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23 01, 2023

South Boston Real Estate Recap: Interest Rates Cause Transaction Numbers to Plummet

2023-01-23T18:31:28-05:00January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Business, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News, Real Estate|Comments Off on South Boston Real Estate Recap: Interest Rates Cause Transaction Numbers to Plummet

 By Ginger DeShaney  Interest rates are wreaking havoc on the real estate market. In South Boston, real estate transactions in 2022 were down 34 percent from 2021, but at the same time, median prices have increased, said a longtime South Boston realtor. In 2021, there were 933 transactions; in 2022, that number was down to 615, of which 467 were condos.  “It’s not shocking given what happened with the interest rates spiking up,” said Jackie Rooney, broker/owner of Rooney Real Estate. “The interest rate is the main culprit.” Sales volume of condos and single-family and multi-family homes is down almost $300 million in 2022, Rooney said, noting that almost 40 percent of that amount came in the fourth quarter. Increasing median prices are a testament [...]

19 01, 2023

Local Artist’s Cards, Custom Pieces Inspire Big Feelings

2023-01-19T18:15:18-05:00January 19th, 2023|Categories: Business, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle|Comments Off on Local Artist’s Cards, Custom Pieces Inspire Big Feelings

By Ginger DeShaney Becca McGovern makes little things that inspire big feelings. Maker / Scholar, her South Boston small business, is guided by this mission. And so is Becca. “My family has a special tradition of making even the everyday ordinary things a holiday, and I've tried to bring that mentality into my small business,” said Becca McGovern, the artist behind Maker / Scholar. By day, Becca is a senior product marketing manager for Upside, a tech company. By night and weekends, Becca creates greeting cards, custom art, and accessories for her small business. “I was taught very early just to make things special … a random day could be a holiday or celebration,” Becca said. Her grandma lived with Becca’s family in Weymouth for [...]

15 01, 2023

Teaching Beyond the Classroom: A Profile

2023-01-15T10:57:02-05:00January 15th, 2023|Categories: Education, Featured|Comments Off on Teaching Beyond the Classroom: A Profile

By Carol Masshardt Teaching, leading, learning, language, culture and community are interwoven and inseparable concepts in the life and work of Veronica Robson, Program Director of Adult Education at the Laboure Center. Originally from Mexico, and then educated in Boston, and back to Mexico to start a small school, onto London she eventually returned to Boston College for a master’s degree. With an example of community inspired by her parents, nurtured through her work at El Centro in Jamaica Plain, Veronica brings an intellectual and emotional connection to her work. About two hundred people eager to learn English at five different levels count on her team of twelve to not only teach, but to understand their challenges and dreams. They come from across the world, [...]

6 01, 2023

It Takes a Community to Make a City

2023-01-06T08:50:02-05:00January 6th, 2023|Categories: Featured, Happenings|Comments Off on It Takes a Community to Make a City

By Carol Masshardt It may seem that it takes a stop sign, neon stripes on a jacket, and getting to a designated street corner on time to be a successful crossing guard, but that would be incomplete. It takes a love of children and a city, an engaging confidence, and an ability to think on one’s feet, and Bob Juliano has all that and more. His post is at the corner of West Eighth and Dorchester St. and he oversees the safety of UP Academy students in grades 6-8, and other teens walking home from other Boston Public Schools. Every bit of the respect has been earned in relationships with teens who likely have more on their minds than waiting for speeding cars.  Without the [...]

5 01, 2023

CAN-do Attitude: Photo Sparks a New Passion Project for Local Candlemaker

2023-01-05T18:32:56-05:00January 5th, 2023|Categories: Business, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle|Comments Off on CAN-do Attitude: Photo Sparks a New Passion Project for Local Candlemaker

By Ginger DeShaney A photo of vintage beer cans started Devon McGinty on a creative journey that now provides her with a therapeutic outlet. “These are really cool looking,” Devon said about the beer cans in the photo she saw on SOWA’s Instagram page in 2020. She has always liked vintage and retro things. So she went and bought the cans, not knowing what she would do with them.  “I was brainstorming and I just came up with the idea of making candles out of that,” she said. “I like retro vintage mixed with modern and I just think it's a really cool way to keep things modern but also pay tribute to older things.” The only thing was, she’d never made a candle. So [...]

