July 26 was the last day on the job for Jimmy Taylor, who had become a Sunday morning fixture in the Back Bay over the past 30 years as the Commonwealth Avenue Mall’s faithful newspaper vendor.
Born in Somerville on June 7, 1957, Taylor spent his younger years in Revere, before relocating to Lynn to be near his wife’s parents after he married.
Taylor had an approximately 20-year career with the Boston Herald, which began in the 1990s and found him driving a truck to distribute bundles of papers to various independent newspaper vendors around the city.
After the Herald did away with this distribution model amid a rapidly shrinking print-circulation, Taylor moved inside the office, where he helped process surplus newspapers that came off the loading trucks.
(Taylor later worked at the meat counter at Whole Foods Market in Lynnfield from around 2016 until he was injured on the job about five years ago.)
Around 1993, via his connections at the Herald, Taylor was able to install his son, Jimmy Jr., now a 43-year-old carpenter living in Maine, as an independent newspaper vendor at the coveted Sunday morning spot at the corner of Exeter Street on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
By 1996, Jimmy Jr., who was then also working fulltime at Woodworkers Warehouse in Lynn, had grown tired of getting up on Sunday mornings to vend newspapers, so his father stepped in to take over the de facto family newsstand.
The elder Taylor had already filled in for his son on a number of Sundays, and before then, he had filled in for an absent independent newspaper vendor many times along his distribution route over his years with the Herald.
When Taylor took over the newsstand from his son, he sold hundreds of newspapers each Sunday. But as print circulation for newspapers dwindled over the years, he saw the number of Sunday papers gradually fall to an estimated 50 to 75 combined print editions of The Boston Globe, the Herald, and the New York Times.
Taylor missed few Sundays on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall over the years. He worked, often masked, throughout the pandemic to continue providing newspapers to the neighborhood, which was viewed by many as an essential service during those uncertain times.
For his last day on the job, Taylor was feted by his friends and longtime customers at an informal ‘going-away’ party at the newsstand.
District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan presented Taylor with an Official Resolution from the city, declaring him “a cherished member of the Back Bay community.”
“More than a familiar face delivering the day’s headlines, Jimmy became a valued neighbor whose kindness and genuine community spirit helped make the neighborhood feel like home,” the resolution read in part.
Taylor, whose blue tent was always well stocked with dog treats, “formed special bonds with the dogs that stopped by” as the resolution also aptly noted.
Rep. Jay Livingstone, who was also on hand for Taylor’s send-off, offered a letter of congratulations to him from the House of Representatives.
Reflecting on Taylor’s long-term contribution to the neighborhood, Rep. Livingstone said: “Jimmy was incredibly reliable and friendly. Whether it was a freezing January day or the dog days of summer or the days in between, he was there every Sunday morning with a smile. People have counted on him to have a paper available for them for 30 years, and he became good friends with many residents who relied on him. He was greatly appreciated and will be missed.”
Rep. Livingstone recalled when he first ran for office, his predecessors, Marty Walz and Paul Demakis, had both suggested that Taylor’s newsstand might be a good place to meet potential voters, which turned out to be some very sage advice.
“Jimmy was always gracious about me talking to his customers, too,” added Rep. Livingstone.
Taylor made a lot of good friends while vending papers on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall over the years. He saw many of his longtime customers eventually leave the area, although he still keeps in touch with a few of them via email and expects that will be the case with his friends here after he relocates to Florida.
“Nothing’s etched in stone, really,” Taylor told this reporter of his impending retirement move.
On the time he spent as the Back Bay’s beloved Sunday newspaper vendor, Taylor thanked his many loyal customers and simply said: “It’s been a pleasure. It’s been a lot of fun.”
