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Historic lighting was restored to the exterior of 23 Church St. in November 2025. By E. Matteo Diaz

By Jaya N. Karamcheti and Kevin Zhong, Crimson Staff Writers

Yesterday

After nearly 80 years in the dark, 23 Church St. lit up Friday following the restoration of historic lights on the exterior of the Art Deco-style building.

Around two dozen residents gathered on Friday night to watch the debut of the lights, which were originally installed in 1936 after the Cambridge Gas and Electric Light Company purchased and developed the property for its showroom and office. The lights outlined the perimeter of the storefront, illuminating a display of kitchen and electrical appliances.

Sold to the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in 1947, the building currently houses the church’s Christian Science Reading Room and Rodney’s Bookstore. According to Charles M. Sullivan, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, the lights went out sometime around the mid-century transfer and remained that way until Friday.

While working on a book in 2015 about historical architecture and development in Cambridge, Sullivan came across photos of the outside and inside of the Church Street property and noticed the light installation. Seeing the photos sparked a plan to restore these historical lights in the modern day.

“Wouldn’t that be great someday to restore the lighting?” Sullivan recalled thinking.

Sullivan then approached R. Elliott Reinert, the manager of the Church Street building, about the prospect of bringing the lights back to life. In 2022, with the building needing maintenance repairs, Reinert thought the time was ripe for a lighting restoration.

“When I saw how the building had been architecturally designed and to have these strips of light that really complete the building, either by day or night, it was sort of a dream,” Reinert said.

“I never thought we’d really be able to do it, but it seemed important to me because of beautifying the neighborhood,” he added.

Sullivan said that finding a company to take on the task of restoration was difficult due to the challenges of working with old technology.

By Ollie F. Ginnis

By Kate E. Ravenscroft, Crimson Opinion Writer

Kate E. Ravenscroft ’26, a Crimson Editorial comper, is an English concentrator in Cabot House.

6 hours ago

The Harvard Square traversed by Julia Child, Bill Gates, and decades of Cambridge residents and students, is increasingly different from that which exists today. Amid the changes, one iconic, lamp-lit newsstand had long stood above Cambridge, reading “Out of Town” — a cultural landmark that presided over the Square as a news outlet from 1954 to 2019.

This year, that storied newsstand was officially replaced by the Cambridge KiOSK, touted as a “vibrant public space in the heart of Harvard Square, offering free programming, information, and a dynamic gathering place for all” — a reimagined “community space for the 21st century” — whatever that means. One look at this thing confirms that the old, eclectic Harvard Square has been strangled by the virulent spread of millennial gentrification once and for all.

The first time I toured the College as a high school junior, the once-beloved newsstand was already under construction — Out of Town News sold its last magazine on Oct. 31, 2019, over two years before my visit. By the time I started college, it appeared as though zero progress had been made on the obtrusive construction site.

As I passed the ugly, unperturbed corpse of what used to be Out of Town News nearly every day for the next three years, I naïvely assumed the structure was undergoing renovation. I dreamed of the day I — like the leagues of Harvard students and locals before me — might stroll up to the charming newsstand to buy that rare Italian Vogue, a pack of Marlboro Golds, and some mint gum.

My hope that the refurbishment would finally conclude before my high school graduation peaked last spring when, for the first time in four years, I actually saw construction workers on-site. However, when I approached the still largely unfinished Harvard Square intersection last May, I was instead greeted by the new-and-unimproved, sterilized Cambridge KiOSK.

I pass the KiOSK at least twice every weekday on my way to and from class. I have never seen a single visitor inside. The building is often instead occupied by a lone employee with little to do. It is no longer decorated with niche magazine covers, but by lukewarm, minimalist political installations that espouse the unflattering aesthetic of Instagram social justice infographics.

The chronic vacancy of this allegedly lively community center makes me wonder: Who asked for this? While the KiOSK claims to fill a cultural void, articles on the topic show that Out of Town News was greatly effective in fostering public connection, even well past its heyday. At its closing, numerous outlets quoted residents and employees attesting to Out of Town’s landmark significance and utility — past students, professors, and public figures alike heralded not only its diversity of publications, but its convenience.

The decision to exchange Out of Town News for the modern-day KiOSK seems to have arisen neither from necessity nor the previous tenant’s wishes. Though city staff reported that the owners of Out of Town News declined to extend their lease in 2019, the city had already pitched a $4.5 million redesign of Harvard Square Plaza as early as 2017. The company was informed they would have to vacate the kiosk because it would become a visitor information center.

