December Social & Holiday Activities

Happy December everyone!

This month we will forgo our regular business meeting and instead have a social event to celebrate the season.

On our usual meeting night - Tuesday, December 8th - we will be having a Holiday Social instead of our regular meeting.   Stop by The Boston Eagle (tremont & Dwight) between 6pm and 8pm for some free pizza, cocktails, Pool lessons and some raffle prizes!

We invite everyone in Eight Streets to attend; meet your neighbors and make some new friends!
So we can get an accurate headcount, please RSVP to ESNA.DecSocial@gmail.com to secure your spot!

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This Wednesday (December 2) SEBA presents the South End Holiday Stroll.    Take a walk through the neighborhood and visit our local stores.    The walk is  from 4-9pm with many south end businesses participating.  See this link for a flier.

AS A BONUS -  Mayor Walsh will be participating right in our neighborhood.   Starting at 4:30pm, Mayor Walsh will be at Milford and Shawmut to visit local businesses in our Shawmut business district.   If you're home from work early, come out and shop with the Mayor.


More shopping can be had at Chrismaukka - a Free holiday shopping event at the SoWa market location (450 harrison ave).  A heated tent will be in place, hosting 50 local artisans and their wares.  The Food Trucks will also be there for your dining pleasure.   This is Free and open to all Friday night through Sunday (Dec 4-6).  See their Facebook page for more information.

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Christmas activities continue on Saturday with the 20th annual "Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour" and Christmas tree lighting at the BCA.  Starting at 3:30pm on Saturday, December 5th there will be kids activities with snacks and cider available.   The Mayor's trolley (with Santa) should arrive around 4:15 for a tree lighting and  a chance to visit the guy in red.

If you're putting a tree in your home, don't forget Christmas Trees and Wreaths are again for sale locally at the corner of Berkeley and Tremont.

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Have a great December, and I hope you can make it to our Holiday Social!!!

(click for a larger image)

ESNA Happenings

Hi everyone,

We have a lot of neighborhood activity the next week.

This Saturday of course brings us Halloween.   If you've never been in the city during halloween before, neighbors hang out on their stoops and greet kids at the sidewalk with goodies.   Join your neighbors and combine stoops and make a fun evening of it.   Remembering, being a Saturday the kids usually hit the sidewalks a little earlier than a week night Halloween.

Ringgold park will also be holding their halloween festivities from 4-6 on Saturday.   Setup begins at 2pm if you'd like to help out.   Contact ringgoldpark@gmail.com to help out, or for more information on joining the Friends of Ringgold.


On Sunday, November 1, Watson park will be hosting a cleanup.  (Corner of Taylor and Milford) Join people in the park at 11am to help rake leaves and plant bulbs for the spring.  Afterward we'll head to Berkeley and help them plant some bulbs... contact watsonpark @ eightstreets.org if you would like to get more involved with the Friends.


Tuesday, November 3 brings us election day.   Polls are open 7am-8pm.  Eight Streets votes at Cathedral High School Gym, corner of Washington and Union Park.   This is a city election, and only City Councilors will be on our ballot.  We will be voting on our District 2 councilor, and 4 Councilors at large.  Please make every effort to vote, as city hall sees low turnout as lack of interest in all things government.


Wednesday November 4 brings us an Alley Safety Walk-through.   We'll walk through ESNA Alleys with BPD officer Richie Litto who will tell us how we can keep our alleys and rear yards safer.   These walk-throughs have been successful and informative in the past, so if you have not yet joined us for one, please come along!  This year we will walk the Shawmut alleys between Shawmut and Ringgold/Bond/Taylor, ending up in Watson park.    Meet at the corner of Ringgold and Waltham by 6:30.  If you are an abutter let us know and we can visit your specific yard...

And of course pencil in Tuesday, November 10 for our monthly ESNA Business meeting.   Agenda to come out next week.   Visit our Calendar at any time for upcoming neighborhood activities

Fall Coffee Hours

Our state representative Aaron Michlewitz has announced his Fall coffee hours.   This is a change to meet with Aaron and discuss any state issues that might be on your mind.   Stop by any time during the coffee time and have a chat, or just listen.    The coffee hours are open to all.  

