Community and Real Estate Information Ball Square is a largely residential area in Somerville, Massachusetts. To the southeast of Tufts University and to the southwest of Boston Avenue is the neighborhood. Ball Square, like other neighborhoods in the city, is a wonderful bedroom community with lovely housing options for families wanting to reside on Boston's western fringes. The area was named for John Nichols Ball, a prominent local merchant, and politician. The area was formerly a well-known commercial sector, with several of the businesses that opened in those early years still operating today. Lyndell's Bakery, Ball Square Cafe, Kelly's (1 comments)