Getting to Know Your Neighborhood: Central Square
A guide to eating, shopping, and hanging out in Cambridge’s other square
Long overshadowed by its glitzier and more affluent neighbor Harvard Square, Cambridge’s Central Square is a diverse neighborhood with an eclectic array of ethnic eateries and retail shops, as well as upscale restaurants and bars. Nearly demolished during the 1950s—officials planned to build an eight-lane highway directly through it—Central Square was spared, only to suffer from increasing crime and general decay through the 1970s and 1980s.
But the neighborhood experienced a renaissance and today boasts a range of trendy cafés and nightclubs, as well as a growing number of technology start-ups. Still, Central Square retains a certain grittiness that lends it an air of unpolished authenticity—precisely what makes it so appealing.
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New City Microcreamery
403 Massachusetts Ave.
New City Microcreamery is unlike any other ice cream shop in the area: they use a liquid nitrogen technique to create smaller ice crystals than normal ice cream, producing the smooth texture they’re known for. The shop has classic flavors, like vanilla and cookies and cream, along with more adventurous options, such as tiramisu or baklava. Try the Nëwtellaroché (chocolate hazelnut ice cream with swirls of chocolate hazelnut cream and chunks of hazelnut clusters) or sweet corn vanilla blackberry (sweet corn ice cream with vanilla bean and swirls of blackberry). You can also create your own ice cream with custom gravies (sauces) and funks (fun toppings). The shop has vegan options too, including vegan peanut butter oreo (nondairy soy milk ice cream and peanut butter ice cream with Oreo pieces) and mango sorbet. Sundaes and milkshakes are available as well.