Browsing for books among Harvard Square shops

Just being around Harvard makes you want to learn something. Luckily, the Harvard Square shopping area has a wide and diverse selection of bookstores.

If you go to Philadelphia, you've got to try a cheesesteak sub. Likewise, if you visit Cambridge, you've got to check out the bookstores. Cambridge is called America's birthplace of higher education due to Harvard's early start - it was founded only 16 years after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth. And the Harvard Square area is rated among the highest in the U.S. for density of bookstores per square mile.

It's no surprise that the area right outside of Harvard's iron gates has the best and most diverse collection of bookstores in the Greater Boston area. Walk around Harvard Square on the centuries-old brick-laden sidewalks and you can almost hear the learning going on around you. Thick accented voices hit you from all directions, discussing the latest theory in physics or the political climate in some far corner of the world. Sit down for a cup of coffee at Au Bon Pain, a central location in the square, and you'll likely see a battle of the minds. There are usually a couple of tables dedicated to chess matches. So, to really appreciate Harvard Square and its shops, you need to take some time to explore the stacks and leave with a title or two.

What will you find? One of the striking things about the stores is the variety, not only of titles, but of entire shops dedicated to a theme. For the poetry lover, there is Grolier Poetry Book Shop. For the politically and liberal minded, there is Revolution Books. For the travel aficionado, there is the Globe Corner Book Store. For kids, there is Curious George Goes to WordsWorth. And for parents, or those just looking for reading material for the flight home, there is the regular WordsWorth store, Harvard Book Shop, and Harvard COOP. WordsWorth is known for its extensive selection and discounted titles. Harvard Book Shop, opened in 1932, is a local landmark with a rich selection of titles and special staff recommendations. The COOP is not only where much of the university's required reading is sold, it is also several floors of fiction, biographies, calendars, and a host of other items. Some book shops specialize in foreign texts, and some offer rare books and manuscripts and require an appointment.

Getting There

Harvard Square is accessible through the MBTA's Red Line. It is on Massachusetts Avenue, if you are coming from either East Cambridge or west of the city. If driving from Boston, either Storrow Drive or Memorial Drive will take you by the Harvard area. Look for North Harvard Street from Storrow, and cross the bridge over the Charles River, or JFK Street from Memorial Drive. There is some metered parking along the streets, and there are several parking garages in the area, but the garages can be somewhat expensive during day hours.

Web Links

These are only some of the bookstores in Harvard Square:

Bryn Mawr Book Store
Harvard Book Store
Harvard Coop
Priscilla Juvelis
Revolution Books
Schoenhof's Foreign Books
Globe Corner Bookstores

Author: C. Danko
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