Creative Works Around Somerville Apartments
Somerville apartments are located in an area that’s known for its incredible art scene. In fact, it spills out to the structures of this city. You’ll find numerous large murals painted on brick walls, unique sculptures in the plazas and even the underpasses are turned into colorful and creative displays.
Table of Contents
Current Market Info for Somerville Apartments
Utilities & Amenities That Come with the Rent
Community Projects and Local Artist Collaborations
Art Installations at Assembly Row
Public Spaces That Double as Open-Air Galleries
Final Notes
Current Market Info for Somerville Apartments
Somerville apartments continue to draw steady attention, and the latest numbers back that up. Before looking at what makes the area stand out for art and culture, it helps to see how the rental market stacks up today. Boston Pads Real-Time Data highlights where things are right now compared to this time last year:
Studios: $2,318 per month — a 3.90% increase
One-Bedrooms: $2,536 per month — a 1.77% increase
Two-Bedrooms: $3,147 per month — a 0.64% increase
Three-Bedrooms: $3,763 per month — a 0.21% decrease
Four-Bedrooms: $4,724 per month — a 0.13% decrease
Five-Bedrooms: $5,877 per month — a 3.91% increase
Vacancy remains tight. The Boston Pads Real-Time Availability Rate for Somerville is currently 1.85%, which is 1.07% lower compared to the same period last year. The Boston Pads Real-Time Vacancy Rate for Somerville is now 1.07%. That’s 5.94% higher compared to 12 months ago. The figures show a market that continues to trend upward, with studios and five-bedrooms leading the way.
Utilities & Amenities That Come with the Rent
Heat and hot water show up on the list of inclusions again and again, which cuts down on separate monthly bills. However, we need to point out that the amount of available units with utilities and amenities that come with the rent decrease significantly right now. This is due to the close of the annual September 1st leasing cycle. For example, in August, heat was part of the rent with 47% of all available units. It drops to only 2% after the 1st of September. That’s a whopping 45% difference. In-unit laundry, a valuable amenity, was included with 39% of units in August. It’s down to 9% in September. The good news is that the amount of rentals that allow pets has actually gone up in September to 57%. It was 49% in August.
Community Projects and Local Artist Collaborations
The Somerville Arts Council is responsible for numerous projects located through multiple neighborhoods. “Mystic River Mosaics” brought local students and artists together to build tile panels that line paths near the river. In Davis Square, the “Inside-OUT Gallery” makes good use of empty storefront windows as rotating art walls—photography one month, mixed-media collages the next. A mural by Alexandre Keto went up in Somerville to honor Brazilian Carnival, and it bursts with color and motion. The energy of the festival comes through in the way the figures seem to move across the wall, carrying a little piece of Brazil into the city.
Around town, you’ll also come across smaller projects like the “Fluff Festival Walls,” where playful murals tied to Somerville’s marshmallow story appear during the yearly celebration. It shows how the city uses collaboration to keep the streets alive with art, blending community voices into lasting public pieces.
Art Installations at Assembly Row
Assembly Row combines shopping and dining with large public artworks that bring the district to life. One standout is “The Conversation,” a six-story digital art wall shaped like three heads that features rotating pieces from local and regional artists. Another installation, “We Are Somerville,” displays three massive banners with portraits of city residents, celebrating the community right where people gather.
Seasonal décor and temporary pop-ups also add variety, from oversized holiday displays to colorful art woven into events along the Mystic Riverfront. The mix of permanent works and rotating features keeps the area active and visually fresh. Somerville apartments are found in an area that treats art as part of its everyday environment.
Public Spaces That Double as Open-Air Galleries
Somerville has turned everyday infrastructure into open-air galleries. The Lombardi Underpass in East Somerville, near McGrath Highway, now carries a 250-foot mural called “Welcome to Somerville” by artist Meagan O’Brien. Going back to the 1990s, the Mystic Avenue overpass of I-93 became the site of a large community mural led by David Fichter with students from the Mystic Housing Project, a piece that still marks the area today.
The East Somerville Community School also features bright murals created with community involvement. In June 2024, volunteers added new designs on the school’s walls and pavement, including its phoenix mascot. There’s a new mural in progress on Tufts Street near the school, shaped by local input. Together, these projects prove that public art in Somerville continues to expand and adapt with each new effort.
Final Notes
Art projects have become a constant thread in Somerville, and they shape how the city looks and feels every day. Murals, sculptures, and collaborations put creativity in public view while Boston Pads Real-Time Data shows the apartment market growing stronger, which means growing competition for the beautiful apartments this city has to offer. The mix of countless activities and vibrant art culture continues to draw renters to this great city. Somerville apartments connect daily living with a citywide gallery.