
Dude, there used to be a brothel underneath Toscanini's. For real!
If I were to move back into the City, Central Square will be the place.
I miss it every day.
The last review of Central Sq was on as much crack as its residents.
The City of Cambridge HAS cleaned up Central Sq. A decade ago, people would not have been raving about the area. The police presence there has totally changed the lay of the land.
Yes, Central Sq is gentrified. Welcome to City living, my friends. Central Sq has a hell of a lot more character than say Harvard Sq as a result. I enjoy the mix of yuppies, students, working stiffs, and people that mutter to themselves.
So what does Central Sq have? Great restaurants, bars, best live music in town, and a rockin scene. Maybe I don't walk around alone late at night, but it's a small price to pay.
I've lived in Central for more than five years. I love it. I've had to move three times, and always stayed in Central. There's a great mix of owners and renters, young and old people, dive bars and places you can take your parents to, coffee shops (From Starbucks to DD to 1369), to live music venues, and generally people are pretty cool in Central.
Yes, there are harmless homeless people hanging out. Yes, your front step might get peed on from time to time by a douchy drunk college kid. Yes, your car mirror might get smashed in (again, drunk college kids, you are awesome...keep up the good work). Guess what, you live in a city, get over it.
When it comes down to it, Central Square, I can't imagine my life without you!
I like this place because it's where I keep all my stuff. Five stars.
I love Central Square. It is my favorite city square in the whole world. There's so much to love here. And don't worry, if one of the drunks who hang out in front of Cheapo start showing you more love than you're comfortable with, just give them a little push - they'll topple backwards onto the street and leave you alone.
I just wish those damn GreenPeace and MassPirg kids would get the hell out of there. Every single day before work, after work, on my lunch break, some wide-eyed recent college grad is yelling after me, "Don't you care about the whales?" and "Give me just 30 seconds if you care about the environment!" It's enough to make one stand on the street, screaming and yelling incoherently all day long...
Oh Central, I miss you so much. I miss stumbling home from Manray. I miss walking through Harvest to get home, picking up the makings of dinner along the way. I miss being able to hop on my bike and get somewhere. I miss the bustle of crowds. I miss going into Libby's for my Dunhills and always getting a smile (I miss smoking in general, but we won't get into that now). I miss being able to randomly decide to stop into Pearl for feathers. Hell, I miss the way our fourth-floor apartment would sway in the wind. I miss hearing the distorted sounds of the World's Fair bouncing off of buildings up to our apartment. I miss the way the moon would shine onto my face a few days each month when I'd go to bed.
Sure, I've got a house and a yard now and can leave my car unlocked in my driveway... but it ain't a city, and it certainly ain't Central.
I don't really enjoy Central Square, I like that it is close to Boston -- but that is about it. I'd never want to live here. I get freaked out by the crazy people that live on Mass Ave (literally live on the street). Not trying to sound mean, but they scare me. I've been stared at, propositioned and I just get a dirty feel from this place. I do like Enormous Room which is in Central, but other than that, Central is not for me.
I live and work in central.
yes its dirty and yes the square regulars are crazy in more than one way... but that's kinda why I like it. It isn't manufactured character... everyone is real in central... whether it be real fucked up or real genius... it's a place where the sci-fi kids can come out of the closet about their love for WOW, where crack whores can freely express themselves, where the weird Irish old guy at the Cantab can feel cool because it's his only chance to talk to girls, where Guitar Hero originated (no lie), where I've seen prettier guys dressed as girls than girls dressed as girls, where hippys can eat and meat heads can party, where Harvard kids get scared, and where MIT kids are unable to formulate a rational explanation of the obscurities that is central square.
It is home, and there is no place like it.
For my 365th review I wanted to write about my home for the last year.
I can sum up my love for this place in words but sentences are failing me.
