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Off-Campus Housing: What To Know

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There are many things to consider when undertaking an apartment search. You should take some time to consider your priorities: location, budget, roommates, how and when to search. This will help you narrow your search and avoid spending time exploring apartments that really don’t fit your needs. Furthermore, if you decide to work with a realtor, thinking about your priorities ahead of time will allow the realtor to more quickly identify apartments that you might like.

Location

If you aren’t familiar with Google Maps or other similar web-based mapping sites, now is your chance to learn. Google Maps will allow you to easily look up the precise location of apartments. You can also get driving directions to HLS (use 1563 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138) or to the nearest subway station, so that you know how far the walk will be.

For many HLS students, distance to campus is a high priority. This is why many of our students choose to live within a ten minute walk of campus. In fact, 75% of HLS students living off-campus live within 1 mile of campus. The largest concentration of students is across the street from HLS in the apartment buildings along Massachusetts Avenue as well as those between Massachusetts Avenue and Garden Street.

The most popular streets for HLS students are:

  • Massachusetts Avenue (particularly between 1500 and 1800 Mass Ave – 12%
  • Chauncy Street – 5%
  • Beacon Street – 4%
  • Wendell Street – 2.5%
  • Concord Ave – 2%
  • Irving Street – 2%
  • Prescott Street – 2%
  • Langdon Street – 2%

For those who end up living farther away, apartments near public transportation are a high priority. The subway in Boston is known as the “T” and is managed by the MBTA. The MBTA website has interactive street maps, trip planning features, and transfer information such as the bus lines that stop at a particular subway station. You can also create your own account, MyMBTA, where you can save important addresses, plan trips, customize service updates and save schedules and maps that are useful for you.

HLS is about a 6 minute walk from the Harvard Square red line T stop. Many of our students choose to live in or near Central Square (one stop / 4 minute ride to Harvard Square), Porter Square (one stop / 3 minute ride to Harvard Square) or Davis Square (two stops / 5 minute ride to Harvard Square).

For more information about locations, check out Neighborhoods around HLS.

Other Considerations:

  • Apartments are often listed by neighborhood or squares rather than just by towns. For example, apartments might be listed as being in Inman Square, Harvard Square, or Central Square rather than in Cambridge.
  • Parking rules and regulations are different from town to town.  Also, parking rules usually change during the winter.  If you have a car, make sure you find out about the parking regulations for the entire year.
  • There is a town in central Massachusetts named Harvard. It is about 30 miles northwest of Cambridge. Double-check to ensure the apartments you are looking at are in Cambridge, not Harvard, MA.
  • There is a Harvard Street in at least a dozen Massachusetts towns and cities (i.e. Brookline, Cambridge, Quincy, Whitman, Worcester). Don’t assume that an apartment on Harvard Street is in Cambridge; double-check the town or city.
  • There are some streets such as Massachusetts Avenue that extend through multiple towns and there can, for instance, be two 1400 Massachusetts Avenue’s, one in Boston and one in Cambridge, so double-check the town or city of the apartment listing. When you are preparing directions to see the apartment, ensure you get the complete and correct location.  Make sure to write down whether the address is a street, avenue, circle, etc, AND the zip code.
  • Streets are rarely straight and there are many one-way streets so as you drive around viewing apartments, pay attention to the route you will need to take and be prepared for the roads you will encounter.

Budget

If you have not developed a planned budget for your years at HLS, now is the time to do so. Understanding what you can afford for your housing will help you focus your apartment search. The greater Boston area is among the more expensive areas to live in the nation, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities to find cheaper housing. Where you live and how many roommates you have (if any) can have a substantial impact on your budget. Generally the more roommates you have and the greater distance from campus, the more affordable the apartment will be. Please find below some rough rental prices to provide you with some perspective on what you should expect to see as you begin searching. Bear in mind that these are approximate and the apartments you search will cover the full spectrum of rent prices.

Average Cambridge Rents – please note this is just an estimate to give you a general understanding. Rates will vary widely depending on a multitude of factors.

