Boston - Around Town : Cambridge & Somerville (part 2) - Offbeat Shops, Places to Mix with the Locals

The Cambridge Curriculum

Morning

Call the Museum of Science early to learn what
features are playing at the Omni Theater and book tickets over the phone
for an afternoon show. Then begin your morning with a stack of pancakes
at Davis Square’s legendary Rosebud Diner. Next, ride the “T” inbound to Harvard and head straight to Out of Town News (0 Harvard Sq) to peruse their mind-boggling selection of international magazines and newspapers. Take time in Harvard Yard to stop at the
John Harvard Statue
, in front of Charles Bulfinch’s University Hall, to
scrutinize its “three lies.” Then return to Massachusetts Avenue and
walk east to Quincy Street for a sampling of highlights from the
University art collections at the Sackler Museum.

Afternoon

Head back on Massachusetts Avenue toward the square to Bartley’s Burger Cottage
(1246 Massachusetts Ave) for a lunch of freshly prepared specialty
burgers and irresistible sweet potato fries. You can fully digest on the
20 minute “T” ride to Science Park. Head to the Museum of Science’s
Omni Theater and claim your tickets. After an exhilarating,
in-your-face feature, retrace your steps toward Cambridge on the “T” as
far as Central Square where you can sit back and enjoy a refreshing
glass of Guinness in the convivial atmosphere at The Field.

Offbeat Shops

Museum of Useful Things

From aluminum ring binders to spring-clip photo frames, MUT features quirky items you didn’t know you couldn’t live without.
- 49 Brattle St, Cambridge
Revolution Books

Che
Guevara and Mao Tse Tung are alive and well here. You can read up on
Communism and purchase left-leaning T-shirts, posters, buttons, and
stickers.
- 1156 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
- Closed Mon & Sun
Abodeon

Abodeon
stocks home furnishings of the decidedly retro variety. Items include
1940s rolling chaise lounges, vintage cocktail services, and even the
occasional Wurlitzer jukebox.
- 1731 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
Retro goods at Abodeon
Curious George Books & Toys

This
playfully decorated children’s bookstore, which carries more than
25,000 books and toys, pays homage to the timeless travails of its
mischievous namesake.
- 1 JFK St, Cambridge
Curious George Books & Toys
Hubba Hubba

If
only Cambridge’s Puritanical founders could have seen it: fetishist
accessories, spiked belts, sexy leather corsets, and not-so-innocent
toys line the shelves of this risqué Central Square boutique.
- 534 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
- Closed Sun
Million Year Picnic

New
England’s oldest comic bookstore keeps its faithful customers happy
with an extensive back-issue selection, rare imports, and all the latest
Indie comics.
- 99 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge
Greenward

An
exciting range of stylish goods from urban bicycling accessories to
cruelty-free cosmetics, all guaranteed to be free of eco-guilt.
- 1776 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
Games People Play

Board
games, card games, role-playing games, word games, action games,
puzzles … if someone plays it, Games People Play either sells it or can
get it for you in a couple of days.
- 1100 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
Colonial Drug

This old-fashioned pharmacy-cum- parfumerie features more than 1,000 hard-to-find scents that range from Aprège to Zibeline.
- 49 Brattle St, Cambridge
Porter Exchange Mall

Take
a trip to Tokyo town in this renovated 1928 Deco building, boasting a
Japanese-style noodle hall and gift shops with all forms of Far Eastern
ephemera.
- 1815 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge

Shops are open daily unless otherwise specified

Places to Mix with the Locals

Memorial Drive

Memorial
Drive is a magnet for joggers and rollerbladers. On summer Sundays, the
road closes to vehicular traffic and becomes the city’s best
people-watching spot.
The Pit

On
and around this sunken brick platform, street musicians, protesters,
punk rockers, and uncategorizables create a scene worthy of a Life magazine spread.
- bounded by JFK St & Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
The Pit
The Neighborhood

Sunday
brunch at the Neighborhood brings throngs intent on securing seating
beneath the outdoor grape arbors. Equally coveted are the house’s
Portuguese breakfast bread platters.
- 25 Bow St, Somerville
- 617 628 2151
1369 Coffee House

Set
in the somewhat detached Inman Square, this branch of 1369 has poetry
readings, mellow music, and courteous staff, which give it a neighborly
atmosphere.
- 1369 Cambridge St, Cambridge
- 617 576 1369
1369 Coffee House
Brattle Theater

A
Harvard Square institution, the Brattle screens cinema greats daily.
Rainy afternoon? Take in a 2-for-1 Fellini double feature for a meager
$9.
- 40 Brattle St, Cambridge
- 617 876 6837
Au Bon Pain

Every
kind of Cambridge character can be found sipping coffee and munching
croissants on the plaza at Holyoke Center. Top amusement? Challenging
the chess masters to a speed game.
- 1360 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
- 617 497 9797
- $
Improv Boston

The improvisational comedy troupe here will often explore the offbeat side of Boston life and invite audience participation.
- 40 Prospect St, Cambridge
- 617 576 1253
Club Passim

The
subterranean epicenter of New England’s thriving folk music scene
regularly welcomes nationally renowned artists. It boasts an inventive
vegetarian kitchen, Veggie Planet.
- 47 Palmer St, Cambridge
- 617 492 7679
- Cash only for food
Richard Trum Playground

Summer
in Somerville is epitomized by one thing: baseball at the playground.
On most weeknights, you can watch youngsters take their swings.
- Broadway, Somerville
Dado Tea

This
Harvard Square hangout, owned by locals, is a serene place to settle in
with an exotic cup of tea and healthy pastries, sandwiches, and salads.
- 50 Church St, Cambridge
- 617 547 0950

All cafés are open daily