College Square

College Square is a location within the ruins of Cambridge in the Commonwealth in 2287. Once a large raider encampent, it was recently overrun by feral ghouls.

Background
College Square was once a pre-War hub for Commonwealth Institute of Technology students and professors alike. Long after the bombs dropped, the area became a stronghold for a group of raiders led by Ricca, who took over the gang's previous leadership. The encampment was not only a center for the usual raider antics but also an extortion racket, charging travelers a fee to ensure safe passage from the raiders. However, after Ricca raised the tolls dramatically, most traders began to avoid the square and take the western roads instead. Although Ricca showed great promise due to her tough reputation, the lack of traffic through College Square frustrated other raiders, who began to consider a mutiny.

However, before this plan was ever set in motion, the raiders were overrun by a massive infestation of feral ghouls. The ferals killed Ricca and forced the few survivors, including Erris and Tad, underground into the College Square station, where they were eventually finished off by the ferals.

Layout
The square is built around College Square station and adjacent to the Cambridge Police Station. Three streets come together, lined with restaurants, shops, and offices, most of which can be explored for loot. Careful, however, as there are many "sleeping" ghouls, mines, and traps.

A breakdown of the square starting on the south side and going around counter-clockwise includes the buildings lining the south side of the square, which can be explored and contain a tool case with leveled loot next to Ricca on the third floor. The building attached to this contains an advanced lock wall safe behind the counter on the second floor. Below this, there is a laundromat with assorted junk.

The northeast side of the square contains a small diner with a Novice locked bathroom containing a first aid box. Directly to the right of the diner is a Novice locked Pulowski Preservation shelter which contains a feral ghoul. The three-story building to the left of the diner contains nothing of note, but here is a wooden walkway that leads to the roof of the neighboring building which contains some 10mm ammo next to a skeleton. The walkway will collapse as the character walks over it.

In the northern corner of the square, there is an open truck trailer with another ghoul and an explosives box in the back. The two-story house on the western side of the truck leads to a wooden catwalk that crosses the north entrance to the square. This leads to the roof of the house across from the truck where there is another caps stash, steamer trunk, and a duffle bag with leveled loot.

The three-story building on the northwest side of the square has an Advanced-locked door on the third floor which leads to a fire escape behind the building.

There is a building in the western corner of the square with nicer than usual furniture and an Advanced-locked safe behind the counter with a cash register. The stairs in the rear of this building lead to the second floor where there is more assorted junk.

Directly west of the station is a small info kiosk containing a Novice-locked safe and a racetrack advertisement on the shelf which will mark the Easy City Downs location on the map. A sniper's nest is found on the roof of this kiosk, while on the roof of the other kiosk, to the north of the station, is a caps stash. Under the center of College Square is College Square station - a subway, some aspects of which seem to still be running.

Notable loot

 * Toll schedule - On the body of Ricca on top of the high building (the building with the can trap in the door, next to the west info kiosk) overlooking the square.
 * Two Vault-Tec lunchboxes on the first table inside the cafeteria with a live bottlecap mine sitting in between. The cafeteria is opposite the plutonium well, just north of the Cambridge Police Station.
 * Power armor - On top of a section of highway to the northwest, accessible by elevator.
 * 66 burnt magazines, found in abundance for all three variants.
 * Jamaica Plain flyer - On the counter of a kiosk, just outside the station's entrance.
 * Racetrack advertisement - In the same kiosk, on the magazine rack.

Related quests

 * Cleansing the Commonwealth: Knight Rhys gives the Sole Survivor an assignment to clear the location of what he calls "abominations" to further the aims of the Brotherhood of Steel.
 * Ghoul Problem: Settlers have asked the player character for help in taking care of some feral ghouls that have been terrorizing a nearby location.
 * Pest Control: Dr. Binet of the Institute's Robotics division asks the Sole Survivor to eliminate some feral ghouls that are causing problems for a synth scavenger team.
 * Randolph Safehouse: The Railroad agent Mister Tims will leave dead drops in the form of six holotapes for the Sole Survivor, containing information about possible hazards to the Railroad's escort and escape of synths out of the Commonwealth. They can assist in these efforts by clearing out the location of hostiles.
 * Lost Soul: Doctor Carrington has a lead on a synth that's in danger and sends the player character to save them.
 * Leading by Example: Lancer Captain Kells requests the Sole Survivor's help in training a Brotherhood squire by allowing him to accompany them on a mission.

Appearances
College Square appears only in Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes
College Square's location and layout are based on Harvard Square in the real-world Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bugs

 * A quest marker for Cleansing the Commonwealth may completely disappear when approaching closer than 40-25m (from different points).
 * Stuck ghouls in the surrounding area make it impossible to finish Cleansing the Commonwealth.