The rise of digital media and slowing print sales may explain why Out of Town News bowed out of business, but these factors hardly justify the creation of the KiOSK — part of a project that turned the heart of Cambridge into an eyesore for five years and ultimately cost $12.6 million. The result? A plaza that remains unfinished and an empty establishment that appears to serve no one and fuels Harvard Square’s increasingly grotesque tourism industry. Further, the death of Out of Town marks one less locally-owned business in Harvard Square, a once-charming landscape now increasingly saturated with corporate chains.

Going forward, Cambridge city planners and the Harvard Square Business Association might take more seriously their duty to the Harvard community — and the character that once put our intersection on the map — before so easily succumbing to the dollar signs promised by passerby.

To me, the KiOSK represents not a center of thriving public life, but the ghost of Harvard Square’s once-endearing culture — one our city planners have rejected in favor of monoculture, disruptive tourism, and hollow promises of the very community they’ve helped to destroy.

By Community Advocate Staff

October 29, 2025

By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer

CAMBRIDGE – Harvard Square area has been home for a lot of “local celebrities” over the years. They may not be household names outside of Massachusetts or even Cambridge, but many people remember them well and were touched or influenced by their character. One such person was Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill, better known as Brother Blue, the storyteller.

Captivating audiences
Brother Blue served as a first lieutenant in the army during World War II, graduated from Harvard in 1948, and earned a master’s in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama with a Ph.D. from Cincinnati’s Union Graduate School. During his struggles in playwriting, the Ohio native discovered he had a gift for captivating audiences while describing his stories. With his wife Ruth at his side while bedecked from head-to-toe in blue attire and his trademark butterflies painted on his face and hands, Brother Blue told his stories to local prison inmates. He also brought his storytelling to festivals, college campuses and stages across the globe including the Bahamas, England, Canada, Italy and Russia.

Commentors like memorablem72 took to Facebook to share, “I remember seeing him perform in Beverly. I loved him so much. He was one of a kind who would make you feel better about yourself. I wish I could have introduced my kids to him.”

TenBearsII added, “I was a child growing up in the city of Cambridge, Brother Blue would appear from nowhere, while we were in camp, bored by the activities, he would show up and tell us a story. He would captivate children and adults alike, he was a Griot in every sense of the word, I saw him tired in years as the winter of our lives took shape. While he tired, the shine in his eyes, the hope on his lips and the sweet love in his heart never diminished. He continued to do his thing until the thing was done, no one else could do his job, He was the ONLY ONE!! He taught us about me, and he taught us about you. There was only one and incomparable, Brother Blue!!! I love and Treasure you Griot!!!”

Soothing the emotionally wounded
Brother Blue did not have a standard job. He made his living weaving stories while often walking about Harvard Square or downtown Boston barefoot. His educational credentials would have allowed him to counsel the emotionally wounded within the walls of a warm and welcoming office. Instead, he chose to go where the emotionally wounded dwelled be it a prison, bar, street corner or homeless shelter. He was named the official storyteller of both Cambridge and Boston by resolution by both city councils.

Born into poverty rife with childhood memories tarnished by racism, neither of Brother Blue’s parents went beyond the third grade. His father, a bricklayer, was once beaten by muggers for refusing to hand over money he was planning to mail to Brother Blue. Despite his Ivy League education, Brother Blue’s intentions were to attend Harvard Law School and as an attorney he would set free all those who did not belong in jail. He did not chase after economic freedom either but rather the freedom to be like a butterfly and like butterflies, epitomize hope.

He was cast as a modern Merlin in the 1981 film “Knightriders,” and his show “Street Corner Classics with Brother Blue,” on Cambridge Community Television was a fan favorite. Two books have been written about him: “Brother Blue: A Narrative Portrait of Brother Blue A.K.A. Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill” in 1995 and “Ahhhh! A Tribute to Brother Blue and Ruth Edmonds Hill,” released in 2003.

The beloved street poet and philosopher who encouraged his listening audience to imagine bigger worlds, died in 2009 at the age of 88. At the time, The Boston Globe had reported that even on his deathbed Brother Blue had one last story to tell – a love story.

Iris Zhan, Staff Writer | October 23, 2025

Iris Zhan

Photos taken at the Honk! Festival

On Sunday, Oct. 12, local activist organizations and activist street bands from across the country filled Harvard Square for a spectacular parade to celebrate 20 years of street music activism. 

