North Cambridge

Quiet and quaint North Cambridge also goes by the moniker "Area 11." Porter Square and the Fitchburg Line railroad tracks form the southern boundary, with the Boston suburb Belmont anchoring the western border of this bucolic neighborhood. The primary commercial sections of North Cambridge bustle along the Massachusetts and Alewife Brook parkways. Davis Square, which thrives in nearby Somerville, also influences the economic climate of North Cambridge. With an average household income approaching $50,000, North Cambridge consists of modestly designed homes that sit back from tree-lined streets that explode with a rainbow assortment of colors during the fall. The neighborhood also includes a few gated communities where residents possess higher than area average wealth.  

Housing structures for the more than 11,000 North Cambridge residents vary from single and multi-family structures to high rise apartment building that cater to students and young professionals. Because of low housing turnover, property values remain stable or steadily increase in value, depending on the location of the property. North Cambridge links the urban ambiance of greater Boston to scenic countryside vistas that sprawl just past suburban outposts. Several open green spaces give North Cambridge the idyllic feel portrayed by Thoreau in Walden. Cambridge operates city parks within the neighborhood to encourage residents to participate in their favorite organized sports leagues.

As the northernmost neighborhood in Cambridge, North Cambridge receives public transit service from the MBTA red line. The Alewife red line station connects residents to other Boston communities, as well as to bus routes that navigate through narrow neighborhood streets. Massachusetts Avenue represents the busiest thoroughfare in North Cambridge, which is also the case for most other Cambridge neighborhoods. Massachusetts Avenue spans several miles form Porter Square to the Arlington boundary line. Residents of North Cambridge access Massachusetts Avenue to reach one of the area's interstates.