10/24 is right in Eight Streets at Wholy Grain.  10/3 and 11/21 are a short walk outside the neighborhood.    Hope you can make one of the events!!!

Saturday October 3^rd 10am- 12pm @ CuppaCoffee (57 Traveler Street) 

Saturday October 24^th 10am-12pm @ The Wholy Grain (275 Shawmut Ave)

Saturday November 21^st  10am-12pm @ Berkeley Perk Café (69 Berkeley Street)

June Stoop Party

Eight Streets continues the Summer of the Stoop and with out next stoop night this Saturday, June 27th.  Join us between 5:30 and 7:30 on Milford  Street and meet your neighbors.

Our stoop nights are a way to re-connect with your neighbors.  They harken back to the days before we were overworked and perpetually busy with technology.   Residents spent many events on their stoops enjoying the evening and chatting with neighbors and passer-bys.   (For more on our Stoop night resurgence, see our previous blog post.)

We're bringing back the tradition by holding stop nights in the summers.  We take a few nights each summer and focus on one of our neighborhood streets.

This Saturday we focus on Milford street.   If you live on Milford, come out and sit on your stoop and say hi to neighbors.   If you're from our other Eight Streets, walk on over to Milford and make some new friends!

To kick off the night, we have some host stoops who have promised to be on their stoops to meet and greet.   Look for the stoops with balloons.  Use our host stoops as a starting point for your evening, but don't feel confined by our host stoops - walk the street and say hi to everyone!!

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, June 27th
5:30-7:30pm
Milford street.

Printable flier here.

Parks & Cleanups

Hi everyone,

Boston Shines

Mark your calendars - next Saturday come join your neighbors as Eight Streets takes part in Boston Shines.  This year we'll be cleaning out Watson park, as well as the alleys between Shawmut and Bone, and Shawmut and Taylor.   We'll also give a hand where we can with cleanups going on in Ringgold and Peters parks.   The city will provide bags and tools (ad hopefully some gloves) - we just need the manpower.

Join us and help put a Shine on the southern end of our neighborhood.   After the cleanup, Friends on Ringgold is hosting a pot luck and plant sale in the park from 11:30-2

A Flier for the Boston Shines cleanups can be found here.

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Watson Park

Speaking of Watson Park, the city has arranged for an in-park community meeting.  The BRA ad Parks Dept. will be there, so we hope to get an update  on the status of transferring the park to Parks.  The meeting is this Wednesday at 6pm in the park.   We hope abutters and interested neighbors can attend.

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Facebook

The South End Forum has created a presence on Facebook.  They have a Page for announcement and such, and a Group which is an open community board where anyone can post.   Visit both if you'd like to keep up on South End-wide information

South End FB Page.

South End FB Community Group.

and of course, the Eight Streets FB Page.

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Hope we can see you this week:

• Wednesday, April 29, Watson Park Meeting.  6pm in the park.
• Saturday, May 2, Boston Shines.  8:30-noon.  Meet at Watson Park
• Saturday, May 2, Ringgold Park Pot Luck and Plant Sale, 11:30-2

Alley cleanup this Saturday (11/22)

Fall Pot Luck: Sunday 9/14

With a cloudy/rainy afternoon forecast, Pot Luck has been moved to Sunday.

The heat has broken, and Fall is in the air.   A perfect time for a Picnic.

Come help us celebrate the start of the ESNA calendar year at a neighborhood Pot Luck & BBQ.  We'll have a grill with some burgers and dogs, but we're counting on you to make it interesting.   Bring your favorite dish to share with your neighbors!  

But most of all, bring a friend or a neighbor.   Meet your fellow Eight Streeters.   Learn more about the association.   Share ideas on how we can improve our neighborhood.

Join us on Sunday, September 14th from 4-6 in Ringgold Park.   

Please RSVP to potluck@eightstreets.org to let us know you're coming, what you can bring, and if you can volunteer additional time for setup, cleanup, and even manning the grill!   

Even if you can't RSVP or aren't a good cook, come on down and meet everyone!   

Complete details can be found on our pot luck web page.

Not sure if you're in Eight Streets?   Check out Neighborhood Map.

