It’s another round of what’s fun, informative, entertaining – and new! Shayna Seymour visits a Boston café that is fulfilling patrons’ wishes, while a Newbury Street shop helps shoppers make their design dreams come true. We sample the fare at a new North End restaurant and a Harvard Square hot spot; explore a new suburban children’s museum; and tour a revolutionary exhibit at the Boston Public Library. Shayna brings it all to us live from MarketStreet Lynnfield, which is gearing up for winter fun.
By Mike Sullivan September 19, 2025 / 11:31 AM EDT / CBS Boston
There’s a block in Harvard Square that will close to traffic permanently and will become a pedestrian walkway and outdoor dining space.
It’s a part of Bow Street known to many in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a “road to nowhere,” between Dewolfe and Plympton streets.
“I don’t think anyone is going to miss it for vehicles,” said Kari Kuelzer, the owner of The Sea Hag Restaurant and Bar. She said the only way to get onto the street is from Massachusetts Avenue, but it move drivers right back out onto Mass. Ave.
After being closed for years of construction, the block will have a new look. Cambridge officials said that the closure of that section of Bow Street hasn’t caused any “significant impacts on the safety or functionality of the surrounding traffic patterns.” They called it an “excellent opportunity for pedestrianization” in the meeting.
The back part of the restaurant, which is on lower Bow Street, was previously used for outdoor dining during the pandemic.
‘We have an application in the works for a patio back there, we are hoping to get another 40 seats out there,” said Kuelzer. “Our expectation is that they’re going to shut it down during the patio license season, which is April 1 through November 30 in Cambridge.”
She hopes that other restaurants on the block, like Blue Bottle Coffee and Daedalus Restaurant, will also take advantage of the new area.
When will it open?
The city hopes to open the block to pedestrians in the spring. But in the meantime, Kuelzer wants to host a few block parties to celebrate the start of Harvard University football season.
“Harvard Square is really desperate for space to do events. We have these cow paths, little windy streets. It’s hard to find a critical mass of space to do any kind of events,” Kuelzer said.
Leaders Excellence Announces Program Updates to the Executive Mini-MBA℠
CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, August 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Today marks a special milestone for Leaders Excellence: the 11th anniversary of its official incorporation in Harvard Square on August 14, 2014. More than a decade later, the organization remains true to its founding mission — to empower leaders across the globe through world-class leadership development.
To mark the occasion, Leaders Excellence has introduced key updates to its flagship program, the Executive Mini-MBA℠ from Harvard Square — a fully online, high-impact leadership experience designed for professionals who aim to strategize, lead, and succeed.
Rooted in the academic spirit of Harvard Square — a global epicenter of knowledge and innovation — the online Executive Mini-MBA℠ delivers MBA-level insights in a flexible, self-paced format. The curriculum is designed to strengthen strategic thinking, elevate leadership capacity, and deepen understanding of core business disciplines — all while allowing professionals to study on their own schedule, from anywhere in the world.
New Enhancements Include: ➤ Select course content refreshed for relevance and real-world applicability ➤ Updated learning materials and guided reflections ➤ Continued focus on strategic leadership and conscious decision-making
Program Highlights: ✔ 100% Online & Flexible — Learn from anywhere ✔ Harvard Case Study & Capstone Project ✔ MBA-Level Curriculum in Leadership & Business Excellence
“Introducing these program enhancements on the anniversary of our incorporation in Harvard Square is a powerful reminder of our continued evolution,” says Dan Hoeyer, President of Leaders Excellence. “We remain committed to providing accessible, academically grounded executive education that helps leaders thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
This year’s program updates reflect our ongoing dedication to providing leadership development that’s not only flexible and accessible, but also aligned with the needs of today’s business environment — empowering professionals to lead with purpose, clarity, and confidence.
About Leaders Excellence: Leaders Excellence, based in Harvard Square, MA, is a globally recognized provider of online executive education programs. Dedicated to academic excellence, real-world relevance, and flexible learning, Leaders Excellence equips professionals with the tools and insights needed to advance their careers and leadership ambitions. As a proud member of AACSB International, the organization aligns with the highest standards of business education worldwide. Additionally, its membership in the Harvard Square Business Association further strengthens its connection to the Harvard community at Harvard Square.
