Center for Arts at the Armory

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 café in the lobby with more food options.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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.

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 café w/​tables & chairs. I have come here for crafts festivals, farmers markets’, comedy shows, Unilocal 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.

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 café 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.

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!

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!

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!)

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!

When I lived in Somerville, «The Castle» was just a closed hulk of a place. I was so impressed the 1^st 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.

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 café (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 (3^rd floor) one with skylights. There are dance classes, kids’ stuff, and even a yoga class for men called «BROga.» Somerville’s biggest hidden gem?

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 café 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.

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!

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.

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.