Business

With Clean Getaway Gone — Only a Few Laundromats Remain in Jamaica Plain

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Quietly, without any fanfare, one of Jamaica Plain's remaining laundromats closed in October. Clean Getaway Laundry was at 546 Centre St., and that leaves four remaining self-serve laundromats in JP. Rossmore Laundry (7 Rossmore Road)
Jamaica Plain Laundry Centre (410 Centre St.)
Jackson Square Laundromat (270 Centre St.)
Laundrymates (178 Heath St.)

There used to be more laundromats in Jamaica Plain. You can still bring your clothes to get laundered at several of those locations, and a few other places -- American Dry Cleaners (777 Centre St.), Centre Cleaners (608 Centre St.), Classic Cleaners (650 Centre St.), J & P Dry Cleaners (300 Centre St.), and Green Laundromat (266 Hyde Park Ave.). There used to be a small laundromat at the bottom of Woodlawn Street across from the Forest Hills MBTA station.

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Business

Drawdown Brewing Now Open, Serving Up Small Batch Brews

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Not sure where to watch international soccer games? Drawdown Brewing has got you covered. The new brewing company opened recently at 3204 Washington St., and prides itself on being malt forward in their beer and big on sports. So big on sports that they got a variance from the city that permits them to open as early as 8 am to show international soccer games. "We will be prioritizing women’s sports, college sports, soccer and LGBTQ+ programming," says Drawdown's website.

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Business

Arepa & Empanada Restaurant Coming to Hyde Square

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The restaurant scene of Hyde Square is getting more diverse, as it looks like a Venezuelan arepa restaurant will be opening in the future. Don Tequeño & Doña Arepa has a sign in the window and the glass is covered with brown paper so we can't see what's going on. And before opening the restaurant will have to remove the signage Caffe Aromi, the last restaurant that took up the space at 403 Centre St. A QR code on the sign brings you to a link with a menu from a Blue Hill Avenue restaurant. The large menu includes arepas, empanadas, cachapas, patacones, pepito, sandwiches, and more.

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Business

New Biz: Home Goods Thrift Store & DIY Craft Studio Open on Walk Hill Street

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Just in time for the holiday season is a new store on Walk Hill Street offering DIY craft workshops for adults and kids. Yocoya opened at 12A Walk Hill Street at the end of October, and is offering workshops on making rugs, wreaths, candles, decorative doormats, stockings, ornaments, and more. You can also bring your gifts in to be wrapped professionally for a fee. Visit their Instagram page for more info on prices and workshops.

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Business

Fish Market to Open on Centre Street

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According to a posted building permit, a fish market is going to open in one of the small vacant commercial spots on Centre Street. The building permit is posted at 656-660 Centre St., and will be in the former space of Cacao, which closed at the end of 2022. The building permit is for a remodeling to create a bathroom, walk-in fridge, ice machine, prepping area, sinks, and a waiting area for customers. The building permit was issued on Sept. 6.

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Business
FoMu Alternative Ice Cream + Cafe in JP sells vegan ice cream

FoMu Closing Jamaica Plain Store on September 18

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FoMu announced on their Facebook page that they are closing their Jamaica Plain location on September 18. In a Facebook post, the owners said the store was hit hard by the pandemic, and was never able to recover. "When our lease came to term, it was a sad but sweet sign from the ice cream gods that we should bid farewell," said the Facebook post. FoMu's other locations in the South End, Fenway, Quincy Market, and the Seaport, will remain open. The post also suggested that if you'd like to see FoMu options around Jamaica Plain, to tag other retailers or restaurants, and that the owners will try to make it happen.

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Business

Shattuck Campus Redevelopment Virtual Meeting on Tuesday

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There will be a virtual public meeting on Tuesday to discuss the state's proposal to redevelop the Shattuck campus to include new treatment beds, permanent supportive housing, family supportive housing and emergency housing beds, and more. The state had put out a request for proposals (RFP) to redevelop the campus located at 170 Morton St. at Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, and received only one proposal. The state provisionally accepted the proposal of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) which includes two facilities with 326 treatment beds, 200 units of permanent supportive housing, 205 units of family supportive housing, 120 emergency housing beds, and seven-plus acres of green and open space. According to the state's website, the proposal is not a final plan.

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Business

Spontaneous Celebrations Receives $25,500 Grant for Solar Panels; Friday Fundraiser to Help Match Grant

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Spontaneous Celebrations received a $25,500 grant to install solar panels on the roof of its Danforth Street community center, and needs help from the community to match the grant. The $25,500 is coming from a TernSOLAR challenge grant from the Tern Foundation. The Tern Foundation’s TernSOLAR challenge grant program's purpose is to expand renewable energy use in Massachusetts communities, and make solar technology more accessible to nonprofit organizations like Spontaneous Celebrations. Spontaneous Celebrations must match the grant, and is holding a Sol Fest fundraiser on Friday to help raise funds (please see flyer below for more info). The remaining cost of the project will utilize the Direct Pay 30% reimbursement provision of the newly implemented federal Inflation Reduction Act, according to a press release.

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Business

Dozens of People Lined Up for Free Lunch Day at Ula Cafe

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There's an old saying that there's no such thing as a free lunch -- but at Ula Cafe on August 3 -- it was just Free Lunch Day. And dozens of people formed a line stretching well into the parking lot. Co-owner Beth Santos said that Free Lunch Day came about thanks to restaurant software company Toast. Ula Cafe and Toast recently started working together. "One day they showed up at the cafe with a check for $10,000.

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Business

What Did Jamaica Plain Look Like in the 1970s?

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Was there always a giant plastic cow head protruding from the current home of J.P. Licks? What was previously in CVS' current location? Well, check out the answers to those questions and more -- from these photos from the 1970s from the Jamaica Plain Historical Society. The following photos were taken by former Jamaica Plain resident Donald Latham, and were donated to the Jamaica Plain Historical Society by his brother Tom.  

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