Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville is a city located 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, this makes it the most densely populated community in New England. It was established as a town in 1842, when it was separated from the urbanizing Charlestown because it was still largely rural.

Related Topics:
Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Boston - 2000 - 1842 - Charlestown

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Somerville has a mix of blue collar families, who tend to be concentrated in the area known as East Somerville, and college students and young professionals, many of whom live in sections that border Cambridge's Harvard Square and Porter Square and Medford's Tufts University.

Related Topics:
Cambridge - Harvard Square - Porter Square - Medford - Tufts University

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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, several of which are discussed in more detail within WikiTravel here.

Related Topics:
Davis Square - Union Square - Ball Square - Teele Square - Magoun Square

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The city also has a wealth of trees on almost every street, which allowed Somerville, for several years, to earn the moniker "Tree City USA" from the National Arbor Day Foundation. A popular and tree-lined rail trail called the Minuteman Bikeway runs through the heart of Davis Square, with an extension proposed leading to downtown Boston called the Somerville Community Path.

Related Topics:
National Arbor Day Foundation - Minuteman Bikeway - Davis Square - Somerville Community Path

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Somerville is sometimes colloquially referred to as "Slummerville", referring to its blue-collar residents and its reputation for crime, especially in the city's east, where Whitey Bulger and the "Winter Hill Gang" were based. However, after the gentrification period the city went through in the late 1990's this name became less frequent. More recently, lobbying by grassroots organizations is attempting to preserve and revive Somerville's "small town" neighborhood environments by supporting local business, public transit, gardens and pedestrian/biker access.

Related Topics:
Whitey Bulger - Winter Hill - Gentrification - Organizations

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The Somerville Arts Council and Somerville Open Studios both host wonderful annual events involving the community in homegrown arts.

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Union Square Main Streets is a non-profit partnership of local businesses, residents and the City of Somerville seeking to enhance city's most central and historic civic and business space, Union Square, through active community collaboration.

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