The View From Prospect Hill for the week of Aug. 23

Two very different events took place this week in Union Square’s Plaza illustrating why the Square is currently the most exciting neighborhood in Somerville.

  The first was The Somerville Open, a free day of miniature golf on an urban course designed by local artists. The second was a protest of prison expansion in Middlesex County, particularly a possible new jail in east Somerville.
  The Somerville Open was part of the ArtsUnion series — a creative initiative designed to bolster the economy and reputation of Union Square through the arts. As Davis Square becomes more expensive and exclusive the artists who once called the area home are migrating to Union Square. This can only be seen as good news for an area traditionally home to traffic jams and auto body shops. An arts community is one of the greatest tools in revitalizing long-neglected neighborhoods.
  And the Arts Council‚Äôs work in spotlighting the Square and its artists will pay both immediate and long term dividends. Ideas like replacing old, gray benches with more vibrant seating designs are sure to help.
The protest of prison expansion should also be seen as a welcome addition to the square regardless of if you agree with the protestors’ message. Neighborhoods that host such displays of public dialogue gain a reputation as places where exciting ideas are exchanged and shared by an energized population.
  Sure there are some inherent dilemmas in the up building of Union Square. There is the question of, ‚ÄúWhere does Union Square really begin and end?‚Äù It seems to slowly bleed out along Somerville Ave. for blocks without coming to a decisive conclusion. And eliminating about half of the auto body shops that dampen the outskirts of the Square would be a good first step.
   But in the plaza and at its core, Union Square is the place where Somerville will see its greatest growth. It is everything that‚Äôs great about Somerville in one compact area ‚Äì immigrants making a small piece of the city and America their own, artists quietly plying their trade, and working class families adding their own sense of community and tradition. All of this is happening each day, with or without a Green Line stop on the way.