CambridgeSide Galleria
Encyclopedia
The CambridgeSide Galleria is a mall located in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, that opened in 1990. The original anchor store
s were Sears
, Filene's
(now Macy's
) and Lechmere
. Lechmere closed in 1997 and it was divided into what is now Best Buy and Borders, with a portion later used by Filene's for their housewares and intimate apparel departments. Today the mall has 133 stores, including four restaurants, a food court and six food speciality stores. Best Buy
, Borders Books and Music, Macy's
, and Sears are the mall's anchor stores.
The mall was an outgrowth of the 1976 East Cambridge Riverfront Plan, which sought to revitalize the then-industrial district between Monsignor O'Brien Highway, Cambridge Parkway, and First Street. The north end of the mall is near the Museum of Science
and MBTA's Lechmere Station
on the Green Line
"E" Branch. It is also located along the Lechmere Canal
off the Charles River
, where the Charles River Boat Company shuttles passengers to and from the mall. Moorings are present at the end of the Canal to allow private boats to be left for brief periods while passengers shop. The Galleria is the only mall in the Boston area with direct access by boat.
Some more upscale stores are Banana Republic, J.Crew
, Guess, Aldo
, and H&M
.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, that opened in 1990. The original anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s were Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, Filene's
Filene's
Filene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
(now Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
) and Lechmere
Lechmere
Lechmere was a retail store chain in New England, which closed in 1997.-History:Lechmere Inc. was a retailer of electronics, appliances, and other goods, with 24 stores located throughout New England and New York. The company was founded in the early twentieth century and expanded during the...
. Lechmere closed in 1997 and it was divided into what is now Best Buy and Borders, with a portion later used by Filene's for their housewares and intimate apparel departments. Today the mall has 133 stores, including four restaurants, a food court and six food speciality stores. Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, Borders Books and Music, Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, and Sears are the mall's anchor stores.
The mall was an outgrowth of the 1976 East Cambridge Riverfront Plan, which sought to revitalize the then-industrial district between Monsignor O'Brien Highway, Cambridge Parkway, and First Street. The north end of the mall is near the Museum of Science
Museum of Science, Boston
The Museum of Science is a Boston, Massachusetts landmark, located in Science Park, a plot of land spanning the Charles River. Along with over 500 interactive exhibits, the Museum features a number of live presentations throughout the building every day, along with shows at the Charles Hayden...
and MBTA's Lechmere Station
Lechmere (MBTA station)
Lechmere is the northern terminus of the MBTA Green Line. It is located in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, near the intersection of Cambridge Street and Monsignor O'Brien Highway . The tracks make a loop at Lechmere, with a small yard...
on the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
"E" Branch. It is also located along the Lechmere Canal
Lechmere Canal
Lechmere Canal is a short canal in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It opens onto the Charles River and used to be an active port for Boston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean....
off the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
, where the Charles River Boat Company shuttles passengers to and from the mall. Moorings are present at the end of the Canal to allow private boats to be left for brief periods while passengers shop. The Galleria is the only mall in the Boston area with direct access by boat.
Some more upscale stores are Banana Republic, J.Crew
J.Crew
J.Crew Group, Inc. is a multi-brand, multi-channel, specialty retailer. The company offers an assortment of women's, men's and children's apparel and accessories, including swimwear, outerwear, loungewear, wedding, bags, hair accessories, belts, jewelry, and shoes. As of January 30, 2010, it...
, Guess, Aldo
Aldo Groupe
The ALDO Group is a Canadian corporation that owns and operates a worldwide chain of shoe and accessory stores. The company was founded by Aldo Bensadoun in Montreal, Quebec, in 1972 where its corporate headquarters remain today...
, and H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
.
Anchors
- Best BuyBest BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
(44,837 sq ft.) - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(Filene's) (122,445 sq ft.) - Macy's Home StoreMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(Filene's) (22,419 sq ft.) - Sears (120,570 sq ft.)
Former Anchors
- BordersBorders GroupBorders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
(23,767 sq ft.) - Filene'Home StoreFilene'sFilene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
(22,419 sq ft.) - Filene'sFilene'sFilene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
(Filene's) 122,445 sq ft.) - LechmereLechmereLechmere was a retail store chain in New England, which closed in 1997.-History:Lechmere Inc. was a retailer of electronics, appliances, and other goods, with 24 stores located throughout New England and New York. The company was founded in the early twentieth century and expanded during the...
Transportation and parking
- Two parking garages are located within the CambrigeSide Galleria with parking rates varying by time rather than a flat rate. However, if one parks after 5pm M-F or anytime on Saturday or Sunday than the fee is $1.99 up to one hour and $3.99 up to 10 hours.
- MBTA Green LineGreen Line (MBTA)The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
- Lechmere StationLechmere (MBTA station)Lechmere is the northern terminus of the MBTA Green Line. It is located in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, near the intersection of Cambridge Street and Monsignor O'Brien Highway . The tracks make a loop at Lechmere, with a small yard...
Green LineGreen Line- Geographic demarcations :* Green Line, a name for the Gothic Line or "Linea Gotica", a German defensive line in Italy during World War II, renamed the "Green Line" in June 1944... - MBTA Bus Connections: 69 (Harvard SquareHarvard SquareHarvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
/Holyoke Gate via Cambridge St), 80 (Arlington Center via Medford Hillside), 87 (Arlington Center or Clarendon Hill via Somerville), 88 (Clarendon Hill via Highland Ave) - MBTA Orange LineOrange Line (MBTA)The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
- Community CollegeCommunity College (MBTA station)Community College Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in Charlestown, Massachusetts near the intersection of Rutherford Avenue and Austin Street...
is approximately ½ mile east of the mall. This station is more convenient to Orange Line passengers because it eliminates the need to transfer trains. - EZRideEZRideThe EZRide shuttle is a bus run by the Charles River Transportation Management Association. It operates from North Station in Boston, Massachusetts to Fort Washington/Cambridgeport.- Major stops :...
shuttle - North Station - CambridgeportCambridgeportCambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, the Grand Junction Railroad, and River Street. The neighborhood contains predominantly residential homes, many of the triple decker style common in New England...
via First Street & Cambridgeside Galleria - CambridgeSide Galleria Free Shuttle - Kendall SquareKendall SquareKendall Square is a neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the "square" itself at the intersection of Main Street, Broadway, Wadsworth Street, and Third Street...
& Red LineRed Line (MBTA)The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
- CambridgeSide Galleria