Visited Harvard - Didnt like Campus or Cambridge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard Square has been overbuilt in recent years. I lived in the area 25 years ago, and then again a couple of years ago. It was much nicer years ago. All the old, charming places have been squeezed out. Alot of the character is gone from the place. It made me really sad, actually. Davis Square is now what Harvard Square used to be - very fun and lively.

Yes!! I first moved to Cambridge about 17ish years ago and it was SO much nicer then. All the cute little shops. The bookstore closures have been devastating. And I mourn Veggie Planet! And I miss the pit outsude the H2 T being an actually pit with the goth kids. I do love the yard though. It is magical when snow covered. But every urban area needs a bit of grit and now basically Harvard Square is banks with a few hidden gems nestled in. Davis is also not as nice as it used to be.

I was heartbroken when we moved back and Au Bon Pain was gone. There used to be so many quirky characters hanging out there. Pizzeria Uno closed while we were living there. That diner by Out Of Town News has been gone for years. It’s a shell of its former self.

Green House Cafe had been there forever too! I am sorry to say Curious George moved to Central about a week or so ago. You hit the nail on the head when you said it is a shell of its former self. It is also just way to expensive to live in the area, which has pushed out a lot of the artists and writers.

Aww, bummer about Curious George. There was talk of them leaving when we were there. My kids loved that place (as did I!). So disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard Square has been overbuilt in recent years. I lived in the area 25 years ago, and then again a couple of years ago. It was much nicer years ago. All the old, charming places have been squeezed out. Alot of the character is gone from the place. It made me really sad, actually. Davis Square is now what Harvard Square used to be - very fun and lively.

Yes!! I first moved to Cambridge about 17ish years ago and it was SO much nicer then. All the cute little shops. The bookstore closures have been devastating. And I mourn Veggie Planet! And I miss the pit outsude the H2 T being an actually pit with the goth kids. I do love the yard though. It is magical when snow covered. But every urban area needs a bit of grit and now basically Harvard Square is banks with a few hidden gems nestled in. Davis is also not as nice as it used to be.

I was heartbroken when we moved back and Au Bon Pain was gone. There used to be so many quirky characters hanging out there. Pizzeria Uno closed while we were living there. That diner by Out Of Town News has been gone for years. It’s a shell of its former self.

Do you remember that "Spare Change" newspaper seller guy that used to stand by ABP? I'm sure he's long gone, but he was a hoot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree about Cambridge being really hard to deal with. Traffic is crazy, parking difficult. And Harvard's campus is not the "prettiest."

I like New Haven better. I did several years in grad school there. It's reputation is worse than the actual livability of the place.

But Princeton is by far the nicest campus for undergraduates. Can also take a train or bus to NYC for a day/night out.

But New Haven still is much more dangerous than Cambridge. And I did like that I could get to everywhere using the "T" in Cambridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is Harvard and hard to turn down. But wow, Cambridge was busy and much more run down then I would have believed. The Harvard campus isnt even in the top 20. And I could only imagine how ugly it must be in the dead of Winter.

Werent impreseed at all especially relative to the other Ivy's we visited. Take away the name - meh.

This is very concerning, what if every other school rejects your kid and Harvard is the only choice. What will you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard Square has been overbuilt in recent years. I lived in the area 25 years ago, and then again a couple of years ago. It was much nicer years ago. All the old, charming places have been squeezed out. Alot of the character is gone from the place. It made me really sad, actually. Davis Square is now what Harvard Square used to be - very fun and lively.

Yes!! I first moved to Cambridge about 17ish years ago and it was SO much nicer then. All the cute little shops. The bookstore closures have been devastating. And I mourn Veggie Planet! And I miss the pit outsude the H2 T being an actually pit with the goth kids. I do love the yard though. It is magical when snow covered. But every urban area needs a bit of grit and now basically Harvard Square is banks with a few hidden gems nestled in. Davis is also not as nice as it used to be.

I was heartbroken when we moved back and Au Bon Pain was gone. There used to be so many quirky characters hanging out there. Pizzeria Uno closed while we were living there. That diner by Out Of Town News has been gone for years. It’s a shell of its former self.

Do you remember that "Spare Change" newspaper seller guy that used to stand by ABP? I'm sure he's long gone, but he was a hoot!