Unit Cost Per Person Cost
Studio $1,000 – $1,400 $1,000 – $1,400
One Bedroom $1,300 – $1,650 $1,300 – $1,650
Two Bedroom $1,700 – $2,200 $850 – $1,100
Three Bedroom $2,000 – $2,945 $667 – $982

 

It is important to ask what utilities are included in the price. You might see two apartments near one another; one of which is right at your budget limit and includes heat, hot water and electricity, while the other is much cheaper but excludes them. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples and ask what is included in the rental price. Also, consider the cost of cable television, telephone service and/or Internet service when figuring what you can afford.

While it is important to know what you can afford on a monthly basis, it is equally important to know what you can afford up-front. It is typical for landlords to require first and last month’s rent along with a security deposit. So, for a $1,500 per month one bedroom apartment, you might need to come up with $3,000-$4,500 in order to secure the apartment. Also, if you work with a realtor and choose an apartment shown by the realtor, there will likely be a broker’s fee as well, which is usually either half a month’s rent or a full month’s rent.

How and When to Search

Searching for an apartment can be a time-consuming process. You should be prepared to spend a few weeks conducting your search and you should plan to visit Cambridge in order to see some apartments. Most leases require tenants to give notice 30-60 days before vacating apartments, and leases generally run from September 1 through August 31. The peak for finding apartments in this area is late June/early July. Your goal should be to find an apartment by the end of July as the supply tightens and you may have more difficulty finding the apartment you want and might need to settle for something less desirable (likely further away). Another option is to secure one of the apartments that are available in June for summer sublet with the option to renew in September.

There are many resources that you can use to search for an apartment, but the most popular way to find an apartment in the greater Boston area is craigslist, which has multiple ways to view apartment listings:

  • all apartments (includes by-owner + no-fee broker + fee broker)
  • all no-fee apartments (includes by-owner + no-fee broker)
  • by-owner apartments only (no brokers)

You should try multiple searches utilizing different keywords and be mindful of the Harvard St., Harvard, MA and other issues mentioned in the location section of this page. Don’t be too restrictive in your searches as you might miss some apartments that you could have liked.

Many students utilize a real estate broker in their apartment search, although with craigslist you don’t have to. The big advantage is that a realtor has more experience and can more quickly find potential apartment matches for you. You can even work with multiple realtors in order to see more listings. Most realtors will require you to agree in writing up front to pay a broker’s fee if you sign a lease for an apartment that they showed you.

You should try to make a visit to Cambridge and tour apartments, but if you cannot visit and you know someone in the area, you can ask them to go and take a look at the apartment on your behalf and take some pictures for you. If you don’t know anyone in the area, ask the landlord if they already have pictures of the apartment or if they could take some for you. You should not sign a lease for an apartment unless you have, at a minimum, seen pictures of it.

Roommates

HRES has a self-service roommate listing web site, called the HRES Roommate Center. You can use this site to find roommates for HRES or for private market apartments.  You can also use craigslist or roommates.com to find other people searching for roommates.

Other Resources

New and Innovative Search Web Sites

The new web sites listed below are cutting edge apartment search sites, although some are still in beta and most are not as exhaustive as craig’s list, they are unique and useful ways to search, for students those interested in sites that utilize mapping and photos to enhance the housing search experience.

  • www.housingmaps.com/ combines craigslist with Google Maps to create a powerful new way to search; however, it doesn’t seem to include every listing.
  • boston.listpic.com lists craigslist listings by date with just a photo, the cost and location for those that would prefer a more visual way to search.
  • www.mapskrieg.com/view/boston/ is a mashup of craigslist and Google Maps, but includes the craigslist housing type filtering built in.
  • www.zilpy.com provides free rental market facts and analysis in a neat heat map presentation.
  • hotpads.com is a map-based apartment search site.
  • www.padmapper.com combines google maps with other housing websites, including craiglist

