Somerville (pronounced 'summahvul') is a great city. It's one of the most densely populated cities in the country--it's chock-a-block full of streets with 3-deckers--with a great mix of college-age people, 1st-generation immigrants from all over the world, Irish families who have been in Somerville since the 1920s, and just about any other category you can name.

Rather than having a single center, Somerville has a half-dozen or more focal points, of which the liveliest is Davis Square. In Davis Square, you'll find one of the Boston area's best Irish bars (the Burren) and Barbeque joints (Redbones), plus a great assortment of other restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and places to hang out. You don't need a car: Davis Sq is on the T (Boston's transit system).

Of course, you might be stuck in the Holiday Inn in Somerville, which is 100% useless: ugly and within walking distance of absolutely nothing.