How Locals Spend a Sunday: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Skincare expert and green beauty shop owner Tara Folly shows us around Cambridge on a perfect spring Sunday.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts – Since opening Follain, my natural skincare store in Boston’s South End, I work most weekends. I love consulting with customers — laid-back weekend shoppers who stroll in with friends post-brunch or SoWa Market trip, usually in very high spirits.

On the rare weekend that I’m not in my shop, I’m home in Cambridge. It’s always a treat to start Sundays with a pour-over coffee from Dwell Time, where the baristas can name what's special about each blend, or an Earl Grey almond steamer with beautiful foam design from Crema Café. Both spots pay meticulous attention to detail. It’s inspiring. And it's a great way to start the day.

In spectacular weather, my husband James and I pick up a salted caramel apple pie from Petsi Pies for a picnic along the Charles. The earlier the better, as the best days attract masses to the riverbank.

We almost always go for a run along the Charles River on Sunday afternoons. The jogging path is absolutely stunning when the sun peeks through the trees. The city often closes the Memorial Drive main drag to cars so that poeple can run and bike in the streets. Kayaking along the Charles is great in the summer months, too, and rentals are available everywhere. On the days we’re feeling super fit, we might hit the steps of Harvard Stadium to do a November Project-style workout.

Photo courtesy of Clover Food Lab.

Photo courtesy of Orinoco.

If we don't cook dinner, we’ll grab a quick bite at Clover Food Lab, Life Alive, or Veggie Galaxy. All three serve delicious dishes that are easy to pass off as “healthy-leaning.” (Clover’s rosemary fries are just too good not to order.) If it’s more of a Fun Day dinner, we’ll end up with arepas at Orinoco or tasty treats and cocktails at The Sinclair.

Last — but certainly not least — Sunday night sundaes are a must. For whatever reason, there are no fewer than five amazing homemade ice cream spots within a five-minute walk of our apartment. We manage to take advantage of them nearly every weekend. Our favorites are FoMu, Cristina’s, Toscanini’s, and JP Licks. There’s no better way to bid farewell to Sunday than with a scoop of fresh chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a cone.

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