A Tradition of Democratic Unity
Cambridge embodies the American democratic ideal—a stimulating and accommodating place where future presidents and immigrants study together and where residents strive for higher goals and a richer life. It's also one of the most exciting cities in the world, with a dazzling variety of recreation and culture packed into a very convenient 6.5 square miles.
A Community of Friendly Neighborhoods
Over the course of its 350 years of history, Cambridge has welcomed different populations. The result is a rich collection of neighborhoods—many of them might be called "urban villages"—providing attractive housing of every kind, from Colonial mansions to town houses to riverfront high rises, for a wide range of budgets. A powerful sense of history and community serves to tie neighborhoods and families together.
It's also a "walker's city," where most shopping and major cultural attractions are no more than a short walk from home, and where a European style café culture makes every afternoon a pleasure.
World Class Arts & Entertainment
Few of America's largest cities offer as much cultural enrichment as Cambridge. There are twelve major museums, such as Harvard's Fogg Museum and the Museum of Science, featuring a planetarium and a special effects theater. The city also hosts a chamber orchestra, the Cambridge Pro Arte, judged among the world's best, and the Dance Umbrella, which has premiered works by leading international choreographers like Mark Morris.
Cultural variety extends to the nightlife, too, with nearly 250 restaurants representing every cuisine imaginable, and with clubs for every musical and performance specialty—even poetry "slams," which attract local laureates and Nobel prize winners alike.
Neighboring Boston, of course, is a center for major league entertainment of all kinds, including the Red Sox; Celtics; Bruins; the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops; the Museum of Fine Arts, with its prized collection of Impressionists; the Children's Museum; the Computer Museum; superb ballet, opera, and theater; and the "Freedom Trail," a unique collection of Revolutionary Era landmarks.
Within a few hours of the city there are altogether different kinds of activities—to the north, skiing; to the south, summer getaways on Cape Cod; to the west, the Berkshire Mountains and the music of Tanglewood; to the east, fishing and sailing the Atlantic.
Public Schools
The Cambridge Public Schools are the cornerstone of the City's tradition of continuous innovation. Cambridge's fifteen public elementary schools and comprehensive high schools tailor their curricula to a diverse range of learning styles and interests. From foreign languages to computer laboratories and advanced sciences, instruction is geared toward producing graduates who can compete in Cambridge's cutting-edge economy.
A Lively Community
Cambridge has so much more to offer its residents and visitors. Here's a small sampling:
- Farmers' markets, street fairs, and festivals around the city throughout the year
- A public library with nearly 500,000 volumes and six neighborhood branches
- Three fine hospitals—Cambridge, Youville, and Mt. Auburn—and access to Boston's medical centers, the best in the world
- A nine hole public golf course at Fresh Pond
- Nearly 60 houses of worship embracing over 20 religions
- Public transportation at nearly every corner: six major T stops on both the Red and Green lines, countless bus routes criss-crossing the city, and a commuter rail station
- Close proximity to Logan International Airport: 10 minutes by car and 30 minutes by subway
- Youth programs at both the YMCA and the YWCA
- A centrally-located, state-of-the-art senior center
- Dedicated bicycle lanes along major routes, including the MinuteMan Bike Path that winds from North Cambridge out to Lexington
- Countless lush green parks and playgrounds, with regulation ball fields, football fields, and tot lots.
- Private and public health clubs to suit every need
