A City of Squares
Four Cambridge squares, end to end, on the Red Line.
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.
Numbered pins are the roam's stops; gold rings are bonus stops. Check in at each stop in the Shift app to complete the roam.
The route
Visit all 5 stops to complete this roam
Porter Square MBTA Stop
Starting point
One inbound Red Line stop — step out into Harvard Square.
Tip: Inbound Red Line — Harvard is one stop.
Harvard Square MBTA Stop
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.
Inman Square
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.
Central Square
One more inbound hop — Kendall drops you right into MIT's campus.
Tip: Board toward Ashmont/Braintree — Kendall is one stop.
Kendall Square / MIT
Final stop
How it works
A roam is a guided, self-paced adventure you follow in the free Shift app.
Follow the route
Open this roam in the Shift app and follow the turn-by-turn route at your own pace.
Check in at each stop
The app detects when you arrive and checks you in automatically. No scanning, no codes.
Earn the City of Squares badge
Complete the roam to earn the City of Squares badge and 10 XP.