Deep, in fact the deepest station of the MBTA system as 105 feet below. It's always a bit cool to descend that far underground. I also enjoy the design of the large pipes "linking" the Northbound and Southbound levels. Also worth mentioning that I'm always a fan of stations where you can access both directions (ND&SB) after passing the fare gates. It's never Finding out you just paid for a train going the wrong direction! Where this station struggles is in the need for a little TLC. The platform was generally clean, but the surrounding walls could surely benefit for a long-overdue cleaning. Another point is the escalator. While I would not call it shaky, it did not offer a very smooth ride. Just in case, hold on to the handrail, it's a long way down otherwise. read more

Porter Square MBTA Station - Red Line - Metro Stations Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This station is at a busy intersection, but if you don't want to cross the street they have a stair case that goes underneath. This is nice, but the only problem is this staircase is a very sketchy and dirty path. The station besides this was nice and they had trains constantly running. read more

Porter Square MBTA Station - Red Line - Metro Stations Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I've never been this far out on the Red Line (between Harvard and Davis), so it was nice to see another station. Porter Square is a much quieter neighborhood than Harvard of course. More residential and less commercial. That said, the station definitely shows a lot traffic. It's dingy and dirty though fully functional. Escalator from the street level down to the ticketing level where there are the usual automated machines for adding value to your Charlie card or buying a ticket. I sure hope they keep these escalators maintained! Porter is the deepest station in the entire MBTA system at 105 feet below ground. There's an interesting public art installation here - a bunch of bronzed gloves scattered around in various poses, though mostly at the bottom of the escalator. It's interesting. read more

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The train never works. Half the time I go to get on the train for work or school its delayed or theres buses between stations. I went to India and the subways worked better in a developing country than they do in Boston. I am always disappointed by the MBTAs service. If I actually ride the train without a problem it's a miricale and not just the trains. Half the time the escalators or elevators are out at stations as well, especially at porter. Then whole MBTA is run poorly and then they up the prices for giving crappier and crappier service! read more

Charmingly forgettable stop off the Red Line. It's between Harvard and Davis, which are superior squares by every stretch of the imagination. The staircases here are not for the weak. You've been warned. read more

5 stars for being bad ass. Escalators are for pussies! Take the stairs. Better yet, carry your 50 pound cruiser bicycle up the stairs with you! Scare your fellow commuter! Make huffing sounds while you lug your steel framed beater up that beast! Repeat! BUNS OF FUCKING STEEL!!! Fine print: Buns of soft, pliable dough... Sure, I carried my bike up those stairs once, but could barely walk the next day. But in my head, I'm all kinds of hardcore. read more

Things I can accomplish while riding the escalators down into the depths of the Porter Square T Station: 1. Read a NY Times article on my iPhone App 2. Reply to at least three emails 3. Check-in on my Yelp App 4. Read a couple of pages in a paperback book 5. Listen to half of Beck's "Hell Yes" from the Guero album 6. Stop at the half-way point of the decent, where there is a conveniently located Citibank ATM, and grab cash. See, the stairs aren't so bad. It's all about multi-tasking. read more

Now let me start off by saying that this should not be a destination for a date, but would be a fantastic place to start one off (if you ignore the pee smell that it sometimes has. Urine is the only thing holding this golden nugget back from a perfect score.) At my last count the Porter Sq. T station had 4 commissioned art installations, one funky fake Asian paraphernalia vendor, and often a live musician or two. If you can't find something to talk about amidst all of this stimuli, you should part ways amiably and save yourself what is sure to be a painfully awkward night filled with strained and stunted conversation. And you will have time to talk. The Porter T station has an unusually deep set of escalators spanning almost half the length of a football field (143 feet) and descending three levels. Riding the escalator alone may take you 4 to 5 minutes. (note: you may want to take a cab home because after a few drinks a vertigo induced misstep may be lethal for you and your date.) If you do run into a lull in the small talk my suggestion would be to point out the casts of the knit hippopotamus and horse mittens, then when you reach the tracks, scream into the strange red periscope like sound tubes and startle the outbound passengers. read more

WHOA STAIRS. The T could probably make some money filming riders trying to run down those steps after "TRAIN APPROACHING" announcements are made. It takes like 20 minutes to walk down those things--fat chance you'll make it. A cool station, even if it feels like you're marching yourself down to hell. I believe I spotted Satan. Or a hobo. Either or. read more