The parade was the conclusion to Honk! Festival of Activist Street Bands, a three-day event celebrating different forms of art for activism, featuring concerts, dance parties and banner and lantern making. 

One participant in the parade was 350 Massachusetts, a statewide climate action group dedicated to advancing climate justice solutions in Massachusetts. Signage and banners advocated the call to “Make Polluters Pay,” a reference to one of their main statewide campaigns: a bill in Massachusetts that would create a climate change superfund, paid for by the largest polluters in Massachusetts, to enable the state to prepare and recover from climate disasters. 

Other local activist groups included the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, Food Not Bombs, and Boston Voices of Community and Labor (BVOCAL). 

“These bands don’t just play for the people; they play among the people and invite them to join the fun. They are active, activist, and deeply engaged in their communities,” according to the Honk! Festival website. 

As each group made its way to Harvard Square, an announcer welcomed each group, with warm welcomes received by the packed streets of people. 

Parades are typically celebratory and not advocacy-oriented, and events like the Honk! Festival and the most recent Boston Labor Day Parade mark an important shift in less traditional modes of demonstration that bring together political messaging and celebratory cheer. 

Because of Trump’s crackdown on free speech, many are scared to participate in protests for fear of surveillance, detention or deportation. But a parade or concert are less risky ways to keep people engaged in social justice causes and build community.

Crowds gather in Cambridge during the 2025 Head of the Charles Regatta. By Pavan V. Thakkar

By Jaya N. Karamcheti and Kevin Zhong, Crimson Staff Writers

18 hours ago

The Head of the Charles Regatta brings hundreds of thousands of spectators and more than 11,000 athletes to the banks of the Charles River. But they don’t stay there — many venture into Harvard Square for food, shopping, and entertainment, bringing an annual explosion of consumer activity to local businesses.

Paul J. MacDonald, the owner of Leavitt & Peirce, said his specialty gifts and games shop saw a triplefold of transactions over the weekend.

“I think there’s just less places for people to go to now, so we were flooded, and people walk by the store that just they’re drawn into it just because of the uniqueness,” he said.

Denise A. Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, wrote in a statement to The Crimson that the yearly competition is one of the biggest boosts for the local economy, alongside events like commencement, the Harvard-Yale football game, and Oktoberfest.

“The Head of the Charles Regatta is incredibly significant for the Square; its positive economic impact cannot be overstated,” Jillson wrote.

On Saturday night, a line spilled out of the Hong Kong Restaurant — a staple of the Square since 1954 — and extended all the way down the block. Paul Lee, the president of Hong Kong Restaurant, wrote in a statement to The Crimson that the long line is not uncommon during the regatta weekend.

“We eventually got everyone into the bar,” he wrote. “It took til after midnight to wind down the line.”

Lee added that they prepared for the busy weekend by ordering supplies and scheduling as many workers as possible.

“The best part was holding gold medals that Olympians have won and of course, finding where everyone is from and how they fared in the races,” he wrote.

Alejandro Valdez, the assistant manager for the Harvard Square location of J.P. Licks, said that the store had to almost double their workforce during the weekend.

“In a regular weekend, we try to keep maybe six or seven people on the floor,” Valdez said. “But for Friday and Saturday, and yesterday, we got around 10, 11 people working.”

“We always try to be prepared when it’s coming,” he added.

Other businesses had to adapt throughout the workday to accommodate the higher foot traffic.

“We weren’t really prepared staffing-wise at first, so we called in some people to just cover breaks,” Lucci M. O’Keefe, the assistant manager at Zinnia Jewelry, said.

“We didn’t know weather wise, if it’s not the best weather, it’s not always the biggest crowd, because last year it wasn’t as busy,” O’Keefe added.

Jillson wrote that other nearby events on the same weekend like the No Kings March, Harvard-Merrimack football game, and a vintage market added to the bustle of the Square.

“On the whole, the weather was perfect and the weekend vibe was quintessential Harvard Square,” she wrote.

For many businesses, the regatta offers an annual chance to share a piece of Harvard Square with people from all over the world.

“I think the event has just grown to a global event,” MacDonald, the owner of Leavitt and Peirce, said.

Chelsea Maranhao, who works at the Memory Shop, a Korean-inspired photobooth store, said that it was “really cool” to see a group of people from London who visited the store over the weekend.

