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Central Square Neighborhood Guide Boston, MA
About
Central Square is a bustling and vibrant neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, known for its diverse culture, active nightlife, and a plethora of dining options. It's conveniently located between Harvard and MIT, attracting a younger crowd of students and professionals. The neighborhood is home to the Central Square Theater and the Middle East Nightclub, making it a hotspot for arts and entertainment. Additionally, Massachusetts Avenue, the main thoroughfare, provides easy access to other parts of Boston.
What You Will Love About Central Square, Boston, Massachusetts
- The neighborhood's multicultural atmosphere, with everything from Afro-Caribbean eateries to Middle Eastern bakeries.
- The vibrant arts scene, with many small galleries, street art, and the Central Square Theater.
- The lively nightlife, particularly on Massachusetts Avenue, which is full of bars, clubs, and live music venues.
- The easy access to higher learning institutions such as Harvard and MIT.
What's Nearby
Central Square is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Kendall Square and Inman Square. It's also a quick ride to Downtown Boston, making it convenient for work, shopping, and entertainment. Additionally, the Charles River is nearby, offering beautiful views and perfect for outdoor activities like kayaking or going for a run.
Lifestyle
Life in Central Square is energetic and dynamic, ideal for young professionals and students due to its proximity to educational institutions and downtown workplaces. Residents enjoy a mix of urban life with the neighborhood's diverse food scenes and rich cultural events, while also having easy access to recreational activities by the Charles River.
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Explore the Neighborhood
There are 245 restaurants, 67 grocery stores, and 24 parks within a mile of the Central Square neighborhood.
Shaw's SupermarketsRetail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.1 miles
246 Border St
- Estrellita Food Market
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.1 miles
290 Meridian St
- La Bendicion
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.2 miles
32 Bennington St
- East Coast Variety
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.3 miles
67 Bennington St
- EBO & Co. Grocery
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.3 miles
110 Meridian St
- Meridian Food Market
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.3 miles
121 Meridian St
- Shaw's Supermarkets
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.1 miles
246 Border St
- Estrellita Food Market
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.1 miles
290 Meridian St
- Kappy's Fine Wine & Spirits
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Liquor Store, Wine Store
•0.1 miles
216 Border St
- Kappy's Liquors
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Liquor Store
•0.2 miles
216 Border St
- Castillo Liquors
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Liquor Store
•0.2 miles
228 Meridian St
- La Bendicion
Retail, Food and Beverage Retail, Grocery Store
•0.2 miles
32 Bennington St
Mi Pueblito RestaurantDining and Drinking, Restaurant, Mexican Restaurant, Latin American Restaurant, Salvadoran Restaurant
•0.1 miles
333 Border St
- Rinconcito Salvadoreno
Dining and Drinking, Restaurant, Fast Food Restaurant, Latin American Restaurant, Salvadoran Restaurant, Spanish Restaurant
•0.1 miles
313 Meridian St
- Canton Eatery
Dining and Drinking, Restaurant, Asian Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant
•0.1 miles
339 Meridian St
- New Ming Liang Restaurant
Dining and Drinking, Restaurant, Asian Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant
•0.1 miles
339 Meridian St
- Saigon Hut
Dining and Drinking, Restaurant, Asian Restaurant, Vietnamese Restaurant
•0.1 miles
305 Meridian St
- La Cancun Restaurant
Dining and Drinking, Restaurant, Latin American Restaurant, South American Restaurant
•0.1 miles
192 Summer St
B D's DiscountRetail, Department Store, Discount Store
•0.1 miles
282 Border St
- Tellos
Retail, Department Store
•0.2 miles
221 Border St
- CVS Pharmacy
Retail, Drugstore
•0.2 miles
210 Border St
- Marshalls
Retail, Department Store, Fashion Retail, Clothing Store
•0.2 miles
200 Border St
- Anthony Market
Retail, Convenience Store
•0.2 miles
407 Meridian St
- Family Dollar Store
Retail, Discount Store
•0.2 miles
22 Bennington St
Paris Street ParkLandmarks and Outdoors, Park, Playground
•0.4 miles
112 Paris St
- Mayor Thomas M. Menino Park
Landmarks and Outdoors, Park
•0.4 miles
98 16th St
- Shipyard Park
Landmarks and Outdoors, Park
•0.4 miles
100 Condor St
- Putnum Square Park
Landmarks and Outdoors, Park
•0.4 miles
70 Putnam St
- Bremen Street Dog Park
Landmarks and Outdoors, Park
•0.5 miles
145 Bremen St
- Lombardi Memorial Park
Landmarks and Outdoors, Park
•0.5 miles
61 Maverick St
Central Park LanesArts and Entertainment, Bowling Alley
•0.2 miles
10 Saratoga St
- Billares Colombia
Arts and Entertainment
•0.2 miles
28 Bennington St
