Harvard Square
Specialty Card Store Lovepop Pops Up In Harvard Square
Specialty card retailer Lovepop opened its largest brick-and-mortar store yet in Harvard Square last Tuesday.
Michelin-Starred Chef Mark Ladner Returns Home to Open Italian Restaurant in Harvard Square
Michelin-starred chef Mark R. Ladner plans to return to where his distinguished culinary career began by opening an Italian restaurant called Bar Enza in Harvard Square this September.
Harvard Square’s Garage Building Moves Toward Redevelopment After Historical Commission Approval
The Cambridge Historical Commission approved Trinity Property Management’s plan to remake the Garage Building — a shopping mall located at 36 JFK St. that houses stores like Le’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and Newbury Comics — at a meeting last week.
Blue Bottle Coffee Permanently Pours Out of Harvard Square
Blue Bottle Coffee turned its temporary Covid-wrought closure into a permanent one last month, leaving Harvard Square just three years after its opening.
Blue Bottle Coffee Closes
Blue Bottle Coffee in Harvard Square permanently closed its doors last month.
As Massachusetts Reopens, Harvard Square Businesses Regain Lost Momentum
After a year of uncertainty, Harvard Square business owners are looking forward to welcoming more tourists and students to the Square in the next few months, now that Covid-19 vaccines are readily available in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Fridge in the Square
Someone in Harvard Square peers into the "Fridge in the Square." This community fridge opened in January to help combat food insecurity.
Cannabis Store Cookies Set To Open in Harvard Square After Cambridge Planning Board Approves Special Permit
The Cambridge Planning Board unanimously approved a special permit for cannabis store Cookies on Tuesday, allowing it to open in Harvard Square in the near future.
El Jefe's
Gloria, a cook at El Jefe’s Taqueria on Mt. Auburn Street prepares tacos for a takeout order. Unlike many other restaurants in Harvard Square, El Jefe’s has not reduced its operating hours and remains open 20 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe Employee
An employee at Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe on Brattle Street prepares fresh bread by the deli counter. Cardullo’s has remained open, despite the pandemic, to provide gourmet delicacies and gifts, as it has since 1950.
Pinocchio's Ivan and Israel
Two chefs, Ivan and Israel, prepare pizza behind the counter at Pinnochio’s Pizza and Subs on Winthrop Street. Pinnochio’s has often been a late-night favorite in Harvard Square, but as of late November 2021, only take-out orders can be placed after 9:30 p.m.
In Photos: The State of Harvard Square, One Year Later
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Harvard Square was a center of activity, bustling with people shopping, eating, and admiring the historic buildings of Harvard’s campus. When the pandemic began, the Square took a hit — the stream of tourists slowed, and almost all students departed campus by March 15, 2020. Besides the loss of customers, non-essential businesses, such as salons, shut down to comply with state orders from the Massachusetts government. Now, a year after students initially departed from campus, the Square is still weathering the effects of the ongoing pandemic.