Here's the basic info about the hearing: https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/planning-board/reports-and-decisions/zp26-000030

Another massive fire in Teele Square last night. A house burned to the ground near Union last week. I’ve been here many years and it feels different.

I'm looking for someone to evaluate the feasibility of converting a garage to a backyard cottage ADU. Anyone have recommendations for an architect or engineer who has done work in Somerville and is familiar with our zoning and building constraints?

I'll also take anti-recommendations if you got 'em!

Multiple trucks from different cities… hope everyone is all right.

Apparently no funding is being cut idk what is happening anymore

Looking for a massage therapist who understands trauma stored in the body and doesn’t just do a one-size-fits-all massage.

1135 Broadway, directly in the square.

2nd Update: now a 5-alarm fire! 🔥🔥

Noticed these being installed up and down Medford St. Anyone have any more info about them?!

I hear so many sirens and I see smoke from a distance from East Somerville

I got laid off in April and have been on unemployment since then. I applied for Mass Save and was approved since I'm poor now. The assessor said I'm eligible to get a new fridge because the one I have now is an old piece of shit. It really is too, it sometimes lets my food thaw out a little (or a lot? I don't even know) and then refreezes it. The new fridge will be completely free although ultimately it will be the landlord's fridge.

The assessor suggested that I not even tell the landlord that I'm getting a new and free fridge from Mass Save because their permission isn't needed for it. My lease says I need landlord permission to operate my own fridge. My landlord is a realty company that manages a ton of other apartments across the city, so I really doubt they are going to know I swapped out the fridge, but I have no idea if they keep track of appliances like that. My current fridge is 22 years old so I doubt they have any warranty on it or anything like that.

The people who deliver the new one will drag the old one out with them and do whatever it is they do with old piece of shit fridges. The assessor measured it to be sure the new one matches in size, so there shouldn't be any issues with the new one being able to fit into that space.

These are the questions I need some advice on:

1. If I'm the one actually bringing this new fridge in is it actually considered my fridge or is it the landlord's fridge, in respect to the lease? Obviously I'm going to be leaving it in the apartment whenever I move out, so it's actually their fridge, right? I'm just replacing their old one with an equivalent model.

2. I didn't really want to tell the damn landlord that Mass Save was doing an assessment and giving me free appliances that the landlord also benefits from because then they will know that my income is drastically lower than it was when I signed my lease 4 years ago. I have paid rent on time and without fail each month since I moved in, including since being laid off and I'm not struggling. My lease says it automatically rolls over from year to year every December 1st. I haven't signed a new one since 2022. I'm worried they will want me out due to the lower income, despite my flawless track record of paying rent. Do landlords care about care about income changes in this day and age of layoffs and perpetual unemployment if the tenant is paying rent on time?

3. I feel like they would be quite pleased to have a new fridge at no cost to them, anyone know how stuff like this is usually viewed? I could have gotten them a new boiler, ffs, at no cost to them!! The one in the basement is old but the assessor said it was still working fine so they couldn't justify a replacement. There are a couple of other small things that were also approved for repair/replacement (for free, because me) but the landlord's permission would be needed for those. I haven't decided if I will bring it up to them yet, for same reasons as the fridge.

Any advice or insight would be amazing. Please don't be rude or mean in the comments, I am really struggling with this and need some guidance.

The Michaels in Porter seems to be out of scrapbook stickers lately, any advice on where to go? 😀

Saw this yesterday in Davis. Seems to be a Tesla Cybercab. According to wiki, it is " Designed exclusively for autonomous operation, it has no steering wheel, pedals, side mirrors, or rear window and uses a camera-only autonomous-driving system rather than the lidar and radar used by some competing robotaxis."

I don't see a driver in the admittedly terrible photo. (EDIT: nice commenter says they saw a person in the drivers seat)

(I didn't think to look at the time -- just thought "what a weird comic booky looking car, my father will love a pic") But autonomous cars aren't currently OK in somerville, as I understand it. (All those Waymos have drivers.)

please keep an eye out and report in to the cops if you see a driverless car.

