The abandoned warehouses and factories stand on the western side of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) campus, testament to an era when this section of south-east Cambridge was known for its industrial might rather than Internet start-up companies.

But the new norm in and around MIT and Kendall Square are high-tech firms housed in office buildings that have taken over Broadway Street, coming ever closer to the campus itself.

But while new businesses are a boom to the local economy, local residents say the Kendall-MIT neighborhood still suffers from a paltry night-life, a lack of small businesses and a disjointed community.

Moving Up

The new look of Kendall has evolved over the past 10 years, starting with increased construction and business growth after the recession of the early '90s, and recently intensifying with the proliferation of Internet and software based companies.

And MIT has acted as the impetus for this change, providing the human and technological resources to jumpstart local companies and revitalize the business district.

"This neighborhood used to be a dump, basically garages and such," says Moses Katz, a local Middle Easter food vendor who has worked in the area for 25 years. "[Kendall Square] has become a high class, high technology place."

Working on the Night Shift?