There were some that predicted that a new mayor of Boston would attempt to dismantle the Boston Redevelopment Authority and strip Boston’s planning and economic development agency of its far reaching power in Boston. After assuming office last year, one of Mayor Martin Walsh’s top priorities was a reorganization of the BRA and launched...
Downtown View: More Stupid Stuff
Sometimes as a community we don’t think before we act even though we spend lots of time in the thinking stage. Casinos are one example. This is not a column opposing casinos. Their benefits are probably over-rated, and so are their drawbacks. Everett was chosen over Revere for the casino in the Boston area....
2015 Marks ‘Year of the Common’
2015 marks the “Year of the Common” – a collaborative effort between the Friends of the Public Garden and the city to improve safety on the park, to upgrade its maintenance and overall condition, and to ensure its longevity for future generations. “You can love a park to death,” said Elizabeth Vizza, executive director...
Grogan to Host Heirloom Discovery Evening Feb. 5
Michael P. Grogan, who set up shop on Charles Street in December, is a celebrity in his own right. A nationally known fine art auctioneer and appraiser, he is often featured on WGBH’s Antiques Roadshow. Grogan & Company, the family-owned business he founded in 1987, is recognized and respected all over the world. And...
BPL Officials to Open Renovated Space Feb. 21
The date has been set for the opening of the renovated second floor of the Johnson building at Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square. On Saturday, Feb. 21, the residents of Boston and beyond will get their first look at the new second floor, which includes a new children’s library, teen area, non-fiction collection, reference services...
Blizzard of ’15
We have been fortunate so far this winter in avoiding a major snowstorm but Mother Nature is unleashing her fury today with a blizzard. Those of us who were around for the Blizzard of ‘78 remember the devastating effects that storm had on the entire Greater Boston area. Motorists were stranded on highways and...
Downtown View Mayor Walsh: We’re Okay with Bold
This is an advice column. To Marty Walsh. With pictures. The message: You’ve been bold. Expand your efforts. The mayor’s State of the City speech showed his intention to solve two of the Boston’s thorniest problems—housing and education. Downtown residents need affordable housing and good public education as much as other neighborhoods. But...
New ways to connect at BHWF
Now there are even more ways for Beacon Hill Women’s Forum members to forge friendships and generate a sense of community with other women in the neighborhood and beyond. Founded last year to bring together the community’s diverse group of women to connect, inspire and enjoy each other, BHWF meets at the Hampshire House...
Closings for Bowker Overpass
During the week of January 19 the Storrow Drive Eastbound off ramp to Bowker overpass daily will be closed (as needed) to continue the Stage II deck reconstruction. The closure will take place from the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m through Friday, January 23, 2015. On Saturday, January 24, 2015, the Storrow...
Education Is Walsh’s Top Priority
Listening to the Mayor Martin Walsh’s State of the City address last Tuesday night, one had to be struck by his emphasis on education for Boston Public School students. More than a quarter of his address was devoted to initiatives that he has committed city resources and his time and effort to. A longer...
The Ever Changing New Boston
Boston, today, is seen as one of America’s best cities. But this latest incarnation of what John Winthrop called the “City on a Hill” is a fairly recent one. The “New Boston” only came into being in the second half of the twentieth century. The “Old Boston” was described as a “hopeless backwater” and...
Downtown View: The Calm Month
Lots of people complain about January. It is dark. It is cold. It’s a day longer than some months. The hoopla about the holidays is over. Thank goodness. That is the beauty of January. It is not like autumn, the season in which everyone and every organization are trying to crowd in every event...
Plans Shown for 8 Story Building on Cambridge St. Cambridge Street.
In an informational meeting sponsored by the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) Zoning and Licensing Committee last Tuesday, an applicant outlined preliminary plans to demolish the two-story building at 156 Cambridge St. that houses the Beacon Hill Athletic Club and Seoul restaurant and replace it with an eight-story building that would accommodate an extended-stay...
Winter Playground
Well the only good thing that you can say about the recent cold weather is that the lagoon in the Public Garden is frozen enough that residents can just put on a pair of skates and go out for five minutes or longer.
Beautify Beacon Hill Holiday Submission Deadline Jan. 14
The Holiday Season on Beacon Hill is special. So many neighbors decorate their door, steps and window boxes. “Beautify Beacon Hill” is your chance to recognize those who are dressing the neighborhood to celebrate the holidays. The Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Beacon Hill Garden Club and The Beacon Hill Times host this holiday...
Hill Seniors: ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ at FriendshipWorks
FriendshipWorks is seeking elders in Beacon Hill who may need support getting to and from medical appointments, help with a project or simply to have a friendly visit. FriendshipWorks offers services free of charge to elders who may not have a support network to help care for them. FriendshipWorks connects elders with volunteers who...
BHCA Zoning & Licensing Committee Will Meet January 13
January 13, the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s Zoning & Licensing Committee will hold a meeting to discuss a proposal to demolish the existing 2-story building between Hancock and Joy Streets (156 Cambridge Street) and replace it with an 8-story building. The project is in the planning stages, so the purpose of this meeting will...
BHAC Agenda
Beacon Hill Architectural Commission will hold a public hearing: on in Room 801, Boston City Hall Subject of the hearing will be applications for Certificates of Appropriateness on the agenda below, review of architectural violations, and such business as may come before the commission, in accordance with Ch. 616 of the Acts of 1955,...
Forum on Charter Schools Set for Jan 20
A forum organized and hosted by The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee will be held on January 20 at Suffolk University Law School Auditorium, 120 Tremont St. from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For information visitwww.bostonward5dems.org In response to widespread concerns regarding the state of public education in America, many states and cities, including Massachusetts...
Downtown View: The More Things Change
At Faneuil Hall Marketplace, an out-of-town manager doesn’t understand how to run a Boston business. Local businesses are ousted to make room for chains. The manager believes the pushcart vendors, with their dubious tchotchkes, bring down the tone of the place. The vendors, however, accuse the manager of shutting them out of decision making...
Letter to the Editor
Commenting on the recent article on disruption or consequences Dear Editor: As an individual requiring door to door transportation service during the work week, I will share with you my six month Uber experience with that of the local cab companies. 1) An Uber X vehicle is a comparable model to that of a...
Obituaries 01-13-2015
Eileen Fitzpatrick Longtime Gary Drug employee Eileen Fitzpatrick lost her courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on Dec. 18, 2014. She passed away surrounded by close family and friends who loved her deeply. The youngest daughter of seven children, Eileen was born to Dorothy and Thomas Fitzpatrick on April 3, 1957, in West Hempstead, N.Y. She was predeceased...
Brian Golden to Head Redevelopment Authority
Brian Golden was recently named permanent director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and Economic Development Industrial Corporation (EDIC). Having served as acting director since last January, Golden will continue to lead the efforts to reform and modernize the agency, which has already undergone a significant transformation in the last 11 months. He has...
BHCA Celebrates with a Secret Garden Gala
The Beacon Hill Civic Association invites the community to attend the 43rd Annual Winter Gala themed ”Secret Garden”, celebrating the historic neighborhood on Saturday, February 7, 2015. An evening of friendship and community will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel with dinner and dancing included in the ticket price. The event will feature one...
Full Print Edition
