If you're ever up North Shore way (Peabody. Salem), Bagel World is great. I'm a foodie originating from NJ outside of NYC, so I feel like my bagel standards are quite hugh. Goldilox is where I go around here, bc it's easy to get to and the bagels are good. Mammaleh's also has good bagels, IMO.

When I was your age, the Boston Ski and Sports club was a really great way to get to know other people while doing something you enjoyed. Just looked their website, and it seems to be much the same as i remember. Wide range of ages, good mix of genders, welcoming and cooperative vibe. Not super-competitive, with exceptions to that called out clearly. If you ski (and if you have ever learned to ski, it comes back like riding a bike), their ski trips are awesome and cost less than going on your own while including a coach bus ride. Daytrips and also long weekend trips.

This is coming from someone doesn't enjoy a lot of social activity and needs a lot of alone time. The welcoming and accepting vibe was what made this work for me, and I connected with a handful of people with whom friendships blossomed outside of the sporting activities. Married one of them, actually.

Seriously, look carefully at a street map and transit maps. Somerville and Cambridge are wide cities from northwest to southeast and are basically stacked on top of one another. Proximity really depends on location. Somerville is a great city, and you should definitely include it in your living options as long as the location works for commuting. Similarly, just being in Cambridge doesn't ensure an easy commute. Traversing east-west across Somerville and/or Cambridge is a laborious, sucky commute that I would seek to avoid, if possible.