You know that scene from '28 Days Later' when the army lady and those 2 kids have to get down the broken escalator to escape certain death by starving zombies? Yeah, they could have filmed that at the Porter Square T Station. Holy hell on Earth stairs. Wow. Vertigo. read more

Skip the gym this week and just get off the train at Porter Square instead! Exit the train and an endless set of stairs rises up in front of you. Get on the escalator and you will feel like you are in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Get on the stairs and you will feel like you are on the stairmaster. Up and up you go... Step, step, step, step... And it feels like it is never going to end. Then, finally, thank God, you reach the top. You walk through the turnstiles. And in front of you... rises... another set of stairs. What is this, some kind of cruel joke? In addition to being far enough below ground that you feel like you in a nuclear war bunker, Porter Square has some other charming features. It is home to what may be the ugliest public art installation in world history. They are hot air balloons, made out of metal, and painted red. Well, at least if you get out of the T and get completely disoriented, you will always know that you're in Porter Square. As you enter the station, on your way down the escalator, don't miss the metal "glove" sculptures that look like severed hands. It's a great opportunity for a joke: hold onto the escalator railing, and then as you glide past one of the "sculptures," emit a sudden loud cry of alarm, jerk your arm, and bend it sharply at the wrist. Bonus points if you actually get your friends to believe that you severed your hand! read more

I thought I was ascending into heaven trying to get out of the place. The amount of time spent on the escalator was longer than the time it takes the train to get from Davis to Porter!! I was expecting to be greeted by angels when I finally got to the top, but there were only gangsters, who I am under the strong impression based on their yelling, that they were in fact, crunk. read more

Did a month-long fitness challenge for Healthworks, one of which is located conveniently across the street from the Porter Square T Station. During the first week of the challenge, I was able to climb all the steps, but had to take a break once I was done, before being able to cross the street and go to the gym. I was pretty winded by the end of the first set of stairs and I walked the second set slooooowly. During the last week of my challenge, I ran those bad boys - all of 'em - and I felt great. I thoroughly enjoyed passing everyone and asking people to move out of my way as I ran. I wasn't being rude, I was just demonstrating how they, too, could be using the Porter Square T Station stairs to their fitness advantage. read more

Reviewing a T stop is a sticky wicket. On the one hand, I could fall victim to the endless stream of profanities that risk pouring out of my sailor's mouth about how goddamn ANGRY and RAGE-FILLED the MBTA makes me, a humble, tax-paying commuter who just wants to get to work for a whole week without "signal delays" "disabled trains" and "we apologize for the inconvenience." On the other hand, my home port(er) of Porter Square provides such happy factors as the sweet, smiling Metro guy who calls me Gorgeous, even though I've never once actually taken a Metro; the portly newspaper gentleman who not only greets everyone who walks by with a happy, authentic HEY GOOD MOWANIN!, but also matches his shirts and headgear to the appropriate holiday; the Jimi Hendrix wannabe busker with the cute little knit cap; the blind banjo-plucking busker whose seeing eye dog is probably the most contented being in the station; and, in my more generous moods, the little guy with the Spanish guitar who enjoys busting out 80s and 90s soft rock with his Hispanic accent. It would be nice if I didn't have to mentally add an extra 5 minutes to my commute just to go up up up all the zillions of stairs, even by escalator, but on the rare times I take the stairs, it's a nice justification to consequently skip the gym. read more

I can walk down the long escalator in 70 steps. I can walk up the long escalator in 80 steps. Where did the 10 other steps go? Oh, and friendly reminder... If you're standing on the escalator, stand on the right side. If you're walking on the escalator, walk on the left side. read more

This red line stop smells more like pee than the Harvard station but less like pee than Central. Walking up and down the 9 gazillion stairs from street level to train level is great for my glutes but bad for my "show-up-places-without-looking-super sweaty" rule. You win some you lose some. read more

Want to star in your very own version of Journey to the Center of the Earth? Well, you've found your T station. Thanks to a tourist, one of my friends once fell down the larger escalator, which predictably earned her an ambulance ride. Be careful. Oh, and tourists? STAND RIGHT WALK LEFT. Thank you. Welcome to Boston. MBTA, please fix the escalators -- it seems like one or more are always broken. And please see about that waterfall that always seems to be appearing next to the outbound tracks -- it's a little concerning. read more

