South End Crime Getting Worse
Calls to private security firms around Mass. and Cass spiked 50% from June to July according to statistics from the Newmarket Business Improvement District, going from 1,645 to 2,467.

Back Bay/South End Rats Getting Reprieve
Special Project Manager Luke Hines and environmental services’ Assistant Commissioner John Ulrich couldn’t say definitively which neighborhoods have the worst rat problems today, though they hoped to have a clearer picture within two months as new monitoring systems come online.

A-1 Police Community Liaison Transferred
Sergeant Zachary Crossen, who took on the position of A-1 liaison in September of 2023, made quite an impression on the neighborhood in his short tenure. It is unclear where he will go.

Esplanade Gets New Playground
A playground underwritten by former Patriot’s legend Rob Gronkowski has opened on the Esplanade across Storrow Drive from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)..

Audit Finds Defective Sidewalks and Ramps
The task force, a coalition of public and private institutions aimed at improving public safety in Downtown Boston, believes that making the area safer for pedestrians will contribute to the overall safety of the neighborhood in addition to their focus on aggregate drug use, criminal activity, and homelessness.

Grotto to Close After 22-Years
After 22-years at 37 Bowdoin Street, Grotto will close. Its last dinner will be served on Thursday, August 21.The eatery was known for its classic Italian meals served in a dimly lit, romantic dining room..

MELLOW WEDNESDAYS
The Boston Landmarks Orchestra is offering free Wednesday evening concerts at the Hatch Shell..

Running for a Cause
Over 3,000 runners and walkers participated in the 16th annual Run to Home Base at Fenway Park on July 26 to benefit Home Base, a Red Sox sponsored program dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war for veterans..

NO CRIMINALS HERE
To even think about doing anything untoward around Castle Square on Tremont Street Tuesday evening would have been the perfect example of Freud’s Death Wish. Mayor Michelle Wu, the Police Department’s Command Staff and elected officials joined residents to celebrate National Night Out, an annual event to encourage community/police relations.

St. Botolph Mourns Lorraine Steele
Steele was a leader who never sought the spotlight, but instead elevated the voices of others. Whether organizing tenant meetings or pressing city officials for equitable development, she was the type of person whose phone would be the first to ring when someone in her community needed to get something done.

Boston Won’t Release Mass & Cass Records
“They’re telling us and parading to the world that it's the safest city in America, yet they won’t hand the details to a normal guy,” McCarter said. “It’s just so frustrating. It’s not safe.

HUGE “FAMILY” REUNION
Boston While Black, a local nonprofit, held a “family reunion” on July 26 attended by over 25,000 participants focusing on joy, culture and connection. The event was sponsored and hosted by WS Development. Who wants the Christmas gift concession for this group or will volunteer to cook Thanksgiving dinner for all of them?.

ANYONE HUNGRY?
Several hundred food lovers descended on The Grand on Seaport Boulevard on July 29 for the 11th annual “A Taste of Ethnic Boston”..