The Neighborhood Council will hold its March Meeting 7pm Monday March 11th at the Nazzaro Center.

There are three voting items on the agenda:

The February 2024 Neighborhood Council meeting had a single voting item on it's agenda: The expansion of Locale Restaurant (352 Hanover) into the old Guy's Mens Salon (250 Hanover). Proprietor Gaetano Turco closed up late last year after 40 years.

John "Sonny" Mirabella - 1930-2024.

When I grew up, it was wonderful! There weren't many cars around - you were able to play in the street.

From J.S. Waterman Langone Chapel:

The City posted the following on their Outdoor Dining Program page today:

In 2023, due to reasons including the North End’s high density of restaurants and foot traffic, narrow streets and sidewalks, resident parking scarcity, and other related considerations, the City issued permits in the neighborhood for compliant sidewalk patios, but did not issue permits for on-street outdoor dining. In 2024, the City intends to continue those policies in the North End and may craft additional neighborhood-specific guidelines as the program advances.

Diti Kholi covered the ongoing fight over curbside dining in the North End for the Boston Globe. I was interviewed for the story because an article I wrote was referenced in the latest lawsuit from restaurant owners.

The venerable Connah Store has shut. Frank DePasquale's ice cream and coffee shop, Dolce, is expanding into the space from next door. Sources tell us that the Connah Store's lease was not renewed after the property owner sought to hike the rent by nearly 250%.

The Neighborhood Council held its December meeting Monday night. The short agenda contained two voting items, both of which were unanimously supported by the Council.

New signage in Copp's Hill Burying Ground was installed recently. The replacement signs seem pretty much identical in content and layout, but are pristine. The old ones had rotted and were virtually unreadable.

The November Neighborhood Council meeting was mainly about one topic: Trash (below), but representatives from the N. Washington St Bridge project and the North End Library also gave very welcome updates.