Assembly Row

Bored on a weekend? Assembly Row. Looking to burn some cash? Assembly Row. Grabbing dinner and drinks with friends? Assembly Row.
If you haven’t guessed it already, Assembly Row has it all. There’s a great variety of curated stores which appeal to everyone from the young professional to the young adult to the young family to the straight up young. Spending an afternoon here with friends or the family is a pleasure and it’s my usual go-​to weekend activity when I have no agenda. Some of my favorite places to grab food and drinks are here, too, which makes the appeal that much greater.
Because of its universal appeal, Assembly can get pretty crowded on a beautiful weekend afternoon. As long as you know that going into it and plan accordingly, you’re going to have a day well spent, whether it’s shopping, eating, drinking, or going to the movies.

I can’t say that I’ve ever had a bad experience here! With the abundance of shops, entertainment and restaurants, you really can’t go wrong.
The new T station for Assembly opened, and Assembly Row is super accessible now. I’ve used it once or twice and it’s convenient. When friends and I decide to do something, we think of Assembly Row first because there’s so much to consider. Parking is free too, and that’s a huge HUGE plus.
Come here for a date night, shopping or just to get a meal! :)

Gster is a regular at AR. Given the amount of times he comes, it is actually shocking that I haven’t been. His love for it has made me want to come scope it out. Overall, I was not impressed with some things (food), but was astounded by others (the environment, the feels, the movies)…
1. Feasibility: It is very easy to get to. It is right off the highway, and has lots and lots of parking, that’s free. Definitely one of the strengths to AR.
2. Environment: The environment is very trendy. It feels like a mini city, but then opens up to the beautiful ocean, which who knew Somerville had waterfront. It has lots of apartments over the stores, and 4 main strips of stores. The buildings are designed like all other new buildings, looking sleek, clean, and fancy. The area has lots of great landscaping. Overall, it is appealing to the eye and makes you feel that you are in a much different city than boston.
3. Shopping: The stores are iffy. Most appeal to the 22 – 35 year old. I give this age range because the stores are for younger aged (ie. Francesca’s or Charlotte Rousse), but then also insanely pricey (Brookes Brothers and JCrew). Overall, there wasn’t many stores that I was dying to go into, or that I couldn’t go into in the city. I wasn’t as impressed as I wanted to be. However, they are outlet stores, even though they may not say it. That hidden feature is definitely an asset.
4. Eating: The eating options are less than desirable. AR would be a win if they could get some decent food options. The only options really are expensive sports Bars, too expensive fancy bars, expensive mexican… you catch the drift? Expensive, and limited options. If they got better/​more versatile/​more reasonably priced options, this would be a great place for a date night, or to get out of the city easily for food. After my time here, I don’t think I would come here to eat. The prices, and the options are not what I would expect.
5. Things to do: This wins AR lots of points. An AMC, with easy parking, 10 min from the city… oh and you can book it online and book your seats so you don’t have to worry about craning your neck if your late! Definitely a plus.

Really fun place! Theres lots of stores and restaurants as well as well as a movie theater and a lego place and a playground for kids. There is also a nice walking path along the river that is really pretty. Its right on the T, so its easily accessible for every one. They have a huge parking garage and there are a few parking lots. There is also some metered parking as well.

This place deserves a much lower rating, but given the crowds it must be attractive to other people.
In frank terms, Assembly row is an outlet mall, build by a developer with no vision, attention to human factors, or character. It is no different then any Simon complex, except that it focuses on the low end. Outlet stores, in themselves, carry inferior products under the brand names. This sets the atmosphere for the whole area.
Pros
Lots of selection
If you like chain restaurants, you will be in outback steak house heaven.
Close to the new T stop on the orange line
They have a Lego store
Lots of parking
Indoor mall for winter shopping
Faux cute streets that resemble a small town.
Close to the city
Great for millennials
Cons
I wouldn’t shop here
Outlet stores
Crowded
No walkable places to eat other than chain restaurants
No nice shops. Or at least, not obvious
Integrated housing in modern, utilitarian structures
No so good for boomers and Xers

Assembly row is the best thing that’s happened to my neighborhood. It’s minutes away from home and surprisingly stocked with high quality shops and restaurants despite the otherwise ghetto surroundings. I’m sure it will continue to do a lot for the area in terms of growth & development.
The ONLY bad thing about this place is that parking has become a nightmare on weekends. The pre-​existing plaza used to be easy to park in but all the traffic from the shops has really affected ease and accessibility.