Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a pretty amazing place. Not only does it have two of the greatest universities in the world but it also has some of the most interesting and diverse restaurants in the country, a wonderful public transport system (for the U.S.), an extremely walkable/bikeable set of neighborhoods, amazing public schools, safe streets, cool cultural options, and Boston is right next door (seriously, it’s less than a mile away at some points). While it is a college town, by definition, it is way way more than just a college town and you can avoid that whole scene if you’d like.

A recent transplant from the Midwest notes: moving here ~2 years ago after living in suburbia MI is a dream. my older coworkers question why 'you youngins blow money on rent in dirty small apartments', but joke's on them cause I can walk/bike to literally every single thing i'd need, and chances are I have a local business option to opt for rather than only big box chain stores and restaurants.

example, my grocery runs have evolved from driving to Kroger (before move)->driving to supermarket->walking/biking there->changing to organic store->finally getting to farmer's markets (which has been blissfully accessible with remote work). Hell this year I gave up my car and intend to never own one again if I can help it. That's just one example, being here has transformed my life in many ways that make every family member back home scratch their head at me.

All that popularity comes at a price. Buying a home in Cambridge, while not as expensive as Boston, is crazy steep. You can rent for reasonable prices, given the home purchase costs, so young professionals and young families can make a go of it. Perhaps just as important to understand is that winter is no joke. If you’re coming from the south just be ready. Finally, if you’re conservative be ready for an extremely liberal population. They don’t call it the People’s Republic of Cambridge for nothing.

Local on the weather: winters here are annoyingly long. it often doesn't really warm up until around mid to late april. the rest of the northeast gets cold snaps just as bad as boston's but boston area (including cambridge) is the most consistently cold of all the major northeastern cities during the winter. the climate might not be great for someone with seasonal depression either.

Unlike other college towns, the lifestyle of Cambridge doesn’t revolve around Harvard and MIT. It’s too diverse, has too much tech and biotech business, and those Universities aren’t really like the big Southeastern or Midwestern monsters that dominate their towns. Families live here and enjoy the city without any intrusion by the schools or students. Young Professionals live here and find tons of social options that don’t crossover to the student population. Cambridge is home to museums, amazing outdoor options, particularly on the Charles River, and is a tiny train ride to all that Boston has to offer under or across the river.

If you want to see what everyone gets up to in Cambridge check out the calendar of events: https://patch.com/massachusetts/cambridge/calendar