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Winter Hill, Located roughly north of Highland Avenue and west of the McGrath Highway, Winter Hill is home to a mix of restored homes and aluminium-sided fixer-uppers, replete with china gnomes and bathtub Virgin Marys. Once known as the home base of Irish gangsters Whitey Bulger (long on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, now on trial for multiple murder counts), James "Buddy" McLean, Howie Winter and the notorious Winter Hill Gang, Winter Hill is now, like much of the rest of Somerville, experiencing gentrification and a resulting rise in property values and rents. Despite these changes, the area continues to hang onto its neighborhood flavor and is home to a large community of Irish, Italians, Brazilians, Portuguese, Cape Verdeans, and other ethnic groups.
Davis Square, This is a great late-night summer hangout, especially with J.P. Licks, a trendy local ice cream shop (also seen on Newbury Street in Boston and elsewhere), Boston Burger Company, Mr Crepe, Flatbread Pizza Company (and bowling alley), and other restaurants. It's right on the Red Line, and also a major bus transfer point. Many Tufts University students linger in the brick plaza. The Somerville Theatre doubles as a second-run movie house and music venue, and also houses the Museum of Bad Art in the basement. Davis Square has several bars and coffeehouses, most notably the locally owned Diesel Cafe on Elm Street, that draw people day and night. A number of restaurants serve everything from burgers to crepes to falafel to Indian to East Asian cuisine to fast food.
Teele Square, Just up the street from Davis Square (heading west) has a lot to offer in way of local restaurants. It's less crowded than Davis Square and less trendy. Head up this way if you're looking for good subs, burgers, and pizza (Broadway Eatery), Mexican food (Rudy's), or multi-ethnic Mediterranean fare from the Balkans and beyond (Sabur).
Ball Square, On the Somerville/Medford Line. Ball Square is the breakfast capital of Somerville. Options include Kelly's Diner, Sound Bites, Ball Square Cafe, True Grounds Coffeehouse and Lyndell's Bakery.
Union Square, It is not on the Red Line, so it's a bit off the beaten path. It is only a 15 minute walk from the Sullivan Square Orange Line station, and there are MBTA [http://www.mbta.com] buses arriving from Sullivan, Central, Harvard, Porter, Davis, and Lechmere T stops. (It's a nice walk in good weather from the West, but the neighborhoods to the East are less scenic.) There are a number of Brazilian restaurants and stores around, including a Brazilian butcher-slash-convenience store. The Brazilian community extends to Inman Square (Cambridge) and there's another pocket in Allston. There's also Indian, Mexican, and Peruvian fare here. There is also a very good Korean market here, Reliable Market. The Sherman Cafe and Bloc 11 cafe are two excellent locally-owned coffee houses. Sherman Market sells local produce. Union Square is a nice, brick-based New England intersection of many roads. Ongoing improvements to the square include benches created by local artists. Recent reconstruction of Somerville Avenue between Union and Porter Squares brought an improved streetscape with better lighting, more traffic lights, and raised pedestrian crosswalks. The Brickbottom Artists Studios are just to the east of Union Square, next to the McGrath Highway, while "maker space" Artisan's Asylum is just to the west, off Somerville Avenue.
Fly in to Logan International Airport in Boston. A taxi from Logan to Somerville can cost anywhere between $20 and $35 depending on the route taken and time of day. You can also take the MBTA Blue Line subway from Logan to either the Orange Line (switch at State Street) or the Red Line. Alternately, you can take the Silver Line bus service to South Station, then transfer to the Red Line. The subway ride takes longer than a taxi and may involve some walking, which is something to consider when you have lots of luggage.
Take the [url=http://www.mbta.com]MBTA[/url] Red Line to either the Davis Square or Porter Square Stations. If you're coming from downtown (eg South Station) you'll want to hop on an Alewife/Harvard bound train.
You can also take the Orange Line to Sullivan Square and then take one of the MBTA buses up Broadway through Winter Hill and beyond. The Assembly Square stop on the Orange Line is also located in Somerville.
Should you be coming from northwest of Boston (e.g. Fitchburg) you can also ride the MBTA Commuter Rail.
From points North: You can get to Somerville in two ways:
# take Interstate 93 and get off at exits 29-31
# take Route 3 and park at the Alewife station on the MBTA Red Line. Take the inbound Red Line to Davis Square. This is advisable on the weekends, as parking can be hard to find near Davis Square.
The MBTA bus system will take you from Sullivan Square (Orange Line) through Somerville on to Arlington center and Medford. You can also get to Somerville by bus from Lechmere Station (at the end of the Green Line in [wiki=befe9d66da2a38ca28b954a7f1b0c515]Cambridge[/wiki], near the Cambridgeside Galleria and Boston Museum of Science).
