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Porter Square/North Massachusetts Avenue

About Porter Square & North Massachusetts Avenue

With links to the subway and commuter rail, Porter Square is both a local and regional shopping destination with a mix of large and small retail shops. Along Mass. Avenue, an assortment of distinctive independent stores serves adjacent residential neighborhoods. The presence of Lesley University in Porter Square also brings the liveliness of student life to the area.

Porter Square/North Massachusetts Avenue Resources

Porter Square and
North Massachusetts Avenue Map

• Porter Square and Lower Massachusetts Ave. Commercial District Assessment Report (2020)
• Porter Square Market Profile (2021)
• North Massachusetts Avenue Market Profile (2021)
• Porter Square Neighborhood Association
• 3D Map of Porter Square and North Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District
• Porter Square Customer Intercept Survey Report (2012)

• Porter Square and Mass. Avenue Small Retailers and Restaurants Map (2023)

Porter Square/North Massachusetts Avenue Projects & Documents

• North Massachusetts Avenue Study
• Porter Square Bike Ban Area (2012)

Infrastructure Updates

• Belmont, Cambridge and Somerville Path Improvements (active)
• Yerxa Road Underpass Project (completed)

For More Information

For more information on economic development activity on Porter Square/North Mass Ave, please contact Christina DiLisio at cdilsio@cambridgema.gov, 617/349-4601.

For more information on community planning activity in Porter Square/North Mass Ave area, please contact Melissa Peters, Director of Community Planning, at mpeters@cambridgema.gov, at 617/349-4640.