i saw griffin mcelroy here and had a wonderful time. the staff were super nice, offered accessible seating, and i had a great view. the stage is raised so every seat has a clear view. a bit difficult to get to without a car, but that's no fault of the establishment, just something to think about when attending events!! read more

Center for Arts at the Armory - front row of griffin mcelroy's event for the stowaway - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I love the Armory - they always have great events in the main space (there was an incredible plant event I went to in the fall that I'd love to go to multiple times a year). There are farmer's markets, vintage clothing bazars, and lots of fun craft fairs. I've always been impressed by the different vendors and bought many wonderful things over the years. The smaller events that are in the cafe are very grassroots, affordable, and fun. The bulletin boards are also wonderful - many flyers and business cards with helpful services. read more

I love this place. I love how many different events happen here and how open they are with who uses the space. This truly feels like a community space in the best way. Whenever I come here. I am always impressed by the professionalism and always get to meet someone new read more

I went to the Summer solstice plant market and it had a great assortment of vendors. Lots of plants but also plant adjacent vendors like pottery and macrame. The vendor space was nicely laid out and the AC made the temperature just right. The plant swap table is such a good idea I got some new cuttings read more

I love this venue. They always have wonderful live music, artist events, the Somerville Winter Farmers' Market, and many other fantastic community events/gatherings. Prices for the live music events are always incredibly reasonable. I've seen some amazing acts there including Ravi Coltrane and Meshell Ndegeocello. This is such a valuable arts/community space in Somerville. I am grateful for the eclectic mix of events they have there. There is always such a great vibe. They offer some nice selections for food at the concert events through the Rooted Cafe. If you haven't been to the Armory, I highly encourage you to visit this place. read more

This is a great space for artistic events. I've been here for concerts and readings and plays and musicals. I've heard that it's also used for new-agey dancing and a farmer's market. It's a multi-use venue. Every community should have one or several of these. There's a small cafe with a deli-like menu of sandwiches and soups. It also serves beer and wine, which is nice for evening. This same space is often used for small events, everything from spoken word poetry to 15th-century dramatic improv. Yeah, really. (I have no idea how you find this on a calendar.) There's also a much larger room for bigger events (concerts, plays, operas, blues bacchae) with adjustable seating with optional tables. This room also has a bar with a good selection of craft beers. (They serve wine but I don't know anything about it.) Plenty of bathrooms. A single-use gender-neutral room in the cafe, and two gendered multi-stall rooms at the rear of the large room. Every time I've been there, I've parked directly out front. It's so easy that it doesn't feel like Somerville at all. There's also a dedicated parking lot behind the building, so no matter what, you can park. It's a hike from the T -- 18 minutes by hoof? And just down the street, the Highland Kitchen for the after-par-tay. read more

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My friends visited me from Norway today and one of them was a fan of Steven Kellogg so we got tickets to see him at The Armory. I never seen this place before.. when we got there, I wasn't sure if I had gotten the right place. It looked like The Alamo building in San Antonio, Texas and not a music venue hall. We went inside and to the left is a little dining area with a surprisingly clean bathroom. I was actually impressed with how clean it was even though there were a ton of people there. When we were allowed to enter the stage, it was pretty spacious and I was pleasantly surprised. My first impression was.. it kind of looked like the inside of a barn but without all of the usual barnyard equipment, hay and cows. The seats were SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE! Sitting in them for 3+ hours destroyed my bottom... but because I was a man and not a variety of flower.. I suffered in silence. There were many options for patrons who are seeing a concert. The chairs weren't reserved (at least every row except the first two weren't) and it was first come first serve. There was also a balcony area where you could view the performers from that had a few tables and chairs in place. It was air conditioned which was awesome since it was such a hot day and the venue was sold out and there were ceiling fans that circulated the air and it made the ambiance of the place pretty nice. I WAS going to give it four stars because of the seats but I loved the band and their opening act (Chris Kovac), and therefor I elected to be a bit more generous. Oh and the parking situation was also good, I parked right in front of the building.. ROCK ON! read more

Center for Arts at the Armory - Stephen Kellogg performing at the armory 6/29/12 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Anyone else go to the swapaholics swap event in Jan 2011??? Awesome event in a beautiful space, inside and out..... Cool people too. Got lots of stuff. met nice people.... This space is so open, high ceilings with a balcony area as well. Pick up or google their schedule of events....they have everything here. can't wait to return. parking lot in back but fills up fast, so you may need to look for street parking. read more

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This is truly a community space embraced by the community. From concerts to farmers' markets to craft fairs to (most recently) a One Night Culinary Event with a Valhalla theme, the Armory is a lot of things to a lot of different people. Even when there isn't something awesome going on, there's something awesome going on. Yoga, classes, you name it. It's happening. I love it, and I think it makes Somerville that much more wonderful of a place to live. read more

