Far from the “Slummerville” moniker given to it in the old days, the city of Somerville is a thriving, eclectic urban area right next to Cambridge and just north of Boston and the Charles River. Somerville has become a desirable place to live for many Bostonians for several reasons.

Somerville Dining and Nightlife

Somerville has some of Boston’s most interesting restaurants and bars. Since there is a large Portugese population, Somerville has many Portugese and Brazilian restaurants, shops, and bakeries. Walk down Cambridge Street in the morning, and you’ll see groups of Portugese men standing outside the bakeries, drinking coffee and joking around. For beer lovers, Somerville’s Inman Square and Union Squares offer pubs like The Druid and Bukowski’s – each with a wide selection of craft beer. Inman Square also has one of Boston’s best ice cream shops – Christina’s – with exotic flavors like chocolate chili, rose, and ginger. For a more refined dining experience, Oleana – a restaurant in Inman Square – is one of Boston’s very best restaurants, especially for vegetarian diners. Try the Baked Alaska for dessert – a towering creation served toasty-hot.

Intellectual Climate

Since Boston boasts so many colleges and universities, the population is, as a whole, quite educated, and this is reflected in much of Somerville’s culture. Cambridge, a technology haven, is just next door, and some of the world’s leading biotech companies are based there. Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are located in Cambridge, and many of the students live and hang out in Somerville. Also, Tufts University, another highly regarded school, is located next to Somerville’s Davis Square. The intellectual density has helped support creativity and innovation throughout Somerville, and it helps to keep the economy growing. It’s a great place for entrepreneurs, since they don’t have to look too far to find talent.