June Stoop Night

The 6/13 stoop night has been cancelled due to rain.   

Since there is a continued chance of rain on Saturday, we'll hold this stoop night on another weekend.

While waiting for our next official stoop event, feel free to sit on your front steps on any warm night and say hi to your neighbors!

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Original notice:

Eight Streets continues the Summer of the Stoop and holds it's next official stoop night this Friday, June 13th.  Join us between 6 and 7:30 on Waltham Street and meet your neighbors.   If you live on Waltham, some out and sit on your stoop and say hi to neighbors.   If you're from other Eight Streets, head over to Waltham and make some new friends!

To kick off the night, we have some host stoops who have promised to be out to meet and greet.   You can stop by 84, 88 and 92 Waltham, as well as 89 and 91.  But don't feel confined by our host stoops - walk the street and say hi to everyone!!

For more on our Stoop night resurgence, see our previous blog post.

Friday, June 13th
6-7:30pm
Waltham street.

Stoop Nights

Come out and meet your neighbors!!!

Postponed by the rain - Join us on Saturday night!

Join us on Dwight street on Saturday, May17th from 5:30-7pm for Stoop Night.

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This Friday Eight Streets is resurrecting an old tradition.  

In the days before Internet and big screen TVs and all our other distractions, many people used to spend evenings sitting on their front steps.  You enjoyed some nice evening weather, and got to say 'hi' to all
your neighbors as they came home from work or went out running errands.

Flash forward to the present, and you'll see very few stoop sitters, and we often don't even know the people living in our building never mind those next door to us.   We hope to start reversing this trend.

The ESNA social committee is bring the next social event right to your front door!

On Friday, Eight Streets will host a stoop night on Dwight Street.

• If you live on Dwight street, we ask that you turn off the computer and the TV and head outside!  Sit on your stoop from 6-7:30 and say Hi to all who walk by!

• If you live on our other streets, head over to Dwight!  Walk the street,  say hi, and stop and chat with a neighbor you've never met before.   Make some new friends, talk about neighborhood issues, and take a break form your hectic week to just sit and mingle for a bit.

To help inspire others, several Dwight residents have agreed to be 'host' stoops.  They will be stoop sitting for the entire time from 6-7:30  Just look for the balloons at 7, 26, 30, 31.5, 38 and 52 Dwight. Some hosts will have light refreshments to entice you.   If we get a good turnout, we'll continue Stoop Night throughout the summer visiting each of our streets!

Download this flier for more information - or print it out and post in your lobby so everyone in your building can participate.   For more information please contact Bernard.      Rain date is Saturday, May 17th from 5:30-7.

A Weekend of Cleanups

This weekend brings the annual Boston Shines cleanup to the South End, and several projects in our neighborhood.

On Saturday, May 10th the neighborhood has the following activities going on.

At 9:30 we continue our cleanup of Ringgold park.   By then the city should have delivered mulch outside the park.  We'll spend the morning mulching the various plant in the beds.  This will make the park look even better, keep the weeds down and keep plants form drying out over the summer.  We're also planning a plant sale for that morning - more information on that soon!

At around 9am Berkeley Community garden will also have another cleanup that morning, continuing their Spring Cleanup from last month.   Stop by the garden and give them a hand and meet our gardening neighbors.

At 8am our biggest effort will be another alley cleanup.  This year we will be cleaning up the alley between Hanson and Waltham streets.   Our security walk-through with BPD last month shows it would be a hazard to any first responders due to all the debris in the alley and the uneven ground due to dumping over the years.   We hope both neighbors and alley abutters will join us to take part in the alley cleanup.   Boston Shines will provide tools and bags, and will make a special pickup to remove this larger debris.  meet in Ringgold Park (and in the alley) to help out with this cleanup.

If you abut this alley and have personal property in the alley, please remove it before Saturday so it doesn't accidentally get cleaned out on Saturday.

A flier with alley cleanup details can be found here (pdf)

Hopefully you can take park in one of these cleanup efforts and help make our neighborhood shine!!   Even if you can only take some time to sweep and clean the sidewalk in front of your home, every little bit will help.

