The Garage

A happy little nook nestled in the heart of in Harvard Sq.
This place is super nostalgic for me because my friends and I would hang out here after school during our high school days.
I’m not even friends with half of those girls anymore, but the Garage has stayed the same.
I’ve had countless tattoos and piercings done at Chameleon and brought a ton of uncensored stuff I didn’t need from Newbury Comics.
There’s also a Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks and a few other eateries inside.
It’s a kinda cool setup and never really seems too crowded.
Only downside is parking can be a bih.
Other notes:
Metered parking outside
Nice hangout spot
Close to everything in Harvard Sq.
Shares a wall with Tasty Burger
Hip and trendy
Down the street from Insomnia Cookies

This used to be the hangout spot back in high school at Rindge. They have Ben & Jerry’s and a few other food places (avoid Crazy Dough’s), as well as a few shops. The layout is weird but it works. I recommend the jewelry place upstairs for piercings, however I have never been pierced there because they are always busy.

great little place to hide from rain or snow in Harvard Square. Good eateries, and cute shops, even if they are a bit specific in what they sell.

I love the Newbury Comics here, they always have a big selection of used DVD’s.

The garage is located in the square, it is a 3 floor «mini mall» if you will that has a great location. I have seen stores inside come and go, however they have Newbury comics which seems to be the staple. I have been going here for years, even before i lived in Mass, the garage is a great place to meet up with people who aren’t familiar with the area and also offers a music store, food, clothing shops and a variety of other stores you may or may not need as fluff shopping. The stores in the garage have a nice variety and the restaurants are varied as well. the smell during lunch and dinner is awesome, so go there hungry, I’m sure you ll find something you will enjoy. I like that there is always something to choose from and if that freaks you out, you can go for subway or just eat ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s.
The layout is kind of odd and if the escalator is broken prepare yourself for a steep walk up that ramp. I’ve had to do it, while it was raining outside, in flip flops all i can say is i survived and thanks to the help of strangers that probably were wondering what i was on not to be able to walk up a ramp with wet flip flops, of course then at the top was told there is a staircase. *face palm*
The only complaint i will give about this location is their gross bathrooms. I’m sure it must be hard to keep up since as far as i know they have the only public bathrooms in the area. This means everyone, tourists, squatter punks, homeless, townies and the so on are using it. graffiti everywhere, which i find amusing to look out while waiting on line for a stall that most likely is peed on, no toilet paper and just gross. However all these years later, i still go here for there shops and food. it’s a fun spot to take friends and family and hopefully this odd «mini mall» will remain open, perhaps an update on their bathrooms would be nice or better signage. However exploring «the garage» is half the fun. support some local and not so local business and it’s a good place to hang out if your figuring out what else there is to do in the square while it’s raining.

Hipster central in Harvard Square. I came here about a year ago to get my nose pierced at Chameleon. Not exactly my scene but I get why people like it

I went to eat in the food court today and it was a disgusting mess. All of the tables were dirty, one even had water dripping from it onto the floor. The other tables had either ice cream stuck all over the surface or old napkins and cups left by previous customers. I had to go eat somewhere else. I think it’s funny that they have a 30 minute time limit when they don’t even care enough to clean the tables so that customers can sit at them.

Sooo disappointed! I go to Boston for the weekend 3 or 4 times a year, and have always enjoyed going to the Garage. One of my favorite places for many years. No more :(It seems that over the last 2 or 3 years all the good stuff is being replaced with crap. Independent chowder place? Nope! It’s a Subway now. Delicious Mexican food? Haha… not anymore. It’s a Starbucks. Hootenanny (where I got 90% of my wardrobe) is closed, the beloved Proletariat is gone (replaced by the very «meh» Kulturez), Newbury Comics and Tokyo Kid have been revamped into generic bland stores that have gotten rid of their most interesting merchandise. I hate to say this, as this place used to be a lot of fun and well worth the 2+ hour drive for years, but it no longer worth the trip.

Yeah, I must be in the minority here because I really don’t get the appeal of this place. It’s like a hipster trainwreck and it’s so disgusting that I couldn’t bring myself to eat Ben & Jerry’s if I wanted to. The only store I’d bother with is Newbury Comics and that isn’t even my preferred location. Hootenanny is a cesspool with employees as pleasant as giving an angry cat a flea dip and who judge you like you’re scum of the earth (anyone want a cheapo shirt with an iron-​on of some random forest animal? only $ 40!).
The bathrooms are easily the worst part, and the stalls are decorated with bad pornography, broken political statements, and Doctor Who references. I’d rather stick bamboo under my fingernails than come back.

*Grits teeth and cringes* Well — it could use a little spiffing up. The Garage is one of those shopping spots you should investigate while visiting good ol’ Haaahhhhvahd Squay’ahhh, but it’s kind of deteriorated a bit.
Some cool shops (certainly hipster-​friendly) — Hootenanny, the Hempest, the Jewelry Gallery, Newbury Comics. Opportunities to purchase natural clothing, awesome accessories, even vegan shoes (Toms…I love it). Even a piercing/​tattoo gallery (Chameleon), which is the only shop I visit when I’m considering a piercing.
Some great nom — Crazy Dough Pizza (gourmet slices), Ben & Jerry’s (frappé, please!), Le’s (Vietnamese food), Via Vai, and meh… Subway.
…Cons: not what I would call «mom-​n-​pop savvy»; it’s dark, filled with young people rushing around, loud, and yeah… a little dirty. The basement restroom is among the filthiest I have ever seen in a public facility (and I’ve heard of some pretty seedy business taking place down there). Grime and graffiti and the stench of unwashed urine covered tile (…need I say it?: don’t. sit. down). Great-​and-​kind-​of-​weird place for neat gifts and piercings… not exactly the glistening gem of Cambridge.