So instead how about one of those Tag Clouds that you see in Web 2.0?
falafel HARVEST BRATTLE TAXIS miniature liquors Subarus
MURALS squares Vinyl silly hats The Red Line
bicycle lane HIPSTERS bus stops Art Stores WENDYS
drunk DRUNKS free newspapers CVS Meth-heads
korean church CRAZIES Thunderdome bad hair
MIDDLE EAST Mental Indian Art Stores CT1 Annie
salsa classes Libbys vs Supreme CURRIES carabiners
carnival FIXED GEAR BICYCLES drum and bass The Field
homeless HOME thrift stores greek church Green St
dumpsters MIDDLESEX ice cream The E-room nerds
crazy mumbling lady Keno 7-11 ELECTRO no easy parking
COFFEE SHOPS trivia bad pizza baraka GIGS houseparty
sketchy PANHANDLING emos All Asia Charlie card hifi
sammy the bum Heartthrob city hall Miracle Burgers
jamaican bodegas garbage cans on fire Elk's lounge BANKS
soccer People's Republic ASS-GUARD drunk pizza vids
strange cosmic house on brookline that stinks of poop ANDALA
Hubba Hubba MUTILATED BARBIES Giant Pink Gorrilla luna
Send me your words so I can expand this Tag Cloud further
Oh Central Sq! You make me feel dirty. But you still have charm. Central Sq. is very near my house so I find myself here more often than I probably would if lived farther out. We all know that Central is teeming with homeless people, the smell of urine or other gross things on the street, and crack heads. But I guess that is part of its charm right?
I have never been ogled by more homeless people than when I walk through Central Sq. Central Sq. tries hard. And people who think that they are rebelling against the mainstream (that being Harvard Sq.) like to say how awesome Central is. But is it really? I am going to get crucified for saying that it isn't all it's cracked up to be. It isn't horrible, but I don't think I would hang out here just for the heck of it. I always come here with a mission. Here is the website for Central Sq. http://www.centralsqua...
Who knew it had a website??
I also made the fateful choice to get a prescription at the CVS there once.
Uhh...bad move. There were lines of people waiting for their Xanax and screaming when they weren't getting it. The staff was incompetent and it was general chaos.
As far as businesses and the like go, there are some redeeming factors. I love the Dance Complex! Many of the classes are drop in and you can watch a class before attending. The prices are great and the selection of classes is unique and extensive. I love Venus Cosmetics. This is the place to go to buy my Veronika wigs. 2 wigs for $50! Yes, please. And they are realistic looking wigs too. I also enjoy Buckaroo's Mercantile. While I mostly feel annoyed with kitschy things, I like this store. There is vintage stuff mixed in with new stuff that just looks vintage. This is the type of store that I go into and say, "I want this, and this, OH! And this too, and maybe this." To eat I suggest you check out Baraka Cafe which is down a side street off of Mass Ave. Lovely African/Moroccan restaurant. Also try Rangzen, a Tibetan restaurant. It is top notch. For cheap but good eats go to: Picante Mexican Grill, Brookline Lunch, Coast Cafe and Basta Pasta (a little outside of Central, but close enough to walk). For a giggle go to Goodwill. People watching is at its prime, but you may also score some rockin garments. If you feel artsy go to Ten Thousand Villages or Out of the Blue Studios. I get free videos at Blockbuster (I do the Blockbuster online and trade them in for free in store rentals) and get my eyes checked at Custom Eyes.
There are also some misses in this area. The 1369 is worse than the one on Cambridge St, Hot off the Press has some awesome sandwiches, but smells kinda funny, Starbucks is well, a Starbucks. There is a GAP in Central but I swear that every time I walk by I don't see any customers inside. It puzzles me how it stays in business. This is not a GAP wearing crowd that frequents Central. I see a lot of wannabe "alternative" hipsters, crack heads, hippies, and "I am too cool for mainstream" people.
There are still quite a few places I want to try in Central. Mostly restaurants. And yes, I am a loser for never having been to the Middle East. I know. I KNOW. Believe me, I know.
Meh. I like Inman, Union, and Davis better. I even like Harvard and Porter better. Yes, mock me for liking Harvard, but whatevs. Inman is where my heart is anyway. But, at times Central does the trick too.
Oh! And one time, a homeless man tried to hand me a newspaper. Being my ignorant self and trying to get away from this homeless man who was following me down the street I went to take it. I started to walk off and he says, "That will be $1." What?? You didn't tell me it costs money! I didn't have any money, so I handed it back to him and told him no thanks. He swore at me and I walked briskly away. So, I was stupid, yes, but this is what you should expect to encounter whilst in Central. End story.
What can I say, I love this place.
