Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in
Middlesex County,
Massachusetts, just north of
Boston. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,478. With only slightly over 4 square miles (10 km²) of land, it is the most densely populated city in New England and the second densest city in the United States after New York City. It was established as a town in
1842, when it was separated from the urbanizing
Charlestown because it was still largely rural.
Somerville has a mix of
blue collar Irish-American,
Italian American and to a slightly lesser extent
Portuguese American families who are spread throughout the city; immigrant families from
Brazil,
Haiti and
El Salvador, who live in the area known as East Somerville;
South Korea and
India in the
Union Square area, and college students and young professionals, many of whom live in sections near
Cambridge, or near
Tufts University, which straddles the Somerville-
Medford city line, although the university's formal address is Medford.
Davis Square in Somerville and nearby
Porter Square in Cambridge have
Red Line subway stations providing easy access to
Harvard Square and to downtown
Boston. Other parts of the city are served by buses that connect to the
Green Line's Lechmere station in East Cambridge or to the
Orange Line's Sullivan station in Charlestown.
Somerville also has a number of squares that are bustling business and entertainment centers, among them
Davis Square,
Union Square,
Ball Square,
Teele Square and
Magoun Square.
A popular and tree-lined rail trail runs through the heart of
Davis Square and is called the
Somerville Community Path. The city has many dedicated community groups including Friends of the Community Path dedicated to extending the well-loved Minuteman Bikeway/Linear Park from its current ending at Cedar Street in Somerville to the Charles River Path and on to Boston.
Somerville was once colloquially referred to as "Slummerville" and "Scummerville", referring to its
blue-collar residents and its reputation for crime, especially in the city's east, where
James "Buddy" McLean and the "
Winter Hill Gang" were based. However, after the
gentrification period the city went through in the late 1990s this name became less prevalent. More recently,
lobbying by
grassroots organizations is attempting to revive and preserve Somerville's "small town" neighborhood environments by supporting local business, public transit, gardens and pedestrian/biker access.
Somerville was first settled in
1630 and was officially incorporated in
1842.
Traffic on the
Middlesex Canal began its famous route from the mouth of the Charles River in Charlestown (now Boston) to
Lowell going through East Somerville, where several historical markers can be discovered today.
Historically Somerville encompassed many of the less desirable railway and industrial lands squeezed between the
Charles River to the southwest and the
Mystic River to the northeast. For all its problems, Somerville's late 1800s and early 1900s
industrial revolution left behind a rich historical record of
Sanborn Maps, apparently invented in Somerville in 1867, and subsequently used for fire insurance appraisal across the USA. The delicate, detailed original Sanborn Maps are on display at the main branch of the Somerville Public Library.[
1].
One of the earliest American flags was raised on Prospect Hill, above
Union Square, on
January 1,
1776.
[Historical postcards of the raising of the Grand Union Flag in 1776.]Somerville is located at (42.390546, -71.103683).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.9
km² (4.2
mi²). 10.6 km² (4.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.61%) is water.
The seven hills of Somerville (in alphabetical order) are :
*Clarendon Hill
*Cobble Hill
*Ploughed Hill
*Prospect Hill
*
Spring Hill*Walnut Hill
*
Winter HillAs of the
census of 2000, there were 77,478 people, 31,555 households, and 14,673 families residing in the city. The
population density was 7,278.4/km² (18,868.1/mi²). There were 32,477 housing units at an average density of 3,051.0/km² (7,909.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.97%
White, 6.50%
African American, 0.22%
Native American, 6.44%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 4.96% from
other races, and 4.85% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 8.76% of the population.
There were 31,555 households out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% were
married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.8% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 42.6% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,315, and the median income for a family was $51,243. Males had a median income of $36,333 versus $31,418 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $23,628. About 8.4% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Somerville has experienced dramatic
gentrification since the
Red Line of Boston's
subway system was extended through Somerville in
1985, especially in the area between
Harvard and
Tufts Universities, centering around
Davis Square. This has led to tensions between long-time residents and recent arrivals, with many of the former accusing the latter of ignoring problems of working-class families such as drugs, gang violence, and suicides. Incidents such as anti-"
yuppie"
graffiti appearing around town have highlighted this rift. [
2]
Though formally listed as being located in
Medford,
Tufts University is also located in Somerville. The Somerville-Medford line actually runs through Tufts' campus. The school employs many local residents and has many community service projects that serve the city, especially those run through the Leonard Carmichael Society and the
Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, the latter of which especially emphasizes public service in Tufts' host communities.
Somerville is home to a thriving arts community. Regular arts-related events, such as the annual "ArtBeat" festival, occur throughout the year. In addition, numerous galleries and music clubs showcase the talents of residents and others.
A major art studio complex is located in former industrial buildings known as the Brickbottom complex, between
Union Square and the
Cambridge line.
Davis Square is home to a lively coffeehouse scene with several coffeehouses each boasting its own fiercely loyal clientele. It is also known for its mom-and-pop shops, vintage stores, and other independent retailers.
The volunteer-operated
Somerville Museum preserves memorabilia chronicling Somerville's roots, with historical and artistic exhibits. It is located on
1 Westwood Road, on the corner with Central Street.
The
Somerville Arts Council and
Somerville Open Studios both host annual events involving the community in homegrown arts.
*
Michael E. Capuano,
U.S Congressman (b. 1952)
*
Hal Clement, science fiction author (1922-2003)
*
Linda Fisher, artist (b. 1949)
*
Nick Gomez, television and movie director (b. 1963)
*
Henry Kimball Hadley, composer and conductor (1871-1937)
*
Alan Hovhaness, composer (1911-2000)
*
Howie Long,
Football Hall of Fame (b. 1960)
*
Bobby "Boris" Pickett, composer "
Monster Mash" (b. 1938)
*
James "Buddy" McLean, gangster (1929-1965)
*
Harry Nelson Pillsbury,
chess champion (1872-1906)
*
Alex Rocco actor, gangster (b. 1936)
*
Keri Rodrigues, radio and television personality, social commentator (b. 1979)
*
Paul Sorrento,
Major League Baseball player from 1989 to 1999 (b. 1965)
*
Howie Winter, gangster
*
Tufts University*
Deanna Cremin*
Official City of Somerville site*
Wikitravel page*
Progressive Democrats of Somerville*
Friends of the Community Path*
Somerville Dog Owner's Group*
Somerville Theater*
Somerville Arts Council*
Somerville Public Library*
Somerville Open Studios*
Somerville Chamber Of Commerce*
Somerville Journal Online*
The Somerville News (Blog)*
Groundwork Somerville*
STEP: Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership*
Mystic View Task Force*
Somerville's Industrial Past*
Somerville Community Corporation*
Prospect Hill History
