Cambridge is a city in Boston Massachusetts, famous for Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is the fifth most populous city in the state. The city is located at first convenient Charles River, in the heart of Harvard Square. For a nice Boston MA travel guide, here is a tour of this city.
Initially, the town included a much larger area as compared to the present city. Cambridge Massachusetts developed as an agricultural village. Most of the town comprised of farms and estates with a maximum number of residents living near Harvard College, in the heart of the city.
The earlier descendants of Cambridge Massachusetts were original Puritan colonists. Cambridge common is also called as the birthplace of the American Army. In the late 18 century, new bridges and roads developed marshland into industrial and residential districts. Laying down of the railroad lead to the development of porter square.
With the incorporation of the city, its commercial center shifted from Harvard Square to Central Square. In the early nineteenth century, the city took its present character with the development of industries in East Cambridge. The coming of railroads to North Cambridge bought about major changes in the development of the city.
Cambridge Massachusetts was ranked as one of the most liberal cities in the United States. The city is also noted for its diverse population. Located in Eastern Massachusetts, the city is bordered by Boston, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, and Watertown.
It is also called as the city of squares as most of its commercial districts are known as Squares. The residential areas of the city are not defined by Squares.
Cambridge Massachusetts has a nine-member city council with a six-member school committee. The members are elected every two years. The mayor is elected by the city council. The city manager is the head of the city, usually appointed by the city council from amongst themselves.