You might
think that Cambridge is simply a neighborhood of Boston, but this city of
about 100,000 that's famous for its esteemed schools of higher learning is
very much its own entity. And despite the somewhat conservative common
perceptions of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Cambridge cultivates a great sense of diversity and has
much to offer lesbian and gay visitors. The Cambridge Office of Tourism
puts it wonderfully well with its slogan: "A little funkier. A little
spunkier. Definitely spicier."
Of course, Cambridge lies just across the Charles River from less funky,
spunky, and spicy Boston, so it's easy to get back and forth between the
two cities, by car or taxi, bus or metro, or even on foot. Cambridge has
no shortage of first-rate, gay-friendly accommodations, so you can always
overnight here, but its proximity to Boston makes it great as a day trip
from the latter, too.
Puritans settled Cambridge in 1630 and six years later founded America's
first university, Harvard, which remains a top tourist draw - walking
tours of campus are given daily. Dozens of shops and eateries line the
streets around Harvard Square (where Massachusetts Avenue and John F.
Kennedy Street intersect). Within steps of it are such vaunted cultural
institutions as the Widener Library, with the country's second-largest
book collection; the Fogg Art Museum, whose 80,000 holdings concentrate
mostly on European and American painting; the Arthur M. Sackler Museum,
which emphasizes Asiatic, ancient Greek and Roman, and Egyptian, Buddhist,
and Islamic art; and the mammoth Harvard University Museums of Cultural
and Natural History.
To the southeast, MIT's campus fringes the Charles River near Kendall
Square, a bustling hub of dining and shopping. Although not as
exhilarating to tour as Harvard, MIT's 135-acre campus does have a few
museums as well as some noteworthy modern architecture by I. M. Pei, Alvar
Aalto, Eero Saarinen, and other design luminaries of the past century.
You'll find plenty of great bookstores in Cambridge, but the iconic
feminist one, New Words, closed in 2002. Fortunately, the same owners have
created a space with a similar mission, the Center for New Words. This
nonprofit literary and cultural center holds readings, sponsors events and
workshops, and offers women an inviting space to meet and network. Continue to page
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The Hunk
