Because of Neighborhood Nine’s quiet tree-lined streets and busy commercial districts such as nearby Harvard and Porter Squares, residents enjoy a well-rounded community environment. While the neighborhood is influenced by bustling hubs in the vicinity like Harvard University, such influences are tempered by the presence of tranquil Danehy Park, which lies in the northwest corner of Neighborhood Nine.
Home designs in Neighborhood Nine range from 1930s mid-rise condominiums with courtyards to Victorian and colonial single-family homes. The neighborhood encompasses ZIP code 02138 and is bounded by railroad tracks on the north, Massachusetts Avenue on the east, and Concord Avenue on the southwest and west. The neighborhood is mostly residential but includes several key commercial areas, among them Harvard and Porter Squares and the Fresh Pond Shopping Center.
One of the many appealing aspects of Neighborhood Nine is Danehy Park, a 50-acre athletic and recreational facility that was built on the site of the city’s former landfill. The landfill was closed in 1975, and the city’s goal was to regain the wasteland and turn it into a neighborhood amenity.
This park was once home to the Boston Area Sport Kite Championships and is now comprised of rolling acres of grass-covered parkland. Danehy Park is located at 99 Sherman Street and has baseball and soccer fields.
There are two other smaller parks in Neighborhood Nine. Raymond Park is in the east and Cambridge Common, in the southeast corner of the community. In addition, Fresh Pond Park lies just outside the neighborhood to the northwest. This well-known reservoir and public park offers scenic views and hiking trails. Other nearby attractions include a Saturday farmer’s market, held most months of the year in Union Square, and the Old Cambridge Historic District, which is rich in Revolutionary War history.