Harvard/MIT in Aug

Hi wondering if any of you could help me out. My daughter is going to Harvard for a summer camp. She will be staying on I will be staying in Cambridge from Aug 2 to 11th. I have enrolled my 12 yr old son into a camp at MIT for 6 days from Aug 6 to 10. I have to drop him every morn and fetch him every eve at about 5.30pm. So what I want to know is:

1. Is it better to stay near Harvard (Inn at Harvard) or near MIT ( is the area around there a bit shady?)

2. Whats the best way to commute? How long does it take to get from Harvard Square to MIT campus?

3. I am going to be alone with my son so wanted to know what areas to avoid, what is safe etc...

4. What is the weather like at that time of the year?

Thanks :-)

Harvard/MIT in Aug

You can stay near either school, whichever is more convenient for you. The area around MIT is not bad though around Harvard it is definitely more upscale and you will find things to do in the evening more easily. There are no areas around MIT or Harvard that you need to avoid. Central Square, between the two, might look a bit dubious at night, but it is safe and has a number of good, interesting restaurants.

You can get back and forth between Harvard and MIT by subway or bus. Which you choose depends upon where your son is going on the MIT Campus. I suspect you will find the bus (Route 1, Harvard - Dudley) more convenient. Either bus or subway runs every few minutes. The bus will take 10-15 minutes; the subway (Red Line) about 6 minutes. You will all need passes ($15 for 7 days unlimited travel on either bus or subway) which can be purchased in the subway station (Harvard or Kendall-MIT).

Don%26#39;t stay in Cambridge all the time. There%26#39;s a lot to see and do in Boston!

The weather in August will be hot and maybe humid.

Harvard/MIT in Aug

The area around Harvard I think you%26#39;ll find to be more fun, but the MIT area is not ';shady';, as you put it.

The one additional piece you asked about is the weather. Well, we don%26#39;t know. August can still be very hot or it can be somewhat cool, especially further into the month. Best suggestion is to take a light jacket and even a sweater or sweatshirt. Since you%26#39;re from Dubai and you may not have a sweatshirt, you can always buy one here for not much money. Then you%26#39;ll be prepared for any temperature and have a souvenier as well.

Thanks guys!! And I do have a sweatshirt or two :-) it may be 45 degrees here now but it does get sort of cool in winter :-)