Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

It’s getting harder and harder to own a car in Somerville. There are not enough municipal lots and they are taking away more and more parking meters every week. Pulling over to stop and run into a store has become very difficult. Here are social media comments from Somerville people.

“I’ve been in Somerville for over 50 years, the big difference now is the sheer number of cars on the road. Playing street hockey as a kid, we rarely had to move the nets. Now, kids could never play it on the street. We played stickball against the old post office (Now the parking office). You could never do that now. Parked cars, moving cars, the city is packed with vehicles. In the old days, there would be one car per household. Now, everyone has a car. I’m not smart enough to know the answer to the problem, but there has to be a way vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians can find a way to safely coexist.”

“Unfortunately, it’s making Somerville a place to avoid living, working, visiting or investing in its future. Very short-sighted in my opinion.”

“I grew up in Somerville. Glad I don’t live there anymore. Constant traffic, horrible streets, too many one-ways, visitor parking only signs, a million and one parking meters and I could go on and on. So, so different since I was a kid in the fifties and sixties. Moved out in 1970.”

Here’s a good one …. “WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF?!?!?! I drove into Somerville today, and I can honestly tell you … YOU COULDN’T PAY ME ENOUGH TO LIVE THERE!!! 45 minutes to get from Mystic Ave. to Union Square!!!! 2 lanes on McGrath & Highland Ave. chopped up into pieces! Not to mention the detail from Melrose not directing traffic!! It’s insane!! NO THANK YOU!!! I will forever remember Somerville the way I grew up in the 80’s & 90’s!”

I’ll end with this. Where the heck do we park?