Paul's House Diary

After tearing into Harvard’s under-construction ERC and SEC buildouts in my last post, it’s only fair that I now turn the lens on a corner of the university that I admire. As such, check out these sights from my most recent Sunday morning stroll along Memorial Drive in Cambridge. 

The parks and paths on Cambridge’s Charles River shoreline are better than any city beaches for summer lounging. While I don’t think the areas abutting Harvard are technically part of the Charles River Esplanade (that’s the Boston-side by the Hatch Shell), the area transforms into an equally pedestrian-friendly gathering ground each weekend when Memorial Drive closes to car traffic. 

The river itself is the main attraction, but Harvard has done a great job over the centuries constructing impressive–if not exemplary– institutional architecture that complements and enhances the urban and natural environs. 

Not everything here is Harvard; most notably, Boston University’s Law School and the new Data Science Center (the stack-of-books tower) draw your visual attention to the Boston side as you pass the Shell sign and the river bends toward the ocean. 

The photos speak for themselves. I’m just thrilled I could get a walk over here before the fall semester kicks off.