I *love* the castle exterior...fab for photos! This is a fun venue for events of all kinds: concerts, festivals, social gatherings, family reunions...you name it. The second floor adds depth...great for a birds' eye view. THE DEAL: I foresee many upcoming events at the Armory. (OK...I saw them on a flyer...but I'm thinking of going to some!) read more

What a cool space. We went here to see the Boston circus show on Friday night. We were like "is this a church? temple? mosque?" But no it's an armory! It's really neat - the space is large and with really high ceilings. Awesome purplish ceiling and beams. They served alcohol and it was reasonably priced. Bathrooms were clean. The only complaint I had about the space is that they had us up on risers and we still couldn't see. There were a few rows of chairs in front of us so that blocked our view of the floor. I had to stand up a few times to see the circus show. So make sure to get there early to get a good seat. There is no parking except street parking from what we saw and we had to park far away, so get there early to find a spot! read more

I really didn't expect this place to be so lively! I attended a workshop for yoga teachers here and there were tons of people coming through--during open studios and otherwise! The main event space is gorgeous, and a cool layout with a mezzanine/balcony level and little alcoves where one could steal away with a paramour (or for a breastfeeding break, which is what I actually observed taking place). There's a great farmers' market and a cool cafe (both of which I've also reviewed). There are live music performances, often. (Every week? Perhaps more than once a week?) It's its own little nightclub that I never knew was here. (See? It's... Its... I know the difference.) The yoga spaces are beautiful--especially the upstairs (3rd floor) one with skylights. There are dance classes, kids' stuff, and even a yoga class for men called "BROga." Somerville's biggest hidden gem? read more

My sister hosted a shower for me here and the event space was not what was agreed upon. Nothing was set up for her and there was insane ugly art on the walls. There were art displays all over the tables that said do not move and we had to move them because there was no where to put the food. Additionally, artists started coming in to our event space before our event time was up which was pretty disrespectful. There was no parking for guests either as the farmer's market was going on. Despite multiple attempts to contact the event manager he has been unresponsive to our unsatisfactory experience. There was also no one there to help us the day of. This place is nice for the farmers market but you will never see us host another event here again. We want some money back but no one will respond to us. very unprofessional. read more

Always called it "The Castle" but never took the time to find out what The Armory held within. Glad I could see for myself during Cuisine En Locale's recent One Night Culinary Event, ONCE de los Muertos. The exterior is a visual straight from Arabian Nights - a stair-less ziggurat with bulbous, sandstone turrets and flags jutting from the front. And given its highly residential placement, the fortress sits as a curious anomaly. Inside, however, rests what may have cocooned as a generic auditorium and has emerged as an amazing, dynamic event space. The most notable features include sky-high ceilings, a state of the art stage and projection screen, along with a private mezzanine for added foot space and proscenium views over the service floor. There's a cafe that seems to be open, well, whenever. Rotating daily menus of sandwiches and chalkboard specials read like a kitchen slate on the Mary Celeste - eerily frozen in time. Count in a full-service bar/snack counter and multifunction classrooms, and you've got an all-purpose space for whatever your pretty little head can think up. Everything, that is, except private parties. Seems they don't do birthdays, weddings and the like. Sad trombone. read more

I saw an aerials show here and remember sitting on the floor and feeling like a little kid, filled with wonder. The space is truly incredible, and the high ceilings make it perfect for awe inspiring circus arts. Parking is terrible, but it's right on Highland so it's easy to walk to from Davis Square or take a cab to. read more

Folks, if you've not been to an event held at the Armory in Somerville, you owe it to yourself to get cracking on signing up for one. This is a great space that is managed by a great team of folks, from the management on down. I've had the pleasure of attending events here, and being a participant, and on every occasion, I had a super great time. The room is air-conditioned, so even on a hot day, the nice temperature inside is great for strolling about and checking out whoever happens to be on display. The upstairs balcony seating is a great way to relax and take in what's happening downstairs, and if there's ever a band here, the good acoustics and big stage mean a great time for everyone! Can't wait to see what they'll have here next! read more

Nice little venue. Limited parking lot, you're looking at parking in the overflow lot if you don't get early, or if you want, parking on the street. Sound is good, and the people there are friendly. Drinks are on the expensive side, but places like this you have to expect that. There is a cafe in the lobby with more food options. read more

