Somerville
Located just north of Boston in Middlesex County,
this city of more than 78,000 fits into slightly more than four-square miles,
making it the most densely populated community in New
England.
Once a rural outpost, Somerville became a town in 1842. By the early
1900s, an influx of Italian and Irish immigrants transformed it into
densely-packed urban area. The first flag of the original 13 colonies that
was raised on Prospect Hill in what is now Somerville in 1776. The neighborhood is
considered a frugal alternative to Cambridge,
on its border.
A combination of blue-collar families, young professionals, college
students and recent immigrants from countries such as El Salvador, Haiti
and Brazil now call Somerville home. Small
public squares mark the neighborhood boundaries and serve as community
centers as well as vibrant business and entertainment districts. Somerville came into
its own in the 1990s with numerous shops and hip, new restaurants. Still, the
neighborhood maintains its old world charm and close-knit communities.
Neighborhood Details
Housing Costs
One of the main reasons people pick Somerville
as a place to live is price. The neighborhood offers a selection of home
sizes with corresponding price differences.
Some homes are two-family dwellings, like a duplex. Some two-family homes
are really one main home, plus an attached apartment. Some three-family homes
are akin to triple-deckers, while others are large houses designed as three
separate residences with their own entrances. Often three-family homes will
have one main residence and two smaller apartment-like spaces.
The few single-family homes in Somerville
cost less than $300,000. But the more typical two-family homes average around
$400,000 and three-family homes range from $400,000 to $700,000 and beyond.
School System
Results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System's standardized
tests revealed that Somerville schools "need improvement" but a
number of special programs have been created. The Somerville Charter
School, grades K
through 8, was given a top rating by the Massachusetts Department of
Education.
Entertainment
Somerville is
home to the Somerville Theater, an art-house movie theater and performance
space, and the landmark, LaContessa Pastry Shop,
with homemade goodies, wood-paneled walls and coffee still served in
disposable cone-shaped cups inside brown plastic holders.
Somerville
has many of the amenities of the big city; from the ethnic restaurants and
trendy shopping of Porter Square
to the bustling downtown of Davis
Square to the big box stores of Assembly Square.
Transportation
Another reason many choose Somerville
is location. A ride on the subway will get you to downtown Boston six miles away in less than 20
minutes. Interstate 93 goes right through Somerville,
so highway access is not a problem, but driving into Boston always carries a risk of grid-locked
traffic.
