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…
Students from the Boston Architectural College (BAC) recently presented some possible options for Nazzaro Center use once a new community center is built. They met with many different organizations and stakeholders to develop possibilities based on recommendations they received. They reiterated that the plans they presented were meant to be used as a starting point Read More…
We are hoping for a big North End community turnout at City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 a.m. at room 801 to oppose the current plans for the condo development in the former St. Leonard’s Church Rectory, at 14 N Bennet St. The Zoning Appeals Board has scheduled a vote then on whether 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…
I thoroughly enjoy watching you walk your dogs through #LombardPlace, that “L” shaped alley that connects Prince and Thacher Streets, the one with a bit of cobblestone and some greening. What I’m not enjoying is whomever thought it was OK for your dog to poop in front of the stairs to my landing. Yes, you Read More…
Downtown JournalAn occasional column about city life Each December, I pay the piper after hoarding donation envelopes and non-profit pitches during the previous months. In the 2019 giving season, as I went through my envelopes, I found one addressed to the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. I pondered it, felt a bit sad, and cast the Read More…
Enrico Caruso was born in Naples Italy in 1873 into a working class neighborhood. His father was a mechanic who expected his son to follow his trade. His mother objected and he was sent to be educated where his clear angelic voice was discovered in a church choir, and his singing career was born. Whether Read More…
This is the fifth installation of Nicholas Dello Russo’s “A Shtetl in the City”, following part one, part two, part three, and part four. Phillips Street, on the North Slope of Beacon Hill, is a small, unremarkable street. Many years ago, it was considered part of the West End and was once home to a sizable Black population. Read More…
Dear Friends: As we approach and prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth during the grace-filled season of Advent, I wish to send you my prayerful greetings and best wishes. May the birth of Jesus Christ be a time of rebirth for the Church and each one of us. The quick passing of seasons and Read More…
When I was a young girl growing up in the neighborhood, the Gassy (DeFillipo Park) as we called it, was a wonderful place to hang out. On any given day, dozens of kids could be found playing on one of the many structures, swinging on the swings or running around playing games of tag. The Read More…
Yesterday I used the car for the first time since last Saturday nite, when our triplet grandchildren had been here for my husband’s birthday party. Afterward I drove them back to their car, which was parked a couple of blocks away. When I opened my new car yesterday to put something in the back seat, Read More…
Downtown JournalAn occasional column about city life Earlier this month, my husband Ben and I were driving home and we weren’t speaking. We were utterly absorbed in a podcast playing on the car radio – a podcast with the most implausible title, “Should America Be Run By…Trader Joe’s?” As we listened, each of us came Read More…