Cambridge

Alewife lobby, top garage level reopen

By adamg - 3/27/23 - 9:01 am

The MBTA reports the Alewife lobby and the fifth level of the garage re-opened for commuters today, reducing the time it takes them to get down to the platform to wait for a train. Read more.

Cambridge bookstore employee uses bear hug to subdue shoplifter who'd just threatened to shoot the place up, police say

By adamg - 3/24/23 - 10:06 am

Cambridge Police report arresting a local man on unarmed robbery charges at a Harvard Square bookstore yesterday - after first getting him up from the floor where employees were keeping him pinned. Read more.

Get your swimsuit ready for your annual jump into the Charles

By adamg - 3/23/23 - 12:50 pm

The Charles River Conservancy has set June 17 for this year's City Splash and One-Mile Swim, during which you'll be able to jump into the Charles from the Fiedler Dock on the Esplanade. Because the event and race have proven so popular, pre-registration for time slots or to enter the race will be required, although the group has yet to set up online pages to do so.

MIT works to perfect self-healing robotic flying bugs that can swarm

By adamg - 3/16/23 - 1:24 pm

MIT News reports on work by some researchers at the school to develop little flitty flying automatons that can overcome damage to their artificial wing muscles and wings - sometimes through use of a tiny little laser. Read more.

Cambridge teen already facing carjacking charge arrested after stealing a car in Brookline with a dog inside, then nearly running over some MIT students, police say

By adamg - 3/15/23 - 5:12 pm

Cambridge Police report arresting a local 15-year-old this morning for what they say was a series of incidents Saturday that started with him stealing an unlocked BMW at a Brookline clothing store and ended with him nearly ramming three MIT students - just after he'd stopped near them to ditch the dog that was in the car - police say. Read more.

Wind gets slappy on Mt. Auburn Street in Cambridge

By adamg - 3/14/23 - 11:53 am

Pedestrian crossing sign knocked out of alignment by wind

Roving UHub photographer Melissa H. spotted this newly jaunty pedestrian-crossing sign on Mt. Auburn Street in Cambridge this morning.

Fun Red Line fact

By adamg - 3/8/23 - 9:40 am

Christopher Schmidt reports that when the Red Line opened in 1912, some MIT students took measurements of how long a train took to get from Harvard to Park Street (then four total stops, since Charles/MGH hadn't been built): 7.3 minutes. Read more.

More ceiling tiles removed at Harvard

By adamg - 3/7/23 - 1:29 pm

The MBTA reports that over the weekend it inspected ceiling tiles between Central and Andrew this weekend to make sure none are about to fall on riders' heads. Meanwhile, the removed ceiling-tile count at Harvard, where a rustily connected, water-filled tile nearly did conk one rider, is now up around 100, the T says.

MBTA begins removing ceiling panels at Harvard station, like the one that almost beaned a rider

By adamg - 3/3/23 - 4:34 pm

Panels fall inches from woman's head at Harvard

Panel falls in a cloud of dust in front of woman, who then looks up, in T surveillance video.

The MBTA has begun removing ceiling panels at the Harvard Red Line station after one of the 20-to-25-pound panels fell ten feet to the platform, narrowly missing a rider - and plans inspections of all its ceiling panels at all its stations to reduce the need for riders to worry about getting hit in the head with one, interim MBTA General Manager Jeff Gonneville said today. Read more.

Car, not train, on fire along the Green Line viaduct this morning

By adamg - 3/2/23 - 10:47 am

Flaming car across from the Museum of Science

Car-B-Q. Photo via Ari Ofsevit.

The Cambridge Fire Department reports firefighters doused a flaming car next to the Green Line viaduct and across from the Museum of Science garage (and future home of the Leonard Nimoy memorial) this morning. Read more.

Cambridge manhole makes like a volcano and erupts

By adamg - 3/2/23 - 10:41 am

The Cambridge Fire Department reports a manhole blew its lid at Rindge Avenue and Sherman Street shortly before 7:30 a.m. Eversource was summoned to take care of what was left of their exploded cable.

That's not the way the cookie Crumbls in Cambridge, board tells bakery chain that wants to block windows for fear of cookie spies

By adamg - 3/1/23 - 9:14 pm

Cambridge Day reports the city Planning Board told a chain called Crumbl to whip up a new batch of designs for a proposed Central Square cookie bakery, one that does not include completely covering some windows with a "pink wave" motif to block would be cookie espionage by cut-throat competitors.

Cambridge thief has wiiings, police say

By adamg - 3/1/23 - 8:39 pm

Cambridge Police report a guy grabbed $300 worth of Red Bull from the cooler of a Porter Square store Tuesday morning, then rushed out.

Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge is closing

By adamg - 3/1/23 - 5:53 pm

Boston Restaurant Talk reports the Cambridge Street restaurant, bar and music tavern closes for good on March 31.

Man avoids getting beaned by large falling ceiling tile at Harvard Red Line station

By adamg - 3/1/23 - 4:03 pm

It's not just the trains you have to worry about.

Banjo plucked off street in Cambridge

By adamg - 2/27/23 - 12:12 pm

Cambridge Police report somebody took an Uber to a Concord Avenue address, got out, then realized he'd left his banjo in the Uber:

They were informed that the driver had dropped the banjo back off. After it was not located, the resident believes there was foul play.

Man barricaded self inside Harvard Square apartment after pulling gun on health-care worker, police say

By adamg - 2/25/23 - 4:51 pm

Cambridge Police report successfully taking into custody a man they say "pulled a weapon on his health-care worker and then barricaded himself inside his large, multi-unit Massachusetts Avenue residential building apartment" this afternoon. Read more.