Moving In: Everything You Should Know

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Arrival

Arriving August 11, August 22, or August 23
The official move-in period is August 11, 9:30am-4:30pm, for  2Ls ad 3Ls participating in EIP, August 22, 9:30am-4:30pm, for LL.M.s, S.J.D.s and Exchange Students, and  August 23, 9:30am-4:30pm, for 1Ls. The Resident Assistants and Dean of Students Office staff will be there to greet you and check you in to your room, suite, or apartment. If you are in any of the Gropius dorms , you should go the small tent located in the Gropius Courtyard on Everett Street, between Shaw and Ames Halls. If you are moving into North Hall or the HLS Apartments, you should go to North Hall. If you are moving into Hastings, you should go directly to Hastings Hall. Returning students will need to bring their HUID to receive their keys, while incoming students need a government issued photo ID (passport or driver’s license) to check in. For maps and directions, click here.

Arriving After Move-In Tent Days/Hours
We encourage you to plan your arrival during the official move-in hours. However, we understand that circumstances may prevent you from arriving during those hours. If you arrive during business hours after the official move-in dates, you can pick up your keys at the Facilities Management Office on the first floor of Holmes Hall, room 4. If you arrive outside business hours or on the weekend, a security guard will be available to let you into your room. Use the campus phone located at Holmes Hall next to the entrance door facing Harkness Commons. Call the Harvard University Police at 617-495-1215 and ask for the Law School security guard to meet you at Holmes Hall.  You will need either your HUID, driver’s license, or passport.

Early Arrivals
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate an earlier move in dates or times, so if you do arrive in Cambridge early, the Harvard International Office has put together a list of temporary housing resources, such as hotels, motels, hostels and bed & breakfast inns.

Bed Sizes & Linens

All Gropius and Hastings Hall rooms and the Small rooms in North Hall have extra long twin beds which are 80″ long x 36″ wide or 200 cm long x 90cm wide. Medium, Standard and Large rooms in North Hall and all rooms in the HLS Apartments have full beds which are 75″ long x 54″ wide or 188 cm long x 135 cm wide. Linens are not provided. You should plan to either buy your own, buy them at nearby a department store such as Target in Somerville, buy them online and have them shipped to HLS, or buy them from Harvard Student Agencies. Cambridge has significant temperature variance across the seasons, ranging from below 0 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter to above 90 degrees during the summer, so please plan your wardrobe and bedding/linens appropriately.

Cable TV – Comcast

All of the room, suites, and apartments are cable-ready. If you would like to set up cable service, you can contact Comcast sales representative Leona Swanston at Leona_Swanston@cable.comcast.com or 617-279-1851.

Food Services

Although there is a cafeteria at the Law School in Harkness Commons, there is no meal plan. There are many grocery stores and restaurants near the Law School, and all residents have access to kitchens in their building or an adjoining building.

Furniture

Each resident receives at least basic furnishings; a bed, desk, desk chair, bookcase and/or bookshelves, dresser and/or closet, a trash can, and recycling can. Some buildings have additional furnishings which are listed on each building’s web page. Residents may certainly bring small pieces of supplementary furniture, as long as they do not create a fire hazard, but the furniture provided by HLS in your room/suite/apartment cannot be removed or stored. Residents CANNOT bring their own bed to replace the HLS bed provided unless they have a documented medical condition or disability that requires it, in which case we require documentation from a licensed physician.

At the end of the school year, students from all of the schools at Harvard can donate any unwanted items.  These items are then re-sold at Stuff Sales. The Harvard University Stuff Sales will be August 13 – 14, 20 – 21, and 25 – 30, and September 3 – 4.  They will take place in front of the Science Center.  It is an excellent opportunity to get dorm furniture or items for a very cheap price.

Another good way to buy or sell items is through www.hlslist.com.

Handbook

The Housing Handbook is updated during June each year, so the new version is posted in early July. All residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with its contents. Many frequently asked questions are answered there, so when a Resident Assistant or staff member in the Dean of Students Office is unavailable, we encourage you to look to the handbook for answers. Also, when residents sign the license/lease, they acknowledge their responsibility for abiding by the policies and procedures outlined in the handbook.

