Microsoft New England Research and Development Center

I came here for an all-​day event. The space is really nice and has a good view of the Charles. There are some modern touches, but overall the space is great for conferences, including breakout sessions. Lots of couches and easy spots to chat and network. The catering was also pretty solid, with endless beverages in particular and a nice snack at the end, including hummus and other bites. Bathrooms were kept clean.
Parking is a bit annoying; it’s one of the weirdest shaped parking lots I’ve ever seen, with lots of diagonal and in-​between-​beams parking spots. Parking is $ 27/​day and can be paid for at the exit or at the elevator.

My PhD advisor works here, so I’ve come here (12^th floor) many times over the past 4 years to meet with him. Upon entering the MSR space on the 12^th floor, there’s a very large common lounge area to the right (and some offices further down), and more offices to the left, with a closed conference room and possibly more (I haven’t explored the whole space). The wall facing the Charles river is basically all window, and the view is absolutely gorgeous. The space has a very modern look to it — most of the doors are glass, and lots of colorful ergonomic chairs abound. They frequently have talks by expert researchers here as well, and you can often see researchers from different disciplines talking about problems on the whiteboards in the common area. It’s a very intellectually vibrant place.
Pro-​tip: If you hold down the buttons of the 3 top floors in the elevator, it resets the buttons. Useful if you accidentally hit the wrong button or too many buttons.

On the
geek circuit of free pizza and soda mixed with tecnical talks, the NERD is a premier venue. On any given weeknight they may be hosting 3 – 5 talks with varied interest and content. The building is a decent bit of modern architecture. The spaces that are used for the meetings are spacious temperature controlled with state of the art AV equipment. It’s great a location and easy to get to via the T. The recent bridge work makes is harder to get to the parking garage. The best part are the views facing the Charles River especially from the
higher floors. Steps from Kendall Sq watering holes/​restaurants. They have a pay garage and if you have ever had a Cambridge parking ticket you will know that this is a value.
* Security guards are somewhat surly.
* DON’T park your bicycle outside the racks are in the parking garage.
* Park the car in the garage ($ 10) street parking is tough and «at your own risk».
* Very rare that a Meetup won’t have a sponsor (for the pizza/​food) here.
* Oh the view!

This is a description of the small café beneath the research center, not Microsoft NERD itself. Pretty decent under-​the-​office style food place. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the pizza. Ambiance was only ok, but if I was walking by and feeling hungry, I’d go here again.

Strolling through the MIT campus back in those halcyon days of 2002, I remember thinking that Kendall Square would make a perfect NE hub for tech giants like Microsoft and Google. Back then it was all just a dream. But the Microsoft NERD, which opened circa 2007 – 2008, is the realization of that dream. This place has across the board five-​star reviews for a reason. I want to keep it my own little secret, but it looks like word of its awesomeness is already spreading.
So, for the record: amazing event space — check. Amazing, fresh, healthy lunches — check (subsidized! Thank you Windows NT/​98/​Me/​2000/​XP/​2003/​Vista/​7/​8!). Amazing space — check. Amazing location — check. And it’s a member of the Kendall Square Association — double check.

If you are searching for a space to host your charity/​small business/​local tech event, look no further. We just hosted our third annual
fundraiser for Child’s Play Charity at the Microsoft NERD Center, and couldn’t be happier with the space. For the past three years, they have been more than generous, from giving tours of the space before the event to letting us in early to set up and helping us with carts for load-​out; they have even donated items for our raffle!
As for the space itself, the cavernous room has great features. The view is breathtaking, overlooking the gorgeous Boston skyline. The stairs are perfect for setting up a raffle, seating guests stadium style for a speaker, or taking a group photo. There are endless spots to set up seating around the room, with cozy nooks for private conversations everywhere you turn. And there is technology galore.
Easily accessible from the red line, the building is also easy to drive to, with plenty of parking both in the garage under the building and nearby. I definitely recommend utilizing this space as often as you can, and always attending events here!

Weird to read my review from a year ago because now I go to NERD a lot and have even helped host events in the space. I’ve also moved onward and upward and checked out the 10^th and 11^th floor (amazing views of Boston/​Cambridge). NERD is just a few minutes walk from the Kendall Square T stop and if it’s lovely out and you’re in Boston, take a walk over the Longfellow Bridge. It’s about a minute from the Cambridge end.
The staff are great and they’re incredibly supportive of the local tech scene and startups. If you are hosting an event, know that you can’t wheel anything through the lobby, so you’ll need to let Microsoft know in advance and they’ll give you access to the loading dock in the back.
And yes. I have figured out the glass doors.