Somerville is covered by many MBTA (Mass Bay Transit Authority) bus lines, and has two subway stations (the Davis Square Red Line stop and the Sullivan Square Orange Line stop) inside the city limits and several others within a few blocks of the city limits. Expansion of the MBTA Green Line light rail to include a number of stops inside the city limits is planned, but unlikely before 2015.
Somerville has several taxi businesses. There are cab stands in Davis Square, but in most of the city cabs must be called by telephone.
The [url=http://www.minutemanbikeway.org/]Minuteman Bike Trail[/url] a converted railway right of way, the main branch of which runs from Bedford to Alewife (in Cambridge) extends through Davis Square and a bit further to Cedar St., parallel to Highland Ave. There are plans to extend this route through the city and on to downtown Boston, in parallel with construction of new MBTA Green Line service to Somerville and Medford.
There are a large and growing number of [url=http://www.thehubway.com/stations]Hubway[/url] bike rental kiosks scattered around Somerville, as well as Boston, Cambridge, and surrounding areas.
Several of the city's streets now have clearly designated bike lanes, while many others are marked with "sharrows" to encourage drivers to share the road with cyclists.
There is on-street metered parallel parking in all of the city's squares, while in most of the rest of the city, a resident parking permit is required to parallel park. There are a handful of parking lots, particularly near Davis and Union Squares, but [url=http://en.parkopedia.com/parking/somerville/]few parking garages[/url].
[url=http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com/somerville/index.php]The Somerville Theatre[/url], 55 Davis Sq ☎ +1 617 625-5700, is a former vaudeville theatre which has had several smaller screening rooms added (without dividing the main hall). It shows fairly cheap 2nd-run movies as well as live musical acts. The basement is the home of [url=http://www.museumofbadart.org]The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA)[/url], which advertises itself as the world's only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms. Admission to the MOBA gallery is free with your movie ticket.
*[url=http://www.johnnyds.com/]Johnny D's[/url], 17 Holland St (Davis Square) ☎ +1 617 776-2004 M-F 12:30-01:00; Sa-Su 09:00-01:00. A restaurant, bar, and music club which holds about 175 people. It's the Boston area stop for many nationally and internationally touring musicians, especially in the folk, folk-rock, rock, and blues spectrum. There's live music most nights (sometimes a series of dance or trivia nights on Mondays), and they are also known for their weekend brunches which often have live jazz.
*The George Dilboy Post of the VFW, 371 Summer Street, plays host to various dances and acts, ranging from swing to electronica to circus to vaudeville.
There are also numerous bars and restaurants as well as various shops, some of which are mentioned below.
Union Square is host to several night clubs that feature DJ's or live music of many genres. At one time or another, clubs like [url=http://www.radiobarunion.com/]Radio[/url], [url=http://bullmccabesboston.com/]Bull McCabe's[/url], Toast and Club Choices have hosted nights for many sorts of music, ranging from Rock to Goth to Hip-Hop.
*Take a 45-minute tour of one of the few bean-to-bar chocolate factories in the USA. Get a close-up view of Taza's vintage chocolate making machines and learn how cacao is transformed into authentic stone ground organic chocolate. Visit the Factory Store to shop for limited edition chocolate treats and see the factory through special viewing windows. Lots of chocolate samples available in the store and throughout the tours.
*The Armory is a historic building, with great architecture, that's been converted to an arts center. There are all sorts of artistic and cultural events. Depending on the day, you might catch jazz, opera, poetry, acoustic music, classic movies and TV, etc. Lots of them are free or only 5-10 dollars.
* Artisan's Asylum is a makerspace or hackerspace[11] that hosts workshops, classes, and dozens of artists, engineers, and other "makers". Check the web site for events that are open to the public.
* LEGOLAND Discovery Center is a family attraction that hosts rides, kids activities, playgrounds, and workshops.
*[url=http://navegallery.org/wp/visit-nave-gallery/]NAVE Gallery[/url], 155 Powderhouse Blvd, Sa-Su 13:00-17:00.
Since 2004 the Nave Gallery in Teele Square has been the public face of ARTSomerville, a non-profit, loosely knit volunteer group of artists and arts enthusiasts with the mutual goal to create new space(s) to present art in Somerville. In 2013 a second exhibition space was added, the Nave Annex in Davis Square. In addition, a number of public music, dance and art events including Project MUM (a dance party under McGrath Highway), 2012′s Yarnstorm Perry Park (part of their ongoing Wrap Around Project), and SqueezeBox Slam, an outdoor festival dedicated to accordion and concertina music have been created.