Internet/Network Access

All residents of on-campus housing can access the Internet and HLS network via a wired jack in their room or by wireless anywhere in the residence halls. When you turn on your computer and open a web browser for the first time, you will be automatically directed to log into the FAStAcess Device system at https://autoreg.fas.harvard.edu/index.html with your HUID and PIN. The system will walk you through the registration process including securing your computer. You must do this for each device which you intend to connect to the HLS network. If you have any questions or problems, you should contact the Student Help Desk coordinated by Information Technology Services (ITS) at help@law or 617.495.9576. Here are some helpful ITS Web Resources:

Keys

Residents receive either 2 or 3 keys depending on where they live. Residents of Gropius receive exterior and room keys but use a combination provided on their key envelope to access their mailbox, while residents of Hastings Hall, the HLS Apartments, and North Hall receive both the exterior and room/suite/apt keys as well as a key for their mailbox. Please note that you will be required to sign a key receipt acknowledgement and that should you lose your keys, you will be charged for the cost of changing the locks.

Kitchens

All residents have access to a kitchen either in their building or an adjoining building. All kitchens are equipped with basic appliances (stove/oven, microwave, toaster oven, refrigerator/freezer). Gropius, North, and Hastings kitchens also have communal pots and pans and some other basic cooking needs. Apartment kitchens do not come with any kitchenware.  All residents must provide their own plates, cups, utensils, chopping knives, tupperware, etc.

Laundry Rooms

All residents have access to laundry facilities in on-campus housing. Laundry rooms include coin or Crimson Cash operated washers and dryers. Laundry detergent, fabric softener, ironing boards, and irons are not provided, so residents should plan to bring their own.

License/Lease

Students must have signed their housing license or lease prior to moving in and receiving their keys.

Mailing Address

Your mailing address is provided in a move in information email sent in late July. Your mailing address should be in the following format:

HLS Residential Mail Center
1563 Massachusetts Avenue #XXXX
Cambridge, MA 02138

If you do not know your address or you have questions about the format, please contact Hayley Brown in the Dean of Students Office at housing@law.harvard.edu or 617-496-6054.

Maintenance Requests

The Facilities Management Office worked hard this summer to ensure that your room would be ready for your arrival.  However, if there are any problems or issues with your room, you can contact them at 617-495-5521 or facmgmt@law. During nights and weekends, you will automatically be transferred to the Harvard University Operations Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Maps & Directions

Taxi Cab Information

If you are flying in to Boston’s Logan Airport and are in need of transportation to HLS, one-way taxi cab fare is generally about $30. While, there are typically many taxi cabs lined up at Logan waiting, if you would like to call ahead and arrange in advance, here are a few companies that operate in the greater Boston/Cambridge area:

  • Boston Cab, 617.536.5010
  • Checker Cab, 617-536-7000
  • City Cab, 617-536-5100
  • ITOA, 617-825-4000
  • Metro Cab, 617-782-5500
  • Town Taxi, 617-536-5000
  • Hello Taxi, 617 734-1111
  • Independent, 617-426-8700
  • Bay State Taxi, 617-566-5000
  • So. Boston Taxi, 617-269-4444

Official Move-In Dates

  • Harvard Law Review Orientation – August 7, 2011
  • Resident Assistants – August 8, 2011, 9:30am-4:30pm
  • 2Ls & 3Ls – Wednesday, August 11, 2011, 9:30am-4:30pm
  • LL.M.s, S.J.D.s and Exchange Students – August 22, 2011, 9:30am-4:30pm
  • 1Ls –  August 23, 2011, 9:30am-4:30pm

Orientation for Incoming J.D.s

Information can be found on the JD Orientation web site.

Parking

Students during the Academic Year
As Cambridge is an urban environment, parking is extremely limited. Public transportation is efficient, safe, and widespread with the MBTA (known as the T) Red Line running through the heart of Cambridge into Boston and T bus routes running throughout Cambridge and Boston. Law students who do bring cars to campus compete with other Harvard graduate students for University parking spots. For additional information, contact the Parking Office at parking@harvard.edu or 617-495-3772.

