Here are some interesting news stories around the neighborhood that we found recently on other sites.
Development
Transportation Secretary Rich Davey on why he chose Normandy for Parcel 9
It took state officials more than four years to select a developer to build on one of the last remaining parcels on Boston’s Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. But Normandy Real Estate Partners’ bid for a hotel on Parcel 9 was selected by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in August over the recommendations of a state-appointed panel and the Haymarket Pushcart Association. The two groups overwhelmingly supported a competing bid for a 9-story apartment building on the 29,400-square-foot parcel bounded by Surface Road and Hanover, Blackstone, and North streets proposed by the Cresset Group and DeNormandie Cos. Read More at the Boston Business Journal
Politics
Columbus Day parade takes Tom full circle
The city’s first Italian-American mayor presided over his last official Columbus Day Parade — a bittersweet act of pride and poignancy as Mayor Thomas M. Menino takes his extended victory lap after 20 years. “I feel great,” Menino, 70, told the Herald before snipping his last ribbon to set the annual procession in motion. Read More at Bostonherald.com
Mayoral candidates look for support at Columbus Day Parade
Connolly and state Representative Martin J. Walsh, the two vying to succeed Mayor Thomas M. Menino, worked the parade route that snaked around and through the North End, with a little over three weeks before Boston voters head to the polls. Read More at The Boston Globe
Connolly touts endorsement by North End pols
Former state Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie remains the big fish in the mayoral race endorsement pond, but City Councilor John R. Connolly is rolling out some North End support today with backing from a pair of Hub pols. Connolly was endorsed this morning by North End state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz , and he will be endorsed by Councilor Sal LaMattina. Read More at the Boston Herald
Business & Restaurants
Strega expands with ‘old Hollywood’ feel on Rte 128
Nick Varano is not one to shy away from a challenge. Ten years after the former used car salesman took a chance and opened his first restaurant in Boston’s North End featuring his mother’s recipe for sauce and meatballs, Varano is once again stepping out of his comfort zone. Jumping off successful ventures in the city with Strega Ristorante and Nico in the North End, and Strega Waterfront in the Seaport District, Varano, head of The Varano Group, recently branched out into the suburbs with an upscale Italian steakhouse. Varano’s Strega Prime in Woburn has a lively retro-Hollywood vibe with …Read More at Boston Business Journal
Mass. Furniture Fanatics Come Out Of The Woodwork For Year-Long Celebration
An unprecedented collaboration between 10 Massachusetts museums and institutions is underway, and it celebrates something we all use every day. “Simply to eat you have to do it on a table. You sit in a chair. You write at a desk,” Brock Jobe explained. He’s one of the architects behind a year-long series of exhibitions, lectures and demonstrations called “Four Centuries of Massachusetts Furniture.” You could call it a year-long furniture making love-fest. Read More at THEARTERY
North End Segway tour co. rolls into bankruptcy
A Segway tour operator that’s repeatedly run afoul of the city and racked up $200,000 in fines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Boston by Segway wants to remain at its North End location, even as the city has said it must move by Dec. 31. It is seeking a “fair shake” from the city and its landlord, according to company officer Allan Danley. “The bankruptcy … is definitely not just the money,” he said. “We are a profitable business.” Read More at The Boston Herald
Daily Life
The North End Then & Now: Insights From a Lifelong Resident & Restaurateur (Pauli’s Paul Barker)
Anyone who has walked through the narrow streets of the North End can tell you that the place is one heck of a tourist trap. But in the midst of the fanny packs, flashy cameras and wide assortment of accents, the Italian neighborhood still manages to maintain a distinct character all its own. Where else in Boston can you get your fill (or overfill) of cannolis, pumpkin ravioli and prosciutto? No where else but Boston’s North End. See and Read More at bostinno.streetwise.co
No Phone, No Food, No Pets
“Someday my boat will come in, and with my luck I’ll be at the airport.” … Graffito
When the ships come into Boston, there is a place where the Mariners are always welcome. Located in the North End, it is called The Seaman’s House. It was and still is a place where a sea-farer can get an inexpensive short-term room as long as s/he can prove active membership in the Merchant Marines. Built in 1847, the four-story Greek Revival structure boasts 40 rooms. Most recently available information places the cost of a room at $65 nightly with a maximum stay of 13 nights. In 1999 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Read More at Boston.com
Did we miss something? Add the link in the comment section below. And as always, feel free to share your thoughts.