I really got a kick out of the Garage during my adventure in Harvard Square today. The Garage is an interesting little mall with a really weird ramp that wraps around in a way that makes it unique. I was surprised to see a decent quality and selection in the food and shopping. The Garage was very clean and definitely a place I will show my friends.

A hipster haven in the middle of Harvard Square. I’m not really sure where all the teenagers come from, but this is where they end up. Some combination of vintage clothing and pizza must be the recipe for teen spirit.

I have no idea what The Garage once was, as I’m a relative newcomer to this area and began shopping there only 4 or 5 years ago. When I worked at The Coop, The Garage provided me with a nice place to grab a quick bite. My personal favorite is Le’s Vietnamese food, where you can get tasty noodles (phở) on the cheap and very quickly. Recently they took out what I *think* was the Chowda place and put in a Subway — yuck. But, across the way on the first floor is a relatively decent «fast food» Indian place. I think it’s a chain, but what can ya’ do. There’s a Ben & Jerry’s in this same little hallway. You can’t go wrong with ice cream. Also down there is a Starbucks, and this weird European-​looking clothing store called Desigual that I’m scared to go into for fear of sticker shock.
If you go up the ramp, on your right you’ll find Hootenanny’s which is the clothing segment of Newbury Comics. They sell a bunch of pseudo-​alternative brands and the kids working there have a lot of tats and piercings. I find good sales here quite often, or stop by if I feel like dropping some cash for something colorful.
On the top floor is a Newbury Comics, a tattoo and piercing place, a store that sells stuff made out of Hemp, a glorified jewelery kiosk, and Tokyo kid (Manga, action figures, etc). In the basement is a good burrito place called Felipes.
Go to The Garage and rake in some Harvard Square goodness — people watching, funky smells, overpriced garb — you won’t regret it.

I didn’t get to spend a lot of time in The Garage, but I thought it was pretty cool. I did feel like I was slightly over the age limit, then I remember it’s summer and kids are out of school… this is the perfect place to kill some time off from school, buy things your parents hate and pick up some new records and funky clothes. Maybe shoot a band photo or two. Or make an attempt to not grow up. Whatever your deal is.
I wish I’d caught that there was a Vietnamese place before I saw the pizza shop!

Eh, I use to love this place when I was a kid. But now I realize how pretentious it is. Every store is over priced. The young people who shop there are D bags. Tokyo kid and Newbs are okay, other than that don’t waste your time here.
Can’t say much about the food selection I haven’t eaten here in years.

There is nothing here I want, and yet I want to die on the ramp.
The garage is old and dirty, and takes me wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back. IT’s not about the stores here (they’re generally not worth it in my NTLBFHO), it’s about the vibe of the building. It’s so chill and awesome, and that little body jewelry place in the middle. So random, and yet so perfect.
I heart the garage. even the nasty-​ass bathrooms.
Who am I kidding, ESPECIALLY the nasty-​ass bathrooms.

One of the stranger, more unique (but not necessarily in a good way…) part of Harvard Square.
My main reasons to visit the Garage were:
— Starbucks: good place to study, conveniently located to my dorm
— Felipe’s: great, late night Mexican food but I wouldn’t really consider it part of the Garage since I would always enter directly from the street…
— Hootenany: funny costume items!
— Newberry Comics: good joke gifts
— Ben & Jerry’s: would come for free cone day once/​year or to ask them to donate ice cream for an event
My main reasons NOT to visit the Garage were:
— often smells pretty gross inside
— don’t like the sound of needles form the tattoo parlor!
— really unpleasant service at the Vietnamese restaurant

Are you STUCK in the square and need to kill time. Stop by the garage for:
Tatoos (for all the peeps who want ink)
Newbury Comics (for anyone who wants CDs, bumper stickers, clothes, etc)
The Hempest (cute clothes made from hemp, don’t know if you can smoke em)
Hootenannny (a cute flirty emo store)
A Spa that seems legit, though I’ve never ventured in. (I’ll try it someday)
Crazy Dough’s Pizza (Pizza and they have PBR… good for hipsters)!
Ben and Jerry’s (ice cream, anyone)??
Le’s (Vietnamese grub)
Felipes’s (Mexican grub)
Starbucks (you obviously know what they sell, overpriced coffee and all the accoutrements)
Flat Patties (burgers that will give you a bigger waistline, but are ok)
New England Soup Factory (soup, soup, and more soup)
Life is Good (is it? you be the judge, my mom has their pj pants).
Just go, if you are reading this, you have time to kill. Or, you just are bored, either way, GO!

The Garage is an interesting place. The Newbury Comics has a decent video game selection and is quite large; the food isn’t too bad, and there’s a Ben & Jerry’s.
At the same time though, this place is kind of like what I’d expect «The Max» from Saved by the Bell to look like if Bayside High met the 21^st Century. I don’t know if it’s the other kitschy stores, or the animé store, or what it is, but I feel old every time I come into this mall, whether for the Newbury Comics or whatnot.
The layout is good for wheelchair accessibility on all floors, but it feels kind of weird, particularly when going downstairs.

The Garage is a very weird, unique place. It has everything from tattoo parlors to Newburry Comics, Ben & Jerry’s and a few other stores and food places. I love the fact that they transformed an old garage into this mini-​mall but overall the atmosphere is just weird as hell. Not that it’s bad or anything but when you walk in you can just smell the Vietnamese food mixed with incense from the upper floor and the ice-​cream from Ben&Jerry’s… It’s just so weird. I don’t really shop there although I do grab food there often since I work right next door.
If I’m not working the only reasons I usually end up there is for the Newburry Comics store upstairs or because I’m trying to get out of the rain or grab a quick ice-​cream. That’s really all there is to it.