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/11/9/spare-change-news-2017/

I saw him the last time I was there in 2017, really brought me back in time 20 years.

[Anonymous]

I loved that Au Bon Pain. As a poor student it felt like a treat. Funny to think back to that place and time in my life.

[Anonymous]

I also have a child who picked Stanford over Harvard. I wish DD had stayed closer to home but like many other posters commented - she didn’t like feeling like a tourist attraction. I’m sure Stanford has just as many tourists but since Stanford campus is almost twice as large as all of Cambridge the tourist are not intrusive.

[Anonymous]

Okay folks. We do realize that au bon pain is a chain and has been replaced by other chains? I'm not sure that the character of harvard square ever revolved around chains like au bon pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay folks. We do realize that au bon pain is a chain and has been replaced by other chains? I'm not sure that the character of harvard square ever revolved around chains like au bon pain.

It wasn’t the restaurant, it was the open air plaza in front where people gathered and ate and played chess and listened to musicians and people watched. That space is gone now, or at least it was when I left a couple of years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its not a pretty place any more. It's also all about the name. When DC visited at admit weekend they said - "I never met an undergrad that was truly happy. Their response was ITS HARVARD" . Looks like the mental health center will be quite busy.

DC is going to Stanford.

Lol good one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard Square has been overbuilt in recent years. I lived in the area 25 years ago, and then again a couple of years ago. It was much nicer years ago. All the old, charming places have been squeezed out. Alot of the character is gone from the place. It made me really sad, actually. Davis Square is now what Harvard Square used to be - very fun and lively.

Yes!! I first moved to Cambridge about 17ish years ago and it was SO much nicer then. All the cute little shops. The bookstore closures have been devastating. And I mourn Veggie Planet! And I miss the pit outsude the H2 T being an actually pit with the goth kids. I do love the yard though. It is magical when snow covered. But every urban area needs a bit of grit and now basically Harvard Square is banks with a few hidden gems nestled in. Davis is also not as nice as it used to be.

I was heartbroken when we moved back and Au Bon Pain was gone. There used to be so many quirky characters hanging out there. Pizzeria Uno closed while we were living there. That diner by Out Of Town News has been gone for years. It’s a shell of its former self.

Do you remember that "Spare Change" newspaper seller guy that used to stand by ABP? I'm sure he's long gone, but he was a hoot!

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/11/9/spare-change-news-2017/

I saw him the last time I was there in 2017, really brought me back in time 20 years.

He is still there! In fact I recognize a lot of the homeless people in the square. Border Cafe is still there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay folks. We do realize that au bon pain is a chain and has been replaced by other chains? I'm not sure that the character of harvard square ever revolved around chains like au bon pain.

It wasn’t the restaurant, it was the open air plaza in front where people gathered and ate and played chess and listened to musicians and people watched. That space is gone now, or at least it was when I left a couple of years ago.

The space is semi back now that the new student center is open. It is a glass monstrosity but the chest board tables are there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay folks. We do realize that au bon pain is a chain and has been replaced by other chains? I'm not sure that the character of harvard square ever revolved around chains like au bon pain.

It wasn’t the restaurant, it was the open air plaza in front where people gathered and ate and played chess and listened to musicians and people watched. That space is gone now, or at least it was when I left a couple of years ago.

Also had the cleanest public bathroom in the Square, which you could use even if you didn't buy anything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay folks. We do realize that au bon pain is a chain and has been replaced by other chains? I'm not sure that the character of harvard square ever revolved around chains like au bon pain.

It wasn’t the restaurant, it was the open air plaza in front where people gathered and ate and played chess and listened to musicians and people watched. That space is gone now, or at least it was when I left a couple of years ago.

Exactly. I remember the atmosphere, sitting outside with friends.

[Anonymous]

This kind of nonsense and obsession with name brand university makes Angelina Jolie look like Mother Theresa who doesn’t give a hoot about brand chasing. She’s enrolling her oldest son Maddox at an obscure university no one’s heard about... in S. Korea: "She loves him and is so proud of how wise he is beyond his years. She has encouraged him to travel nonstop, to learn many languages, and now has plans for him to go to university overseas..."