International businesses are popping up faster than ever in Harvard Square with numerous recent and anticipated openings.
Harvard Square is home to at least eight international and internationally inspired stores with the most recent additions being Miniso and Memory Shop.
“We pride ourselves on being welcoming and expressing great desire for diversity,” Denise Jillson, Harvard Square Business Association’s executive director, said. “These new editions are exactly that.”
Miniso is a Japanese variety store that sells cosmetics, mystery boxes, and accessories featuring popular characters including Miffy, Stitch, and Hello Kitty. The Harvard Square location opened on July 12.
Caitlyn Harpin, the manager of Miniso, said their team chose to open in Harvard Square due to it being accessible by public transportation.
Miniso is widening its product range to include some American products, such as Jurassic Park merchandise, to widen its demographic, which is currently families with children and students.
With its first location opening on Newbury Street in September, the photo booth store, Memory Shop, opened its second location in June, bringing the Vietnamese-inspired business to Cambridge.
“The reason we chose Harvard was because of the students,” said Brian Cheung, a co-founder of Memory Shop. “Once the students come back, I think they will be really happy that there is another experience and activity to do.”
Cheung hopes to open more Memory Shop locations throughout the Boston area, if interest and popularity continue to grow.
Brian Cheung’s father, Henry Cheung, reopened Anime Zakka’s Harvard Square location in June, right above Memory Shop in The Garage shopping complex.
Anime Zakka, which also has a Newbury Street location, previously operated in Harvard Square from 2012 to 2021, according to The Harvard Crimson. Henry Cheung told The Crimson he reopened in Cambridge to make anime locally available again.
Anime Zakka sells stuffed animals, clothing, and novelty items related to anime.
Joining Anime Zakka and Memory Shop, a tea and shaved ice shop is set to open in The Garage, according to Jillson.
Bringing the square’s total up to nine international stores, Muji, a minimalist, aesthetic homegoods and stationary store, recently announced it is taking over the former Anthropology space at 48 Brattle St., according to Jillson.
While the rise of international businesses feels “fresh and new,” Jillson said international businesses have always been a part of Harvard Square.
Prior to these recent openings, Harvard Square was already populated by international stores, including Swiss Watchmaker, Italy’s Moleskine journal store, Sweden’s Fjällräven clothing store, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, and Bodhi Leaf, a family-owned Tibetan tea store.
The recent influx of openings is due to “a new era of post-COVID expansion,” according to Jillson. Harvard Square’s 900,000 square feet of retail space is 93% occupied, and 70% of the businesses are local and independent, she said.
Brian Cheung believes the rise also comes from the upturn of Gen Z’s interest in Asian culture post-COVID.
The rise in popularity of Asian culture in the U.S. began with K-pop in 2012 when Psy released the hit song “Gangnam Style.” And popularity grew in 2018 following the K-pop groups BTS and Blackpink releasing new music, according to Rolling Stone.
“Gen Z people love the immersive cultural experiences” that are common in Asian culture, Cheung said.
Harpin agreed, “People think the culture out there is cool.”
If this column seems thinner week to week than it might be, it’s partly because there is a literal hole in Cambridge’s cinematic ecosystem. The AMC Loews Harvard Square, known for its iconic mural on Church Street, has sat vacant for more than a decade, moldering in the portfolio of billionaire owner Gerald Chan. There was a time, of course, when the theater was a vibrant hub of the community, an intimate space to watch the latest blockbuster – and the area’s official “Rocky Horror Picture Show” venue since 1984.
With that in mind, the Harvard Square Business Association, in partnership with Cambridge Community Development and the Cambridge Arts Council, hosts a free outdoor movie night Saturday celebrating the theater’s once – and hopefully future – legacy. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. with a musical set by DJ Joey Finnz, with the film unspooling at 9 p.m. (Officially a “secret” until showtime, the film’s name was announced at Monday’s meeting of the City Council.)
