Italians love joining clubs and the North End of seventy five years ago had an abundance of social organizations where men could gather and enjoy the company of their friends. There were many clubs honoring saints from a particular city or town. We still have the St. Anthony’s club, the Madonna della Cava and the Read More…
Downtown JournalAn occasional column about city life The New Year is now three weeks old. Are you tidied yet? Or still bound up with resolutions to tidy? Oh. OK. You want me just to shut up and go away. You don’t want to be reminded of that determination to pare down, clean up, throw out Read More…
The phone call came at the worst possible time, but isn’t that always the case? Christmas was in four days and Angela was pregnant with their first child. They were living in a fourth floor walk up on North Street which was somewhat renovated. It had heat, hot water and a private bathroom. It was Read More…
By Martin J. Walsh For over a century, the Nazzaro Community Center has represented the heart and soul of the North End. Generations have gathered there to learn, play, and have fun. While carrying on the rich traditions of this historic neighborhood, it’s also important that the center respond to the community’s changing needs. Throughout Read More…
Downtown Journal An occasional column about city life Lydia Edwards is a brave woman. The freshman city councilor represents District One, which includes the North End, and she has chosen to wrap herself around a perilous issue haunting everyone – garbage. In fact, the disposal of waste goes to the heart of the preservation of Read More…
By Ellen Hume We are asking North Enders to sign our petition at www.savethenazzaro.org to stop the possible sale and demolition of the Nazzaro Community Center building at 30 N. Bennet St. Do we really need more luxury condos, taking away our public space in the heart of the neighborhood? We will present our campaign Read More…
Every time I drive by the Stephen Steriti Ice Rink in Boston’s North End, my mind wanders back to the spring of 1965 and meeting Stephen who, smiling, motioned toward me at Bova’s Bakery, excited to tell me of his enlistment in the Army. He knew I had been recently discharged from my tour in Read More…
When the Southern Italian immigrants first arrived in Boston at the end of the nineteenth century, one of the few professions open to them was being a barber, and the North End had scores of barber shops. My maternal grandfather had a barber shop on Haverhill Street near North Station, and my cousin’s son has a barber shop Read More…
As the leader of a community health center already challenged by a statewide nursing shortage, we are joining the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers in opposing Question 1. The proposed mandated nurse staffing levels at hospitals would drain nurses from community-based primary care settings. It is at these community-based settings that critical preventive and Read More…
Downtown Journal An occasional column about city life We live in strange times when political leaders – the president, the Congress – seem to have forgotten our noble past of sacrifice and wars waged for freedoms once envied around the world. Every day, more of our collective dignity and purpose seem to erode under the Read More…
Autumn was everyone’s favorite season in the North End. The feasts were over, the air was crisp and cool, the smell of burning leaves would drift in from the suburbs, the kids were back in school, and it was wine-making season. Old Italian men kept their traditions alive and made wine in many of the Read More…
Downtown Journal An occasional column about city life Back in the day, the necessary Waterfront morning hangout was the Dunkin’ Donuts on Commercial Street. The caffeinated mecca occupied the corner of Battery Wharf and Commercial – somewhere near where the entrance to the chic Divine Design is today. Starting at 5:30 every morning, cops, Coast Read More…