The Nave Gallery and the Nave Annex provide space for the collaboration and presentation of art of all media. Work of a collaborative, non-commercial nature is especially encouraged. The Nave Gallery opened 15 May 2004 with the exhibition 1-10. The Nave Annex opened 25 January 2013 with the exhibition PICNIC. Free admission, no wheelchair access.
SomerStreets[url=http://www.somervillema.gov/alerts/2012-somerstreets-series]]is a series of events hosted by the city government at various times & locations throughout the year. Past events have included a June carnival at Trum Field, a July festival at Dilboy Field, September events including a carnival & fireworks along the Mystic River, and a fall Halloween parade from Union to Porter Square in October. Check the city's website[url=http://www.somervillema.gov/[/url]]or official ResiStat blog[url=http://somervilleresistat.blogspot.com/2012/05/somerstreets-why-stretch-festival-down.html[/url]]for details.
* In May, the city's annual Memorial day parade[url=http://ci.somerville.ma.us/alerts/memorial-day-parade-ceremonies[/url],]claimed to be the largest such parade in the region.
* In July, the city's annual pre-July 4th fireworks.
* In May is Somerville Open Studios[url=http://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/[/url],]in which the public is welcomed into artists' home and studio space for a look at their work. Somerville has enough artists that it's basically impossible to see them all during the weekend-long event, which happens at various locations around the city, including Brickbottom Studios and Arts at the Armory.
* In July is Art Beat[url=http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/artbeat/2012[/url]']a street festival in Davis Square focused on visual arts organized by the Somerville Arts Council[http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/[/url].
* In September What the Fluff? [url=http://unionsquaremain.org/fluff-festival/]]Fluff Festival, a growing annual festival in honor of Archibald Query[[Archibald Query[/url],|who invented Marshmallow Fluff[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow_Fluff]]]in Union Square in the early 20th century. The theme changes each year, but the festival generally includes music, games, and street vendors.
* In October is the annual Honk! Festival'[url=http://honkfest.org/[/url].]Over a dozen brass bands show up from as far away as New Orleans and Italy, playing on the city streets, particularly around Davis Square, and culminating in a parade from Davis Square through Porter Square to Harvard Square in Cambridge. Most years, the Honk Festival also coincides with Oktoberfest.
* Also in October is Maker Faire Somerville[http://www.makerfairesomerville.com/[/url], at which local artists, engineers, hobbyists, tinkerers, and more display technology being developed in the greater Somerville area. In addition to table displays, there are technology demonstrations, moving showpieces, and design and fabrication competitions. And a trebuchet.
* SOS (Save Our Somerville) Annual End of Summer youth Basketball Tournament at Lexington Park.
[url=http://www.magpie-store.com]Magpie[/url], 416 Highland Ave. One of the nation's best stores devoted to handmade hipster crafts, unique gifts, independent designers, and local artists.
* Goodwill, Elm St. Two floors filled with all manner of second hand stuff keenly priced.
*[url=http://comicazi.com/]Comicazi[/url], 407 Highland Ave. Well-stocked comic book shop, featuring a very friendly staff.
*[url=http://www.artifaktori.com/]Artifaktori[/url], 22a College Ave is a small boutique specializing in art, antiques and vintage clothing.
*Davis Square also has a sewing machine parts store, a UPS Store for shipping, a large pharmacy, opticians, etc.
Sherman Market in Union Square sells locally-grown produce, and locally-made items including honey and maple syrup.
* Hub Comics, 19 Bow Street, [url=http://www.hubcomics.com/].]An excellent comic book shop in Union Square. (Note that the staff may gently tease you on Twitter[url=http://twitter.com/hubcomics[/url]]if you amuse them.)
* Assembly Square, once abandoned and run-down, was completely reborn in 2006. It is now a shopping center featuring Christmas Tree Shops, K-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx & Home Goods, Staples, A.C. Moore, Sports Authority, and Home Depot. A multi-year redevelopment project is in the works to bring in additional stores, businesses, homes, and possibly a new stadium for the New England Revolution soccer team[url=http://somerville.patch.com/articles/do-you-want-a-new-england-revolution-stadium-in-somerville[/url].]At one time, an IKEA store was planned for this area, but these plans were withdrawn in 2012[http://somerville.patch.com/topics/IKEA[/url].
* Target is a large department near Union Square.
* There are several supermarkets, including Stop & Shop near Sullivan Square, Market Basket near Union Square, and a Star Market in Porter Square.
