Union Square, Somerville, Part I: New Purposes & Grease Monkeys

From Dave Brigham:

A preface to this series: my explorations of Union Square took place several months ago, and some things may have changed in the interim. Also, as much as I've researched Union Square and the changes that have already taken place and those that are coming, I realize that a few walks through the neighborhood and some poking around online can't match the breadth of knowledge earned by folks who live and work in Union Square. I'm just sharing what I saw and what I think.

Somerville, Mass., was once derided as "Slummerville" because of its rundown factories and mills, dive bars, auto body shops, the Winter Hill Gang and working stiff population, among other things. With a population just north of 80,000 in an area of slightly more than four square miles, Somerville is the most densely packed city in New England. While the city is still home to blue-collar families and immigrants, increasingly a population of young professionals and hipsters has built the city's reputation as a cultural beacon, with bars, restaurants, breweries, festivals and other events attracting shoppers, gourmands, music fans and beer drinkers.

Davis Square, in the city's northwest quadrant very close to North Cambridge, and chock-a-block with bars and restaurants, vies with Union Square for the center of Somerville's cool culture. The MBTA is extending Green Line trolley service into Somerville, and development, rent increases and culture clashes are sure to follow. For this five-part series, I have chosen to focus on Union Square because, as the largest commercial zone in the city, it stands to undergo the biggest shift in redevelopment and demographics.

Sure, Union Square has long been home to cool restaurants, bars and small shops. Lots of publications, both local and national, have spilled ink about how Somerville is a mini-Brooklyn, what with its scooter-riding, chicken-raising, craft cider-loving, app-developing millennials. With the impending arrival of a transit station, there is new development afoot in Union Square, and that means higher rents for residents and businesses, and a clash between the old and new ways of doing things. I'm all for folks bringing new life into established neighborhoods with restaurants, bars, yoga studios, breweries, mustache waxing shops, what have you. But I don't want the funky old parts of cities to be papered over and forgotten. There needs to be a balance.

Somerville, thankfully, has put a great amount of effort into planning for these changes, encouraging voices from all ends of the spectrum so as to make sure the neighborhood continues to cater to one and all. For a great overall look at the proposed changes, check out this comprehensive report from Union Square RELP Master Developer LLC and its architecture, engineering, retail and landscape partners.

Last month, developer US2 and the Union Square Neighborhood Council "agreed in principle on a broad package of community benefits tied to the 15-acre project — including affordable housing, hiring rules, and public space," per this Boston Globe article.

Union Square is so named because the area was used as a recruitment and mustering site for the Union Army in the American Civil War, per Wikipedia. Back then, the area was part of Charlestown. Union Square is the oldest and largest commercial district in the city, per Wikipedia. Like so many neighborhoods, towns and cities in eastern Massachusetts, Union Square was once home to mills, factories and warehouses. This type of industry was made possible by the arrival of the Fitchburg Railroad prior to the Civil War. Union Square was known as a meat packing and manufacturing district, with a slaughterhouse, brickyard, glass shop, and later other industries, according to Wikipedia.

This neighborhood is managing the mix of new an old fairly well so far. There's a CrossFit, at least one brewery, a second-hand arts and crafts supply company, a Brooklyn Boulders fitness joint, restaurants that talk about sustainably sourced ingredients, a place called Zen Dog Training and a health-food juicery called Lima Llama. OK, that last one's made up. Just making sure you're paying attention. But there are also auto body shops (many, many auto body shops), ethnic social clubs, dentist and doctor offices, mobile phone stores, laundromats, liquor stores and insurance companies.

In this post, the first of five about Union Square, I'll share photos and talk about some of the repurposed municipal buildings, odd remnants, architectural gaffes, auto body shops, murals and more in Union Square. In subsequent posts, I'll cover factories and housing, retail and hangout spots and religious locations, and discuss the future of the neighborhood once the MBTA completes the Green Line train extension into this area. You see, after years of discussion, planning and waiting, the Green Line trolley extension project has become (almost) a reality. Construction work is ongoing, and will bring a brand new station to Union Square, along with some shiny, new (and tall) buildings that will change the face of the place, and will surely lead to further gentrification. The MBTA is also building stations in East Somerville, Gilman Square, Magoun Square, Ball Square and College Avenue in Somerville. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2021.

The first stop on my tour of Union Square is arguably its most prominent building: the home of the Somerville Media Center, which includes Somerville Community Access TV (SCATV), Boston Free Radio and a Youth Media Program.

Built in the early 1900's, this building was a fire station for more than 80 years before the local media folks took it over. SCATV is the oldest community access channel in Massachusetts; its programs include "The Somerville Labor Show," "The Boston Medium" and "Hello Neighbor."

Just steps away is another former municipal building.

The former police station is now home to, among other businesses, the Brass Union restaurant, Open Space Community Acupuncture and Head Start/Community Action Agency of Somerville.

Not too far away, at 50 Bow Street, is another former police station.

The building, which dates to 1874, features 14 condos.

OK, let's get to the auto body shops.

The Somerville Auto Center (above) is located on the corner of Somerville Avenue and Mansfield Street. The shop has been in business for 15 years, according to its very nice web site. I'm guessing this building has been home to companies servicing cars for many decades.

Tech Auto Body (above), which seems to have also operated under the name AOM Auto Tech, is out of business. Located along Somerville Avenue in the heart of the square, the building is behind, but attached to, a Chinese restaurant and a nail salon. I'm guessing this place will be redeveloped before too long.

DM Auto Services (above) also has a very nice web site. I'm sure this place, or some place like it, has been here forever. I wonder if it will get redeveloped in the near future, as it sits within spitting distance of the future MBTA station.