Been to NERD for several events on several different floors and it’s always amazing. The facility is as equipped as they come and the décor/​furniture is fun and funky as you’d expect.
Rumor is that they let you use the event space for free if it’s a tech event, so this alone makes it awesome.
Even better, they’re always fully stocked with beverages, coffee, hot chocolate etc. and everytime I leave I want to apply to work here just so I can come back sooner rather than later.
My only quibble with this place is that it’s not always easy to get to. Google Maps has it at the other end of Memorial Drive, so you’ll likely be pulling a few spins around the block to get here.
Other than that, I love me some NERD.

I’ve only been here for a party that Microsoft was throwing for college students on the 11^th floor. It felt like being in a rich person’s apartment — the ceilings were high and the windows were gigantic. The floor space was deceptively plentiful. Even though it doesn’t look that big, this place can pack a ton of people. However you always know exactly where you are, unlike in a warehouse-​like club.
What probably contributes to the intimate yet ton-​of-​people feel is the staircase. Props for enlarging the staircase slightly to accommodate a crap ton more people in the event space. And also making it look cool to sit and loiter on the staircase. While overlooking the Charles River.

Gorgeous inviting space, great location and amenities.

Beautiful building. Bright open design. Sleek and modern, yet comfortable. Great space on the 10^th and 11^th floors. However, considering it is Microsoft and all, I expected the facilities to be much more high tech than they were. Was missing the «wow» factor for me. It was also kind of ironic that the first major audio/​visual presentation of the day was ruined by faulty/​malfunctioning equipment.

I’ve been in and out of the building all day today. What a place. Georgeous views of the river and Boston. Lots of sunlight and the event space covering the 10^th and 11^th floors is superb. Nothing like it in the area.
I also just checked out the café. Good news here– it is open to everyone. Great food. Had a paninni with chicken special sauce and a mighty big cookie. Good sunlight, though not quite the views commanded by the 10^th floor.
And for me, wearing a nikon camera around my neck in the café, I found myself being introduced to the chef — who is a photography buff as well as the creator of one mean pannini with lots of sides. mmmn. good. Veggie options too!

Listen up, kiddos: I’m about to spill the secret about the best lunch in Kendall Square.
Microsoft has a gorgeous new building on the river with a ground-​floor café overlooking Mem Drive. There’s expansive outdoor seating that feels ‘café on a Greek island’ instead of a ‘corporate cafeteria in New England’.
The food line-​up includes sandwiches, sushi, soup, handmade salads, yogurt, smoothies, and a hot entrée that changes every day. It’s all very fresh and healthy, with good veggie/​vegan options.
But here’s the really juicy part of the secret: it’s subsidized by MSFT and you don’t have to be a MSFT employee to go in. Nope, you can just waltz by and grab a cup of ABP soup for less than it costs at ABP.
Shhhhhhh…

I had the pleasure of visiting Microsoft’s New England Research Center a few times this past month and was impressed with the well-​thought out design, Boston & Charles River views, the fun MS Surface, accommodating conference rooms and a dynamite kitchen. Although the 1^st floor is dubbed their conference space and is well-​suited for that purpose, the 10^th /​11^th floors really grab your attention and make you want leave a copy of your resume with HR before you leave.

A possibly little known but very useful fact: yes, the new home of Microsoft in Kendall Square houses a sizable tranche of technological know-​how, BUT it also doubles as an amazing event space!
Enter into the lobby of the 11^th floor and find yourself on the upper level of the space, a balcony of epic proportions lining the entire circumference of the room and a wide wooden staircase leading down to the lower level. Floor-​to-​ceiling windows with expansive views of the Boston skyline give the space an open, airy feel, flooding it with tons of sunlight during the day, or the sparkle of the city at night.
Everything, from the fully functional kitchen, to the room with the ping pong table in it, was immaculate, with the «newly built smell.» Add to that a ridiculous sound system and one of the biggest projection flat screens in existence, and you have one of the coolest (and nerdiest) places in all the metro area.