Cambridge sits just across the Charles River from Boston, but it is its own city with its own character — more bookish, more politically progressive, and in places more interesting than its larger neighbour.
Two of the world's most famous universities dominate the landscape. Harvard Yard is the obvious draw, though Harvard Square itself has grown touristy. More rewarding is a walk through the quieter residential streets of mid-Cambridge or along the Charles River toward MIT, where the campus architecture ranges from stately to deliberately strange (see Frank Gehry's Stata Center). The Harvard Art Museums and the Harvard Museum of Natural History — home to the astonishing Blaschka Glass Flowers — are both worth serious time.
Central Square and Inman Square have better food and more local character than Harvard Square. Kendall Square, at the east end of MIT, has transformed into a biotech hub and now has some of the best restaurants in the city. The city is compact and walkable, and the Red Line connects it directly to downtown Boston. Locals call themselves Cantabrigians — or, informally, Cantabs.