File photo: A close-up of the window at Tails, 380 Centre St.

Help Hyde/Jackson Square Main Street Judge Holiday Windows

Do you like hot chocolate? Are you opinionated? Then join one of the neighborhood's business development groups for a stroll through Hyde and Jackson squares to pick the best-decorated holiday windows. Meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at Il Panino, 268 Centre St., to warm up with hot chocolate, get your judging sheets and start the walk. For more information, please visit the Hyde Jackson Square Main Street site.

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Casey Arborway, Dec. 11, 2016

Casey Arborway Milestone: Shea Square Stoplights to Go Live Thursday

Jamaica Plain's "Little Dig" -- AKA the Casey Aborway -- is scheduled to pass a key benchmark this week. Shea Circle, the part of the Arborway where Franklin Park meets the main entrance to Forest Hills Cemetery, will take a giant step toward becoming Shea Square. The stop lights in the new configuration are to be turned on for the first time on Thursday. Transportation planners say a signalized intersection will be more efficient than the large circle it is replacing. Here's what the finished product should look like:

Here are the details on which traffic movements will be affected the next two weeks, as outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation:

On or about December 15th the traffic signal will control Shea Square for the first time.

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Overall site plan

Where Will 300 Car Commuters Go as Forest Hills Parking Lot Becomes Apartments?

Forest Hills residents peppered a would-be developer with questions about where hundreds of car commuters will go if the LAZ Parking lot becomes a mixed-use development. There were other issues raised during a community meeting Wednesday about "The Residences at Forest Hills," but much of the discussion revolved around parking. The three-building, six-story development would add 252 apartments and townhouses plus 5,500 square feet of retail to Forest Hills' burgeoning stock of mid-rise transit-oriented developments. The meeting was held in the fellowship hall at St. Andrew Church, just up Orchardhill Road from the proposed development.

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View of The Residences at Forest Hills from the T station

City to Host Meeting Wednesday on Six-Story ‘Residences at Forest Hills’

The city's planning agency will hold a meeting Wednesday about the latest large-scale housing development being pitched for Forest Hills. "The Residences at Forest Hills" would replace a parking lot at the corner of Washington and the Arborway. Slated to include 252 residential units and 5,500 square feet of retail, the proposal would stand six stories high. Meeting details
The Boston Planning & Development Agency will host a community meeting on Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew Church, just up the hill from the proposed development at 24 Orchardhill Road.

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Early Voting Available Today and Next Friday in JP

Friday is one of two days this election when voters can exercise their franchise early, right here in the neighborhood. Friday from 2-8 p.m. at Curtis Hall Community Center, 20 South St., there's early voting. Next Friday - Nov. 4 - there's early voting at Back of the Hill Apartments. There are many more early voting locations outside JP.

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Evy Chen, left, explains her bid to add alcoholic drinks to the lineup at her tea bar on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016.

Despite Objections, Boozy Tea Bar Bid Gains Approval

The idea of white tea mojitos being served along the Southwest Corridor Park raised eyebrows but ultimately won a thumb's up from a neighborhood advisory board. Tea Bar at EvyTea on Amory Street is seeking a full liquor license. If successful, the tiny tea house would serve drinks like adult hot chocolate and boozy chai. While several community members embraced the idea as innovative and just the thing for JP, others saw a dangerous precedent. Kristen Valachovic, owner of JP restaurant Vee Vee, spoke up for the plan by tea bar owner Evy Chen to add a kick to the tea house's options.

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Paul Byrne of The Gate, right, gestures toward Jose de la Rosa (white shirt) during a committee meeting of the JP Neighborhood Council on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016.

‘The Gate’ Aims for New Year’s Opening in Eggie

A reincarnation of James's Gate could swing open as soon as January, according to Paul Byrne, manager and owner of the proposed pub. "The Gate," as the new venue would be called, would open in the Egleston Square space occupied for the last four years by Coco's Lounge at 3171 Washington St. A neighborhood board voted unanimously to support the project at a hearing Tuesday. Byrne, a fixture in JP restaurant circles, co-owned James's Gate with Christy Page. The two parted ways over the abrupt closure of the McBride Street landmark a year ago in September.

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Brassica Kitchen Now Serving Brunch

Delicious brunch news --sound the trumpets! Newly opened Brassica Kitchen + Cafe co-owners/co-chefs Jeremy Kean and Phil Kruta are pleased to announce that they are now offering Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 pm. Located in a former luncheonette in Jamaica Plain across from the Forest Hills MBTA station, Brassica Kitchen + Cafe serves flavorfully fun French-American comfort fare, using locally grown, seasonal ingredients in unexpected ways with delicious results. Items from the inaugural brunch menu include:
Chicken and Waffles drizzled in hot sauce and maple syrup. Belgian Waffles served with raspberry compote and whipped maple butter.

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Boston Police wagon for District E-13 (Jamaica Plain) on Green Street Friday, April 18, 2014

Police Release Name of Man Killed Outside 7-Eleven

Boston Police confirm that the name of the man who was shot dead outside 7-Eleven on Centre Street was Jeffrey Kelly, 28, of Boston. Kelly was killed early Saturday morning, Aug. 27. His death was one of four overnight shooting incidents reported in the city. Police say they received a call for a person having been shot near 454 Centre St.

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Your Guide to the 2016 Jamaica Plain Music Festival

The Jamaica Plain Music Festival is here again! Enjoy 20 bands and celebrate your connections to the neighborhood you love. Here's everything you need to know to soak up the goodness of the 2016 Jamaica Plain Music Festival. Where: Pinebank Field

When: Noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10

Cost: Free!

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