* Cambridgeside Galleria If you are interested in a real mall, you may want to visit the Cambridgeside Galleria in [wiki=befe9d66da2a38ca28b954a7f1b0c515]Cambridge[/wiki]. It's a large mall anchored by Macy's, Best Buy, Borders, and Sears. It can be reached by taking the bus/subway to Lechmere Station (green line) and walking a few blocks, or to Kendall Square (red line) where the mall runs a free shuttle every 20min or so. It's a 5min shuttle ride. A large garage also offers parking for $3.99 on weekends.
Fast Mexican food, much better than Taco Bell. People seem divided on Annas, some love it, some hate it.
*[url=http://www.burren.com]The Burren[/url], Davis Sq. An Irish pub once said to pour more Guinness than any other in North America. Live Irish music. Music nightly in the back room, including the amazing 80's cover band "Scatter Shot" on Thursday nights.
* Blue Shirt Cafe, 424 Highland Ave ☎ +1 617 629-7641. Sandwiches, wraps, fruit smoothies, salads, and soup.
* Diesel Cafe, 257 Elm St, Phone: +1 617-629-8717, [url=http://www.diesel-cafe.com/].]Coffee and light dining, winner of several local awards. A local favorite providing an alternative to the Starbucks across the street, locally owned with art for sale on the walls and a couple of pool tables.
* Martsa on Elm, 233A Elm St., Phone: +1 617-666-0600. Tibetan specialties, including momos and a variety of vegetarian dishes as well as entrees with meat. Lunch buffet.
*Redbones, 55 Chester St. (Davis Sq), Phone: +1 617-628-2200, [http://www.redbones.com[/url]. Excellent BBQ and great selection of microbrewed beers. While certainly not what you'd find in Texas or Mississippi, they clearly know what they're doing; you don't find hush puppies and okra on too many menus in New England. The art in the basement room is great, the bar has a "wheel of beer" in case you're feeling lucky or indecisive. They serve a late night menu until midnight, another area rarity.
Broadway Eatery, Broadway. The newest incarnation of eating in Teele Square in a location that has been serving the community for over 40 years. Go there for great pizza, delicious burgers, savory gyros, refreshing salads, top notch chicken, and much more.
*Tu Y Yo Mexican Fonda, 858 Broadway, Phone: +1 617-623-5411, [http://www.tuyyomexicanfonda.com/]. (Powderhouse Square) Excellent authentic Mexican food. This is not the typical Mexican restaurant; the food is authentic and you won't find burritos here.
Bloc 11 Cafe, 11 Bow St., Phone: +1 617-623-0000, [url=http://www.bloc11.com].] M-F 7AM-8PM; Sa 8AM-7PM; Su 7AM-7PM. Sister cafe to the Diesel Cafe in Union Square, Bloc 11 features a few breakfast selections, pastries, soups, and made-to-order sandwiches, along with a selection of espresso/coffee/tea/soda beverages. The cafe features artwork by local artists, and hosts open mic music nights as well. Located in a former bank branch, the cafe also features seasonally-available outdoor courtyard seating.
*Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery, 25 Bow St., Phone: +1 617-628-2151, [url=http://neighborhoodrestaurantandbakery.com[/url].]Daily 7AM-4PM. It is worth visiting Union Square for, especially in the summer months. There's an overhead grape arbor with real fruit growing on it. There's a large breakfast/brunch menu, and very colorful outdoor decor. The menu also includes some Brazilian fare, as well as alcoholic drinks.
*Red House, 24 Union Square, Phone: +1 617-666-4300, Su-Th 11AM-1:30AM; F-Sa 11AM-2AM (Delivery 11AM-1:30AM) A New England-style Chinese restaurant (take-out only). Good food, clean kitchen (you can watch them prepare your food through a window in the waiting area), and open late. Recommended by Ben Affleck.
*Ronnarong Thai Tapas, 255 Washington St., Phone: 1 617-625-9296, [url=http://www.ronnarongthai.com[/url].] (Note that Washington Street skips across Union Square; Ronnarong is located on the east side of Union Square, facing into the small municipal parking lot, near the U. S. Post Office.) Ronnarong features smaller plates of Thai cuisine, independent craft beers, and a full wine and sake list. Many ingredients are locally-sourced, and chef Ronnarong ("Ronnie") is always found in the kitchen. Closed Sundays.
*Cantina La Mexicana, 247 Washington St., (Union Sq), Phone: +1 617-776-5232, [url=http://www.lataqueria.com[/url].]Friendly neighborhood taqueria, West Coast style. Burritos, tacos, tamales, everything cheap. Expanded in 2009 to include restaurant-style seating and a full bar.