“I feel like Harvard, you get the students, you get the tourists, but it’s really cool to see people from different countries coming to Memory Shop, because it feels like it’s a sentimental value,” Maranhao added.

— Staff writer Jaya N. Karamcheti can be reached at jaya.karamcheti@thecrimson.com.

Oct 22, 2025

Phil Tenser

Digital Media Manager

Cambridge businesses are facing a 22% increase in commercial property tax rates, a sharp rise that small business advocates say threatens their survival, according to discussions at a Monday Cambridge City Council meeting.

“We ultimately make decisions about the overall operating budget, and then, as part of that budget, we are setting where the revenues end up landing,” Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang told the City Council. “A lot of that, given the economic conditions, is landing on the tax levy, which is why, over these last cycles, we were seeing the tax levy increase higher than the budget increase.”

Huang said the increase is necessary to fund the budget approved in June, which included a 3.8% operating budget growth that resulted in an 8% tax levy increase. Huang told the council that even with zero budget growth, contractual obligations, inflation and health insurance costs would still require revenue increases.

“The proposed 22% hike more than doubles last year’s already drastic increase,” Kieran Kelly, associate director of Cambridge Local First, said during Monday’s City Council meeting. “The city attributes this to declining office and lab values, but raising rates at precisely the moment when these sectors are struggling burdens where resilience is weakest, penalizing small businesses for economic trends that are beyond their control.”

Cambridge businesses already pay an unusually high share of the city’s tax burden, with a 66% commercial and 34% residential split that exceeds neighboring communities, Kelly said. Boston draws only 58% of its property taxes from commercial sources, while other nearby municipalities collect even less from businesses, according to Kelly’s testimony.

“Our businesses are not asking for special treatment, just fairness and a seat at the table,” Kelly said.

Denise Jilson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, acknowledged that the tax rates for fiscal year 2026 are “probably locked in” and urged the council to engage more closely with the business community as it develops the fiscal year 2027 budget.

“I can’t imagine having another year, next year, the way we’ve had this year,” Jilson said.

Vice Mayor Marc McGovern pointed to the city’s extensive services, including free after-school programs and transportation that other communities don’t provide, as examples of what tax revenues support.

“We do a lot of incredibly wonderful things in this city that people, I think, over the last 40 years have grown to expect and take for granted,” McGovern said in the meeting. “And now, they don’t realize that these things cost money and where that money comes from.”

“These are good moments for us, once we understand where the rates land, to have a conversation about the budget and to ensure that we continue to get input and engagement, especially as we move into the next budget process,” Huang said.

By Iselin Bratz

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Marc LevyShoppers pass by Petali in Cambridge’s Harvard Square on June 3. Business owners say they are concerned about property taxes being passed along in the form of higher rents.

After weeks of debate, a 22 percent commercial property tax rate increase was approved unanimously Monday by Cambridge’s City Council.

The increase raises the commercial tax rate to $14.07 per every $1,000 in assessed property value, up from $11.52. A residential increase of 5 percent was also approved, with homeowners and others to be charged $6.67 per every $1,000 of their property’s assessed value, up from $6.35.

The decision followed a two-week delay initiated by councillor Paul Toner to allow time for outreach to business owners upset by the increase. Even with the jump, Cambridge’s rate remains lower than nearby cities such as Brookline, Newton and Somerville. But Cambridge businesses “shoulder an unusually high share of the tax burden” too, said Kieran Kelly, associate director of Cambridge Local First, an organization representing more than 400 small businesses in the city. “The current 66 percent commercial and 34 percent residential split far exceeds nearby cities.”

Small-business owners remain concerned about the impact the increases will have, including if landlords pass along higher rents in response to the new rates.

“Raising rates at precisely the moment when these sectors are struggling adds burden where resilience is weakest, penalizes small businesses for economic trends that are beyond their control,” Kelly said.

City staff met with business owners over the past couple of weeks to hear concerns, and business groups wanted that to continue – perhaps quarterly, Kelly said. City staff agreed to hold meetings with business groups to ensure transparency ahead of the process for the 2027 fiscal year, with details expected to become clearer in the coming months.

Claire Spinner, assistant city manager for fiscal affairs, clarified that the 22 percent commercial rate increase does not mean a 22 percent budget spike, as many business’ assessed property values will be lower this year. The increase in commercial tax rate “is not because we were looking for 22 percent more revenue. It was just that intersection of needing to raise 8 percent more and what happened to values within the class,” Spinner said.

