By Bernie Sapienza For anyone who lives or works here, we all know how intrinsically tied together the business and residential communities are in the North End. Over the past five decades, the North End has had a few transformational events—the harbor clean-up of the 70s and the Big Dig of the 90s come to Read More…
The most important community spots are often the least celebrated. When I first moved to the North End in 1991, the Italian section of Boston had largely gone unchanged for decades. It was the affordable part of Boston back then. My street level two-bedroom apartment at 4A Prince (currently the location of the restaurant Artu) was Read More…
By Thomas F. Schiavoni, Saint Leonard Church parishioner A revised variance request by Epsilon Partners for 6 luxury condominium units at the former Saint Leonard Rectory on North Bennet Street has met ongoing neighborhood resistance, including votes in opposition by NEWRA and NEWNC, as well as a second rejection by NEWNC on a revised proposal. A Read More…
After many years of living in the suburbs, Boston lured us back. Its skyline promised to be the perfect backdrop to our second act like it has been for many popular movies. The pros and cons of living in Boston were many, but whenever we spent an early summer evening strolling along the city streets, Read More…
What will going back to school look like this year? As August rolls around, children in grades K-12 wait to find out what returning to school in 2020 will entail. Because of COVID -19, there are more questions than answers regarding what is best for students, parents, and school communities. What is the best option? Read More…
COVID-19 unexpectedly rendered people in their sixties and older a vulnerable demographic: physically, emotionally, and financially. Most retirees are poignantly aware of this disturbing truth. For those who, like me, decided to retire recently, COVID-19 did not enter the calculus. Many people plan to reinvent themselves upon retiring, but wearing a mask and living with 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…
COVID-19 canceled celebrations, graduation speeches, prom, and other events for the class of 2020. When they will attend their 25th high school reunion in 2045, what will these students remember of their senior year? For most high school seniors, the first week of June usually means walking at graduation and completing the traditional rites of passage Read More…
Let’s all thank the small businesses that are keeping our community intact. The cashiers at The Golden Goose, butchers at Sulmona Meats, the workers at Bova’s and Parziale’s Bakery, the list goes on, who all show up to serve us every day, and they don’t have N95 masks to protect themselves from the public who 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…