Looking Back at ’25 on the Hill

2025 was yet another noteworthy year on Beacon Hill, marked by a number of milestones and memorable events in and around the neighborhood.

Coming on the heels of the fifth-year anniversary of the onset of covid, City Councilor Ed Flynn honored 75 Chestnut and its owner, Tom Kershaw, with an official resolution from the City Council on May 1 in acknowledgment of the longstanding neighborhood restaurant’s pivotal role in helping to kickstart the post-pandemic outdoor dining in the city.

During the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s annual meeting on May 22 at Hampshire House, Keeta Gilmore, a former long-serving board member, as well as past president and chair of the group, received the 28th annual Beacon Award, which is given each year by the Civic Association to an individual or group deemed to have made a “sustained” and “significant” positive impact on the community.

That same month, the Nichols House Museum received national recognition when it was selected by the editors of Yankee Magazine as a 2025 Best of New England award winner.

In June, the longstanding Gary Drug Co. was the sole Beacon Hill establishment among 30 businesses citywide recognized by the city as Legacy Business Award winners for contributing to the fabric of their respective neighborhoods over an extended period of time.

On July 9, longtime Beacon Hill resident and venerable bridge designer, Miguel Rosales, was honored when the city declared ‘Miguel Rosales Day’ in his honor via a resolution sponsored by District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan in recognition of his significant role in shaping Boston’s skyline.

In our parks, the Esplanade continued to transform, with the Esplanade Association  breaking ground in May on the new Charles River Esplanade campus, which will reimagine the 2-acre site of the former Lee Pool complex as a year-round, universally accessible facility.

The fully ADA-accessible Gronk Playground was then unveiled on the Esplanade in Aug. 19, made possible via a partnership involving former New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski and his Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, together with the Esplanade Association and the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The Friends of the Public Garden, which works in partnership with the Boston Parks Department to care for and enhance the Public Garden, the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, and the Boston Common, also embarked on a new chapter in May, when Liza Meyer, who previously served as Interim Parks Commissioner and Chief Landscape Architect for the City of Boston, officially started in her new role as the Friends group’s third leader and new president.

And in city politics, Mayor Michelle Wu clinched a second term after securing an easy victory over political newcomer Josh Craft in the Sept. 9 primary election.

So with ’25 now on the books, we invite readers to look back on the events of this past year.

• On Jan. 1, Rep. Jay Livingstone was sworn in for another term at the State House.

Rep. Livingstone has represented the Suffolk 8th District since 2013, when he won in a Special Election to succeed Marty Walz.  He has been reelected six times since then, in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, respectively.

•  On Jan. 10, the Nichols House Museum celebrated Rose Standish Nichols’ birthday a day early, with cake and a free community open house.

• On Jan. 13, the Beacon Hill Civic Association board held its first meeting of the year virtually.

• On Jan. 16, the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission virtually held its first monthly public hearing of the year.

• On Feb. 12, the city’s Planning Department convened a virtual meeting to discuss plans for the redevelopment of the West End Branch Library, including its affordable housing component.

• On March 5, Mayor Michelle Wu defended Boston’s sanctuary city policies during her testimony before Congress in Washington, D.C.

• On April 2, the City Council voted 11-2  to pass an ordinance that beginning in January 2026, will require third-party food delivery drivers to obtain permits to work in Boston.

• On April 19, Mayor Michelle Wu joined the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Paget family to host the first ride of the 48th  season on the Swan Boats at the Boston Public Garden Lagoon.

• On April 29,  the Beacon Hill Business Association resumed its Beacon Hill Concierge Stroll, after nearly a decade-long absence.

The event, intended to introduce members of the Boston hotel and hospitality industry to the neighborhood’s shops, restaurants, and other businesses, was largely organized by Ann Heimlicher, president of Boston Spot-Lite and co-founder of the Greater Boston Concierge Association.

• In May, the Nichols House Museum was selected by the editors of Yankee Magazine as a 2025 Best of New England award winner.