Making a connection clear

The increases go to pay for the city budget approved in June – a $991.2 million budget that was only 3.7 percent higher than last year’s, or around half what the city was seeing a few years ago. Speakers during public comment said there should have been clearer announcements earlier, when the budget was first proposed.

Residents said there could be more transparency around the budget process in general. Heather Hoffman, a Hurley Street resident, said many people do not understand the connection between the budget and tax rates.

“I am well aware that you did, in fact, signal that this kind of increase was coming months ago,” Hoffman told city staff. “But people are human, and people don’t necessarily hear that … even people who are very intelligent, who are not scared of numbers, don’t necessarily understand how the city’s budget works.”

Impossible suggestions

There were suggestions Monday for an even further delay in adopting the rates, with the city using the time to conduct an economic impact assessment, but officials said the revenue is needed immediately to fund a fiscal year that is well underway.

Some community members also called for different tax rates for large commercial properties and small businesses. Under state law, the city cannot set different rates for small and large businesses, only by class such as residential and commercial, city manager Yi-An Huang said.

In addition, “the taxes are not on small businesses, they’re on commercial property, and so there is an indirect nature to this that makes it a little bit harder to do some of that targeting,” Huang said. “How do we insulate small businesses from taxes? They’re not actually the ones that are being taxed.” (Vice mayor Marc McGovern also urged property owners not to raise rents if it would create hardship unnecessarily. “The property owners have a hell of a lot more money than the person who’s running the little frozen yogurt store. No, they’re not forced to pass this on, or at least all of it,” he said. “Be part of the solution.”)

Cuts to services

Councillors said they’d work toward including more commercial data and clearer explanations in future materials. In the meantime, “I want to alert the public that today’s the day they need to start paying attention,” Toner said. “I don’t want anybody living in a fantasy world that there’s not going to be a tax increase, short of major cuts.”

Holding taxes flat would require cutting services, councillors said, noting that Cambridge offers more programs and services than most cities – programs residents have grown accustomed to.

“Where are we talking about cutting? Are we talking about cutting the public schools budget? Okay, where do you want to make those cuts? Public safety is a big part of our budget – where do you want to cut in public safety?” McGovern said. “It’s really easy to talk about being more fiscally responsible until you actually have to make the decision.”

Reducing commercial rates now would mean raising residential taxes or cutting programs midyear, both “unacceptable,” councillor Patty Nolan said.

Budget cycle

Councillors emphasized that Monday’s vote was not about the overall budget, and that any budget reconsiderations would have to occur in the next cycle. That now begins in December, Nolan said, a change from a few years ago when the council began looking at budgeting in the spring, just ahead of needing to vote. 

There will be “conversations about how we can work smarter, because we are going to have to do that in order to avoid this kind of rate increase next year,” Nolan said. 

Commercial development policies should also be revisited before the next budget cycle, councillor Burhan Azeem said.

“There was a lot done in prior administrations to make sure we did have healthy commercial growth, and I think that’s always a tough conversation, because new jobs mean more people want to live here,” Azeem said. “But I think that’s something I’d be excited to revisit.”

Cambridge City Council meetings are held at Cambridge City Hall, which is located in Central Square. The Council voted Monday on property tax increases. By Frank S. Zhou

By Shawn A. Boehmer and Mackenzie L. Boucher, Crimson Staff Writers

Yesterday

The Cambridge City Council unanimously voted on Monday to raise property taxes by eight percent for fiscal year 2026 — including a 22 percent increase on commercial property taxes — to the chagrin of many residents and business owners.

The tax rate also includes a five percent increase on residential property taxes, leading to a smaller rate of total growth across residential and commercial property tax rates compared to the increase in fiscal year 25, according to a report by City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05.

But this year’s commercial property tax growth is more than double the increase the Council passed for fiscal year 25, raising concern from business owners. Councilors defended the tax increase on Monday, saying tax increases are necessary to avoid budget cuts.

Councilor Paul F. Toner said it is difficult to keep taxes low while also providing services many Cambridge residents depend on — like emergency response teams, universal pre-k, and new school facilities.

“If people are serious about saying they don’t want to pay increases in taxes, then they need to understand that there’s going to come a day when we have to say we’re going to have to start making some cuts,” Toner said.

But Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern said that it will be difficult to find places to trim the budget.

“I just want to point out the school budget is 30 percent of the city’s budget. So where are we talking about cutting? We’re talking about cutting this public schools budget,” McGovern said. “Public safety is a big part of our budget. Okay? Where do you want to cut in public safety?”

