I hesitate to file this under “Excursions” as it was more “exploration” than a trip someplace. Nonetheless, I went and explored Harvard Square on my bike, and rode down Mass Ave past MIT, and then back. Some observations:
- Most important, this is a real bike town. Unlike New York, where the bikes hide in parks, and only bike messengers, delivery boys, and the fearless/mentally unstable venture onto streets, people are going in all directions here. It may be partly a weekend thing, but it is truly much more bike friendly. Less car volume, less speed, better acclimated to cars. Fun. Apropos of my previous post, I think the way in which the streets are totally nonsense dissuades driving in Cambridge to a large degree.
- There aren’t any bke shops in Harvard Square. Why is that? Local residents (the three I polled) only directed me to ones a mile out along Broadway or Mass Ave (either direction).
- There are a damn lot of pubs.
- Memorial drive is not a good path to take; it is a narrow little sidewalk with lots of people and other bikes on it.
- There are not many interesting buildings to look at in Cambridge.
We’ll see how these observations evolve. I would like to take my bike out to work at some point (in Acton), although it is far and I don’t want to be sweaty all day.