On Move-In Day
August 11 and  August 23, 30-minute unloading parking spaces have been reserved along Everett Street for Gropius residents, as well as Massachusetts Avenue for North Hall and Hastings Hall. Hastings Hall also has a driveway in its courtyard that will be accessible for unloading and North has a small turnaround. With so many students scheduled to move in that day, we ask that residents park for no longer than 20 minutes to ensure that all residents are able to access the reserved spots to unload their vehicles.

If parking is needed for longer than 30 minutes, there are a number of parking garages in Harvard Square that can be used for an hourly rate:
Church Street Parking Lot, 617.723.1488, 41 Church Street, Cambridge
Holyoke Center Parking Garage, 617.723.1488, just off Harvard Square between Massachusetts Ave and Mt. Auburn St. Enter on Holyoke St.
Harvard Square Parking Garage, 617.491.0298, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge
University Place Garage, 617.491.0801, 124 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge
Maps of Cambridge denoting each of these parking garages will be available at your move-in location.

Phone Service

Telephone lines are provided by the Harvard Student Telephone Office . Lines include local calling to most areas surrounding Cambridge and Boston as well as University calling. Line features include Call Waiting, Caller ID, and Three-Way Calling. You must bring your own touch-tone telephone. Long distance calls are handled by Paetec Communications. Each resident is issued a Personal Billing Number (PBN) in a letter sent to your HLS Residential Mail Center address, which allows you to place long distance calls from any student telephone on campus. If you have any problems with your telephone line not working, you should contact Telephone Repair at 617-495-4940.

Resident Assistants

For information regarding the role of Resident Assistants or to see the 2011-2012 Resident Assistant Team, click here.

Shipping Packages Ahead of Move-In

You may mail packages to HLS and have them waiting in your room when you arrive. The HLS Residential Mail Center handles all mail and package deliveries, so you should ship the packages to yourself at your HLS Residential Mail Center address. You may need to include the 1563 Massachusetts Avenue (Pound Hall street address) for certain carriers, but you should not use the street address for regular mail. In order to ensure that your packages are delivered to your room, you should plan to have them arrive no sooner than 10 days prior to your move-in date, so August 12, 2011 for LL.M.s, S.J.D.s and Exchange students, August 1 for 2Ls and 3Ls, and  August 11 for 1Ls . Unfortunately, the HLS Residential Mail Center is not able to deliver packages exceeding 50 pounds to your room, so please pack your boxes accordingly. Should a box heavier than 50 pounds arrive, you may pick it up in the HLS Residential Mail Center when you arrive. Packages that arrive after the day of your scheduled move-in or later can also be picked up in the HLS Residential Mail Center. (NOTE: During the academic year, FedEx, UPS and other carriers will not deliver your packages to your room – all deliveries go to the HLS Residential Mail Center where students can pick them up after receiving  email notification of arrival.

Storage

There is storage space in the residence halls, but it is very limited and therefore restricted to three boxes per resident. All boxes, trunks and suitcases placed in storage must have a properly filled-out, current storage sticker on them, with their name, cell phone number, email address, and date the materials were stored. All items placed in storage are done so at the resident’s own risk. Neither the University nor any of its officers are responsible for their safekeeping. We recommend that residents wait to place items in the storage rooms until after returning students have retrieved the belongings they stored over the summer. If you are a returning student and want to retrieve your belongings, your R.A. has a key to the storage room that you can check out.

What to Bring and What NOT to Bring

Residents of Hastings two-bedroom suites and multiple-resident units in the HLS apartments – you should consider checking with your suitemate/roommate in advance to coordinate what to bring.

