"If a building goes up and displaces a family, or if they displace a local business, I don't like that. They can find other places to expand, the local flavor must remain intact."

Overall, Soltan says Harvard's size is an asset to local residents.

"I think the size of Harvard is a good thing, living nearby Harvard is great. I can utilize its vast resources. I often go to lectures, films, etc.," she says.

Maybe Being Quadded Isn't So Bad

Quad residents often brag that the grass is greener and the air is cleaner on the northwestern extreme of campus. Maybe that's why houses in the neighborhood behind Pforzheimer House fetch prices well into the millions.

In the late 1960s, Harvard built "Faculty Row" behind Pforzheimer House. It is now difficult for Faculty to find affordable housing close to campus, as property prices in West Cambridge skyrocketed in the 1980s. Faculty Row and other affordable housing is available for University affiliates, but more people request units than are available every year.

At least one resident of West Cambridge feels like Harvard encroaches on her life. Laurie Clark was among a group of parents picking their children up at the Peabody School on Linnean Street next to Pforzheimer on Wednesday.

"I do think Harvard's gotten too big. It's intruded on our living style, it affects everything. The rents have gone up because of [Harvard's expansion], the stores are overcrowded during the school year with both students and faculty," says Clark, who has lived three blocks from the Quad for the last seven years.