- The Well Coffee House
Arts and Entertainment, Performing Arts Venue, Music Venue, Dining and Drinking, Cafe, Coffee, and Tea House, Coffee Shop
•0.3 miles
173 Border St
- D J Fiore
Arts and Entertainment
•0.3 miles
116 Eutaw St
- Atlantic Works Gallery
Arts and Entertainment, Art Gallery
•0.4 miles
80 Border St
- Mamacasts
Arts and Entertainment, Museum
•0.4 miles
80 Border St
Super LaundramatBusiness and Professional Services, Health and Beauty Services
•0.1 miles
266 Border St
- The Darling Starling Salon
Business and Professional Services, Health and Beauty Service, Hair Salon
•0.1 miles
4 Lexington St
- Happy Barber Shop
Business and Professional Services, Health and Beauty Service, Hair Salon
•0.1 miles
333 Meridian St
- Soap Box
Business and Professional Services, Laundromat
•0.1 miles
303 Meridian St
- Biddy Hair Salon
Business and Professional Services, Health and Beauty Service, Hair Salon
•0.1 miles
273 Meridian St
- Moreno Barbershop
Business and Professional Services, Health and Beauty Service, Barbershop
•0.1 miles
262 Meridian St
Beacon Hill Athletic ClubsSports and Recreation, Gym and Studio
•0.2 miles
252 Meridian St
Westerbeke Fishing Gear Co.Retail, Sporting Goods Retail
•0.2 miles
400 Border St
- Brazilian Soccer House
Retail, Sporting Goods Retail
•0.4 miles
110 Meridian St
- Paris Street Pool
Sports and Recreation, Water Sports, Swimming, Swimming Pool
•0.4 miles
113 Paris St
- Harborview NavyYard
Sports and Recreation, Gym and Studio
•0.5 miles
250 1st Ave
- The Eddy Gym
Sports and Recreation, Gym and Studio
•0.5 miles
10 New St
La Gran ManzanaDining and Drinking, Bar, Restaurant, Latin American Restaurant, South American Restaurant, Brazilian Restaurant, Colombian Restaurant
•0.2 miles
22 Central Sq
- Kelley Square Pub
Dining and Drinking, Bar, Pub
•0.3 miles
84 Bennington St
- Pueblo Viejo Mexican Grill
Dining and Drinking, Bar, Restaurant, Mexican Restaurant, Latin American Restaurant, Salvadoran Restaurant
•0.3 miles
170 Marion St
- Cafe Gigu
Dining and Drinking, Bar
•0.4 miles
102 Meridian St
- Pazza On Porter
Dining and Drinking, Bar, Cocktail Bar, Lounge, Restaurant, Italian Restaurant
•0.4 miles
107 Porter St
- Next Door
Dining and Drinking, Bar, Speakeasy
•0.4 miles
103 Porter St
Harborside Community CenterCommunity and Government, Community Center
•312 Border St
- Veronica Robles Cultural Center
Community and Government, Cultural Center
•0.1 miles
282 Meridian St
- BCYF- Paris Street Community Center and Pool
Community and Government, Community Center
•0.4 miles
112 Paris St
- Harbor City School
Business and Professional Services, Child Care Service, Community and Government, Education, Preschool
•0.6 miles
196 Putnam St
- Allo
Community and Government, Community Center, Landmarks and Outdoors, Park, Playground, Sports and Recreation, Indoor Play Area
•0.6 miles
197 8th St
- East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library
Community and Government, Library
•0.7 miles
365 Bremen St
Warrior Care Network - Home BaseHealth and Medicine, Hospital
•0.4 miles
300 1st Ave
- Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Health and Medicine, Hospital
•0.4 miles
300 1st Ave
- East Boston Police Department
Community and Government, Government Building, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, Police Station
•0.5 miles
69 Paris St
- Boston Police A-7
Community and Government, Government Building, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, Police Station
•0.5 miles
69 Paris St
- Partners HealthCare / MGH - Charlestown Navy Yard
Health and Medicine, Hospital
•0.6 miles
149 13th St
- Mass State Police Barracks
Community and Government, Government Building, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, Police Station
•0.7 miles
2 Service Rd
Central Square Apartments and Rentals
356 Rental properties in Central Square, Boston, MA.
Cost of Living
| Category | Compare to State Avg. | Compare to National Avg. |
|---|---|---|
| housing | 2.5% | 119.4% |
| utilities | 1.5% | 42.9% |
| food | 0.1% | 5% |
| transportation | 0.3% | 12.6% |
| healthcare | 0.1% | 17.9% |
Central Square Demographics
Central Square Reviews
Near Grocery Stores
Yes
Say 4 of 4 renters
Area Has Potholes
No
Say 4 of 4 renters
Area Has Litter
No
Say 3 of 4 renters
Nearby Parks
Yes
Say 3 of 4 renters
Good Place To Raise A Family
Yes
Say 3 of 4 renters
Safe For Families
Yes
Say 3 of 4 renters
Central Square Transportation
Walker’s Paradise
Bikeable
Excellent Transit
Marion Street bus stop
Bus Stop
Marion Street
MBTA Airport Station
Other
1 Harborside Dr
Maverick Station
Train Stop
220 Sumner St
Source: foursquare.com
Maverick Station
Train Stop
220 Sumner St
Maverick MBTA Station - Blue Line
Train Stop
220 Sumner St
Source: foursquare.com
MBTA Airport Station
Other
1 Harborside Dr
Cityside Harbor Shuttle
Other
199 8th St
Source: foursquare.com
Central Square Schools
- 3/10
Grades PK, K-8 • Public
- 5/10
Hugh R. O'Donnell Elementary School
Grades PK, K-5 • Public
- 4/10
Grades 9-12 • Public
- NRNo Rating
East Boston Central Catholic School
Grades PK-8 • Private
- NRNo Rating
Grades 8-12 • Private
- NRNo Rating
- NRNo Rating
Charter