Allston

Court rules Boston neighborhood bank too dinky to prevent larger competitor from using similar name

adamg — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:43:12 +0000

A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that Peoples Federal Savings Bank has no grounds to immediately bar the Connecticut-based People's United Bank from opening branches in the Boston area under that name.

When the Auto Mile ran along Comm. Ave.

adamg — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:34:23 +0000

Just in time for Presidents' Day, Boston University's posted this photo of one of the many former car dealerships along Comm. Ave.

Via Jenny Mackintosh.

Early morning armed holdup in Allston

adamg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:36:42 +0000

2/5/12 (All day)

The Daily Free Press reports a woman walking to work around 6 a.m. on Sunday was held up by a guy who put a gun to her chest at Linden and Gardner streets.

Sometimes Missed Connections just isn't enough

adamg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:35:07 +0000

Sometimes, only a large sheet of paper will do.

Via Allston Rat City.

Customer not always right, Allston restaurant owner writes

adamg — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:16:24 +0000

Allston Rat City captures the Allston Diner Yelp drama between somebody who declared his breakfast at the newly opened place the worst meal in his entire life and the owner, who declares he will not put up with irrational people who demand "Corn beef out of a can:"

We will certainly improve as an organization - and perhaps you would consider that treating people rudely speaks more about your inadequacies rather than inefficiencies in restaurant operations.

Apparently as evidenced by staff present and fellow customers your behavior was beyond the acceptable tolerance of normalcy.

At least 2,000 people will miss the Super Bowl tonight

adamg — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:29:03 +0000

It's all hands on deck tonight at Boston Police: Every single one of the department's 2,000 officers has been ordered to duty tonight. Don't worry - the department will staff its regular shifts in the neighborhoods, so there'll be no mayhem in Mattapan, no rioting in Roslindale and no beatdowns in Brighton, at least no more so than usual.

Meanwhile, the previously announced lock down of the North Station and Kenmore Square areas is being supplemented by parking bans in certain other beer/student heavy locations, including Harvard and Brighton avenues in Allston, the area around Northeastern and the streets bordering Faneuil Hall.

Citizen complaint of the day: What does Boston Water and Sewer have against concrete?

adamg — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:35:39 +0000

UPDATE: See the comments for why this is all really the DPW's fault, well, except for the part about doing a half-assed job at leveling off the asphalt to begin with.

Of course, you have to doff your hat to the dedicated men and women of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, who tirelessly toil in the muck and mire 24 hours a day to keep our water and sewage flowing. But why can't they ever put sidewalks back the way they found them? We had a misshapen lump of asphalt instead of a concrete square in front of our house for several years - and when it was finally replaced, it was thanks to the DPW, which was overhauling all the sidewalks on the street.

The photo above comes from W. 5th Street in South Boston, where a resident complains and pleads:

The city dug up this fire hydrant a few months ago and did a terrible job repatching the surrounding sidewalk. I've seen too many women with strollers resort to walking in the road to avoid the hole. Please patch so surface is at least level

Over on Mansfield Street in Allston, another resident posts another photo of a lumpy blob of asphalt where a piece of concrete should be.

Fed up with leering men on Harvard Avenue, woman punches one

adamg — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:13:44 +0000

Allison Francis explains her need to punch the stranger after enduring leers and "oooohs" and solicitations on a walk between Comm. Ave. and Brighton with her girlfriend:

I'm not exactly a placid person, but I'd never punched someone before and I believe in the merits of peace over violence. Whatever that guy said wasn't the worst thing that's been said to me by any means. I just snapped. After 23 years as a woman and ~2 years being 'out' in Allston, after having been forced to tolerate my relationships and humanity degraded on a regular basis with no option other than to keep walking, I wasn't going to take it. It's not okay how so many men behave as though they have the right to aggressively address strangers on the street because we're women, and it's not okay that we are expected to take it with a smile.

Via the Phlog.

BU students reminded: If you're in a burning building, call 911 before your parents

adamg — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:38:28 +0000

BU Today reports on this morning's fire on Linden Street, in a house occupied by BU students:

BU Police Chief Thomas Robbins says his department received a call from a parent of one of the students in the apartment, whose first response was to call home. Robbins says he hopes that students learn to make their first and immediate call to 911 or to the BUPD at 617-353-2121. "We've got to get our number on the students' radar," he says. "It's great that this person called a parent, but people in danger should call us first, then call a parent."

Two jump from window to escape Allston fire; one critical

adamg — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:09:57 +0000

Linden Street fire. Photo by BFD.

Boston University students fled for their lives this morning when their rental home at 84 Linden St. burst into flames. The Boston Fire Department reports two residents jumped from a second-floor window and that one of them was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

Firefighters immediately called in a second alarm when they arrived shortly after 7 a.m. The fire was so bad firefighters were unable to search the building for victims; however, residents said everybody had gotten out.

The building housed seven people in four units. Local real-estate attorney Joshua Krefetz tweets that city assessors' and building-department records show the building is legally only supposed to be a single-family home.

1/22/12 - 7:08 am

Sardine canning narrowly avoided on Storrow Drive

adamg — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:25:41 +0000

Mike Mac captured the scene on Storrow Drive yesterday.

Board backs BonChon beer bid

adamg — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:59:29 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board today approved a request by BonChon, 123 Brighton Ave. to buy a beer and wine license from an Asian restaurant on Mass. Ave. in the Back Bay. The approval means once the license deal with Island Hopper goes through, BonChon can serve beer and wine with its Korean barbecue.

Man stabbed in robbery outside Allston sports bar

adamg — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:39:22 +0000

1/14/12 - 1:30 am

The Daily Free Press reports a man leaving Tavern in the Square around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday was set upon by another man who wanted his coat. A struggle ensued, the mugger whipped out a knife and stabbed the man in the left side before making off with his coat and wallet.

You'd have to be nuts to pass up a slice from one of Allston's many fine pizza places

adamg — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:28:24 +0000

Brad Searles noticed this little guy chowing down on some of Allston's finest the other day.

Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Best place for brunch around Waltham, Watertown, Allston/Brighton

adamg — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:14:11 +0000

Jackie Ellis asks.