Happy Halloween 2013

Our neighborhood is looking pretty spooky these days - but in a good way!!   Halloween is almost
upon us, and Eight Streets residents are getting into the sprit(s).  Just because we're in a city doesn't mean we can't decorate our buildings!

On Halloween Night, Ringgold park will again host their annual Halloween party for the kids.  The event is free and open to anyone in the neighborhood.  Bring your kids, or just come and check out some great costumes!  4:30-6 on halloween night.

But an event like this doesn't happen on it's own.  If you can help out, they are looking for volunteers to help with the halloween festivities.  Please consider helping out if you have some extra time and help make this a successful event.   If you can't volunteer that day, Ringgold is having a Fall Cleanup this Saturday from 1-3pm to get the park clean and in shape for the kids.  No reservations necessary - just stop on by and give a hand!

After Ringgold, the kids start hitting the street for treats.   Given our townhouses, kids don't really go ringing doorbells.   Instead, we come to them.  Those giving out candy become porch sitters for the night, greeting trick-or-treaters on our front steps.

Aside greeting the kids, this is a great way to meet your neighbors!  Take this opportunity to say hi to the folks next door that you may only see in passing.   Or combine a few houses onto one stoop and make an evening of it.  (the kids just want candy, they don't care where you live  :)  Make a social night out of it!

Have a happy and save halloween everyone!!!

ESNA Pot Luck!

It's hard to believe Summer is winding down, but September is right around the corner.

Come help us celebrate the start of the ESNA calendar year at a neighborhood Pot Luck & BBQ.  We'll have a grill with some burgers and dogs, but we're counting on you to make it interesting.   Bring your favorite dish to share with your neighbors!  

But most of all, bring a friend or a neighbor.   Meet your fellow Eight Streeters.   Learn more about the association.   Share ideas on how we can improve our neighborhood.

Join us on Saturday, September 7th from 4-6 in Ringgold Park.   Please RSVP to potluck@eightstreets.org to let us know you're coming, what you can bring, and if you can volunteer additional time for setup, cleanup, advertising and such.   Even if you can't RSVP or aren't a good cook, come on down and meet everyone!   

Complete details can be found on our pot luck web page.

Not sure if you're in Eight Streets?   Check out Neighborhood Map.

Mayoral Candidate Night

Our friends at the South End Business Alliance are hosting a Candidates Night right up the street at the Calderwood Pavilion.  All residents are welcome to attend.

"Join SEBA for a chance to meet with the candidates running to be Mayor of Boston. Boston’s South End houses over 25,000 residents and 500+ businesses who deserve the opportunity to personally meet with and hear the proposals of the person who will become their mayor. The candidates will be asked to focus on how businesses will be impacted by their administration and each candidate’s résumé will be posted on the SEBA website for all to view before the event."

Join us Thursday, August 29th from 5:30-7:30 at the Calderwood (Tremont, between Milford and Hanson).  Snacks are provided by Above and Beyond catering.

This is a great chance to meet the candidates at a venue closed to the neighborhood!!!

Alley cleanup this weekend

Boston Shines city cleanup is this coming Saturday.  The neighbors abutting the Milford/Dwight alley are getting together to clean up the alley, much like the Milford/Hanson folks did last year.  They hope to clean our all the debris, and to trim back vegetation to make the alley cleaner and safer.

This Saturday, 4/27, anyone interested in helping out should meet outside of Georgiana's at 8:30am.  

Boston Shines will be providing cleaning supplies at the BCA, and we're hoping to get DPW to pick up some of the larger debris that can't be bagged.

If you're interested in helping out, or for more information, contact Charles or Lewis.

For more information, see this flier.

Lights! Cameras!

Hollywood is going to do a bit of filming in our neighborhood in about 2 weeks.  ABC (network) is going to be filming inside a Waltham street home for a new TV series.

On March 13-15 and 19-20 they'll be setting up and taking down the location.  Only one or two trucks those days, so not too many parking spaces taken.  They'll basically be furnishing and then de-furnishing the building.

Filming will take place on Monday, March 18th.  For that day they'll be taking up the most parking spaces of the shoot.  Many of their production vehicles will be on Washington street or on Harrison ave (where they are also filming), so we won't have the whole 'fleet' of movie making trucks you usually see invading Waltham street.

