Charlestown and Somerville sit side by side, and are just a T or ferry ride away.

Boston’s oldest neighborhood, Charlestown sits across the harbor from downtown, its steep streets lined with brick rowhouses and Revolutionary War landmarks. The Bunker Hill Monument and USS Constitution recall its colonial roots, while the waterfront Navy Yard and neighborhood pubs give it a gritty, nautical charm. Once working-class Irish, now quietly upscale, Charlestown feels historic, close-knit, and distinctly Boston.

Somerville and nearby Medford are closely associated with pretty Tufts University. Go Jumbos! Somerville’s main squares — Davis, Union, and Assembly — pulse with cafés, live music, and small independent shops. Street murals, vintage markets, and year-round festivals put the focus on community.

Somerville is also home to kid and adult pleaser, LEGOLAND Discovery Center. For a meal in a retro diner, check out the landmark diner, The Rosebud Bar & Kitchen (l, d; $$), in operation since 1941.