A City of Squares
Four Cambridge squares, end to end. The Red Line carries you between Porter, Harvard, Central, and Kendall/MIT, and two short walks (or quick Bluebikes hops) bridge the gap to Inman, which has no T stop of its own.
Expect Christina's Ice Cream, triple-deckers along Prospect Street, and a coffee or two along the way.
Designed by Nick Mitch
- Length
- 4 mi
- Time
- 36 min
- stops included
- Stops
- 5 stops
Starts at Porter Square MBTA Stop, ends at Kendall Square / MIT · Directions
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The route, stop by stop
Numbered pins are the stops.
Follow it with Shift, free
A map of the route, directions to each stop in your maps app, and automatic check-in when you arrive. Finish to unlock the City of Squares badge.
Stop 1: Porter Square MBTA Stop
Start
Porter's Red Line platform is 105 feet underground, the deepest in the MBTA. Outside, look up at Gift of the Wind, a tall sculpture that turns in the breeze.
Bluebikes: Porter Square Station, 2 bikes there now, 1 min walk.
About this stopNext: Ride to Harvard Square MBTA Stop
1.1 mi · 4 min
One inbound Red Line stop, then step out into Harvard Square.
Red LineBoard at PorterHarvard(1 stop, toward Ashmont/Braintree)Inbound Red Line — Harvard is one stop.
Stop 2: Harvard Square MBTA Stop
The 1928 subway kiosk at the center of Harvard Square, home to Out of Town News for decades, sits steps from Harvard Yard.
About this stopNext: Walk to Inman Square
1.1 mi · 16 min
East on Cambridge Street, past the Law School and Christina's Ice Cream, before the streets open into Inman.
Terrain: Flat sidewalk the whole way. Busy crossings at Broadway and Prospect.
Along the way: Prefer to bike? Bluebikes stations at Harvard Square and Inman Square make this ~5 minutes on two wheels.
Stop 3: Inman Square
Where Cambridge and Hampshire streets meet, a neighborhood square full of restaurants and cafes. It takes its name from Ralph Inman, an 18th-century merchant.
Next: Walk to Central Square
0.8 mi · 13 min
South on Inman Street, then left onto Mass Ave, the main drag into Central Square, with wide sidewalks and storefronts the whole way.
Terrain: Flat sidewalks. Busy crossing at Mass Ave.
Along the way: Bluebikes stations at Inman and Central Square — ~4 minutes by bike.
Stop 4: Central Square
Cambridge's seat of government on Mass Ave, with City Hall, music clubs, restaurants from around the world and the painted walls of Graffiti Alley.
About this stopNext: Ride to Kendall Square / MIT
1 mi · 3 min
One more inbound hop. Kendall drops you right into MIT's campus.
Red LineBoard at CentralKendall/MIT(1 stop, toward Ashmont/Braintree)Board toward Ashmont/Braintree — Kendall is one stop.
Stop 5: Kendall Square / MIT
Finish
MIT's front door and a hub for biotech and tech companies. The MIT Museum reopened here on Main Street in 2022.
About this stop
Getting there
- Bluebikes near the start, right now
- Porter Square Station1 min walk · 2 bikes · 16 docks
- Lesley University2 min walk · 12 bikes · 3 docks
How it works
A roam is a self-guided route you follow at your own pace in the free Shift app.
Follow the route
Open this roam in the Shift app and follow it at your own pace.
Check in at each stop
The app checks you in when you arrive. No scanning, no codes. Visit all 5 stops and the roam is complete.
Unlock the City of Squares badge
Finish the roam and the City of Squares badge is yours.