Happy 4th of July weekend!
By Courtney Wright
Last month, the 2026 Legacy Business Awardees were announced, and this year Mission Hill has two businesses being recognized- Boston Building Resources and the Mission Bar and Grill. Legacy businesses as those that are longstanding, independent enterprises that make a strong contribution to the residents, communities, and neighborhoods of Boston. Each year, Boston celebrates 30 recipients from across the city for this honor and hosts a celebration to honor each awardee. The ceremony this year was held on June 1st at the Bruce C. Boiling Building in Nubian Square – we had a beautiful evening for it and a great turn out. It was nice to see business owners out in different contexts and get to meet the families and friends behind the businesses we know so well. I am working on a larger feature for this year’s recipients but in the meantime, please stop by and offer congratulations.
In addition to the Legacy Business Awards, June was also Caribbean Heritage Month, and the Cultural Affairs office ran a program called “Free bites across the City” with over 25 participating Caribbean restaurants around Boston. Flames was one of the locations and it’s been exciting to hear from people who came by the area to enjoy their Jamaican patties and other tasty bites. In addition to great food that was offered, the initiative was more about supporting our Caribbean-owned small businesses- an effort that I hope continues past June, introducing residents to the rich diversity of their cuisine. Stop by Flames and try for yourself!
If you’ve walked or driven around the last couple of months, you’ve noticed that there is construction seemingly everywhere- notably in Brigham Circle at the former Santander location. Chase Bank is moving into the former Santander space that’s currently being updated (the windows are a welcome addition!) and the bank hopes to open this branch location on or about July 15th- pending any construction delays. The construction crews have been a welcome addition to the lunch crowds at local restaurants- a trend I hope continues as other new developments begin to take shape on Huntington (RTH’s new building, etc).
In other business news, there will be an Abutters meeting this Monday, July 7th at 7 p.m. regarding the new market at 1484 Tremont who are seeking a new all alcohol package store license. The purpose of this meeting is to get community input and listen to the residents’ positions on this proposal. It will be held virtually on zoom. Please visit: https://www.boston.gov/calendar/mission-hill-1484-tremont-street-abutters-meeting for the link to attend on Monday evening.
In very exciting business news Flann O’Brien’s is coming back! Owners are working to bring the popular Irish pub back to its previous home, the former Yellow Door space which closed this past January.
Speaking about Flann’s- “It was a place where you kind of got lost in,” he said. “You would go in for a brunch, right, and you’re hanging out, you’re watching whatever, and before you know it, it’s 6 o’clock. That getaway feel is “kind of what we want” to bring back”, said Scott Prince- who you most likely know from the Puddingstone- who will be managing the revived space and concept. Prince said that after he found out that Yellow Door was closing, he brought the idea of bringing Flann’s back to Ray Butler and Michael Vaughan, who run The Banshee as well as Brick & Beam Tavern in Quincy. There was a hearing on June 24th about the transfer of the former liquor license which was met with excitement and no outstanding pushback. I will be curious to hear when it becomes official- congrats Flann’s folks! They are hoping to have it open by the end of the year.
Finally- I hope everyone has been enjoying the World Cup and all the much-needed life it has brought to our City! The games are being shown in just about every establishment in the neighborhood with a T.V. so I hope that you will linger a little longer for lunch or dinner and stay to watch a game and enjoy food and drinks. With downtown getting most of the tourists for the event- we are hopeful that those in MH and surrounding will come and gather at local establishments and bring some of those vibes and excitement to our beloved spots in Mission Hill. Keep your eyes peeled on social media for which businesses are showing which games and other relevant info.
In beautification news, over the next couple of months, we have some exciting updates. Thanks in part to a grant from the Back of the Hill CDC, we will be expanding Project Place’s street cleaning and sweeping program to include the business corridor at the corner of South Huntington. We hope to add a planter or two as well. Speaking of planters- the pansies that are currently adorning the planters are not made for this kind of heat- as you may have noticed on some of those in brighter areas. We will be changing out the planters over the next couple of weeks to more summer-weather-tolerant plantings. Thank you to all of the businesses and individuals that help keep them alive and let me know what there are any issues (thank you Nancy Ahmadifor for always keeping your eyes out!)- it truly takes a village, I appreciate it.
I also wanted to remind everyone about the 311 app and it’s uses for reporting graffiti, overflowing trash cans, etc. There has been a lot of graffiti across the city as of late and Mission Hill is sadly no exception. While a lot has been cleaned already- the situation is like whack-a-mole and takes constant reporting. If you see it- please report it to 311.
If you need anything or have a question, don’t hesitate to reach me at [email protected]