The hopes and fears of this past year by Thomas F. Schiavoni Christmas Eve will soon fall softly upon an ancient burying ground and the former tenements atop Copp’s Hill. There will be no movement, no sounds of traffic, nor the machinery of commerce at the epicenter of a major American city. There will only be empty Read More…
By Thomas F. Schiavoni, Saint Leonard Church parishioner A variance request by Epsilon Partners for 6 to 8 luxury condominium units at the former Saint Leonard Rectory on North Bennet Street has met with significant neighborhood resistance, including votes in opposition by the Residents’ Association (NEWRA) and Neighborhood Council (NEWNC). The City of Boston Board Read More…
The three-month closure of Boston’s parks and cemeteries during the covid-19 outbreak led to the remarkable reappearance of Copp‘s Hill in its natural state. They’re gone now, likely never to reappear — wildflowers and meadow grass swaying gently in the harbor breezes on the lower slopes of an ancient graveyard. During the three-month shutdown of Read More…
In the midst of this scary, stressful time in the world, some of us may have even forgotten today is St. Patrick’s Day. This story by local resident Tom Schiavoni, originally published in 2014, provides a little light-hearted content for the holiday. THE MAKING OF THE GREEN: (of Shamrocks and Stereotypes) It’s that time of Read More…
Natalie McGee, mother of North End resident Mary McGee, recently passed away at the age of 94 in Long Branch, New Jersey. Her son-in-law affectionately recalls Natalie’s adventures as a sometime visitor to her daughter’s fourth-floor walk-up in a former tenement atop Copp’s Hill. The girl from Jersey City has gone away, leaving behind a bouquet of memories as Read More…
Judging from several recent articles and columns that have flushed online trolls from their subterranean dwellings, there has been much interest and controversy stirred up by the Boston Planning and Development Agency’s (BPDA aka BRA) approval of a pricey 220,000 square-foot, 14-story commercial and residential structure to replace the existing parking garage at Dock Square that houses the Hard Read More…
The office of the District Attorney of Suffolk County has announced the entry of a guilty plea, conviction and sentencing of serial thief Richard Shiner by the Boston Municipal Court (BMC) on multiple counts of trespass, larceny and vandalism in local houses of worship, including St. Leonard and Sacred Heart Churches in the North End. Read More…
Commentary by Thomas F. Schiavoni A recent tidal wave of short-term rentals on platforms such as Airbnb are flooding Boston’s housing market and stirring up intense debate over legislation proposed by the Mayor’s Office. The North End and adjacent neighborhoods are nearing the tipping point of an ‘extinction event’. Earth scientists use this term to Read More…
One recent morning we awoke to the first snow of winter coating the lindens and elms on Copp’s Hill. The holiday calendar season had now officially arrived although the mad rush of getting and spending was already well underway. But, for that brief moment at dawn, the sounds of traffic, sirens and construction were muffled Read More…
(An illegal deck, installed a few feet above the statues and flowers of the Peace Garden at Saint Leonard Church on Hanover Street, has eradicated the serenity of a sanctuary cherished by North Enders and visitors from around the world.) If asked to identify a special place in the neighborhood where one can momentarily escape Read More…
(They say it is the journey, not the destination that matters. But, there are exceptions, especially when it comes to ocean crossings in autumn. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to appreciate the true worth of such an experience and the strange things encountered upon reaching the safety of dry land.) I was misinformed. No one Read More…
(Some people worry about government surveillance and loss of privacy. But, one North End family is literally facing a more imminent threat.) Renato Climaco holds the distinction of being the earliest riser among his neighbors on Copp’s Hill. From a Hull Street apartment, he greets the sunrise through his living room window overlooking the ancient Read More…