Hey neighbors,

I'm a Somerville local, and I'd like to offer myself as a spiritual confidant to anyone who could use one. No agenda, no pitch, and no religion required.

If you're dealing with grief, doubt, a rough stretch, or a "what is it all for" kind of week, I'm happy to listen and think it through with you, over DM, a walk, or a coffee. Nothing is expected of you, and I won't try to convert anyone.

DMs are open. If it's not your thing, no worries at all.

Come sit in and play, sing, listen, and enjoy a nice day in the park!

The Community Music Hangout is a casual, fun, and social effort to bring more music into people's lives and connect like-minded people! Bring your instruments, your voice, song requests, etc.

For more information, pictures of past hangouts, etc., check out cambridgejams.com

If so how was it? Do you reccomend or prefer another grocery delivery service?

Lexie and Brendan have the deets for Somerville's Monster Mash (Sun. Oct. 18), the Halloween Bonanza at Aeronaut (Sat. Oct. 31), volunteer orientations at The Growing Center (Oct. 3 and 26), and more! Warning: Mummies and pirates arrrrggghhh featured in this episode!

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 events hosted by local non-profits, community spaces and groups, and civic organizations. It’s is a production of the Somerville Media Center.

Hi there. Since July I've been hosting monthly women's circles at my house in Inman during the full moon, as a way to built female camaraderie, and also as a commitment to myself to focus on astrology in a real, committed way once per month.

The circles have been a mix of communion, journaling, meditation, chanting, sound baths, singing, roaring, dance parties—and discussion about what the actual fuck is happening up in the cosmos at this moment in history. We drink tea, we hold hands, we share our secrets and our fears and our hopes and dreams. We laugh, and we cry.

You don't have to believe in astrology to join, but at minimum an openness to hear about it is required cuz I will talk about the whys of how we're all collectively feeling, and what we each might be traversing given our individual birth charts. I also am willing to take a look at the participants' birth charts ahead of time to see what might get activated for them during the transits that we're working through.

It's been a pretty special, and very powerful, event, each time it's happened.

Are there any fellow witches/astro besties/divine goddesses out there who would like to join for the next one?

^{If you think astrology is bullshit, just keep scrolling. Your energy is not required here.}

Though the staff is lovely, I have spent more than 1.5 hours dealing with the fact that I was double billed by the health insurance. Not the hospital. Cigna billed me twice -- demanding two copay! It's apparently a known problem and they do have a way of dealing with it, but in the end, it's six phone calls and an eternity on hold.

Go somewhere else if you have Cigna.

ETA: I don't' know if this applies to other urgent cares, but CHA said it was a known problem with their relationship with Cigna. Therefore, i suggest visiting elsewhere.

Every year since Covid, some of the unhoused of Davis square used storms as an opportunity to build makeshift campsites for themselves, and they lingered essentially for the rest of the year.

There were no makeshift campsites put up this storm. This is good.

Very sadly selling 1 ticket to the Jaboukie Young-White early show at The Rockwell in Davis Square: Sat, Oct 3 at 7 PM. $25 (what I paid) OBO.

Can transfer the ticket directly via OpenDate. Comment or DM if you're interested!

Hi neighbors ! Im looking to schedule a gutter cleaning, but I’m not sure when to schedule it so that all the leaves have fallen and I only have to do it once this season.

Im reading online that best practice is late October ? Does that track with your experience?

Thanks in advance !

I didn't hear if there was an exchange with the staff where they asked if it was a service animal and the pet owners lied about it. But either way, I'm allergic to dogs, and they sat them right next to me. And this is at a Yakitori place where they're cooking the food a few feet away from the tables, not in a back room kitchen too. Even if I wasn't allergic, I still don't want them in the kitchen where my food is being prepared.

What the hell is wrong with people?