This review is only reflecting the Farmers Market part. I came here with my sister on Saturday to pick some up items. She has a farm share. The eggs were $8 a dozen! WHAT?! lol. so yea.. i was in complete shock. She got a variety of veggies. She also picked up meat but it was at a different location. So I walked around a bit. There were so many little stands and they all offered a variety of things. I didn't get a see all of it but mostly veggies or different sorts. The price is a bit expensive however so i don't know how much I would spend here if I were to pick up something here and there. It's still cool though and I love the idea of buying straight from farmers rather than a market but sometimes your wallet dictates where you can go. I want to give it a 3.5 stars but settled on 3 instead of 4 because of its price. read more

The façade of this building is four stars in itself. It really stands out of the surrounding neighborhood. Once I walked inside it reminded me of my old high school. Tile floors and water fountains and 70s looking architecture. But the main attraction was the neato event space. Even though it was dusk the light was still able to pour in through the windows but just at the right angles so as not to be distracting. The performance I went to was the Prism Project and the way they were able to utilize the space was amazing. There is a balcony that can seat people or performers or whatever you may need. It's too bad that it's so far away from the T stop. Be prepared to walk about 20 minutes if you have to use the T. read more

What a great venue! This place is hidden, on a residential street, but the GPS got us there and it was wonderful. My friend and I went to see Andrew McMahon perform here last night and the venue held just over 300 people. The decor is really fun, they have trees indoors and lots of Christmas lights. The stage is small and there are really high ceilings with lots of windows and there's a second floor balcony in the back as well. Everything smelled new. They have clearly just re-done this place. Parking was also very easy as long as you got there early since the lot is kind of small. read more

This review is for the Center as it pertains to the Winter Farmer's Market only. We have always been meaning to check this place out, since it is considered the de-facto community center of Somerville, but so far the only trips we've made have been to the indoor farmer's market. We love to browse and take our time- there's plenty of space inside to do just that. It's never too crowded, and there's usually live music, and vendors on two floors. This location is easily accessible by foot, public transportation or by car (plenty of parking). Attached to the Armory is a pretty decent cafe where you can grab a quick coffee or pastry for before, during or after your trip. All in all, a pleasant place to spend an hour or two on a Saturday morning. We'd definitely visit again, for a special event, or whatever else. read more

We experienced the Arts at The Armory in Somerville when we bought tickets to see Andrew McMahon's acoustic piano performance promoting his documentary Dear Jack (which is good and you should buy). Concerned because it's not quite near a train, and is awkward to get to off of the Green Line "E" Train, Valerie decided to drive. We printed directions and surprisingly got there easily without hitting much traffic. When we arrived, the parking lot at the venue was full, but the street team was there with slips for other local lots, which was amazing as we never would've found where we parked on our own. We drove about five minutes back and parked in a dark lot behind a building (Valerie has a car alarm, don't worry), and took the short walk back to the venue where we went in to find seats. Disclaimer: To those looking for a club or stadium show, this is not the place. Yes, that means YOU, the four obnoxious young ladies that sat behind us during the show. No, you can't smoke pot here, and NO, they don't serve alcohol. Going back to the car to drink or smoke would have been ideal for you, because there's a no-reentry policy that would've kept your horrible singing voices at bay. Now, onto the venue. We thought this place was awesome. There was exposed ductwork that Valerie took amazing pictures of, although there were also strange, half-dead trees around the venue that were decorated in holiday lights... When we first sat down in our folding chairs on the floor, we didn't realize the upper balcony was open. Epic fail! We would've much preferred the chairs and small tables up there to the just-turned-21 group behind us (yes, we know, it comes with the territory when you see someone like Andrew)! Before the show, we noticed that the stage was a great setup for this type of show, but we were a bit worried about the acoustics. The high ceilings and lack of a million speakers made us wonder if we would be able to clearly hear everything. Luckily, the sound must've reverberated off of the beautiful brick walls and everything sounded great. Getting out was surprisingly not an issue, and traffic wasn't bad at all! In short...great spot to see an intimate performance, but no real food, drink, and limited parking. read more

I truly adore this venue. I've attended numerous events here (mostly beer and volunteering/charity related (and if you're curious, yes they do go quite well together!)) It's a great space, and always filled with fantastic individuals, great outfits, and good food and drink. While it may seem out of the way, it's very easily accessible and does have a small parking lot. It's one of those gems of Somerville. So whether you're wondering whether or not to attend an event there, or host one: do it! read more

