Like Paris, Harvard Square is said to be one of those places in the world

Cambridge

Like Paris, Harvard Square is said to be one of those places in the world where, if you sit long enough, everyone you know will walk by. This is, of course, a way of noting that Cambridge (with Harvard Square as its international epicenter) is a very cosmopolitan place. Home, of course, to Harvard University, Harvard Square is also home to upwards of 30 book stores, hundreds of fascinating and unique shops, world-class restaurants, two major hotels, some smaller inns, and a world-famous repertory theater. Summer and winter, the streets fill up with sidewalk performances of every stripe and taste, from seemingly every continent. From the time this was a colonial farmer's cow yard—hence the origin of one of the world's most exclusive parking spots, Harvard Yard—the "Square" has been a focus of diverse activity, always lively, often famous, sometimes infamous. Within its historic bounds converge deep thoughts, commercial fervor, and the ceaseless impetuosity of youth.