Photos by Rusty Gorelick

Things-to-do

Explore Somerville’s Union Square Thanks to the New MBTA Green Line Extension

Restaurants, a record store, and an ax-throwing range

The MBTA Green Line is the city’s oldest subway line, opening in 1897. Last month, the line was extended into Somerville’s Union Square, at a cost of $2.3 billion, and the first new subway branch to open in the Boston area since 1987, according to the Boston Globe.

The extension moved Lechmere station above ground and connected it to Union Square. Further developments will see the line end at Medford/Tufts this summer.

BU Today decided to check out the Green Line extension and Union Square and chose me as point person. I went midafternoon on a Friday, well before rush hour, getting on the T in Kenmore Square and spending less than 30 minutes on the T in total. I had to switch to a different Green Line trolley at the  Park Street station, but had only about a six-minute wait. 

While exploring Union Square, I found a handful of places worth checking out.

Ricky’s Flower Market 

238 Washington St.

Find your next bouquet of colorful flowers or a unique houseplant at Ricky’s. The outdoor shop sells gardening tools, soil, fertilizer, containers, and plant hangers, and their expert employees can help you find the right plant for your apartment or dorm based on the amount of light it needs. If you can’t make it to Somerville or don’t want to bring your plant on the T, they deliver.

Ricky’s Flower Market, 238 Washington St., Somerville, is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm.

Urban Axes 

2 Union Square

You’ve probably seen the videos of people throwing axes at targets in indoor ranges. If you thought that looks like fun, head to Urban Axes. Its premise is simple: groups book space for an hour or two, the “Axeperts” will instruct customers on how best to hurl an ax at a target, and then groups can set up a friendly tournament to crown an ax-throwing champion. Urban Axes is for people 21 and older—they also serve food and drinks—and advance booking is recommended. 

Urban Axes, 2 Union Square, Somerville, is open Tuesday through Sunday; find hours here. 

Gracie’s Ice Cream

22 Union Square

Move on from plain vanilla and chocolate: Gracie’s in-house-made ice cream flavors include chocolate frito pie, brownie mint chip, chocolate chip cookie dust, Swiss roll, and honey cornbread. Whether you’re craving dessert or you just got your wisdom teeth removed and need something cold and delicious, Gracie’s has you covered. In addition to the standard cones and pints, Gracie’s also sells ice cream flights, with six flavors, ice cream pies, and merchandise like pint koozies to keep your hand warm and your ice cream cold.

Gracie’s Ice Cream, 22 Union Square, Somerville, is open daily from 2 pm to 9 pm.

Hen 

24 Union Square

This restaurant sells what it calls “the most famous Thai street food”: chicken and rice dishes. It’s relatively small menu of six main dishes are all suitable for a quick lunch. There’s the Classic, boiled boneless chicken with ginger rice and sauce on the side, or the Heat, spicy crispy chicken with ginger rice. Sides include spicy wings or salad, and Thai iced tea and iced coffee are also available.

Hen, 24 Union Square, Somerville, is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.

Grooves

26 Union Square

It might be smaller than other record stores around the area, but Grooves has a great selection and plenty of natural light. That means it doesn’t feel like you’re shopping in a broom closet, which is often the case with other record stores. The store mostly carries classics, but also has a healthy section of local music from Somerville, Boston, and across New England, and is worth a stop for rookie and veteran collectors.

Grooves, 26 Union Square, is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 6 pm.

Hub Comics 

19 Bow St.

This comic book store is for newbies and veterans alike. The store is split by genres, like action, sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, and “instant collections” are available to buy for anyone beginning their comic book journey. The store has space dedicated to new issues of comic series. Customers can find popular series like Star Wars and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as well as lesser-known books.

Hub Comics, 19 Bow St., Somerville, is open daily; check here for hours. 

Union Square Donuts 

20 Bow St.

Nothing is better than the original, right? While Union Square Donuts has locations in Brookline, Assembly Row, and Fenway’s Time Out Market, it’s probably worth a stop at its flagship and namesake location. The shop is known for its bold flavor combinations, which include the oatmeal cream pie donut, carrot cake donut, brown butter hazelnut coffee donut, and the Vietnamese coffee donut.

Union Square Donuts, 20 Bow St., Boston, is pickup only. The shop is open from 7 am to 2 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 7 am to 6 pm Friday through Sunday.

Machu Picchu

307 Somerville Ave.

If you want to try new cuisine or have a craving for Peruvian food, head to Machu Picchu. Its menu consists of Peruvian tamales with pork, seafood soups, ceviche, and sandwiches. Machu Picchu’s sister restaurant, Machu Chicken, has a similar menu plus an extensive menu of pollo a la brasa, or chicken cooked on hot coals.

Machu Picchu, 307 Somerville Ave., Somerville, is open from 11:30 am to 9 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11 am to 10 pm Friday and Saturday. Machu Chicken is pickup only and is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm; Machu Chicken customers pick up their food at Machu Picchu.