Central Square

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As Harvard Square “jumped the shark,” the alternative crowds moved to the next square down Massachusetts Avenue, which became the unwashed center for Boston’s 1990s rock renaissance. Bands including the Lemonheads, Morphine, Juliana Hatfield, and the Pixies all got their start at the legendary Middle East and other rock clubs in this stretch.

Even as some chain stores have filled in the gaps (and The Gap), this section of Cambridge is still seen as more “real” by the tattooed and tongue-pierced crowd. Ethnic restaurants, art stores, and dance studios line the avenue, while the rock clubs still pack them in at night.

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