At the corner of Mass Ave and Brookline Street is a massive complex of dining and entertainment. Walking through the wooden door, you are immediately transported into a setting of lebanese culture. Wooden tables and chairs are scattered around the room to create an intimate, amiable atmosphere. Smells of shawarma and hummus permeate the air. The traditional lebanese lamps on the ceiling and artwork from local artists illustrates the intermixing of near and far—Lebanon and Cambridge intertwined.

Walking back out out onto Mass Ave., you’re back in Cambridge, and that meal was just short immersive trip a few thousand miles away. With just a short walk down the road you can experience one of the many foreign cultures that Cambridge has become known for. According to the Community Development Department of Cambridge, 40.2% of Cambridge’s population were either born in a different country or are naturalized citizens.

Central Square is the embodiment of culinary diversity and variety in Cambridge. From Italian to Tibetan, ice cream to baklava, upscale dining to corner cafés—there is never a shortage of choice along the Mass Ave. strip. The densely populated urban center, anchored by MIT and Harvard, provides an eclectic, hungry clientele with wide-ranging appetites. Central Square is home to smells of every different kind of food, wafting toward you in a barrage of sensations from open and inviting doors.

Those doors remained open during the economic downturn, due to Central Square’s mix of location and affordability for the restaurants. During the recession some restaurants took the loss in profit in order to keep their clientele happy and keep price points down so that food could remain affordable. At Pepper Sky’s, the owner Wudhipong Guygaew said, “it was a little difficult in the beginning of the recession but because of their moderate prices it didn’t hit them that badly and they took the losses in order to keep their customer base.”Recently more upscale restaurants have been emerging as a result of the relatively cheaper rent, as compared to its neighboring Harvard Square. The variety of price points in Cambridge—from three dollar baklava at Middle East to an eleven dollar harvest salad at Cafe Luna —means that there’s something to accommodate everyone.

Each restaurant in Cambridge has its own completely unique flair, but for each, creating a sense of home is key. Whether its at the Middle East, where the Lebanese recipes are passed down from the owner’s mother, or at Shalimar of India, where the manager, Gindy, is the son of the owner. Family ownership and tradition embodies their sense of home.  For each, their dishes are made with care, with stories behind them of how they came to the restaurants.

Even if not familial, hospitality is a priority for all. At Cafe Luna, businessmen and MIT students alike flock to its open atmosphere every day, not only because of its reasonable prices, but because of its warm vibe and cozy setup. To the left side of the entrance hangs a bulletin board filled with thank you notes from customers, expressing their love and gratitude for the establishment. From their brunch-time lobster eggs benedict to their popular harvest lunch salad, each meal is made with passion by the chefs.

Central Square is not simply about the diverse ethnic cuisine, but rather the community built around the food. The cultural hub exemplifies the deep roots of Cambridge's diversity. Each restaurant has its own unique style filled, mixing the local and the faraway, and creating a sense of home for the people of Cambridge.

Over the course of two weeks we went around Cambridge and interviewed numerous restaurants. Taking pictures along the way, we captured the eclectic mix of culinary diversity and a sense of home. We not only learned a lot about the basics of a camera, but also the history of different restaurants. It was a great experience to be immersed into the different cultures of each restaurant and learn about the history of Central Square and why restaurants flock to the area. We gained a lot of photography skill in the two weeks and our sample images from the beginning to the end of the project show a big difference. It was a great and educational experience and we hope to pursue photography in the future.