Residents Say Downtown Zoning Plan Unacceptable
At a virtual public meeting last Wednesday, they berated Boston Planning Department (BPD) officials over the new PLAN: Downtown proposal, which they said all but scrapped six years of work by a city selected community and expert advisory board..

Groundwater Is In Decent Shape
“We started out the year with a nice surplus after what was a pretty wet 2023 and really the first, I’d say, four-five months of 24’ were pretty good,” said Christian Simonelli, executive director of the Boston Groundwater Trust (BGwT).

Residents Prefer Labs & Retrievers
There are nearly 1,600 Labradors and 700 golden retrievers amid the 10,479 dogs registered citywide, according to recent numbers from Boston’s Animal Care and Control division..

No You’re Not Drunk You’re Seeing Pink
There are six giant floating pink men spread throughout Downtown. There is also a car impaled by a satellite and some light installations. They are part of the Downtown Business Alliance’s second annual “Winteractive”, an outdoor art installation through March meant to attract people to the neighborhood.

City Hall Designated A Boston Landmark
Boston’s City Hall, the iconic yet polarizing Brutalist structure in Government Center, has officially been designated a landmark.

The Financial District Is Still Banking Lifeblood
A State Street address has prestigiously demarcated banking institutions for longer than the city has held its contemporary geography. While neighborhoods like the Back Bay and Seaport were still marshy wetlands being filled in, everyone from aristocrats to recent immigrants were patronizing the centralized Financial District.

Repairs Close Three Common Entrances
In the wake of the absence of communication, members of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and BWSC officials met on Tuesday. Also joining were Friends of the Public Garden, as well as City Councilor Sharon Durkan, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the city’s permitting department.

Micro-Apartments Offer Quality Over Quantity
The 144 Bowdoin Street building is home to 20 micro-apartments. At around 250 square feet of living space, the apartments are indeed micro but utilize folding furniture like the Murphy Bed, which folds into the wall, to maximize efficient use of the space.

Celebrating Henry Lee
Henry Lee, the Founder of the Friends on the Public Garden, would have turned 100 years old on January 13. To celebrate, the group lit 100 candles at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common..

BAA to Host Its First Residency
Caleb Teicher and Conrad Tao, a tap-dance-and-piano duo, will perform at the BAA’s new theater through Celebrity Series of Boston. But for the few days leading up to their performances, Teicher and Tao will be teaching a masterclass for students at the school.

Johnson Gate Is Finally Repaired
The Johnson Memorial Gate on Westland Ave. has been repaired, the Fenway Civic Association announced last week. The gate, composed of two tall marble pillars which straddle the avenue at Hemenway St., serves as an opening to the eastern half of the Back Bay Fens.

Let’s Talk About Real Tax Relief
The first reason is that the City of Boston Assessing Department unilaterally increased, in some cases dramatically, the assessed values of many homes across Boston. This was the data city officials refused to disclose when I sought this information last year during the mayor’s push to change tax laws at the State House.

Moran Seeking Unified Drug Policy Approach
State Representative John Moran has filed legislation that would establish a commission to study the continuum of care services for persons with substance abuse order, ultimately assess what’s needed to get people off and staying off drugs..