NORTH END / WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
Email: info@newncboston.org
Website: www.NEWNCBoston.org
NEWNC AGENDA
Thursday, October 17th, 2013 7:00PM
Nazzaro Center, 30 N. Bennet St.
(NOTE DATE CHANGE DUE TO COLUMBUS DAY HOLIDAY)
1. Call to order & Roll Call – NEWNC President
2. Meeting Protocol – NEWNC Vice President
3. Report from the Office of Neighborhood Services – Nicole Leo
4. Report from the offices of local elected officials
5. Committee reports:
a. Resident Parking/Traffic Committee – Ryan Kenny
b. Public Safety Committee – David Marx
c. Greenway Committee – John Pregman
6. 422-424 Hanover Street, Margot Seligman has filed a zoning appeal to change the legal occupancy of the property from four (4) residential apartments and restaurant to five (5) residential apartments and expand the proposed first floor apartment’s living space into the basement.
7. 37 Charter, Thomas Falcucci has filed a zoning appeal to change the legal occupancy of the property from (9) units to (10) units.
8. Prince Street, Artu Restaurant, Nancy Frattaroli, has applied to the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing to extend the licensed hours for Non-Live Entertainment to 2:00 AM. No other license or business changes.
9. 2 Mechanic Street, Frank DePasquale has purchased the restaurant formerly “Ida’s” and applied for transfer of the Malt and Wine License, addition of Cordials, and expansion of service to a proposed 48-seat seasonal outdoor dining patio. Closing hour will remain at midnight, 7 days.
great. in 5 years, every restaurant in the North End will be under ownership of 2-3 people.
Bars should stay open until 2AM..Restaurants should not…especially in a neighborhood with thousands and thousands of residents/families within an earshot of the establishment. We don’t need to be like NYC.
Agreed. The so called ‘restaurant’ just turns into a bar after midnight anyway.
from midnight to 2am the patrons consume too much liquor which makes their behavior rough, violent, loud, and noisy, oh and did I mention, no consideration for the others who have to work in the morning and should be able to sleep without listening to the rowdiness that follows along; and also the distasteful language we and our little ones have to hear.
Owners just hear the ka-ching of the cash register.
Frank DePasquale…please re-open an Express-style restaurant! That place was always crowded, and had some great sandwiches/pastas/pizzas for a quick meal. We do not need more sit-down Italian restaurants. That market is pretty oversaturated already.
@Bosguy – why does it matter that one entity owns several restaurants? I sincerely can’t see why that’s a bad thing, especially when it’s done professionally and seemingly the right way, as evidenced by the success of all of Frankie’s businesses…and as evidenced by the fact that I see him every morning at about 7 am on site at his businesses. That space has been vacant for years. Anyone could have grabbed it, but they didn’t. FD did. Why is that a bad thing?
I sincerely believe the neighborhood is a better place with his attention to quality and respect for the residents and other businesses.
@BL – I totally agree with you, it would be nice if there were more express style places in the neighborhood where one could simply get good food quickly (like many of the simple trattorias in Italy). But what’s oversaturated and overdone are the restaurants that offer nothing new, are mediocre, or are selling what nobody wants to buy. Each of FD’s places are unique and seem to be full all the time. My guess is that his new venture will be a unique place and just as successful as his others.
I couldn’t agree more with @Bosguy!
@Francesco — FD’s restaurants don’t even have great food. There are so many better options in the North End. The food and drinks are overpriced and mediocre at best.
The pizza at Locale blows away his pizza at Quattro. Yes, I’ll say the late-night Margarita at Bricco is delicious – but it’s expensive and only served after 11pm. Bricco bread is great — but seems to have already put Boschettos out of business. Soon all restaurants in the N. End will have no option but to serve Bricco Bread. Won’t you miss the variety then?
When monopolies exist the little guys can’t compete. Pretty soon the only options for pasta, pizza, bread and gelato in the North End will be served from FD’s hand. Have a little heart for the family run places where the food by far blows away FD Ventures.
While I like Bricco, and love the bakery, some of the best restaurants in the North End are the off Hanover, little knowns, Carmen comes to mind. I’d have to agree that it would be a shame if everything had to be high end, high brow in the NE.
You don’t have to pay $40 plate to get great food as we sit right now. Hopefully it stays that way. Case in point: The best pizza on the planet is from Unberto’s and it’s under $2.00 a slice.
Thanks JD, but I was speaking to an entirely different point. FD hardly has a monopoly. And most restaurants get their bread elsewhere.
Parziales is fantastic and now serves the Restaurants that Boschettos used too. They are just as good as Bricco Panetteria. Some reastaurants use Bova’s. Some use outside N. End….
Some even spring for Iggy’s bread.
AGREED! Thank you!
Lets also keep in mind the value the small independent restaurants and shops bring to our neighborhood. Many of these business owners are residents, who are very generous to local charities and other neighborhood endeavors.
Exactly, Jason. This was my point in referencing FD, who your words perfectly describe.
Can you tell us how?
Yes – he’s a business owner and lives in the neighborhood. He’s an independent business owner, not a corporation. His restaurants are small. He’s very involved in the neighborhood and is generous to and considerate of the neighbors, other businesses and other residents.
I like and very much respect FD and his venues and while he is in the neighborhood a lot of the time and seems like a very involved and hands-on proprietor, I don’t think he should be confused with the true small business owners that actually do live in the neighborhood that I think Jason was referring to. As far as I know, he lives in Marblehead, not in the North End.