Things to consider bringing to HLS

  • Alarm Clock
  • Bedding – Pillows, blankets, mattress cover (mattresses are fire-resistant with a plastic surface), egg crate and bed sheets
  • Cleaning Products – Common spaces (bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and lounges) are cleaned by the custodial staff, but residents are expected to maintain a reasonable level of order and cleanliness in individual rooms and to maintain proper health and safety conditions.
  • Computer/Laptop and surge protector
  • Fan
  • Food Storage Containers
  • Hangers
  • Lamps for reading/desk
  • Laundry Bag/Basket or Hamper
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Plants
  • Refrigerator (less than 4 cubic feet)
  • Shower Caddy for Gropius and Hastings residents to carry their things to the bathroom
  • Telephone Set (local and University phone service is included)
  • Towels
  • Vacuum or Dustbuster – Resident Assistants will have vacuums for residents to borrow, but residents may want to bring their own small vacuum or dustbuster for personal use.

Things NOT to bring to HLS

  • Candles, or any type of an open flame
  • Cooking appliances of any kind: microwaves, microfridges, toaster ovens, toasters, hot plates
  • Halogen Lamps
  • Space Heaters
  • Tapestries
  • Pets

Get Your MBTA Pass Here

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In concert with the MBTA, Harvard Law School offers students the opportunity to sign-up for the MBTA Semester Pass Program at a discount of 25%. The program runs from October 1 – January 31, 2011 and February 1 – May 31, 2011 with sign-up taking place in August and December. This program is only available to HLS students.

To sign up for the Spring 2011 pass, fill out this form and turn it in along with payment to the Dean of Students Office (located in Pound Hall 310) by January 4, 2011. Paper copies of the form are available in the Dean of Students Office.

If you find yourself using the train or bus at least 6 times a week then this program is for you.

To learn more about Greater Boston’s Public Transportation System or purchase passes for a single month, visit the MBTA website.

Contact the Dean of Students Office (617-495-1880) with any questions.

Sign Up For Your Locker

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Please read the following before signing up for a locker:

Harvard Law School has a number of lockers lining the walls in the basement corridors that connect the main buildings on campus. They are assigned every year on a first come, first served basis to law school students living off campus. Students who live in law school dormitories, with the exception of North Hall, are not eligible for lockers.

In the hopes of accommodating every locker request we are encouraging individuals to share their lockers. If you choose to share you will be assigned a locker partner or you may indicate on the sign-up form an individual with whom you would like to share.

Lockers are assigned randomly every year and unfortunately we cannot accept requests for lockers in specific locations. However, if you require a locker in a specific location because of medical reasons please contact us.

Locker sign-up for the 2011-2012 academic year is not yet open and will be open the beginning of August 2011. If you have any questions, please contact us at 617-495-1880 or by email at dos@law.harvard.edu

Out and About

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Looking for a few things to do during your first few weeks at HLS? The Dean of Students Office has come up with a somewhat exhaustive list of activities. Want to add to this list or have a question? Get in touch with us at dos [at] law.harvard.edu or call us at 617-495-1880.

Community Events

Day Trips

Dining Out

On Campus

Harkness Commons contains Harkness Cafeteria (“The Hark”), a full service cafeteria, and the Harkbox Café/Pub. The online menu for The Hark is updated weekly for your convenience.

Operating Hours:

Hark Box
MondayFriday – 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Harkness Commons

MondayThursday – 7:30 AM – 8:30 PM
Friday – 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday – 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Off Campus

There are many restaurants within walking distance of HLS, and many more in the greater Boston area. Information about some local restaurants is listed below.