Every year, the magazine recognizes the region’s “restaurants, attractions, and lodging properties that create unforgettable experiences for travelers.”  The winners are announced in the May/June issue’s annual travel guide to New England.

• On May 1, Liza Meyer, who previously served as Interim Parks Commissioner and Chief Landscape Architect for the City of Boston, officially started in her role as  the third leader and new president of the Friends of the Public Garden.

• On May 1, the longstanding neighborhood restaurant, 75 Chestnut, held an intimate ‘patio party’ to mark the fifth anniversary of its outdoor dining program’s launch, as well as the opening of its patio for the season.

In acknowledgment of the five-year milestone for 75 Chestnut’s outdoor dining program, City Councilor Ed Flynn presented the restaurant with an official resolution from the City Council.

• On May 2, Beacon Hill Nursery School hosted its annual auction gala at The Newbury Boston.         

Co-Chairs, Katie Norris and Amanda Currey, were then joined by school administrators, teachers, and current, incoming, and alumni BHNS parents. This community highlight of the year at BHNS provides essential support for financial aid, the purchase of classroom materials, and teacher professional development opportunities.

• On May 13, the Esplanade Association  broke ground on the new Charles River Esplanade campus, which will transform the 2-acre site of the former Lee Pool complex into a year-round, universally accessible destination in the park.

Made possible via a nearly 25-year public-private partnership between EA and the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the new campus will be highlighted by the year-round Smith Family Pavilion at Charlesbank.

• On May 15, the Beacon Hill Garden Club held its 96th annual Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill tour amid inclement weather.

The annual tour, which typically sells out well in advance, is expected to return next year to its traditional time of the third Thursday in May.

• On May 15, Mayor Michelle Wu brought her annual Neighborhood Coffee Hour for Back Bay and Beacon Hill on Thursday, May 15, to the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library. (The event was originally scheduled to take place at its typical location on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.)

Each year, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Coffee Hours allows opportunities for residents from across the city to meet and hear from their neighborhood liaisons, as well as to connect with city leadership and staff from the Community Engagement Cabinet.

• On May 20, Hill House honored its 2025 Award Winners during the organization’s annual meeting at the Mount Vernon Street Firehouse, including Noah Lucia, recipient of this year’s Duane Lucia Instructor of the Year Award; Sarah Donovan and Laura Ziewacz, who both received the Ellen Heath Plapinger Board Award; and Colin Zick, who received the Meredith Clapp Community Outreach Award.

• On May 22, Keeta Gilmore received the 28th annual Beacon Award, which each year, publicly honors an individual or group whose leadership has made a sustained and significant positive impact on quality of life in the neighborhood, during the Beacon Hill Civic Association annual members’ meeting at Hampshire House.

• On June 1, the 35th annual Beacon Hill Art Walk returned with numerous local artists plying their wares in the neighborhood’s alleyways, courtyards, and gardens, along with volunteer musicians performing in various gardens throughout the day.

The annual event is traditionally held on the first Sunday in June.

• On June 3, Mayor Michelle Wu recognized 30 longstanding, independent businesses citywide as this year’s Legacy Business Award winners for contributing to the fabric of their respective neighborhoods.

The sole winner from Beacon Hill was Gary Drug Co. at 59 Charles St., which has served the neighborhood and surrounding area since 1934.

• On June 10, the staff  of Hampshire House Hospitality Group dedicated a bench in honor of Tom Kershaw, the organization’s chairman, in the Public Garden.

The occasion marked the 56th anniversary of Kershaw assuming ownership of Hampshire House.

• On June 21-22, the Beacon Hill Business Association held its annual Summer Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, with local shops plying their wares outside along the neighborhood’s streets.

The event was moved from the originally scheduled June 7-8 due to inclement weather.

• July 9 was officially declared ‘Miguel Rosales Day’ in the City of Boston per a resolution sponsored by District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan in recognition of the transformative and indelible impact the venerable architect and longtime Beacon Hill resident has made on the city’s infrastructure and skyline.