Right in the heart of Porter Square, this meets all three of the criteria for a good business.. location location and more location. Take the stairs if you want a work out, or the escalator if you're just lazy.. this is the steepest stairway in Boston I would wager. The artistic segmented paintings of trains from different eras is very cool too. Many a cold night has been spent here, waiting on the sparse commuter rail trains back to hicksville. read more

Since moving to Porter Square last June, I am happy to say I have only taken the escalator up two times. I walk this every evening (117 stairs). I also see no buns of steel on myself, but at least it makes me feel better when I don't go to the gym. Down is another story. I almost had vertigo the first time I looked down those stairs. I've gotten past that now, and to give that stop credit, if you can make it in the gates as they say the next train is approaching (Braintree or Ashmont - not Alewife), you can totally get all the way down before it gets there. They've also turned the escalator off on me as I'm going down. Doesn't that seem a bit dangerous? People definitely lurched, and if I hadn't had a hand hovering over the handrail, I could have seen myself tumbling down those neverending stairs.... Think about safety MBTA. Way to go. read more

I actually really enjoy this subway station... I know it's strange to like a T station, but I do. (I guess it's not THAT strange coming from a girl who loves an outlet mall!) The stairs are definitely long--they're reminiscent of the Rosslyn stop in D.C. (third-longest continuous escalator in the metro area, took me a full 2 minutes to get from the subway to above ground!), but they're nice. Definitely a mini work out if you choose to climb the stairways, but could be a short break from the real world if you're simply cruising up the escalators. Another reason I like this stop is the sign that flashes the approaching/arrival of the next train. I can't remember if this particular one tells you how many minutes are left, but that's something I love about the Metro and NYC's MTA... wish we had more of that here, especially on the green line, but I digress... The fun doesn't stop once you step outside Porter... it's nice here, too, with those big red windmill-like structures spinning in the wind, and the clean, mod glass entrance. Overall, a winner of a subway stop... and lots of good restaurants/bars all around, once you're done with your cardio for the day/evening. read more

The layers of the earth are as follows: 1) where civilization takes place 2) Hades 3) Porter Square subway tunnel That's right, you'll bypass the depths of hell on your escalator ride (or, if you're really a masochist, while taking the stairs) to catch the trains at Porter. But hey, at least it's not the Green Line. read more

The only time I've had to walk up the stairs was when I was chasing after my friend. Of course it was her first time there and it didn't occur to her that taking the escalator would have been more convenient and quicker. But even when I'm on the escalators, I imagine myself falling down. And by the time my body reaches the bottom, I would've already died. It's that scary to me. And it's a shame that it's the only subway station near Porter Exchange. Gives me a fright before I head over there to eat. read more

Are they trying to make up for the fact that it's so far underground with the gloves? It works for me! I don't know what it is about them, but I love them. You'll always get a seat, so that's good too. read more

This is the area's best secret cheap gym. I mean, what stair master could ever be as effective as the epic walk up the Porter steps? It's an intense climb that can be both daunting and challenging, as well as crazy. And going down is an adventure in and of itself, with the descent down into the wonder that is the Red Line. The bronzed gloves are a nice and interesting touch as well, as I would assume that they are a representation of the work that went into the station, or someone's love of bronzing stuff. And the train paintings are cool too. Furthermore, this is a combination Red Line/Commuter Rail station, so it does have one of those convenience store-type places all the kids like. (I should point out that I almost accidentally posted this review on the Watch Shop at Porter Square page... I was trying to figure out why an article on the T station would talk about watches, and then was like, wait a minute?! I've got the wrong page... I just thought I'd mention that). read more

Though you have to pay fare for the T, this station has a (gasp) public restroom. Moreover, it's actually -- hold me -- clean enough not to induce vomit. Besides that the escalator is wicked long but the crazy air drafts are not so hot. read more

Who reviews T-stops? Well, apparently a lot of people do (and I do, too!). The thing is, if you're taking the T, you have no choice but to go through this place when you need to get to/from Porter by train. You are going to HAVE TO face the epic, never-ending escalators, and just look at your feet to avoid passing out. It's all you can do. This place really isn't all that bad. The entrance area is nice, and most of the charlie card machines usually work. There's usually a T employee milling about, too, if you need a new charlie card. And the ascent/descent is decorated by little artistic metal gloves to keep your mind distracted form the heights. Just be careful on the escalators. I'd hate to be behind you if you started falling down because you decided to fumble in your bag for something and then looked around and got dizzy... read more

