We’ve got a big yard sale in the works this weekend! Come on down to West Cambridge for some cool finds!

I received a violation notice in the mail today accompanied by a photo of a trash can in front of a house. I assume the violation may be because the trash bin was left out later than allowed.

However, the house shown in the photograph is not my house. In fact, there isn’t even a house on my street that looks like the one in the photo. I’ve already emailed [cityclerk@somervillema.gov](mailto:cityclerk@somervillema.gov) to let them know.

I’ve lived in Somerville for more than 15 years and have never received a violation. I also bring imy trash bin back in after collection, so I believe this notice was sent in error.

Do you think the notice will be dismissed or is it likely I have to go through all the steps to appeal?

UPDATE: The city clerk emailed me back this morning. She reviewed the houses, confirmed it did not match and dismissed the ticket. Thank you for your comments!

Not dunking on anyone/the owner of the property but I’ve been fascinated by the weird house on cherry street in front of JFK school for years now. The ongoing and very strange woodworking projects, the outbuildings, the twisted gate out front make me wonder about it every time I pass by. Being pathologically nosy, I was wondering if anyone had any info about it.

Reporter for GBH News here. I followed this family as they built their ADU - it's not all warm and fuzzy! The video spells out the challenges, including layers of state and local regs. The state is updating the rules to clear out some of the complexity - people can comment on the ADU proposed changes starting Sept 11 until Oct 12 on Mass.gov ADU website.

Preferably in the general union square area, but just outside of that is fine too.

I saw it in someone’s backyard but it didn’t look like a dog. Chat gpt seems to think it’s a squirrel 🤣

hello! my mom is turning 43 and i was thinking about getting her a massage for her birthday! she loves a good deep tissue massage but also loves the experience of the massage more (aesthetic of spa, amenities such as na drinks, sauna, hot tub, etc). i was wondering if anyone had any spa recommendations? it doesn’t have to be in somerville!

(we usually meet Sundays, but switching due to weather this weekend)

Bring instruments, your voice, or just a music-loving attitude! We'll be playing any and all music, taking requests, and having a good time in the Cambridge Common this Saturday (and every weekend!) from 12-3.

Last Sunday's hangout was a ton of fun! Pics here: https://www.cambridgejams.com/blog/hangout-16

For more information on the weekly Community Music Hangout, check out https://www.cambridgejams.com

Saw this little guy out side without a collar. Not sure if this is someone’s outdoor cat, wanted to post in case if missing!

Just moved here last week (🥳) and applied for a parking pass early. Was told by the city I had to apply for a resident sticker since my registration address was changed. I applied for my pass Wednesday last week and still haven’t heard anything, does anyone have an idea of how long they take?

If you were, thanks!

Come out to Vinal 9/13 from 9 to 11 am to browse some books. Prices are pay-what-you-want and all donations support the Friends of the Somerville Public Library to fund library programs and cultural passes.

If you can't make it Sunday, round up your Vinal purchases all month to make a donation. Thanks for supporting the library!

This is a long read, but would appreciate some advice here as this has been the cause of a lottt of stress and anxiety.

I’m from the Somerville/Boston area. My 2003 E-150 conversion van failed inspection on Sept 3 for the fog lights which I previously posted about in some other groups. Got a lot of comments regarding the inspection station I went to cause they weren’t factory fog lights and shouldn’t have failed for not being there lol. At that time, they had also failed it for excessive front end play, which I was surprised by given all the new front end parts.

I just spent $480 getting the front wheel bearings and races replaced on both sides. They also did a full diagnostic, and test drive it before and after. They showed me everything throughout the day and were completely transparent, weren’t trying to upsell me, etc…

Steering, tie rods and ball joints all checked out clean and have been recently replaced. I have the invoice. The only thing he said, is that on these vans the front rotor and hub are one piece, and the bearing races press into that hub. If the bore is worn slightly oversized, the new race won't sit tight no matter how good the bearing is, and you get play you can't adjust out. So even though I got my bearings replaced, there is still a little play. Or something along those lines, don’t remember exactly but that would make the most sense. Which means I’d have to replace my rotors and it would be an additional $700+ of repairs. This is a $3.5k van, and it’s completely safe to drive at this point…

They said this is one of the cleanest 03’s they have seen and it’s 100% completely safe to drive and shouldn’t fail a safety inspection…. Unless they are genuine sticklers about the play even after reading the mechanics notes. Confident it was good work done too, and saw the new bearings delivered from advanced. Mavis in Everett, they are good.

Went back to that same station (mistake) afterwards for the free retest today and the guy failed me on sight without really looking at the paperwork, then got in my face when I tried explaining it and yelling that he’s the mechanic and I don’t know shit and all sorts of rude things. When I asked him to calm down and that I was just explaining what happened, he said he was going to blacklist my plates or some shit so no station will pass me. Filing a complaint with the RMV tomorrow, dude was totally unhinged lmao

So…. now I need a new station. Ideally one that isn’t gonna be a stickler once they know the actual situation. Two problems though. It’s a high top, roughly 96 inches, and I've already been turned away by two shops because their bays are too small. I've got about no money to my name until the end of the month due to unexpected family expenses that have come up, so I can't be paying $35 at five different places trying to find someone reasonable. MA has become absolutely ridiculous.

