On the T is a continuing feature about Boston neighborhoods along the five lines of the T. The dedicated members of the Daily Features Department will fill up their Charlie Cards and be your guides to the vast expanses of Boston (or the ones easily accessible by subway).
When people emerge from the Harvard T stop on the Red Line, they are greeted by a quaint, cheerful scene: typically bustling with people and street vendors, and full of youthful energy — Harvard Square.
At first glance, its cobblestone streets seem full of vestiges of the Puritan village it was founded as in 1630. But Harvard Square is far from traditional — particularly when it comes to epicurean pursuits.
Veggie Planet (47 Palmer St.), for one, serves lunch, dinner and brunch and specializes in vegan pizzas and other plant-based delicacies. After hours, the restaurant transforms into Club Passim, a folk music hub where Bob Dylan is said to have performed in 1961.
Another safe choice for relatively inexpensive pizzas and salads is Oggi's (Holyoke Center). The only trick is finding it, as it is located in the lobby of the Holyoke Center, a 10-story office building across from Harvard Yard.
For those not looking to go on a treasure hunt, Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe (6 Brattle St.) is squat in the center of the Square and has been there since 1950. In addition to a huge deli sandwich selection, the family-owned store also offers a wide selection of food and wine gifts to satisfy even the most discerning of food snobs.
"We have a huge collection of international goods, but we also support local Cambridge producers, such as Lake Champlain and Tazo Chocolate," employee Eileen Elliott said.
Cardullo's has one of the largest tea selections in the Square, as well as an impressive array of honey and European chocolates, and for clientele of legal drinking age, Cardullo's has a broad collection of microbrews.
Sugar addicts should consider an outing to Harvard incomplete without a stop at Berryline (3 Arrow St.) for dessert. Customers will be put to the test come spring, when rival frozen yogurt joint Pinkberry plans to open up shop in the neighborhood, but some loyalists made their devotion clear.
"One of my favorite things to do is to run to Berryline, eat [somewhere else], and then run back [to Berryline]," junior Callie Mchugh said.
Junior Bryn Kass was equally enthusiastic about Berryline fro-yo and believes everyone nearby should treat themselves to the experience.
"For the perfect afternoon, [I always] cool down by going to Berryline and getting the banana-flavored fro-yo," Kass said.
A fairly large commercial hub, Harvard is also well-stocked for local fashionistas and is often the first place Tufts students go when they need new apparel.
"I do [all my] last-minute shopping at Harvard because I'm always guaranteed to find something. It's close, and it has such a great variety of stores," junior Lauren Augustine said.
Some of the more popular stores in the Square include Gap, Lululemon Athletica and Anthropologie. And a staple for die-hard hipsters and preppies alike is Urban Outfitters (11 JFK St.), replete with styles modeled after the latest runway looks but at a fraction of high-end prices.
Students who are willing and able to pay for actual runway looks should head to The Tannery, a self-proclaimed lifestyle store that carries high-end shoes, clothes and sunglasses. With an extensive brand list that includes popular labels like Rag & Bone and ADAM, The Tannery has something for those willing to drop $600 on a jacket. Do make sure to check out the sale section for bargains, though.
LF (26 Church St.) is another popular destination for Tufts students, particularly during its annual sales when all store merchandise is 60 percent off. The store carries a range of hard-to-find European designers as well as edgy shoe brands like Jeffrey Campbell.
Located roughly two-and-a-half miles from campus, Harvard Square is easily accessible by subway, the 96 bus route or on foot, when weather permits.