This is review is only for my experience with renting out the space upstairs for a private party. I was really hoping that I would enjoy this place because seems like a really cool spot, but I will not consider hosting another event there or recommending it to anyone. Here's why: When I first went to look at the space, the owner (Alan) was not there, and did not respond to my calls/messages until almost 2 hours after we were supposed to meet. This should have been a red flag, but I really liked the look/feel of the building, the location was convenient and I really liked that it had parking in the back, so I decided I'd still give it a shot. I e-mailed him with questions on a couple occasions prior to the party and never got a response back. When I arrived the day of the party, the parking lot was full and there were no spaces on the street. I guess they host a Farmer's Market on Saturdays, so it was packed. I would have appreciated him letting me know that this event was taking place at the same time as mine, especially since I said I was looking for a place that had parking. We had to start later than expected because the guests had to search for parking. When I got to the room, there were strange sculptures all over the walls, 4-5 bookshelves lining the walls with sculptures of heads, as well as a large couch. This took up a lot of the space in the room that I needed for my party and we agreed that the room would be completely empty (minus tables and chairs) when I arrived. I had requested and paid for 16 tables. There were only 7 in the room. When I called Alan (he was not there), he told me that there was an art show the night before that was not cleaned up and they had a table shortage. He said there was nobody around to clean the room, no more tables in the building and I was not allowed to touch or move any of the artwork. He was very quick on the phone, never once offered an apology or tried to fix any of the problems.They also showed the room to other people that were interested in renting it out while we were still in there. I was told they would send me some of my money back, but I have yet to receive anything and my messages have not been returned. I think this would be a great place to rent out if it were under management that cared and did their job. Until then, I will not be going back. read more

Great space that Somerville is sorely lacking for larger scale concerts and events. Have been to quite a few events most notably Somerville Local First's annual Harvestfest and always have the best time there. Very friendly and accommodating staff and amazing space inside and out. only real issues are lack of real kitchen and bar operations, though at Harvestfest all food, wine and beer are provided by local restaurants and breweries so has not been an issue the 3 times I have been at the armory for that event. keep up the great work and work on the city to give this space the tools it needs to really succeed. read more

Came here for the Christmas market and it was the perfect space for it. Great market, and there was a stage for bands to play too, which was fun. There was an area for kids upstairs too, but I didn't go... read more

I like this venue space. I've been here for 2 different events and I like the intimate feel, yet there is still room to spreadout. The balcony is a good spot to relax and take everything in. There are a good number of restrooms and they are well maintained. There is something about the space that reminds me of an old high school gym in some way, but not in a bad way. I'm a fan. read more

When I lived in Somerville, "The Castle" was just a closed hulk of a place. I was so impressed the 1st time I went to an event in the building. It can accommodate concerts, food contests, fairs, almost anything really. The second floor is a nice touch & the placement of the snack bar makes for a great facility. It amazes me the treasures that are around us & we don't even know it. I now look for events to go to in the Armory. Good job making this facility viable again. It adds to Somerville's unique charm. read more

This place holds so many events throughout the year. This is a very unique space. They have a stage, a balcony/mezzanine area, side room, a cafe w/ tables & chairs. I have come here for crafts festivals, farmers markets', comedy shows, Yelp event & find it to be pretty damn nifty. So get on their calendar or at least check it out, they have a bulletin board for local things happening too. read more

The Armory is an unbelievably wonderful arts spot. Over the past year I have attended the following things: a production of Shakespeare's Corolianus, a regional Barista competition, a reading by the author Rick Moody, a prop sale from an Adam Sandler movie (bought tons of stuff, all the money went to charity), a typewriter orchestra performance, blues performances, jazz performances, and folk. My husband and I go there all the time and after we go to the Highland Kitchen, which is two blocks up the street and has excellent food. I've lived in Somerville for 14 years and the Armory is one of the BEST things to happen to this city. Check it out. read more

Bought tickets for a concert at this venue. Paid $60 for two tickets, only to find out that I did not have a guaranteed seat! What?!?!? So I called the venue and they explained that yes, they sold 375 tickets but only had 300 seats. Greedy and not so ethical in my viewpoint. I had to get there about an hour and a half before the concert to have somewhat of an assurance I could sit during the concert. Yep, never going back. Not cool. read more

Great Venue ! Beautiful inside and great for any function or corporate party. People who worked there were so nice and helped the party be a success. Great for sound and dancing. read more

This was already a great space run by great people and now the city finally came to its senses and gave them sensible operating hours.

Went for a show about a year ago and had a good time. The acoustics were good, the set up was conducive to standing or dancing, and the performance was unique. As far as it relates to the space and the variety of things that go on here, I give it 5 stars! I hear the farmer's market is fun too. read more

The Armory was the perfect space and location for the annual post-holiday party for a local non-profit running organization in Somerville. The event planner and staff were so helpful to every question and need. The space is beautiful, spacious, and comfortable for a group of 100+. Our guests enjoyed the wide/reasonably priced beer and wine selection, and were able to enjoy an evening of entertainment by our band and catering from a local restaurant as well. All of the details came together nicely, and this was the perfect venue. read more