Ball Square is a neighborhood primarily in Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...

, but also extending into Medford

Medford, Massachusetts

Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...

, at the intersection of Boston Avenue and Broadway, located between Powder House Square

Powder House Square

Powder House Square is a neighborhood and landmark rotary in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. It is also known locally as Powder House Circle. It is the 6-way intersection of College Avenue, Broadway, Warner Street, and Powder House Boulevard...

 and Magoun Square

Magoun Square

Magoun Square is a neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts located at the intersection of two major streets, Broadway and Medford Street, with the smaller Dexter Street. It is close to Tufts University in neighboring Medford, Massachusetts. It is a mixed-use urban area...

. It is primarily a residential area with a handful of shops and restaurants along Broadway. Located on the edge of the neighborhood surrounding Tufts University

Tufts University

Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

, Ball Square contains a mix of businesses serving the student and academic populations as well as those reflecting the more blue-collar neighborhoods to the east. These establishments include Kelly's Diner, Sound Bites, and Ball Square Cafe, all popular for breakfast; True Grounds, a coffee shop; Lyndell's Bakery

Lyndell's Bakery

Lyndell's Bakery is a bakery in Ball Square in Somerville, Massachusetts. In December 2007, it celebrated 120 years of operation. Lyndell's is a classic, full-service American bakery, a rare holdout in New England communities.-Ownership history:...

; The Yak & Yeti, a Himalayan restaurant; and Somerville mainstay Victor's Deli. The Brown School, opened in 1900, is located on Willow Avenue and serves the neighborhood's children from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Ball Square was formerly the site of the storied Willow Jazz Club. In the 1990s, a fire destroyed several commercial businesses on Broadway, and as those businesses were replaced, an economic transformation began that continues today, with long-time businesses such as Lyndell's Bakery, which dates to the 19th century, along the same stretch as Ball Square Fine Wines and Liquor, a high-end wine shop, Eat at Jumbo's, and Blue Cloud Gallery, a gift shop specializing in the wares of local artists.

Ball Square is a planned stop on the Green Line

Green Line (MBTA)

The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...

 as part of the MBTA's anticipated extension of the surface rail line.

External links

• Ball Square Guide A guide to bars, restaurants, and shops in Ball Square