Harvard and MIT

Is it possible to visit both Harvard and MIT in one afternoon? I will be taking the T, and I don%26#39;t plan to spend too much time at either location. I just want to take a few pictures, buy some souvenirs, and quickly visit the landmarks. I heard that there are more to see at Harvard than at MIT, is that right? Thanks.

Harvard and MIT

You surely could do both in a day. But maybe you would like to do Harvard Square and Harvard Yard in the evening. They%26#39;ve got a totally different feel than versus during the day. Really eerily cool. Harvard Square is unique and MIT doesn%26#39;t have anything comparable. To me, Harvard feels much more like a campus than MIT (don%26#39;t kill me, please).

AlanM

Harvard and MIT

I agree with AlanM. MIT is a great school(obviously) but the campus is...awkward. You should definitely check it out but you%26#39;ll find Harvard and the accompanying area a lot more interesting. The Red Line T will get you to both schools easily. Take the Kendall Square stop to get to the edge of the MIT campus. Then hop back on the T for two stops to Harvard Square. My two favorite spots in Harvard Square to eat? The Border Cafe and John Harvard%26#39;s Brew House. You can easily spend an afternoon just walking around.

The nicest spots on the MIT campus run along Memorial Drive facing the river. The Dome is a lovely example of Classical architecture, and also the oldest section of the central campus. Right now the grounds are at their best and make for a nice stroll along the river.

Harvard Square has unfortunately lost some of its quirkiness over the past ten years or so, but kids still gather in the area around the T station called The Pit, and street musicians are still aplenty. Walking through the Yard can be a quiet and soothing activity, as well as an afternoon (rainy, of course) at the Fogg Art Museum.

Thanks so much for the advice everyone.

Someone also told me that the MIT campus looks more ';industrialized';. Maybe people there study too hard.

MIT is less of a destination--unless you%26#39;re there to study! (Though they do have a funky new building. I forget the name, but I';m sure someone out there will know it! Very cool. I found it by accident and the sight of it made me laugh. Walking the %26#39;smoot%26#39; bridge from Boston (Mass Ave) is a nice way to see MIT. MIT also does have a neat little museum near Central Square. If you like puzzles and math, you%26#39;ll like it. If not, don%26#39;t bother.

That said, Harvard has more appeal, feels more like a campus (yes, they have ivy!), and the square is right there with lots of restaurants, shops, etc.

Thanks CoCo Sandy. I just went today. Was running out of time so I didn%26#39;t get to visit MIT, but it was great to visit Harvard.