# Any MA Dopers who know Cambridge area **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879 "2012-02-24T21:30:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/1 "2012-02-24T21:30:54Z")
If you drew a line from: 1.MIT 2.The MFA 3.Harvard Law School 4.Harvard Business School Would the enclosed area be mostly commercial or residential? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/2 "2012-02-25T00:12:04Z")
Do you really mean the MFA? Just wondering since that’s in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/3 "2012-02-25T00:16:21Z")
Looking at Google Maps, I am going to say primarily residential. There’s the Boston-side of the river portion which is quite a lot of commercial property, but the biggest portion of the area seems to be on the Cambridge-side and covers Cambridgeport and the Harvard residential buildings. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/4 "2012-02-25T00:16:59Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Do you really mean the MFA? Just wondering since that’s in Boston. Yes. :smack: Somebody pointed that out when I asked on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/5 "2012-02-25T00:17:46Z")
So is Harvard Business School. Harvard actually has more land in Boston than Cambridge. Taking those corners at face value, though, it includes most of the Back Bay and the Fenway, as well as half of Cambridge. Without checking a map, I’d say residential, easy. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/6 "2012-02-25T00:18:24Z")
In my mind, I don’t make a distinction between Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, etc. It all blends to me. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/7 "2012-02-25T00:18:38Z")
LOL. The MFA just a lot further afield than Harvard Business when we’re talking about Cambridge. Throws us for a loop and makes us wonder if there is something in Cambridge called the MFA 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/8 "2012-02-25T00:19:47Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > So is Harvard Business School. Harvard actually has more land in Boston than Cambridge. Only just barely, and it’s right across the river, not way over in the Fenway ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/9 "2012-02-25T00:33:52Z")
Thanks all. especially **motorgirl**. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/10 "2012-02-25T02:04:30Z")
Any particular reason for asking this question? I’m not entirely sure I agree with the prevailing answer that it’s mostly residential. I found [this map](http://cityretail.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/cambridge-zoning-map-400.jpg?w=300&h=300) that shows the zoning for that part of Cambridge. Assuming the yellow is residential, there’s plenty of red, tan, and purple in there, too. On the Boston side of the river, a lot of the area is taken up by BU (not sure what that counts as), Fenway Park (and its environs) and the Back Bay Fens (neither residential nor commercial, I would think). The answer may depend on the exact spots you pick for the four corners. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/11 "2012-02-25T10:45:05Z")
RobotArm-It’s relevant to my “Just OK American novel”. What’s dead center? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/12 "2012-02-25T11:50:57Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > What’s dead center? The Charles River. Actually, it’s kinda hard to say. Let’s see if [this link](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=MIT&hl=en&ll=42.356958,-71.094933&spn=0.051438,0.091839&sll=42.363618,-71.099198&sspn=0.102865,0.183678&hq=MIT&t=m&z=14) works. MIT is the red A on the map, Harvard is the upper left (Law School north, Business School south near Harvard Stadium), and the MFA is at the bottom center (near Simmons College on the map). I guess dead center among those would be near Pearl and Brookline Streets just north of the river. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/13 "2012-02-25T14:24:26Z")
This Google map shows the locations as blue markers. https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1e5k6uA9m5785r6p27Y24JHjibNY&msa=0&ll=42.357529,-71.117935&spn=0.075095,0.112095 I remain convinced that the majority of the land area is in Cambridge rather than Boston, due to the course of the Charles. I certainly haven’t walked every street in Cambridgeport, but it seems largely residential when I am there, and the commercial areas are small and mixed with residential. I am not sure how to count the BU, Harvard and MIT campuses, but the Harvard dorms are commingled with private residential buildings. Maybe etv78 can clarify what he means by commercial? Then maybe we could reconcile our opinions on whether it’s commercial vs residential land. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/14 "2012-02-25T14:56:26Z")
Commercial: Businesses without a living space. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/15 "2012-02-25T16:16:53Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Only just barely, and it’s right across the river, not way over in the Fenway Actually, the medical, dental, and public health schools are just a few blocks up Huntington from the MFA. Not terribly relevant, but I’m feeling factoidy today. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ma-dopers-who-know-cambridge-area/613879/16 "2012-02-25T19:00:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Any particular reason for asking this question? > > I’m not entirely sure I agree with the prevailing answer that it’s mostly residential. I found [this map](http://cityretail.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/cambridge-zoning-map-400.jpg?w=300&h=300) that shows the zoning for that part of Cambridge. Assuming the yellow is residential, there’s plenty of red, tan, and purple in there, too. On the Boston side of the river, a lot of the area is taken up by BU (not sure what that counts as), Fenway Park (and its environs) and the Back Bay Fens (neither residential nor commercial, I would think). > > The answer may depend on the exact spots you pick for the four corners. Oddly, I was just at the Cambridge zoning department looking at the poster sized version of that map yesterday. You can download the PDF version from [this page](http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cdd/cp/zng/zmap/zng_map.html). I’d basically describe all the Cambridgeport area as residential, even if River Street seems to be zoned as business. Sure there’s some shops and at least one bar along that stretch, but as far as what it looks like from street level, I’d call it a residential area. The part along the river is commercial, with MicroCenter and Trader Joe’s and stuff.