So, tomorrow a friend and I are heading out to Cambridge for dinner and a movie. We’re planning to see Camp at the theater in Kendall Square. Our plan is to take the T from Alewife to the Kendall/MIT stop.
There seem to be two issues, however:
It’s a wee bit of a walk from the T station to the theater, from the maps I’ve seen
I’ve heard stories of people who had a hard time finding the place, and I don’t want to get lost in downtown Cambridge
Anyway, is there a fool-proof way to find this place and not get hopelessly lost in the process?
Also:
Is there any reliable way of finding places in the city that you’ve never been to before? I love the Boston area, but I’m just a country boy, so to speak. I know my way around some of the more obvious locations, like Harvard Square, but I’m honestly pretty clueless about the rest of it. Any tricks and tips?
Help me out and maybe you’ll get to see me at a Dopefest someday! cool
I lived near there for many years. While I don’t know the current businesses, the streets and T stations are firmly etched in my mind. If you could tell me the name of the theater (I can’t imagine that would be incriminating), I or someone else might be better able to help.
As you mentioned, the theatre’s name is the Kendall Square Cinema; unfortunately it isn’t exactly on the spot most people think of as Kendall Square. The website says “The Kendall Square Cinema is located in Cambridge between Historic Kendall Square and Central Square near the intersection of Binney Street and Cardinal Medieros Avenue, next to the MIT campus.” Only, it’s not “next” to the MIT campus, for a definition of next as most people define it.
The directions from Car-Free in Boston (below) are
It would be a good idea to print out a map - Boston and Cambridge streets rarely have street signs.
Now, to the general question of getting around Boston, Cambridge, etc, I’d recommend the book Car-Free in Boston. After a long wait, there is finally a new edition, published by Rubel BikeMaps and still afilliated with the Association for Public Transportation, Inc. Transit information (bus, train, commuter rail, private transit companies), maps of various neighborhoods and towns, directions to local attractions – it’s a valuable tool.
Thanks! As is happens, the cinema website happens to have a map that makes those directions completely comprehensible! Looks like I just might make it without getting lost along the way ;). Thanks for the help, and thanks for mentioning the book, it sounds great!
I used to work near there. The direction look correct. Re,ember – the Kendall Square Theater isn’t actually in endall Square. It’s on Binney Street, right next to a huge and garishly yellow-and-gray parking garage. You’ll pass by a huge hole in he ground where they’re constructing yet another Biotech building. This is all across the street from complex of buildings (mostly biotech). Binney is a short street crossed by a railroad track (it’s a live crossing, by the way. Trains still occasionally go that way). The cinema is set well back from th street, but there are signs. If you get to Portland Avenue/Cardinal Medeiros Ave. you’ve gone too far.