My buddy Jim grew up in Somerville, and on several occasions he told me that his fair city was once the car theft capital of America. Back in 1982, when Jim was in high school, Massachusetts was the auto-theft capital of the nation, and Somerville was among the cities listed as having high rates of grand theft auto. But Boston, naturally, had the highest rate, according to this article.

I wonder if any auto body shops in Union Square once served as chop shops?

Fred M. Susan Auto Body (above) has been around since 1938 (!), according to, yes, their very nice web site. This place is directly across from the future home of the subway station.

Located at 9 Hawkins Street, halfway between Somerville Avenue and Washington Street, J & E Auto Body (above) doesn't have a web site, but it's my favorite collision repair center in Union Square. I just love the hand-lettered sign and simplicity of its building. Probably been here for a few years. Will it last, with new development in Union Square on the horizon? And with millennials moving to the area who eschew cars? Only time will tell.

Leins Auto Repair (above), according to its very nice web site, started life as one of the original gas stations in Somerville. Since the 1970s, the business has been a repair shop, run first by two brothers for nearly 30 years, and since 2000 by one of their top mechanics.

There are other gas and service stations that have closed, in addition to the one above, and I'll get to them in a future post. As for this building, it used to be a Citgo station. For 30 years it has been Ricky's Flower Market, which bills itself as an "outdoor European-style Flower Market." It is open only during spring, summer and fall. Here's a nice article about the founder, Ricky DiGiovanni.

Let's shift from places that fix your cars, or used to, and check out some things that grab you by the eyeballs.

I dig this graffiti on the back of the Union Square CrossFit. I like to think some tagger put Slimer from "Ghostbusters" on the outside to mock the fitness buffs within.

Located on the side wall of Urban Axes -- where you can drink beer and throw axes at targets....seriously -- this mural (above) was done by the Cambridge artist who calls himself Marka27. Here's the whole enchilada.

This detail (above) from a mural on the side of a Taylor Rental franchise at the intersection of Washington Street and McGrath Highway, is so full of life. I love it.

One building away, staring at the elevated portion of the McGrath Highway and defining the eastern edge of Union Square, is this old building, which houses J & J Restaurant. The eatery serves American and Portuguese food. The building dates, allegedly, to 1900.

Tucked into Olive Square behind 285 Washington Street, this mural was done by two guys named Kenji Nakayama and Caleb Neelon. The former moved to Boston from Japan in 2004, and formerly worked for Converse. The latter is a Cambridge-based artist and writer. The full text is: ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING EXCITING NEVER GETS OLD.

Turn 180 degrees from this mural and you're looking at the backside of 285 Washington.

Built in 1920 as some sort of manufacturing facility or warehouse (I gave up on specifics after a LOT of online searching), 285 Washington St. is now home to running apparel retailer Janji, architecture/design/research firm Supernormal and Moroccan Caravan Gallery, among other businesses.

I made my way up to Somerville Avenue, which is one of the main roads leading into and out of Union Square. Amid many great old houses and brick buildings of all sorts, I saw this confusing mess.

Located at 374 Somerville Avenue, the Counter Culture Boston training center presents one of the most egregious architectural mistakes I've seen in my travels around eastern Massachusetts. Founded in 1995 in Durham, North Carolina, Counter Culture is a wholesaler of roasted coffee products. As for this building, it was at one point home to Petrosillo Brothers garage, I believe. It is currently also home to an architectural firm, although I'm not sure whether that company, Brian Healy Architects, designed the atrocious facade on this old brick beauty. The Somerville assessor's database dates this building to 1900, but I've seen that date on so many buildings on similar databases for surrounding towns and cities, that I don't always believe it. I'm guessing this place is older.

A hop, skip and a jump away on Bow Street I found this wonderful dichotomy.

The Tango Society of Boston/Dance Union seems so vibrant and fresh and lively and exciting. The rusted light switch set back in an ancient electrical box seems a relic of times long past. What did this switch once control? A neon sign? An outdoor lamp? I'd love to know.

Back along the lower portion of the McGrath Highway, I spied this scene.

On the right edge of the photo is a two-family house like so many others in Somerville. In the middle is the side wall of yet another auto body shop, this one catering to Honda, Acura, Subaru, Toyota and Mitsubishi owners, based on the stickers in the front window. Looming over the service station is a triple decker. For some reason this little tableau caught my eye, probably because these types of buildings are going to become more rare as Union Square continues to gentrify.

All those Japanese car brands notwithstanding, this shop has a classic American car in the window.

This first part of my tour of Union Square ends on Allen Street, which runs south from Somerville Avenue and connects with Charlestown Street just shy of the current commuter train tracks. It is off that set of tracks that the Union Square spur of the Green Line extension will extend. If my figuring is correct, the folks living in the house in the photo below will be able to spit on the new Green Line trains as they come and go. Hmm...second reference to spitting in this post.

This is 37 Allen Street, which is owned by Somerville Community Corp., and which looks like it used to have an industrial use. SCC, a community organizing and planning organization founded in 1969, owns several properties around the city, which provide homes to low- and moderate-income residents. The house dates to 1920.

According to the Union Square Neighborhood Plan adopted in 2016 by the Somerville Planning Board, "During development of this neighborhood plan, the City met with residents of Allen Street to talk about future options. City staff anticipate that this area would only be developed by individual property owners, either doing small projects or combining sites to do mid-sized projects. But, such development would be by the choice of the owners and not through eminent domain."

So, while development of new and large buildings is expected on major roads close to Allen Street, it is likely the scale of this side street so close to the new train station will remain as it is today.

To see what the Union Square station (and others) on the Green Line extension will look like, check out this web site.

Coming up in part two of my Union Square review: old factory complexes and former factory housing, other multi-family and apartment buildings, and some random stuff.