SFI8 TRAVEL
Subway
The "T" (Boston's subway network) is a very good way to get to the GSD from most places in the Greater Boston area. The Harvard Square stop on the Red Line is approximately 5 minutes from Gund Hall by foot. "T" access to and from Logan Airport (Blue Line) is very good provided you don't have too much baggage to carry with you as you will have to change trains twice.
Walking from Harvard Square Subway
Leave Harvard Square Station and cross Massachusetts Avenue, if necessary, to get to the Harvard side of the street. Keep the fence on your left and walk the sidewalk along Massachusetts Avenue in the opposite direction of the flow of traffic. The first street to cross Massachusetts Avenue will be Quincy Street. Take a left here. Walk up Quincy Street until it crosses Cambridge Street. Gund Hall is the building on the North-East corner of Cambridge and Quincy Streets. For a campus map click here.
Driving
Before planning a auto trip to the Graduate School of Design, you should think about where you are going to park. If you aren't going to pre-arrange parking, or don't have lots of time to search for a parking place, you should strongly consider parking elsewhere and taking the subway to Harvard Square.
Directions from Logan Airport
Follow signs to the Sumner Tunnel into Boston. Immediately on leaving the tunnel, take I-93 North. Take the second exit, marked "Storrow Drive / Cambridge." Follow the signs to Storrow Drive West. Take Storrow Drive for approximately 5 miles until the towers of Harvard are visible on the other side of the river. (Storrow Drive has now become Soldiers Field Road.) See below for directions from here.
Directions from Storrow Drive (Soldiers Field Road)
Take the Harvard Square Exit and cross the river. Continue North on JFK street through 4 sets of traffic lights (the 4th is Harvard Square proper). Continue straight through the 4th light and take the right fork down under the the underpass and the left fork up to Cambridge Street (stay in the left lane). At the first traffic light there will be a fire station on the right, and Gund Hall (the GSD) will be diagonally oposite on the left.
Directions from the Massachusetts Turnpike
Take Exit 18, "Cambridge / Allston." Bear right after the tollbooth. At the first traffic light turn left onto Soldiers Field Road. See above for the directions from here.
Directions from Route 2 (west of the city)
Follow route 2 East until it merges with Alewife Brook Parkway (the Alewife subway station and parking garage will be on the right). Get in the left lane and follow the sign indicating:
East 16 North 3
Arlington Medford
Bear left through the lights and take a right onto Massachusetts Avenue (also East 2A) at the next set of lights (.4 mile). Follow Massachusetts Avenue 2.1 miles. (Cambridge Common will be on the right.) Get into the left lane and, after driving through the set of lights, get into the farthest left lane. Drive around the island on the left and merge with traffic on your right. Get into the middle lane, bear right into the tunnel under the pedestrian walkway. At the end of the short tunnel, bear left onto Cambridge Street at the fire station. Gund Hall is on the far northwest corner at the next intersection (intersection of Quincy Street and Cambridge Streets).
Parking in Cambridge
Parking near Harvard Square is very scarce. Unless you've made prior arrangements for parking with one of the alternatives listed below, you may want to consider leaving your car elswhere and taking the subway to Harvard Square instead.
Parking with a Harvard Guest Permit
If you are an invited guest of the GSD, you may have been provided with a parking permit for one of Harvard's parking lots or garages. Individuals may be able to purchase a permit directly from the Harvard Transportation Services Parking Office, 617- 495-4785.
Harvard parking facilities of interest to Design School guests are symbolized with red circles on the map. Parking at harvard facilities is restricted to those who have permits.
- marker 4 on map: Everett Street Garage. Corner of Everett St and Massachusetts Avenue.
- marker 5 on map: Broadway Garage. Corner of Broadway and Felton Street.
- marker 6 on map: 38 Oxford Street Lot. Entrance just east of Everett and Oxford Streets.
Commercial Parking Facilities
If you must take your car into the Harvard Square area, and you don't want to spend an hour hunting for a parking space, you may find a space at one of the commercial lots symbolized with a blue pentagon on the map:
- marker 3 on map: Harvard Square Parking Garage. Corner of JFK and Elliot Streets, 617-354-4168.
- marker 2 on map: Fitz-Inn Auto Park. Church Street, 617-482-7740.
- marker 1 on map: Charles Square Garage, 5 Bennett St, 617-491-0298. Call ahead to see if there is space.
Other Parking Opportunities
The streets of cambridge are mostly restricted to parking for Cambridge residents (with a parking sticker) only. Around Harvard Square there are several streets that have metered parking (2hr, 1hr, and 30min).