  • Au Bon Pain aubonpain.com 1360 Massachusetts Ave –  617.497.9797
  • Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage mrbartley.com $820 1246 Mass. Ave – 6173546559
  • b.good bgood.com $20 24 Dunster St. – 6173546559
  • Cambridge Common cambridgecommonrestaurant.com $10201667 Mass. Ave – 6175471228
  • Charlie’s Kitchen charlieskitchen.com  $1020 10 Eliot St. – 6174929646
  • Christopher’s Restaurant & Bar christopherscambridge.com 1920 Mass. Ave – 6178769180
  • Craigie Street Bistro craigieonmain.com $45 and up, 5 Craigie Cir. – 6174975511
  • Daedalus daedalusharvardsquare.com $1530 45.5 Mt. Auburn St. – 6173490071
  • Darwin’s Ltd. Darwinsltd.com $10 or less 148 Mt. Auburn St.  - 6173545233
  • Fire + Ice, fireice.com $1530 1230 Mass. Ave – 6175479007
  • Flat Patties, $510 81 Mt. Auburn St  - 6178716871
  • Grafton Street graftonstreetcambridge.com $2030 1230 Mass. Ave – 6174970400
  • Grendel’s Den grendelsden.com $2030 89 Winthrop St. – 6174911160
  • Harvest harvestcambridge.com $3045 44 Brattle St  - 6178682255
  • Henrietta’s Table henriettastable.com $3045 1 Bennett St  - 6176615005
  • John Harvard’s Brew House johnharvards.com $1020 33 Dunster St. – 6178683585
  • OM omrestaurant.com $30 92 Winthrop St  - 6175762800
  • Noir noirbar.com $1520 1 Bennett St. – 6176618010
  • Rafiki Bistro rafikibistro.com $1020 1682 Mass Ave – 6176617810
  • The Red House theredhouse.com $2030 98 Winthrop St. – 6175760605
  • Redline redlinecambridge.com $1540 1688 Mass. Ave  - 6174919851
  • Rialto rialtorestaurant.com $35 and up 1 Bennett St. – 6176615050
  • Temple Bar templebarcambridge.com $1530 1688 Mass. Ave – 6175475055
  • Tommy Doyle’s tommydoyles.com $10 or less 96  Winthrop St. – 6178640655
  • Tory Row toryrow.us $1020 3 Brattle St. – 6178768769
  • T.W. Food twfoodrestaurant.com $2035 377 Walden St  - 6178644745
  • Upstairs on the Square upstaironsthesquare.com $45 and up 91 Winthrop St. – 6178641933
  • West Side Lounge westsidelounge.com $1530 1680 Mass. Ave – 6174415566

Coffees & Teas

  • Algier’s Coffee House 40 Brattle St., Cambridge 6174921557
  • Dunkin’ Donuts www.dunkindonuts.com

1) 1 White Street, Cambridge 6173548336
2) 65 JFK Street, Cambridge 6173545096

Convenience Stores 

  • 7Eleven 40 JFK St., Cambridge 6178648095 www.7eleven.com
  • C’est Bon Convenience 1436 Mass Ave., Cambridge 6176611709
  • Louie’s Superette 26 Surrey St., Cambridge 6178766856
  • Montrose Spa 1646 Mass. Ave., Cambridge 6175475053
  • University Market 1105 Mass. Ave., Cambridge 6174925351

Food – Grocers 

1) 49 White St., Cambridge 6174925566
2) 699 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge 6178761450
3) 20 Sidney St., Cambridge 6174945250

Food – Health 

1) 115 Prospect St., Cambridge 6174920070
2) 200 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge 6174910040
3) 340 River Street Cambridge 6178766990

Restaurant Search Websites

Movie Theatres

Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington

Boston/Brookline

Museums

Sports and Recreation

Transportation

Harvard University Shuttles and Vans

Local Harvard Shuttle Bus Service (617.495.0400)

The Shuttle Bus is designed to provide students, faculty and staff with safe, convenient transportation on the Cambridge and Allston campuses throughout the academic year, except during recesses and a slightly reduced service during the January Term. The service is free to members of the Harvard community.

There are several routes that zigzag throughout Harvard University’s campuses. For the complete schedule, click here.

You can also see where the shuttles are live anytime you want with Shuttle Tracker For the Web and For your Mobile Device.

Pocket-sized schedules are available throughout the campuses, including the Information Center located in the Holyoke Center arcade, House offices, libraries, dining halls, and shuttle buses. For more information, call 617.495.0400.

Medical School Shuttle Service (617.632.2800)

The Medical School Shuttle (M2) is operated by MASCO (Medical, Academic, Scientific, and Community Organization) year-round, Monday through Saturday, between Johnston Gate and the Longwood Medical Area. For schedule information, please call 632-2800. Tickets and passes may be purchased in advance at 350 Longwood Avenue or at the Cash Receipts Office, 368 Holyoke Center. Medical students may ride free by showing a valid HMS photo ID to the driver.

