Television

The kiosk was built in 1927

By Malcolm Johnson • Published November 1, 2024 • Updated on November 1, 2024 at 7:56 pm

A historic Harvard Square kiosk is set to reopen early next year. Its local impact has spanned decades as it served as a popular newsstand in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Organizers have a modern vision for the local landmark, which is nearly 100 years old.

“The kiosk was constructed in 1927 by the Boston Elevated Railway. It was originally an entrance to the Cambridge subway which should’ve been completed in 1912,” explained Charlie Sullivan, Cambridge Historical Commission executive director.

The kiosk was reconstructed and became Out of Town News, which closed in 2019. It was a key service in days predating the internet.

But how can the legacy of the institution be preserved in the 21st century? Melissa Peters, the city’s chief of planning strategy, has some answers.

“The windows are all full size as well as transparent and it’s meant to be an indoor, outdoor space. Really the living room of Harvard Square,” Peters said.

The kiosk seeks to serve as a cultural hub – a place for visitor information, arts and culture and social connection. It’s reopening with several partnerships, including one with Culture House, which improves livability by transforming underutilized spaces into social infrastructure.

“It’s also an opportunity to create a space where people can connect across that difference. In times when we have loneliness and division, having a chance to meet on level ground is an important way to rebuild that social trust that we’ve had over the couple years, Executive Director of Culture House, Aaron Greiner, said

October 01, 2024 • 2 days ago

Cambridge Police Department’s Harvard Square/Central Square Unit Builds Relationships as Part of Its Approach

Harvard and Central Squares in Cambridge have their own unique personalities. Our Harvard Square/Central Square Unit has spent a long time getting to know them. Sgt. Sean Lowe and Officer Joe Grassi primarily staff the Harvard Square Unit while Officers Frank Gutoski and Billy Simmons work in the Central Square Unit. These officers, who are embedded in the squares, work closely with businesses, residents, and associations to identify and resolve potential issues. “It’s vital to have familiar faces in the business districts in the neighborhoods,” said Sgt. Lowe. “Having a level of trust so that they can get whatever they need and whatever we can provide and help them through the process,” explained Officer Grassi.

Denise Jillson is the Executive Director at the Harvard Square Business Association. She says the public benefits from the CPD’s collaboration and partnership.  “They are an essential part of the fabric of this community,” said Jillson. “The interactions with the community are professional, friendly, and effective. “The feedback and data will tell us that when you have business owners and residents in the area that know the officers, it encourages open communication and really fosters trust,” said Sgt. Lowe.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It was not your typical Cinco de Mayo celebration, but Colin knew his routine would make a lasting impression.

“Please, God, let me get this,” Colin warbled as he prepared to juggle, play the bagpipes, and balance on a 20-foot unicycle all at once. He nailed the performance and shouted, “Goodnight, everybody!” to the applause of the crowd.

Read More: Graduating Northeastern Students Reflect On College Experience

Colin was one of several street performers entertaining audiences at the 39th annual Mayfair in Harvard Square Sunday.

Throngs of people milled through streets closed to vehicular traffic, sampling food and drink from local restaurants, browsing wares of arts and crafts sellers, or taking in one of the many music and dance concerts happening around the square.

Despite having the attention of thousands up for grabs, street performer Cate told WBZ NewsRadio the competitive spirit around the fair was friendly, not fierce.

“Colin and I have known each other for over a decade,” Cate said. “We’re friends, we usually share or we’ll trade off.”

The good mood was shared by vendors pleased with Sunday’s sales.

“It’s great,” said Brian Ruhlmann, founder of Craic Sauce, a craft hot sauce company based out of Lowell. “We always just get people stumbling by that have never heard of us and are intrigued to try, but then we also get a lot of visitors that found us here and are excited to try the new flavors.”

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —

They’re lifelines for those in need tucked away in communities across the country and in Massachusetts: Community fridges offering food with no questions asked for anyone to take.

Each week, students from Lesley University Threshold Program, which educates and creates opportunities for neurodivergent students, work to fill the Harvard Square fridge.

“The first time we did it, we made about 25 sandwiches,” said student Andrew Walker.

“Something healthy, a fruit and then like a sandwich as a full course lunch meal,” said student Nick Rosen.

The students do the shopping, prep work and stock the fridge to help them learn skills that will help them find jobs once they leave the program.

“’Neurodiverse’ is big umbrella term that encompasses a lot of different abilities and disabilities. Some common terms people might here are autism spectrum disorder, anxiety,” said Catherine Horan, director of Career Services Threshold Program at Lesley University.

The students are working together to make a difference in the community.

“Makes me feel good for doing something with the community and we’ve gotten a great response. We’ll be not even finished stocking the fridge and there’s already people lining up waiting,” said Walker.

“Many of our students and alumni go to a program or go to a job and stay there for a really long time and really have wonderful skills, and think about things and think about problem-solving in a lot of different ways that maybe you or I may not think about,” Horan said.

BOSTON — Online food ordering and delivery platform Grubhub will pay more than $3.5 million to settle allegations that it illegally overcharged Massachusetts restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state Attorney General’s office announced.

