Wonderfully diverse in culture, fine dining and the arts, Moody Street in Waltham Massachusetts is an oasis of eclectic entertainment.

As you cross the Moody Street Bridge on the South side of Waltham, traveling over the Charles River, you will begin to see well-manicured sidewalks, a lively two-lane street and parallel, metered parking. Walking along this corridor of old buildings you will quickly feel the pulse of this wonderful area of the city, which boasts some of the best dining that nearby Boston has to offer. There are cinemas, bars and clubs of every flavor, from Latino to Irish pubs, restaurants to suit every palette, all lined up elbow to elbow down both sides of the street. At night you can hear the music and people partying and having fun, sometimes even from the rooftops.

Here you can just choose the flavor of cuisine that you are in the mood for at the moment and there will be no bad choices, because in this part of town, if you aren’t really good, then you don’t last long.

Shopping here is a hodgepodge of everything from furniture to clothing and gifts. It is a pricey district to shop in but fun and again, very eclectic in its offerings.

Artists of all types, from filmakers, photographers, painters, musicians and gourmet chefs all come to live and work in Waltham and it is what makes Moody Street so special.

If you are arriving during the daylight hours be sure to visit the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation at 154 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Then take a stroll along the Riverwalk with its cascading trees and magnificent views of the old textile and watch factories that you learned about while at the museum.

This area of Waltham is known as the birthplace of American industry because Francis Cabot Lowell’s textile factory, opened in 1814, was one of the first buildings to house a collection of tasks under a single roof, starting what would become the American factory system of the nineteenth century and the first time that women were hired to work outside of the home. This factory was also the first to sell shares of the company in order to raise money, and this business model became the method of choice for funding new American businesses from then on.

This section of town is also why Waltham became known as the “Watch City”, because the Boston Watch Company factory was open for business between 1854 and 1957 and was the first company to make watches on an assembly line.

Parking can be limited but the commuter rail is conveniently located very nearby.

If you are coming to the Boston area, then you will not regret making time for Moody Street. It is fun, fascinating, entertaining and historic, all rolled into one.

My favorite restauraunt on Moody Street? Hands down, it’s the Solea restaurant & tapas bar. I love the character of the interior décor, the attentive staff, amazing food and the ability to taste the many, many different flavors of their tapas. What could be better than trying a little of everything as opposed to choosing just one? To me, this style of eating epitomizes what Moody Street itself is all about; a little bit of everything, the old and new, all at one table.