Is There a Class Divide in Somerville?

A proposed affordable-housing development in Union Square has sparked a debate about gentrification and the future of a neighborhood.

A lot of people had comments about the Somerville Community Corporation's proposed 40-unit affordable-housing development at the old Boys & Girls Club building in Union Square. The conversation turned to deeper issues: gentrification, neighborhood transformation and the relative merits of subsidized housing, among other things. A number of commenters were direct with their opinions: Leslie Gildart wrote, "All you wealthy gentrified folks looking to keep out the working class: Why didn't you step up and buy the building yourselves?" Joyce Junior commented, "[M]ost people in opposition to this project aren't from Somerville … [they] are a bunch of yuppies that moved into the neighborhood, and now the people around them are suddenly …

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cindy

8:25 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012

and yet we keep voting for liberals who say they are for the poor. sure their for the poor as long as they are not living next to them. somerville is going thru what cambridge went thru starting early 2000's. I should of bought my home in east somerville instead of medford few years back. because e.somerville is a dump now but in a few years it will look just like E.cambridge does today.   more ›

Letter to the Editor

Letter to Editor: Keep Union Square Inclusive

The writer, Matan BenYishay, argues for an affordable housing project in Union Square.

The following is written by Matan BenYishay of the Somerville Community Corporation: "It's going to be tough to find a new place in Somerville. Not everyone can make a ton of dough and afford an expensive place. Working people are getting squeezed out,” a resident at 388 Somerville Ave. recently told me. This low-income resident and his neighbors in the buildings next to Market Basket are searching for new homes in Somerville after their landlord received a permit to knock down their buildings and replace them with luxury condos. With its restaurants and artists and the extension of the Green Line fast approaching, Somerville's Union Square is drawing new residents. This influx, however, will likely drive prices up for residential and …

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Heart Attack Grill Has Us Wondering: Where Do You Go For Grease?

Tell us in the comments.

Have you heard about the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas? The place is proud of its name, according to CBS News, and warns customers that “This establishment is bad for your health.” And, for one customer, it apparently was. A YouTube video circulating around the internet shows paramedics handling a customer who apparently had a heart attack while consuming a 6,000-calorie “Triple Bypass Burger.” Which got us thinking: we here at Somerville Patch usually attempt to eat healthy, but occasionally want a greasy sandwich.

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Chris Orchard

12:45 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2012

Ha ha. Me, too.   more ›

How Do We Love Thee, Somerville? Let's Count The Ways

Add your favorite things about Somerville to our incomplete list.

Valentine's Day doesn't just have to be about couples and candy. It's about love, and we all know there's lots to love about Somerville. To start, there's: 1) Somerville Open Studios: One of the best ways to welcome spring in all of Greater Boston. 2) Burritos and bagels: Sometimes we don't appreciate the little things. When your humble Patch editor spent some time living in a foreign land, he developed insatiable cravings for Anna's Taqueria and Magnificent Muffin. 3) Community Path: A perfect place to take a stroll and meet some friendly dogs. 4) This is where you come in! What do you love about Somerville? Can we get to 10 things we love about the city? 20?  Leave your answer in the comments section. Let's give Somerville the Valentine'…

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Will You Miss Lil Vinny's Ristorante?

Lil Vinny's announced Wednesday it was closing. Will you miss it? How will the closing affect Magoun Square?

Planning Council: MBTA Cuts Will Damage Economy and Environment

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is speaking out against proposed T service cuts and fare hikes.

The following was submitted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. It does not reflect the views of Patch: The MBTA faces a structural fiscal crisis, the immediate symptom of which is a $161 million gap in the Fiscal 2013 budget. Despite exhaustive efforts to reduce its operating budget, the MBTA is left with only two tools to resolve the crisis: fare increases and service cuts. In response to next year’s shortfall, the MBTA has proposed two scenarios that, if implemented, will have negative repercussions for many years. Both scenarios include elimination of many bus routes, all ferries, and commuter rail service after 10 pm and on weekends. Scenario 1 would raise fares by 43%, while Scenario 2 combines a somewhat smaller fare increase…

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Vacancy Visions

Vacancy Vision: What Should Fill This Empty Building in Davis Square?

Whatever moves into the old Social Security office will help define the neighborhood. What would you like to see there?

Update, Feb. 2: Charles River Realty, the real estate firm handling this property, said negotiations are currently under way for a new commercial tenant. ----------- Empty storefronts and unused commercial spaces are eyesores, but an empty storefront can also be an opportunity; they allow new, exciting, desired businesses to move into neighborhoods.  With "Vacancy Visions," we feature an empty space somewhere in the city and ask one question: If you were king or queen of Somerville, what would you put there? The office, in the heart of Davis Square, closed down in the summer of 2010, and it's still empty today. A discussion that summer on the Davis Square Live Journal community site indicates the space, before it was a Social Security …

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Poll With Photos: Is Warm Winter Pleasant or Unsettling?

We got a dusting last night, but compare that to last year. How does the contrast make you feel?

It finally happened: The first snow of the winter. Sort of. A light dusting, really. A year ago this week, Somerville was buried under snow, having suffered the third major storm of the season. Mountains of snow covered sidewalks; tree limbs fell over; residents shoveled and shoveled and shoveled. This year, on the other hand, temperatures reached 60 degrees on Saturday—nearly a record warm—and last night's dusting was the closest thing we've had to real winter. To refresh your memory about the storm that hit Somerville a year ago this week, and to compare those scenes to this year, check out the photos. We wouldn't be New Englanders if we didn't have an opinion about the weather. So, what do you think of this year's winter so far? Are you…

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POLL: Farmer's Almanac Says Slushy Winter; What Do You Say?

Almanac predicts biggest storms at end of January, and mid-February.

The Farmer’s Almanac has weighed in on what’s in store for us this winter. With temperatures near or above normal, it is predicting many snow and rain mixes. But what do they know? Your guess may be as good as theirs. So tell us: Do you think this winter will bring as much snow as last year?

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