The settlement resolves a 2021 lawsuit that accused Grubhub of violating a law that capped the fees third-party delivery services could charge restaurants at 15% of an order’s menu price during the public health emergency. The attorney general’s office accused Grubhub of charging a 15% fee and then adding another 3% fee for “collecting payments, fraud monitoring, customer care.”

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Gov. Maura Healey was the attorney general. In March 2023, the Suffolk Superior Court ruled that Grubhub had violated the statute.

Current Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced the settlement on Friday.

“Grubhub unlawfully overcharged and took advantage of restaurants during a public health emergency that devastated much of this industry,” Campbell said in a statement. “I am proud of my office’s dedicated work in securing meaningful financial relief for impacted businesses and we will continue to protect both consumers and businesses from such unfair and illegal practices.”

Campbell said her office would be contacting impacted restaurants regarding the distribution of the $3.5 million in settlement money.

John Schall, owner of El Jefe Taqueria in Harvard Square, was the first to complain to the state about Grubhub’s fees. In a statement Friday, he thanked the AG’s office.

“The $3.5 million that is coming from this settlement will provide real relief to El Jefe’s and to restaurants across the Commonwealth who were overcharged by Grubhub,” he said.

Grubhub will also pay $125,000 to the state as a part of the deal.

Restaurants with questions may contact the Attorney General’s Insurance and Financial Services hotline at 888-830-6277.

VIDEO

Scholar’s ‘Harvard Square’ more than an academic pursuit

Catherine J. Turco has a loving relationship with Harvard Square. She grew up in Cambridge, and holds three Harvard degrees. But after she moved away from the area and came back, she noticed the Square had changed, and she didn’t like it. Turco’s reaction was nothing new — in her research for “Harvard Square: A Love Story,” she encountered a century’s worth of mixed feelings, and sometimes flat-out dismay, about changes to Cambridge’s most famous meeting place. In its close study of how individuals interact with local marketplaces, the book reflects that tension.

“We develop emotional relationships with street-level markets like Harvard Square,” said Turco, now an economic sociologist at MIT’s Sloan School. “We attach to it, we love it, and then it breaks our heart when it changes.”

In this video, Turco walks us through the Square, explaining why we look to certain places for stability and security, even as they inevitably evolve.

Since unveiling plans to completely transform the Garage in 2021, the developer’s president said the company is “choosing not to proceed” with the building’s redevelopment until it finds a “major, quality tenant.”

The Garage is a shopping center at 36 JFK St. that houses a number of Harvard Square businesses and restaurants, including Lê’s Vietnamese Restaurant, Subway, and Newbury Comics. The developer — Trinity Property Management — planned to renovate the structure into a six-story building.

John P. DiGiovanni, president of Trinity Property Management, said the “vast majority” of the new building will be office space. Without a tenant to rent this space, the project will be “way too expensive,” DiGiovanni said, even though the project has received nearly all city permits.

DiGiovanni said plans to redevelop the Garage began around five years ago when Trinity began studying the problems faced by its tenants and found that the Garage’s “physical conditions” do not “meet the demands” of the current generation.

“I could see that our tenants, particularly on the second floor and even interior food — their sales were dropping,” DiGiovanni said, adding that these businesses “couldn’t compete” with those on the street level.

In addition, the building is energy inefficient, and the Mt. Auburn Street and JFK Street entrances are inaccessible, he said.

“We were trying to find a way to just preserve it and just make some tweaks and make it more accessible or interesting,” DiGiovanni said.

“That was really not viable — and in some cases, you hate to say this in a construction way, almost physically impossible,” he added.

The proposed building includes approximately 89,000 square feet of space and would be six stories tall, with the upper floors being mostly office space and the lower ones dedicated to retail.

It will also be LEED gold-certified — the second-highest energy efficiency rating — and “engage with the district, the street in a way that it ought to in the 21st century,” according to DiGiovanni.

Since announcing the renovation plans in 2021, DiGiovanni said the project has received “across-the-board support” from approval bodies, but it must find a tenant with good credit so the project can be “financeable.”

DiGiovanni said it was “unfortunate” that the Covid-19 pandemic hit during the planning process, adding that both “the lack of demand for office space” and higher costs have affected Trinity’s ability to move forward with the development.

Once the project kicks off, DiGiovanni said the entire process — from demolition to putting up a new structure — would take “around 30 to 36 months.”

Since the announcement of the redevelopment plans, some of the Garage’s tenants have departed because they “want certainty,” according to DiGiovanni, who said these exits have been a “loss” for Trinity.

In March, longtime tenant Lê’s said it planned to relocate to Boston’s Chinatown once renovations began, disappointing some Cambridge residents and Harvard affiliates.

“We’re going to work with any of our tenants that want to come back,” DiGiovanni said.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Boston 25 has a few ideas for you.

Harvard Square Oktoberfest and Honk Parade

If you’re seeking something a bit more seasonal this October weekend, head to the 44th annual Harvard Square Oktoberfest and Honk Parade in Cambridge. On Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., you can enjoy a variety of beer gardens, food, crafts, entertainment on two stages, and the lively honk parade! Also joining this event is the 2nd annual Filipino American festival

Wherever you go this weekend, have fun!