Somerville

Prospect Hill tower in Somerville offers sweeping views of Boston's skyline. Built in 1902, the tower is one of the city's oldest and grandest landmarks. (Patricia McDonnell for the Boston Globe/File 2005)

THE GOODS: Long home to working-class families and immigrants, most of Somerville has managed to elude the gentrification and high housing prices of neighboring Cambridge. But it's an attractive place for students and young couples to call home because of its affordability and proximity to Boston. Davis Square is a hip stop with its wide offering of restaurants, lively bars, and, most recently, a cupcake shop, and there are good restaurants and comfy or chic watering holes elsewhere. Home to many artists and forward-thinking types, the city teems with energy, hosting farmers markets and festivals. The population is very diverse, and ethnic eateries and markets abound -including more than a dozen in Union Square that offer everything from bulk Indian spices to whole lambs. And the young, energetic mayor is helping to shed the city's rough image by offering cutting-edge services and working to redevelop major sections, including the edgy, but industrial Union Square and the strip mall Assembly Square.

PROS: The housing stock consists of mostly wood-framed dwellings, many of which have hardwood floors, high ceilings, and sometimes even postage-stamp-size backyards. But Somerville tends to have fewer of the grand places that Cambridge offers. Some older industrial buildings and large properties are being converted into lofts or condos, but at prices not normally found in Somerville. Midmarket offers bigger condos in two-family homes or smaller houses. There is a wide selection of condos in converted three-families, but the quality of renovation varies. The MBTA is expanding the Green Line and has promised new stops by 2016, which will open up more neighborhoods to public transit, as well spawn new development.

CONS: The city can feel pretty raw, with an overabundance of chain-link fences and longtime residents still skeptical of newcomers. An influx of energetic buyers should result in improvements to real estate here; the housing stock doesn't offer the pretty details of homes in Cambridge, though it's considerably less expensive. City officials have been working to improve the schools, but the results are uneven, with the elementary schools showing promise. A task force is considering ways to persuade parents to put their children in Somerville schools, since newer residents regard them warily.

KRISTEN GREEN