• On Aug. 19, four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, in partnership with the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation (GNYF), the Esplanade Association (EA), and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), unveiled the fully ADA-accessible Gronk Playground on the Charles River Esplanade.

• On Aug. 26, Gardening Enthusiasts at Primus was among winners  in the 29th  annual Mayor’s Garden Contest honored in a ceremony in the Public Garden, taking second place in the category of Community Garden for a Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District.

The group was previously awarded the top prize in the Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District category twice before – in the 27th annual Mayor’s Garden Contest in 2023 and again in last year’s 28th annual Mayor’s Garden Contest.

Christa Comeau, also of Beacon Hill, took home third place in the Shade Garden category, while Paul H. Belanger of the West End  was awarded second place in the Porch Balcony or Container Garden category.

• On Sept. 11 – two days after coming in a distant second in the preliminary election – Josh Kraft officially ended his campaign for mayor of Boston in a television interview with WCVB-TV.

According to the city’s unofficial election results, incumbent

Mayor Michelle Wu garnered nearly 72 percent of the ballot (66,398 votes) in the Sept. 9 election, while Kraft, a 58-year-old

political newcomer who has worked in the nonprofit sector and is the son of New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, trailed her with just over 23 percent of the ballot (21, 324 votes).

Domingos Darosa, a community activist, came in third in the four-way race, with under 3 percent of the ballot (2,409 votes), ahead of a perennial candidate for public office, Robert Cappucci, with just over 2 percent of the ballot (2,074 votes).

• In late September, the organization formerly known as Fenway CDC (Community Development Corporation) officially changed its name to Fenway Forward, following a year of strategic planning and input from community members.

The name change for the 52-year-old nonprofit, which offers affordable housing, resident services, and workforce development programs in the Fenway neighborhood and beyond, coincided with the release of its four-year strategic plan (2026-2029).

• On Oct. 25, Charles Street and even the iconic Make Way for Ducklings sculpture in the Public Garden went pink again as many of its businesses showed  their support for the Ellie Fund in its mission to provide Massachusetts breast cancer patients with non-medical essential services.

Since 1995, Ellie Fund has provided non-medical essential services, including grocery gift cards, healthy prepared meals, transportation to appointments, childcare, housekeeping, and integrative therapies, to breast cancer patients throughout Massachusetts to allow them to focus on spending time with their families and healing. (Every breast cancer patient in active treatment in Massachusetts is eligible.)

Visit www.elliefund.org for more information on the Ellie Fund.

• On Oct. 30, City Hall was lit green to commemorate former Mayor Thomas M Menino (Dec. 27, 1942 – Oct. 30, 2014).

• On Nov. 4, all four incumbent City Councilors at-Large up for reelection clinched the four open seats in the general election.

According to the city’s unofficial election results, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune topped the bill, garnering 9.23 percent of the ballot (54,503 votes cast). Trailing her were Councilor Julia Mejia, with 16.74 percent of the ballot (47,422 votes cast); Councilor Erin Murphy, with 16.36 percent of the ballot (46,360 votes cast); and Councilor Henry Santana, with 15.49 percent of the ballot (43,904 votes cast), respectively.

Meanwhile, Mayor Michelle Wu ran unopposed and easily secured a second term, garnering 93.23 percent of the ballot (78,384 votes cast).

• On Dec. 4, Beacon Hill Business Association once again welcomed neighbors and visitors to its annual Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll, which also included the annual tree lighting at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Charles streets.

• On Dec. 4, immediately following the annual Holiday Tree Lighting on the Boston Common, Mayor Michelle Wu joined the Friends of the Public Garden and the Committee to Light Commonwealth Avenue Mall to light up Commonwealth Avenue Mall for the holidays.

• On Dec. 14, the Nichols House Museum sponsored its annual Beacon Hill Holiday House Tour.

• On Dec. 24, the Beacon Hill Ringers offered its long-running, annual holiday performance, ringing bells and singing carols for an enthusiastic crowd in Louisburg Square.