This weekend TheBrattle Theatre plays host to “In the Spectrum of Love,” a traveling program curated by Seattle’s nonprofit STArt Film Studio dedicated to LGBTQ+ intimacy in Asian cinema. The series begins Friday and Saturday with “Happy Together” (1997), the beloved gay romance from director Wong Kar Wai (more on whom in a bit), and Tsai Ming-liang’s impressionistic “Vive L’Amour” (1994). Rounding out the program Sunday are a new 4K restoration of Stanley Kwan’s “Lan Yu” (2001), presented with a reel of interviews with the director, and the area premiere of Ray Yeung’s “All Will Be Well.” If you find yourself inspired, you’re in luck: STArt is dedicated to helping first-time filmmakers fund and release their debut shorts!
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The Somerville Theatre’s “Great Remakes” series continues Monday with its most unexpected entry. When the great comedic filmmaking team of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (whose cop spoof “The Naked Gun” is back on our minds thanks to its delightful reboot) made “Airplane!” in 1980, it was widely perceived as a parody of “Airport” (1970) and the all-star disaster films that ruled the box office in its wake. But the directors found more specific inspiration in a much older film: 1957’s “Zero Hour!” in which Dana Andrews plays an off-duty fighter pilot forced to land a commercial airliner when its crew succumbs to food poisoning. To avoid litigation, the ZAZ team (who lifted large chunks of dialogue in addition to the plot) simply bought the rights to the original outright, making “Airplane!” an official remake. Who wore it better? Watch both back to back on the big screen and decide!
For its annual summer repertory series, IFFBoston returns to the Somerville to visit the “World of Wong Kar Wai.” Wong’s films, known for their lush visuals and swooning atmosphere, received the full restoration treatment from the Criterion Collection in 2020, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances that year a full theatrical rerelease was scrapped; while most have screened since then, this the first time all eight restored films have screened as a set in Greater Boston. The series kicks off Tuesday, appropriately enough, with Wong’s debut film, “As Tears Go By” (1990), a smash hit in its home country that suffused the standard hyperkineticism of Hong Kong action with the aching romantic yearning on which the director would make his name. There’s never a bad time to immerse oneself in the world of Wong Kar Wai, and there’s no better place to do so than the palatial main hall of the Somerville.
Economic contributions by foreign students can be felt far and wide across the United States, and often last much longer than their college years, said experts.
People dine at Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar, a pub that has called Harvard Square home for more than 50 years.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Small businesses near Harvard University are worried about a loss of revenue as United States President Donald Trump’s tussle with the Ivy League school over international students continues.
Just outside the university campus is Harvard Square, a bustling cultural and commercial hub with a lively mix of eateries, cafes, bookstores and other shops.
Kari Kuelzer, owner of Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar – a pub that has called the square home for more than 50 years – told CNA that students account for a third of her business.
Kuelzer said she is unsure if her pub, which was opened by her parents, can survive if Harvard is forced to shut its doors to foreign students.
“Where are we going to get those dollars? They’re not going to just magically materialise,” she said.
Like Grendel’s Den, many establishments in the area are locally-owned and rely heavily on students as a key source of income.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Small businesses near Harvard University are worried about a loss of revenue as United States President Donald Trump’s tussle with the Ivy League school over international students continues.
Just outside the university campus is Harvard Square, a bustling cultural and commercial hub with a lively mix of eateries, cafes, bookstores and other shops.
Kari Kuelzer, owner of Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar – a pub that has called the square home for more than 50 years – told CNA that students account for a third of her business.
Kuelzer said she is unsure if her pub, which was opened by her parents, can survive if Harvard is forced to shut its doors to foreign students.
“Where are we going to get those dollars? They’re not going to just magically materialise,” she said.
Like Grendel’s Den, many establishments in the area are locally-owned and rely heavily on students as a key source of income.
IMPACT ON LOCAL BUSINESSES
There are around 6,800 international students at Harvard, making up about a quarter of the university’s student body.
The Harvard Square Business Association, which represents more than 300 stores in the district, is worried about the impact on its members if Trump successfully restricts foreign nationals from studying at the elite school.
People walk next to shops at Harvard Square.
When asked about how retailers are preparing for the possibility of fewer students, Denise Jillson, executive director of the association, said that shop owners may resort to adopting measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was less footfall.
“Reduction of staff, reduction of hours, less choices on the menu,” she said.
Beyond Harvard, experts said contributions by foreign students can be felt far and wide across the nation, and often last much longer than their college years.