*Bull McCabe's, 366 Somerville Ave., (Union Sq), Phone: +1 617-440-6045, [http://bullmccabesboston.com/[/url]. Modern Irish pub with a rotating tap list that features local brews plus an extensive bottle selection. Delicious menu all made from scratch on site. So successful it opened a sister pub in Porter Square. Catch the house reggae band every Sunday night. Outdoor seating available.
Sound Bites. 704 Broadway, Phone: 617-623-8338 [url=http://www.soundbitesrestaurant.com/]]Voted "Best Breakfast in Boston" many times. Lines out the door during brunch on weekends; expect at least a 20 minute wait for Sunday brunch. Best known for their breakfast menu, served all day daily. Lunch menu features Middle Eastern cuisine, burgers, and sandwiches. Dinner menu features Middle Eastern and American cuisine. Full bar. Locally known for its rivalry with Ball Square Cafe[http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/26/cafe_owners_come_to_blows_in_somerville_square/[/url].
*Ball Square Cafe 708 Broadway, Phone: 617-623-2233 [url=http://ballsquarecafe.com/]]Primarily a breakfast/brunch place with a breakfast menu extremely similar to Sound Bites. Lunch menu features sandwiches & burgers; closed for dinner. Locally known for its rivalry with Sound Bites[http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/26/cafe_owners_come_to_blows_in_somerville_square/[/url].
*Victor's Deli 710 Broadway, Phone: 617-625-3076 [url=http://www.victorsdeli.com/]]Italian deli featuring sandwiches and a rotating selection of Italian cuisine. Inexpensive for the area. Open for lunch M-Sat, open late (till 8) W-F, closed Sunday.
*Yak & Yeti 719 Broadway, Phone: 617-284-6227 [http://yakandyeticafe.net/[/url] Indian & Nepali restaurant. Open lunch & dinner every day; features lunch buffet.
East Somerville is home to several good Brazilian churrascarias (barbeque) served rodízio style (meat is selected table-side and cut directly from a skewer. Side dishes are served buffet style or depending on the place you can get comida à quilo ("food by the kilo") - buffet food sold by weight. Though the best rodízio might be the Midwest Grill in neighboring [wiki=befe9d66da2a38ca28b954a7f1b0c515]Inman Square, Cambridge[/wiki].
*Fasika, Broadway (East Somerville). Ethiopians looking for a new place after they lost their lease took over a local bar and put a partition down the middle, keeping the bar on one side and having seating on the other. The result? Probably the only Ethiopian restaurant in the world with video keno! Townies having a beer watch yuppies chow down on very good yemasir wat.
*Vinny's at Night, 76 Broadway (East Somerville). Phone: 617-628-1921. You get to this place by walking through Vinny's Superette, a convenience store. Honest. Fantastic family-style Italian fare.
*Mama Lisa's Pizza, 312 Broadway (Winter Hill), Phone: +1 617-623-9463. Good pizza, fantastic ham & cheese calzones, but calzones are only made some days of the week so call to verify.
*Li'l Vinny's, 525 Medford Street (Magoun Square). Phone: 617.628.8466. [url=http://www.lilvinnys.com]]Run by the nephew of Vinny's at Night. More great family-style Italian and friendly wait staff.
*Old Magoun's Saloon, 518 Medford st. (Magoun Square). Phone: (617)776-2600. [url=http://www.magounssaloon.com[/url]]Modern Irish pub with large draft list. Great for watching sports games, but make sure you get there early. Go for brunch and order the traditional Irish breakfast; it's spectacular.
*R.F. O'Sullivan and Son, 282 Beacon St (Near Porter Sq.). Phone: +1 617-492-7773, [http://www.rfosullivan.com/[/url]. Mainly a bar, with one food specialty: Outstanding burgers. The fries and onion rings are excellent, and that's pretty much the whole menu.
*Turkish / Middle Eastern meze restaurant specialising in small plates. Late night menu until midnight. If you want a table, definitely make a reservation, otherwise you'll probably eat at the bar (which isn't bad, just not a table).
AmeriSuites, 116 Riverside Ave, Medford, MA, +1 781-395-0077, [url=http://www.amerisuites.com/].]Located off of I-93, near Medford Square. This hotel is 2.5 miles from Davis Square and 7 miles to the airport.
*Holiday Inn Boston Somerville, 30 Washington St., Phone: +1 617-628-000, Fax: +1 617-628 0143, [url=http://www.hi-boston-somerville.com/[/url].]Just two miles from downtown [[Boston[/url]] and four miles from Logan International Airport. Includes a photo gallery, rates, availability and on line reservations.
*Morrison House (Bed and Breakfast), 221 Morrison Avenue, Phone: +1 617-627-9670, [http://www.morrisonhousebnb.com]. 4 rooms, near public transportation.