Fully Accessible Daytime Van Service (617.495.0400), TTY: (617.496.6642)

The Daytime Van Service is intended for persons who, because of mobility impairment or medical condition, find it difficult or impossible to use the regular shuttle bus. Transportation is door to door within the Cambridge and Allston campuses. Rides in the van are by appointment only. All law school student riders must be authorized in advance by Cathleen Collins in the Dean of Students Office 617-496-2467 or ccollins @ law. Service times vary for academic, weekend, summer, and recess periods. Please call 617-495-0400 for specific service times and reservation requirements.

Fully Accessible Evening Van Service (617.495.0400)

The Evening Van Service is designed to provide safe transportation throughout the Cambridge and Allston campuses as a supplement to the Shuttle Bus. Rides are free and available on demand between 7:00pm and 3:00am nightly (last call received at 2:30am). Please call (617-495-0400) for more information and service requests.

HLS North Shuttle

A fully accessible, multi-passenger vehicle (12 passenger van, 2 wheelchairs) designed to transport Harvard University Community members to Somerville and Cambridge locations. The driver will ask for valid Harvard IDs to document rider ship and affiliation.

The shuttle departs from the parking lot in front of the Lewis International Law Center (1557 Massachusetts Ave)

  • Dates of Operation:
    Sunday, August 29th, 2010 through Wednesday May 11th, 2011
  • Hours of Operation:
    6:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (Sunday through Thursday)

Service will be suspended on all University recognized holidays except Veteran’s Day, President’s Day and during the following recess periods:

  • Thanksgiving Recess
    Wednesday, Nov 24th –Saturday, Nov 27th , 2010
  • Winter Recess     
    Tuesday, December 21st through Saturday, January 1st , 2011

The driver will ask for valid Harvard ID’s to document rider ship.

Other Information:
These times are approximate and could change due to traffic and or weather conditions.
Riders should call 617-495-0400 for customer service or send emails to shuttle@harvard.edu

Motorist Assistance Program (617-496-HELP)

Transportation Services provides free on-campus emergency road service for faculty, staff, students, and visitors who need help charging a dead battery, changing a tire, or retrieving keys that have been locked inside a car. This service is available between 8am and midnight, Monday through Friday (except University holidays). Please call (617-496-HELP).

Zipcar

Harvard students, faculty and staff can join Zipcar for only $25/year! Join Zipcar and get access to all of our cars – 24/7. Rent MINIs, VWs, hybrids and more – by the hour ($8.50/hour) or day ($60/day). Rates include gas, insurance and designated parking. Simply reserve online, let yourself in with your Zipcard and drive away. Harvard students, faculty and staff pay no application fee, no monthly minimum, no membership deposit. You only need to be 21+ to join. Zipcars are available all over Boston, New York and Washington DC.

MBTA or The “T”

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA or simply the “T”) runs a massive network of public transportation options. They’re also using better and better technology on their website to make their services easier to use. For example, you can use the trip planner to provide a starting and ending location and find the best public transit route in between accessing all MBTA services. You can also download the latest schedules for routes you use regularly to your Palm device or Pocket PC and be able to check the next three buses, trains, etc. at any time.

In concert with the MBTA, Harvard Law School offers students the opportunity to sign-up for the MBTA Semester Pass Program at a discount of 25%.

Local Taxis

Cambridge Taxi Cab – www.cambridgecab.com – (617) 252-3333 & (617) 259-6668

Ambassador Brattle Taxi and Yellow Cab – www.brattlecourier.com – (617) 492-1100
Cambridge Checker Cab – (617) 497-1500
Cambridge Cab Co – (617) 498-0006
Cambridge Union Taxi – (617) 661-2500

The information on this page has been researched and provided by the Dean of Students office. If you find that any of this information is no longer current, or if you have additional questions that are not answered here, please send an email to dos @ law.