Sheraton Commander
16 Garden St
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-547-4800

Sheraton Commander Home Page

June 2000

Welcome to www.weloveourlife.com. This is our page dedicated to our experiences while staying at the Sheraton Commander in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While this is not an Inn or B&B, we are classifying it here, because it is a nice getaway for a long weekend, or a couple of days.

	The Sheraton Commander is an old hotel. It opened in 1927 and sits right on Harvard Square. The hotel is located next to Radcliffe College and across the street from the main gates of Harvard University.
	The room was a typical Sheraton hotel room. The one we stayed in had two double beds. While we prefer a queen or king, the room was nice enough, especially since we did not spend much time in the room.

Inn Amenities

The Hotel has a restaurant (which we did not try) and a cafe lounge (where we did have a nightcap one night).

Inn Food

The menu at the restaurant looked fine to us. Since it was our first time in the Harvard Square area, we decided to forego the hotel restaurant and try local restaurants.

Inn Bar/Lounge

The lounge was a small area in the back of the restaurant with an outside entrance. It was a small bar area with about six stools, and about a half-dozen tables, too.

Inn People/Service

All of the people working at the Sheraton were very nice. We were not surprised as this is more of a business destination.

Area/Attractions

Fenway Park - Yawkey St, Boston, MA 617-236-6666 Fenway Tour Web Site Keith toured Fenway while Lori was busy at her business meeting. It was an easy trip using the "T" to get from Harvard Square to Fenway, Keith only had to change one train, and he didn't get lost! Guided tours are given hourly starting at 10:00 AM on days without early games. Keith loved being able to see Fenway. He was able to visit the Press Box, the Luxury Boxes, the 600 Club, and the best part: Walking on the field! It was an incredible experience seeing the "Green Monster" up close and personal. The guides were very knowledgable and friendly. This is a don't miss attraction!!

New England Aquarium - Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 617-973-5200
New England Aquarium Home Page
The New England Aquarium is another short hop on the "T" from Fenway or Harvard Square. The aquarium has a large display of penguins as you enter. The large fish tank contains many types of sharks and other large fish. You can also take a Whale Watching tour for an additional price.

Dining

Grendel's - 89 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, MA 617-491-1160
Grendel's Web Site
Grendels' is a restaurant and bar that is in the basement floor of a building. It has a very good selection of beer (imported and micro-brew) on tap.

Casa Mexicano - 75 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, MA 617-491-4552
This is a small mexican restaurant. We had a pitcher of margaritas with dinner that were OK, but Lori's are better.

John Harvard's Brewhouse - 33 Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA 617-868-3585
While we usually don't go for chain restaurants during our getaways, this is the birthplace for the John Harvard's chain. We didn't have a full meal here, we only had some drinks and appetizers one night. The beer, as always, was very tasty.

Nightlife

Hong Kong - 1236 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 617-864-5311
Hong Kong's Web Site
We met a friend of Lori's after dinner and he introduced us to the Hong Kong. This is a three story building, with a restaurant on the first floor, a pub on the second, and a dance club on the third. We opted for the pub. They had a great selection of beer (they had Blue Moon Belgian White available, one of our favorites).

Shay's Pub and Wine Bar - 58 John F Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 617-864-9161
Shay's is a little pub and wine bar in the Harvard Square area. They have a few tables on a patio in front of the pub for outside seating. Their beer and wine selection is very good, and should satisfy most thirsts.

Weather

The weather was perfect for early to mid June. The temperatures in the day were around the mid-70's with low humidity. The evenings cooled off a little, but we were fine in shorts and a light jacket or sweater.

Tips/Suggestions

Take a good pair of walking shoes. Walking around Harvard Square is fascinating. Also, take public transportation when available. The "T" (the area's subway system) is inexpensive and very easy to navigate.