Data from the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) revealed that more than 1.1 million international students in the US contributed nearly US$44 billion to its economy last year, including spending on tuition, housing, food and entertainment.
Foreign students typically pay full tuition fees, making them a vital revenue stream for schools faced with declining domestic enrolment – which, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, fell 15 per cent between 2010 and 2021.
Barnet Sherman, a corporate finance professor at Boston University, said that roughly one job is created for every three international students, making up about 350,000 jobs in the country.
“These are not just jobs in larger urban centres like Boston, but across the country, because nearly every city and town across America has a school, either a community college or a local state college, and there are a lot of international students coming,” he added.
He noted that 25 per cent of the billion-dollar companies on the US stock exchanges were started by international students.
“(The) implication is that it’s not just the money that is potentially being lost now, but the multiplier effect of this money over time and the number of jobs and wealth that international students have created and will continue to create,” he added.
It accused the university of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus and discriminating in its enrolment and hiring practices – claims that Harvard has strongly denied.
A view of Harvard University.
The White House on May 22 tried to revoke the university’s ability to enrol international students. A day later, a judge temporarily blocked the move.
On Wednesday (Jun 4), Trump signed an executive order suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at Harvard.
The dispute between Trump and the nation’s oldest, wealthiest and most prestigious university is still ongoing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also previously announced the federal government will “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students nationwide, especially those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday, blocking nearly all foreign students from entering the country to attend Harvard University.
In the order, Trump said that the school was no longer a trustworthy steward of international students.
The move is the latest in a months-long feud between the Ivy League university and the Trump administration.
In April, Trump attempted numerous times to block Harvard’s billions of dollars in federal funding after claiming that the school “fundamentally failed to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment,” according to a Trump administration letter written to the school’s president.
“Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government,” Garber wrote.
Archon Fung, the director at Harvard’s Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, said he felt a flurry of emotions after hearing news of Trump’s executive order.
“When I first heard the news that Harvard wouldn’t be able to enroll international students, I felt confused and a little bit nervous,” Fung said.
Yonas Nuguse, a student in Ethiopia who endured the Tigray conflict, said winning admission to Harvard University fulfilled a longtime goal.
“The war affected me a great deal, and when I found out the news that I was accepted to Harvard, I was ecstatic. I knew it was a proud moment for my family, teachers, mentors and friends, who were instrumental in my achievement,” Nuguse said.
Now, he and other admitted students around the world are anxiously tracking the school’s feud with the Trump administration.
“I hope the situation is temporary and I can enroll on time to go on and realize my dream far from reality in Ethiopia,” Nuguse said.
Another Ethiopian student, Addis Ababa, was set to begin studying at Harvard in the fall, and also realizes that may no longer be the case.
“I hope it will be resolved, and hopefully, I will attend the college next fall,” Ababa said.
The executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, Denise Jillson, said the order will have a profound impact on the community as well.
“When Harvard hurts, we all hurt, and when Harvard is successful, we’re all successful,” Jillson said. “When you think about the international students, and what they bring in terms of their cultures, their food, their language, the way they dress, their curiosity, that is as devastating to us as the economic impact.”
In a statement, Harvard said that the order is “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights. Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”
The executive order came the same day as a travel ban, similar to a ban enacted during Trump’s first term.
The ban, which goes into effect Monday, will prevent citizens of 12 countries, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, from entering the United States.
Citizens from seven other countries, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will face heightened restrictions.
While you’ve still got time, don’t wait too long. All the shops WCVB heard from on Feb. 13 say they expect long lines on Friday, saying to get there the earlier – the better.
The patio and winter menu at Harvest in Harvard Square will warm you up so well that you’ll forget you’re outside
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Al fresco dining in the winter months? It exists! In the heart of Harvard Square, Cambridge, Harvest offers a unique outdoor dining experience that defies the frigid winter months. Its patio has heaters above nearly every table, a roaring fireplace, and blankets.
Harvest’s contemporary American cuisine has been a Cambridge mainstay for 50 years. In the chillier months, cold weather cocktails and a winter menu aim to warm the tummy, including classics like clam chowder, broccoli and cheddar bisque, and a classic cheeseburger, all made with locally sourced ingredients.