The budget has been a point of constant tension for the Council this year, as members struggled to fund new programs amid the slowest budget growth the city has seen in a decade.

Business owners criticized the Council over a lack of communication about the tax rate, especially with a large commercial tax increase that directly affects them.

Denise A. Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, expressed “disappointment and frustration” on behalf of Cambridge business owners. She said many were blindsided by the commercial increase, only learning about it hours ahead of the Council’s first scheduled special meeting on the tax rate.

Jillson immediately raised concern about the proposed rate after learning about it, sending an urgent message to HSBA members informing them of the proposed increase and urging them to weigh in during public comment at the meeting.

“If approved, the commercial tax rate will see a 22% increase that will find its way to our retailers, restauranteurs, hotels, etc. and ultimately, the consumer,” Jillson wrote.

During Monday’s meeting, Jillson said she hopes to see more communication from the Council in future budget discussions.

“What we’re asking as we move forward into the development of the FY27 budget is that you have continued engagement and communication with the Council and that we meet frequently, particularly as the budget process unfolds,” Jillson said. “We could have done that, and probably should have done more of that last time around. And I don’t think any one of us anticipated this kind of a burden.”

McGovern said he believes that the increased property taxes do not have to be felt by tenants.

“They’re concerned about passing these expenses on to their tenants, and they’re afraid that their tenants might leave and then they’ll have a vacancy. Well, don’t pass it on, right?” McGovern said.

Councilor Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80 said a main priority for fiscal year 2026 is keeping residential tax rates low and livable. She also pointed out that many businesses will not see a dollar amount change in taxes.

“Their taxes aren’t even going up in dollar terms because their valuation went down so much that a 22 percent raise in the rate has meant that their actual bill is very similar to what it was last year,” Nolan said.

On the other hand, if if valuation goes up, Nolan said, the tax increase could be detrimental to Cambridge businesses.

“It means that their actual dollars being paid is more than 22 percent. It could be as high as 27 or 30 percent for a few properties, and that is something very challenging for people to sustain,” she said.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.

—Staff writer Mackenzie L. Boucher can be reached at mackenzie.boucher@thecrimson.com.

By Spencer Buell Globe Staff,Updated October 21, 2025, 3:23 p.m.

CAMBRIDGE — Sunny skies and crisp fall air brought huge crowds here for the Head of the Charles Regatta, which can make for one of the city’s busiest weekends. At local coffee shops, lines stretched up the sidewalk. Restaurants were packed. Hotels, booked. Business, good.

But storm clouds were approaching. The City Council on Monday voted to raise the city’s commercial property tax rate by a startling 22 percent, a move that will hit many smaller businesses hard and put new pressure on a wealthy city accustomed to boom times to rethink either its generous spending, or who it asks to pay for it.

“I think we’re going to have to have challenging conversations going forward,” said Marc McGovern, a city councilor, at the meeting. “There may be a little pain we haven’t felt here in 40 years.”

By Autumn Swiers Oct. 17, 2025 10:00 am EST

Rick Friedman/Getty Images
Despite never owning a restaurant herself, Julia Child built a transcendental career in the food world — and patronized her own favorite restaurants off-screen. Harvest in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was no doubt one of her most beloved restaurants. At Harvest, the legendary chef was known to sit at the same table every time she visited. According to a Facebook post by Boston Magazine, Harvest restaurant has dedicated Table 102 to Child, a cozy, secluded spot lovingly titled “Julia’s Corner” in her honor.

Harvest is located in the Harvard Square area at 44 Brattle St., a convenient seven-minute drive from Child’s longtime residence at 103 Irving Street on Professor’s Row. The chef and her husband moved into the five-bedroom home in 1961, where she would live and film three television shows over the next 40 years until 2001. Outside, Harvest juts up against a cobblestone pathway, somewhat obscured from view. Inside, earth tones, dark wood accents, and a fireplace set a cozy, inviting scene befitting the vibe of the “French Chef” star’s own television shows.

Harvest is an upscale contemporary American dining concept showcasing rotating seasonal menus and locally-sourced ingredients. The menu even features a nod to the famed chef — the Julia Burger — which comprises beef from Savenor’s Butchery, baby watercress, a brandy caramelized onion marmalade, and creamy, crumbly, rich French Boursin cheese. The offering appears on the lunch menu for $25.