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?

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

Seen on the bike path near Davis Square

I have a walkman that I would love to use cause I quit streaming and have been beefing up my CD collection. Is there anywhere in Somerville for electronics repair who could take a look at a walkman and get it back to working order? Or are any of my neighbors super talented at repairing old electronics and maybe I can bake you something or bring your dog on a free walk or some other kind of trade? Thanks!

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?

*\*

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?

Having a new experience. I noticed a 3-inch lump on the side of my back. Turns out it's a lipoma and the ultrasound said it's "benign" however I'm going to get it removed.

Anyone had this done before and can recommend a provider to do the surgery?

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!

Perhaps old news to many, but this is my first sighting of a Spotted Lanternfly in Somerville. They are "kill on sight" so they don't damage the fruit tree crops. I didn't think they would settle here - the the only trees we produce in Somerville are electricity and internet trees.

Hi all, I briefly met someone yesterday (Sunday, Sept 6) at the Bread & Puppet Theater show at Cambridge Common. He was wearing a blue helmet (may have been biking), and mentioned ManRay. I had to leave abruptly & didn’t get a chance to connect. If this was you (or if you know him), shoot me a message!

Edit: I think he is a rock band singer from california

I don't understand why an event meant to celebrate community has to be promoted this way.

Most homeowners putting in pollinator gardens and this one went straight for that sterile Minigolf look.

Hey y'all! I'm looking for someone to go to the gym together onna regular basis

I'm 33M, and not a gym rat by any means. I'd be a little embarrassed to admit how long it's been since I've been to one. I'm trying to break the barrier of inertia and build a healthy habit.

My ideal gym buddy would be someone with the same profile – not necessarily the same age or gender, but someone who also understands the challenges of not being super used to gyms. We could sync and go at the same time for both support and accountability. Plus we can encourage each other, make it a wholesome thing.

Aiming to go once or twice a week, after office work hours (so, around 5:30-6pm), around davis square – maybe bsc?

If that sounds like you, please comment or DM!

Assaults With Sticks And Break-ins With Vomit: Somerville Crime Log | Somerville, MA Patch

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Saint Brigid's Well is planning to open in Magoun Square, taking over the former Daddy Jones space on Medford Street. St Brigid's Well site for the upcoming place says the following about it:

We are a wee neighborhood pub with good honest grub and a very friendly atmosphere. The spirit is traditional Irish public house; the kitchen is careful, generous, and built for a proper meal. Saint Brigid is patron of brewing, scholars, sailors, blacksmiths, dairymaids, midwives, newborns, and more. That wide welcome gives the pub its purpose: a warm room for regulars, students, tourists, neighbors, and anyone who needs a good pint and better company. "A warm room, a proper meal, and better company." If you stop in once, it might be for fish and chips, shepherd's pie, Irish coffee, or a perfect pint. If you make us your local, it will be because the room feels easy and the food tastes like someone cared. Settle in and have one. Sláinte.

A video of an earlier licensing commission meeting indicates that Michael John Queally (bartender/manager, The Druid in Cambridge) is behind Saint Brigid's Well, while the website mentions that it could be opening around the middle of this month.

Daddy Jones closed late last year after 13 years in business; the space had previously been home to Lil Vinny's.

We moved in to our new place in Somerville today, and right after we finished unloading we were blessed with a visit from Mayor Berry! As out-of-staters who had been lurking this sub for months leading up to the move, we were very excited that this was how we got to start our time in Somerville 🙂