Getting Around Somerville – Somerville Open Studios

Tips for Traveling to and around Somerville Open Studios

Visit -> Getting Around Somerville

If you live in Somerville, we recommend leaving your car at home. Visitors arriving by car, please park your car and leave it parked and use other modes to get from studio to studio.

Mix it up

At just over 3 miles long, the City of Somerville is remarkably walkable. Walk to a studio, catch a trolley up hill to the next, and pick up a BlueBike to ride the flat or coast down to the next station.

Plan your visit in advance, plot a course, and leave room for serendipity!

MBTA Subway

Arrive in Somerville by T to Porter or Davis (Red Line), or Assembly Row or Sullivan (Orange Line), or any of the new Green Line Extension stations, then connect to a crosstown bus or the nearby free SOS trolley.

MBTA Bus

An MBTA bus can be a quick way to go straight from one end of the city to the other. Routes 80, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 94, 95, 96, and 101 may be of use. Arrive in Somerville by T to Porter or Davis (Red Line) or Sullivan (Orange Line) or any of the new Green Line extension stations, then connect to a cross town bus or the nearby free SOS trolley. For more information on routes (including helpful mobile apps!), see mbta.com, the MBTA Trip Planner, or Google Maps.

SOS Trolleys

Look for the Old Town Trolleys, sponsored by the City of Somerville. The trolleys will run every twenty minutes during SOS, making convenient stops along the way. This year, SOS will provide a route map with live tracking of trolley locations.

PLEASE NOTE: If at the end of the day you need to be at a specific place and are using the trolleys, please note that the trolleys begin their last route around 5:30pm. The trolleys finish their route at Joy Street by 6pm.

TROLLEY STOPS
Check the SOS map for details and look for the SOS Trolley banners at the following stops.

A. Joy Street Studios. 86 Joy St.
B. Mudflat Pottery. Bus stop on Broadway at Indiana Ave.
C. Mad Oyster Studios. Bus stop on Pearl St. at Bradley St.
D. Vernon Street Studios. Opposite 20 Vernon St.
E. Arts at the Armory. Bus stop is across Highland Ave. before Benton Road
F. Somerville Museum (First Look Show). Central St. at Westwood Rd.
G. Summer St. at Lowell St.
H. Willow Avenue at Community Path
I. Davis Square. College Ave. bus stop opposite T Station
J. Elm St. at White St.
K. Somerville Ave. at Lowell St. A pedestrian tunnel under the train tracks leads to 11 Miller Street Studios
L. Dane St. at Tyler St, at SomerNova
M. Washington St. at Perry St., opposite Washington Street Studios
N. Union Square. Washington St. eastbound bus stop at Prospect St.
O. Brickbottom Studios. 1 Fitchburg St

Bicycle

Riding between artist sites is a fantastic way to get around, but if you want to park your bike and walk, look for large bike corrals in most business districts. The Somerville Community Path has been extended from Davis Square all the way across Somerville to East Cambridge.

Remember: Lock up! Never lock up to a handicap parking sign. Your bike may block a disabled person from getting to the curb.

Parking

Thanks to the support of the City of Somerville, resident-only parking restrictions are lifted during SOS hours. Parking on side streets is still limited. Never block hydrants or driveways. Remember: meters are in effect on Saturday.