Judging this station by its cover. A lot of the reviews of Porter T focus on the extent of the descent/ ascension. However, I think the outside of this station can be remarkable also. No, not for the giant spinny red thingy. The MBTA is Lord and Master of a long stretch of Somerville Ave. that runs down from the Porter T along the Commuter rail. And, my, but was I surprised at how dilligently their serfs cleaned it up after our last double-header of snowstorms! There was pure, honest-to-God pavement, and it was three feet wide if it was an inch. It was beautiful. The cleanest piece of sidewalk my hulking snow boots had contact with for days. read more

One of my favorite T stations for a couple key reasons. - Random, but cool public art displays - Random yet cool waterfall on the outbound to Alewife platform where all the water drains out of the walls every couple of hours - Stairs that can be used in replace of going to the gym when going up - A surprisingly clean public restroom tucked off to the left side after you go through the gates read more

Gotta love the stairway! But Red LIne trains could be updated

This T stop is like climbing up & down the side of an Aztec temple with some serious stair action! And watching people shoot down the escalator during the morning commute is great! Until of course you get pushed aside by that asshole who has a backpack the size of texas and no manners or concerns for other people as he/she barricades down the way. Great station, Great workout for those that are up to it! read more

Boasting the most gargantuous escalator on the planet, Porter Square is the ultimate climacophobe's nightmare. If you can overcome the descent to the center of the earth, you'll understand why you've gone so far down... You've entered Super Mario Brother's underground hidden pipe world. Giant pipes, straight out of the the 80's classic NES game, transcend the two levels of this station. I regret to report, though, that these pipes are no longer operational, and won't warp you from on floor to the next. I hear they eliminated that option back when Mario and Luigi discovered the Racoon Suit. Oh well, I'd rather fly anyway. read more

Since this is the T station I'd have to use anytime I want to take the train into the city, I figured I might as well review it. As far as T stations go, this one is pretty darn decent. It's a lot cleaner than most, and it seems to also be a lot quieter. Which is nice. I love the really long escalator (I'm all for getting exercise, but I sure ain't taking that long flight of stairs!). Well...that's it. It's a T station, and a pretty nice one at that. Not much else to say, is there? read more

Most stairs and biggest escalator I've EVER seen! Win!

The elevator has the condensed smell of urine from a hundred homeless people. Take the escalator.

I like the ease of reaching the subway platform from street level. There's not as much walking when compared to the Alewife station and this station is still close enough to the end of the Red Line such that there are usually still seats on the train. The drawback when compared to Alewife are the lack of parking and the small bus shelters. read more

Umm...why would you rate a subway station? Yet here I am. Chiming in, because Porter Square is unique in that it has what I call the "descent into the 18 levels of hell". The escalators feel THAT steep. Yep. Amusing. That's all I have to say, because otherwise it's just a plain ol' smelly T station (admittedly less smelly and dilapidated compared to others, if that's you're thing...). read more

Tallest escalator EVER. This one is enough to make even those without vertigo, feel woozy. Just don't look...up!

reasons that the porter square T stop doesn't suck: 1) i've yet to see a puddle of puke anywhere in the station 2) the glove sculpture on the escalator is cool 3) if i take the stairs on the way to and from work i don't have to feel *as* bad about finishing off the full pint of ben & jerry's (oh, the things we can think) 4) it isn't as cold in winter or as hot in summer as some of the other stations on the T if you have a fear of escalators and stairs, walk on to davis and board there. read more

I hate this station and unfortunately I have to use it twice a day. My main gripes: +The escalators! Sooo slow and soooo long! Everyday that I descend down them I feel like I'm heading into a bottomless abyss. Most mornings I run down them, but I'm always afraid I'll trip. Yikes! And on my way home in the evening sometimes I'm so tired I fear that I'll nod off on the slow ascent and fall backwards. +The man who shoves the Metro newspaper at me every morning. If I wanted the paper I would ask you for it or hold out my hand. I actually do read the Metro everyday, but I prefer to get it from the nice man at the station I exit at. He has manners! On the bright side, at least my calves are nice and toned from walking up the escalators most nights after work. I can't afford Healthworks, so the Porter Escalators are a nice alternative! read more

I remember taking the Red Line from Porter to Downtown Crossing when I worked on State Street in the mid-90s. Does anyone know the name of the musician who played guitar and sang in the Porter Sq station sya between 1993-1996? He resembled Michael Bolton a bit. He was good. read more