Central Square

If you want city-ish vibes without being in downtown Boston, Central Square is often considered one of the best places to be in Cambridge. First, you have a red line T stop which is a VERY short 5-10 minute ride to the Park Street stop in downtown Boston. While Kendall Square T stop is slightly closer to Boston, Central Square has more neighborhoody vibes, so for a lot of buyers and renters, this is often a better way to go. You also will find tons of shops and restaurants all along Mass Ave including a really awesome H-Mart grocery store. You'll also find some live music venues and on nice days you can follow Mass Ave all the way over the bridge into downtown Boston on foot or bike.