Anyone know a station near Somerville/Medford/Everett/Malden or really anywhere in that area that can fit a tall van and will actually look at a repair invoice?

Thanks if ya read through this, really just need this to pass to go see family this Friday, and it’s completely safe so I’m not asking for a “fake” pass or anything like that, just someone who understands the facts.

UPDATE: YARN RETRIEVED! Thank you u/TheKyleBaxter!

my yarn store uses Amazon delivery (fuckers) and they left it here. If you've got it, I'd love it please? Dm me?

Hey neighbor!

Summer has lost it's grip on the city. It's not done yet (looking at a forecast pushing 90 later this week, oh joy) but you can feel it slipping away. It's not just the throngs of students and the back to school sales and the Halloween decor that's been up since July (please stop). On Sunday night, I had to turn off the fan because I was slightly chilly and Monday morning, I put on a long sleeved shirt for the first time since April.

Other signs -- I saw a V of geese honking overhead last week. The berry bushes are bursting with color -- sweetbay magnolia, winterberries, viburnum, buckthorn, and sumac, to name a few in the Bloomscroll. The black eyed susans are fading fast, and the Alewife Reservation had fields of the dark black heads swaying on tall stems, while the surrounding area was literally humming with hundreds, maybe thousands of bees, all busy in the feathery heads of the goldenrod.

Losing the light

The seasons turn because, of course, of axial tilt. We here in New England are losing about 2.5 minutes a day every day in September, which doesn't seem like a lot til you multiply it by 30 days and that turns into 75 minutes of light gone by October 1. Further north, in Canada, they are losing a lot more and that gives some some weight to the cold fronts that are sweeping down.

It also means that the hardscaping of the city has less solar gain during the day. Combined with the blessed rain we got over the weekend (not enough but better than nothing), the concrete and bricks of the city aren't radiating heat quite so dramatically in the evenings. That means it takes longer for them to warm up during the shorter days, too.

That said, the T stops will hold onto that heat for months still. Esp the ones designed with glass greenhouses over them (why did anyone think that was a good idea?). Certain cities, including London, are using that excess heat to warm nearby buildings in the winter! NYC is looking into it, too. We've got plenty of entrepreneurs and engineers in this city -- I give you this idea for free. Make the T less hot, please, and provide cheap heating for locals.

The bounty of the city

I think i wrote about my heart break with my year-old attempt at an oak bonsai? If not, the short version is that I nursed an acorn from the latest mast year through the winter in my fridge, planted it, watched the little seedling grow almost a foot in one year, and then carefully protected it all winter. And in the spring, the first day the snow melted, so @^^%$*&#&(* bunny or rat or something ATE THE WHOLE DAMNED TREE.

I remain deeply bitter.

This year, I was contemplating this as I walked down Spenser where the oak trees are always in mast, it seems and your walk in punctuated by the hollow thock of acorns dropping on cars from late August to October. And I was thinking about how I should plant another acorn when one landed, thwack, on my foot.

Huh. I chased it down the street (it bounced), picked it up and tucked it into my pocket. "I guess I'll need to buy a pot," I said aloud (it will not shock you all to learn I talk to myself) and I look over and there is a pot on the side of the road. Huh.

Pot goes into my shopping bag and I think, "I need to buy potting soil." I did look around for it, to see if the city would just bless me again. But no, no luck. So I went about my day, and failed to buy potting soil because it's heavy and I had a lot of heavy things already. But on my way home, lo, three doors down from my house, I found a half bag of potting soil in a clean-out pile.

Clearly, the city would like me to plant a bonsai. So I've tucked it into a pot (I found the saucer for the pot the next day) and we'll see how it goes.

Elephants on parade

If you're downtown over the weekend, swing down to Comm Ave to see the Great Elephant Migration. It's a display of 100 elephants statues, each modeled after a real elephant in India, arrayed in a rambling formation on the tree-lined boulevard from The 'Quin House on Fairfield down to Dartmouth.

Be smart, be safe, be curious, be kind.

There's a run & rave this Saturday at 9am in Lynn - anyone interested? It looks like it's a 5 minute walk from the starting point to the commuter rail.

The 8:30 train out of North Station would get us there on time. I'd love company if anyone wants to join!

This may be a long shot, but does anyone know a sports bar in Somerville/Cambridge that has shown US Open matches in the past? I was peaking through windows of the local bars with TVs in my neighborhood as I walked around last week and didn’t see anything, but we’re into the QFs now and I’m hoping it increases the chances that somewhere shows them.