23 12, 2022

Fresh Boston Brings Good Vibes, Unique Concept to South Boston

2022-12-23T16:14:05-05:00December 23rd, 2022|Categories: Business, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle|Comments Off on Fresh Boston Brings Good Vibes, Unique Concept to South Boston

By Ginger DeShaney Fresh Boston, at 232 Old Colony Ave., brings something unique to the neighborhood.  It’s a deli, a liquor store, a bar, a dinner spot, a brunch stop, a caterer, and more. “We want people to come in here and have a different experience. We want to change the way people eat and drink,” said owner Charlie Merritt. “This unique concept has everything you need with a vibe.”  When Charlie had the opportunity to expand on his Fresh Nantucket shop, he wanted to go where people knew the brand. “It’s a good time for us to be in this area,” said Charlie, who lives in South Boston. “It’s something Southie needed. We just want to be part of the neighborhood.” The shop has [...]

22 12, 2022

The Perfect Gift: Groundbreaking Marks Start of Michael Joyce Playground Renovation

2022-12-22T13:20:32-05:00December 22nd, 2022|Categories: Education, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on The Perfect Gift: Groundbreaking Marks Start of Michael Joyce Playground Renovation

By Ginger DeShaney Ground was officially broken Monday afternoon on the Michael Joyce Memorial Playground at Marine Park. The $1.4 million renovation project came together through the strong partnerships of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Colin’s Joy Project, the Joyce family, colleagues in the Legislature, and the City of Boston, said Bethany Card, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs with the Baker-Polito administration. Family members, local and state officials, friends, neighbors, and South Boston Catholic Academy students (who helped in the design process) were on hand for the ceremony.  “We are so grateful to the McGrath family for committing about $600,000 through the Colin’s Joy Project to build on the renovation work the playground underwent in 2014 to ensure that [...]

16 12, 2022

Annissa Essaibi George A New Opportunity for Service

2022-12-16T06:11:23-05:00December 16th, 2022|Categories: Business, Featured|Comments Off on Annissa Essaibi George A New Opportunity for Service

By Carol Masshardt Endless passion, energy and focused commitment describe the new Executive Director of Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, former second place mayoral candidate in the City of Boston and City Counselor at Large for eight years and current small business owner, Annissa Essaibi George. Everything she does is about service and community with a well-honed leadership style that started in childhood when at twelve she had an eye on elected office in her future. “The common thread in everything I do and have done is about service and creating community. Here at the Stitch House (the place of this interview on a cold Saturday night during a class in sweater making), we are about a community that is comfortable and where new [...]

15 12, 2022

‘Be Like Finnbar!’ South Boston Youth Recognized for his Good Works

2022-12-15T17:24:15-05:00December 15th, 2022|Categories: Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on ‘Be Like Finnbar!’ South Boston Youth Recognized for his Good Works

By Ginger DeShaney Finnbar Starosky is a community leader … and he’s only 12 years old. “I always want to help out my community,” he said. “It feels nice to do that and it feels like I’m actively participating.” For his good heart, civic-mindedness, and determination to do good things in this world, Finnbar was recognized at the Andrew Square Civic Association holiday party Monday night at the Polish Club.  That recognition included the Good Citizenship Award from the ASCA and an official City Council Proclamation from City Council President Ed Flynn. After noticing a rather large hole in the street, the South Boston resident and his family – mom Mary, dad Greg, and younger brother Declan – took action to get it fixed.  “The [...]

10 12, 2022

It takes a Village to Make a City

2022-12-12T10:30:51-05:00December 10th, 2022|Categories: Business, Featured|Comments Off on It takes a Village to Make a City

By Carol Masshardt There are flashier places than Broadway Pastry and Coffee Shop on 258 West Broadway. But, as a customer, has there ever been a generation that didn’t like the storekeeper to know your name, and maybe even what kind of coffee you preferred? There is also something refreshing about having the same person greet you for years. All apply to Diego Silva, a fixture for nearly five years, who with his long-time co-worker, Bona, worked with a minor exception for health, during the entire pandemic. “I came here from Colombia at age 16 and lived with my aunt and cousin while going to Charlestown High School,” he said. “This kind of work is good for me because I like meeting people and being [...]

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