By Ellen Walker
Special to the Gazette
Change is in the air and Spring is finally here. We can already see the crocuses pushing through the Museum of Fine Arts grounds and tulips will bloom soon around Mission Hill. In March, we saw more snow than we had all winter along with rumors abounding that Punxatawney Phil upset many of his followers. A new business opened at 1480 Tremont Street across from Tobin Community Center and one of Mission Hill Main Streets most respected members of the community is heading off on a new adventure.
As the weather becomes milder and we look towards more healthy habits, take a quick stroll in your neighborhood to check out the newest additions to the Mission Hill landscape. It is a great time to reacquaint yourself with the neighborhood, see new faces and greet longstanding friends as well. If you haven’t taken a walk down Tremont Street to Chilacates, you will be pleasantly surprised when you do. The owner, Socrates Abreau, opened his doors for business on February 10, and already has a strong following; they feature Mexican street food. Stop by for an enchilada, taco or burrito and to welcome them to Mission Hill. Continue your stroll by browsing along Huntington Avenue to Stone Ground for a hot cup of coffee, a quick lunch with friends at The Mission or have the “ultimate” pizza at Penguin. It will make your walk worthwhile.
For those of you have looked forward to, and enjoyed, Richard Rouse’s monthly “What’s Happening on Main Streets” article, he bid a fond farewell to all at the end of March. Richard will be missed by all. Though we are happy for him, we will struggle to fill that void. One of my challenges as the new director will be to assume this role. He will be a hard act to follow but I will do my best. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can in the coming months as I become a more familiar face in the neighborhood. As a former 10-plus year resident of Mission Hill, it is great to be back and to see all the wonderful transformations that have taken place in the neighborhood. Please let me know how you think I am doing when I see you on my strolls through the neighborhood!
Josh Zakim announced he will not be running for another term as our district City Councilor. We send our sincere thank you to Josh for the great job he did representing and fighting for Mission Hill. We wish you well Josh!
In March 6, the Boston Public Health Commission hosted a meeting of our local hospitals with residents as part of the city-wide Community Health Needs Assessment. New England Baptist / Beth Israel Lahey Health Hospital’s Christine Dwyer participated along with Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Shirma Pierre, who are both on the Mission Hill Main Streets Board of Directors. Residents addressed concerns regarding wellness and health care access as well as traffic and overall transportation concerns.
The Parker Hill Library, which is the prettiest library in the city and even more so since their recent restoration, is again hosting programs for younger children during April vacation week – Health as Wealth Art Program and Animal World Programs – as noted in the March/April Mission Hill Neighbors Newsletter. There are also music classes for preschoolers. If you have any questions contact Thealyn Ploetz, Children’s Librarian, Parker Hill Branch Library [email protected].
Please friend us on Facebook and watch for more changes and updates. We are going to add a Donate Button and promote “Giving Thursday” to help support the work that Mission Hill Main Streets does within the community. Our Facebook friend numbers are growing daily and we anticipate adapting more social media to connect with all of our neighbors here in Mission Hill. Mark your calendars for June 20th for the Annual Mission Hill Main Streets Awards night. This year’s event well be held at The Griffin Building of the Mass College of Pharmacy on Huntington Avenue, one of the loveliest venues in the neighborhood. More information will be available as the date approaches.