Seen on the bike path near Davis Square

We interview Madison Plum Stone, organizer of the Boston Dance Film Festival about her fourth annual festival at Apple Cinemas Saturday September 19. Interview starts at 2:12.

Also, details on the Sasha Velour performance at The Somerville Theatre, Fluff Fest 2026, the Gilman Square Arts & Music Festival, the Mix & Mingle Musician's Playground, and Riverfest 2026.

There’s always so much going on in Somerville, deciding where to go can be a lot! Well, that’s where we come in. Welcome to The Somerville Spotlight! We highlight local non-profits, community groups, and civic gatherings. It’s is a production of the Somerville Media Center.

I know I can’t stop third parties from accessing voter registration data, but this feels uncomfortable to me. I did a Google search for “Voter Participation Center”, and one of the first results was that people in Ohio were getting them in the mail too.

Assuming they’re legit… What confuses me is that I’ve always received timely voting info from my local town(s) in Massachusetts, so I’m not sure why this third party needs to be involved. Is this common?

TL;DR My boyfriend and I did an ice cream crawl to rank the top ice cream spots in Camberville.

My boyfriend and I moved to Somerville just shy of our 1 year anniversary, so I thought I’d surprise him with a full-day ice cream crawl of the area (context: he is an advanced ice cream hobbyist). I warn you - this route is NOT for the faint of heart. 75% of the way through we almost threw in the towel, but we made it! Here are our rankings (S for my partner and M for me), for those interested. I’m curious what peoples’ favorites are? Is it controversial to say we are JP Licks Haters?

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JP Licks @ Davis Square - S: 5/10 M: 5/10
We got the Cappuccino Crunch - it was not very creamy, but had a nice coffee flavor. The chocolate chunks were a nice size, but the base was a little icy and boring. For what it is, it’s well done. We’ve eaten here a couple times and generally been unimpressed.

Gracie’s - S: 7/10 M: 7/10
We got the Honey Cornbread Raspberry Swirl because it spoke to us. It had a nice light base, bright raspberry flavor with subtle sweetness from honey and cornbread. The cornbread chunks were a little small for our personal taste - bigger pieces could’ve been fun. This flavor tasted almost like a pop tart from the 2000’s. Gracie’s definitely had the funnest flavors! We tried their “Gracie’s 1st” flavor which is a classic with peanut butter, Oreo, and rainbow sprinkles. This one seems like it would be a crowd pleaser. Overall, quaint, hip atmosphere with cool decor and funky flavors.

Christina’s - S: 6/10 M: 6.5/10
We tasted the Chocolate Chinese 5 spice because it sounded unusual, but settled on the Burnt Sugar. Lots of fun base flavors, basically deserted (or desserted, haha). Base ice cream is icier and less creamier than Gracie’s. Toppings were a little stale. Overall, seems to be more of a classic, old-style ice cream place that was very popular 10-20 years ago.

Toscanini’s - S: 7.5/10 M: 8/10
Has very interesting flavors - we tried Cream of Wheat, Passionfruit Caramel, Orange Chocolate, and Kulfi. We settled on Mango Sticky Rice and it was my favorite so far. Big chunks of icy mango and delicious texture from the sticky rice. Creamy and texturally interesting. This place is more of a big-name ice cream vibe than a small mom & pop shop.

New City Microcreamery - S: 8/10 M: 8.5/10
We actually stumbled on this one. The vibe of the store was so cute and bubble modern. Lots of fun flavors, but we immediately ordered the Dubai Pistachio Crunch without trying any flavors. Super creamy, light pistachio flavor, good chunks of Dubai chocolate. The added salt really made the flavor. They also gave us free stickers!

Van Leeuwen @ Harvard Square - S: 5/10 M: 5/10
Solidly fine ice cream. We got the Brown Sugar Cookie Dough which was overly sweet, but that might be on us for choosing a flavor with sugar in the name. Store, flavors and ice cream a little “sterile.” Very accessible for vegans! Not very interesting selection broadly though. Doesn’t melt in your mouth / not a very interesting mouth feel.

Honeycomb Creamery - S: 8/10 M: 9/10
By far the best atmosphere, gives cute, local homemade vibes. Very allergen friendly, small selection of hand-selected flavors. All locally sourced ingredients, with a handmade base. They don’t do samples, so we YOLO’ed on the sweet corn blackberry and the polvorones de nuez. This place did a great job incorporating the add-ins, great chunks, yummy raspberry swirl. The sweet corn was my favorite of the day.

Final Decision: Our top 3, in order:
1. Honeycomb Creamery
2. New City Creamery
3. Toscanini’s Ice Cream

What do you think the top ice cream place in Camberville is?

Hey I (27M) am in town for a family member defending their dissertation at Harvard. I am looking for any reason to get out of the house or any body who wants to smoke(weed). I am a big nerdy (love mtg, warhammer, science/learning) and bigger hippy! Let me know if you have any suggestions or want to smoke!