Kendall Square - Present

Present

High-tech firms are lured by the proximity of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus on the south side of Main Street. MIT owns some of the commercial real estate in the square, and has been actively constructing space for new high-tech tenants as well as rebuilding its own facilities fronting Main Street. Nearby MIT facilities include the Stata Center and the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as many other buildings of the eastern end of the MIT campus. The MIT Press Bookstore is a regional attraction, offering a complete selection of Press titles, plus a large selection of complementary works from other academic and trade publishers, including magazines and academic journals, for browsing and retail purchase.

Many high-tech firms are in two high-level office complex parks: One Kendall Square and Technology Square, both about half a mile west of the traditional location of Kendall Square. The Cambridge Center office development is closest to the Kendall Square intersection. The Cambridge Innovation Center a shared office space for startups and venture capital firms founded by Tim Rowe currently occupied by almost four hundred businesses from one person size up is also close by at One Broadway.

Restaurants in the area include The Friendly Toast, Tommy Doyle's Irish Pub & Restaurant, Cambridge Brewing Company and Legal Sea Foods, popular locations for business gatherings. A food plaza on the first floor of the Marriott Hotel, and food trucks parked in lots near the corner of Main and Vassar Streets (weekdays lunch only), sell fast food at low prices, with a variety of cuisines (Asian, Italian, Mexican, etc.) to choose from.

Several hotels are located in Kendall Square, including the Boston Marriott Cambridge, the Cambridge Residence Inn, and the Kendall Hotel. Several more hotels are located within walking distance. There have also been several large condominium developments.