Feel free to contact us if there any issues related to the filming.  We'll post any additional information as it becomes available.

Happy Halloween

It looks like we'll have some decent weather for halloween night.  Barring a random shower, the kids will be out in force tomorrow night.

For those new to the city, since we're mostly town houses, the kids don't really go around buzzing apartments.  Instead, we come to them.  Those giving out candy become porch sitters for the night, greeting trick-or-treaters on our front steps.

Aside greeting the kids, this can be a great way to meet your neighbors!  Take this opportunity to say hi to the folks next door that you may only see in passing.   Or combine a few houses onto one stoop and make an evening of it.  (the kids just want candy, they don't care where you live  :)

And if you have kids of your own, don't forget about the annual Ringgold halloween gathering, which takes place Wednesday from 4:30-6.  "Enjoy a potluck of savory refreshments and grab a glow stick before parading out of the park for trick-or-treating along adjacent streets. Please bring something savory to share and join in the fun."

In either case, have a fun Halloween, and make some new friends!!!

Aaron's Coffee Hour

This Saturday, October 13 brings the return of Aaron Michlewitz's Coffee Hours.   Stop by Berkeley Perk (69 Berkeley St) between 10am and Noon and char with Aaron.   "He invites all residents and neighbors to come and join in discussing neighborhood concerns, potential legislation for the upcoming session, who is going to win the election, or what’s going on with the Patriots!?"

This is your opportunity to chat about anything with your state representative.

If you can't make Saturday, you can catch Aaron on these other dates:

• Saturday, November 3, 2012 from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Mohr & McPherson 
• Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Appleton Café

Milford/Hanson improvements continue

UPDATE:   Due to complications, the sones will arrive Monday morning, not Sunday as originally posted.

The residents abutting the Milford/Hanson alley are following up their alley cleaning with a stone laying effort.   Through group collections, they will be laying gravel/stone down the Milford/Hanson alley this weekend.    Stone will be arriving early Sunday morning, and the rest of the morning will be spent moving and laying the stone down the length of the alley.

Feel free to join them Monday morning to give a hand!   For more information on the project, please contact Michael or Lewis

The alley team adds:

Our plan is deliver and spread the stones on Monday June 11 @ 8.00a.m. onwards. It will likely take most of the day and any volunteers that would like join in the work are welcome, but of course there is no obligation. We will work in the direction of Bond to Tremont.

If you would like to level/grade the dirt in your alley lot please do that before Sunday, since we will spread the stones on whatever surface we find. Please also remove any debris that would get in the way of the spreading. As a recap, we will spread approx 1-2 inches of stones across each yard length, spanning the alley width between Milford & Hanson.

Tree lighting this Saturday

Yep - December is a mere 2 hours away - and you can kick off the holiday season by attending the annual South End Tree Lighting.  Come for an evening of family fun as the Mayor visits the South End and helps light the tree this Saturday (Dec 3) on the BCA Plaza.  Festivities start at 3pm, and a certain someone from the North Pole should make his appearance for the kids around 4:15.  They'll be plenty of entertainment, and they usually snacks and cocoa.   See the event flier here.

South End House Tour

The South End Historical Society's 43rd Annual South End House Tour is Saturday, October 15th from 10 am to 5 pm.  

 

From a sleek and contemporary reinterpretation of a row house to a family-friendly, traditional Victorian home, each of the featured spaces presents a different South End story.  Whether you are looking for fine historic architectural details, seeking design inspiration, or simply want to get a glimpse of the view from one of the South End’s best located roof decks—there is something for everyone on this tour.

 

General tickets are on sale and can be purchased through our website at www.southendhistoricalsociety.org or by check by calling 617-536-4445.  General tickets purchased in advance are $25 each.  Upgrade to a $50 Sponsor's ticket and attend the private party after the Tour! 

 

General tickets are $30 on the day of the Tour and will be available at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, or Rondeau-Tierney Real Estate, 69 Appleton Street. 

 

Please call 617-536-4445 or email admin@southendhistoricalsociety.org with questions.

 

Ms. Hope Shannon

Executive Director

The South End Historical Society

532 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, MA 02118

p. 617-536-4445

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www.southendhistoricalsociety.org