The former Harvest Coop space at 57 South St. on May 20, 2015.

Life Alive Cafe Confirms It Wants a Jamaica Plain Location

Vegan-friendly Life Alive confirms it wants to open a location in JP — but it won't be 57 South St., former home of Harvest Coop.  

Jamaica Plain News reached out to Life Alive, which has locations in Salem, Cambridge and Lowell, about possibly moving to 57 South St., after residents mentioned it as something they'd like to see in the space. Here's Live Alive's response:
We are thrilled to hear that Jamaica Plain's residents want us to bring one of our cafes to the neighborhood. We do indeed have plans to expand to JP. We have already considered the old Harvest Coop location and, unfortunately, it was not a good fit for us.

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Random Stilt Walker

Carlos G., recreational stilt walker, Green Street, May 20, 2015. Credit: Chris Helms

You might see former JP resident Carlos G. traversing the old neighborhood on his recreational stilts. He tells Jamaica Plain News he had to move to Dedham but gets back to JP whenever he can. Here's bonus video of Carlos in action along Green Street:

Each weekday we post a “Photo of the Day” from around the neighborhood. If you have a photo that screams (or even whispers) "Jamaica Plain," here are four ways to nominate it:

Email me at chris@jamaicaplainnews

Tag a picture on Twitter with @02130News

Put your photo in the Jamaica Plain News photo pool on Flickr

Tag a picture on Instagram with #02130News

1,789 Views

Lucy the Shop Dog

Lucy, the shop dog of AAA Appliances at 769 Centre St., relaxes in the window. Credit: Chris Helms

From Ivy at Ivy Insurance to Monkey at Pups N' Paradise, JP is home to several shop cats. But we also have shop dogs, like Lucy, who presides over AAA Appliances on Centre Street. Each weekday we post a “Photo of the Day” from around the neighborhood. If you have a photo that screams (or even whispers) "Jamaica Plain," here are four ways to nominate it:

Email me at chris@jamaicaplainnews
Tag a picture on Twitter with @02130News
Put your photo in the Jamaica Plain News photo pool on Flickr
Tag a picture on Instagram with #02130News

1,532 Views
Fire at 95 Child St., Saturday, May 30, 2015.

Cigarette Thrown in Planter Sparks Child Street Blaze

UPDATE: We've added new details from the Boston Fire Department and updated the headline of this item. ~~~~~

A quick-acting JP resident took photos of flames bursting out the roof of a Child Street home. Susanna Crampton sent along these photos of a blaze at 95 Child St. She said it was scary how fast it flamed up. She said the Boston Fire Department arrived quickly.

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The former Harvest Coop space at 57 South St. on May 20, 2015.

The Old Harvest Space on South Street: What Should Go There?

Perhaps no commercial vacancy in the last few years has prompted as much speculation on what should go there next as 57 South St., former home of Harvest Coop. Landlord Dean Rusk is marketing the property as a "retail/restaurant" opportunity, according to a poster in the window. Interested parties are asked to call 617-274-4900 or email info@bosurban.com. Harvest shuttered the store in April, citing operating losses in each of the past three fiscal years. Harvest has a location .7 miles away across from Forest Hills Station.

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Street Photography: Seaverns Avenue Edition

Sofija Sibinovic, a volunteer with JP-based Massmouth.org, a non-profit that promotes story-telling, paces in front of the City Feed window on Centre Street while taking a smoke break and talking on her phone. Each weekday we post a “Photo of the Day” from around the neighborhood. If you have a photo that screams (or even whispers) "Jamaica Plain," here are four ways to nominate it:

Email me at chris@jamaicaplainnews

Tag a picture on Twitter with @02130News

Put your photo in the Jamaica Plain News photo pool on Flickr

Tag a picture on Instagram with #02130News

1,352 Views

New Coat of Paint

Jon Gummer of Olde Tudor Painting puts a fresh coat on the Centre Street City Feed on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. If the outside of the Centre Street City Feed seemed spiffier Wednesday, here's why: It got a fresh coat of color from Jon Gummer of JP's Olde Tudor Painting. Each weekday we post a “Photo of the Day” from around the neighborhood. If you have a photo that screams (or even whispers) "Jamaica Plain," here are four ways to nominate it:

Email me at chris@jamaicaplainnews

Tag a picture on Twitter with @02130News

Put your photo in the Jamaica Plain News photo pool on Flickr

Tag a picture on Instagram with #02130News

1,450 Views
Pedestrians hustle across Centre Street (against the light) on the second day of the pedestrian and vehicle signals being fully operational, Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

New Lights Debut at Burroughs and Centre

As if JP didn't have enough changing traffic patterns to digest, starting Tuesday the new signals at Burroughs and Centre went live. Business people gathered for Wednesday's JP Business & Professional Association said they noticed the lights were fully operational on Tuesday. The intersection, at the heart of JP's Centre/South district, has buttons for pedestrians to activate the lights. The signals are on poles rising out of the sidewalk and don't hang over the middle of the street. Jamaica Plain News watched pedestrians navigate the new setup Wednesday midday.

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Detail from draft menu for Casa Verde, as of Tuesday, May 5, 2015.

Three Dollar Tacos to Anchor New Mexican Restaurant ‘Casa Verde’

New details emerged Tuesday about a Mexican restaurant proposed to fill the Ghazal space at 711 Centre St. — including a draft menu featuring $3 tacos. The eatery, to be called "Casa Verde," is from the team behind existing JP restaurants Tres Gatos and Centre Street Cafe. Co-owner David Doyle described the project Tuesday to members of the Public Service Committee of the JP Neighborhood Council. "We believe a Mexican restaurant, really affordable, family friendly, would be a good fit for Jamaica Plain," Doyle told those at the meeting, which was held at Curtis Hall Community Center.

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The Jamaica Plain Post Office, 655 Centre St., on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015.

Post Office Confirms It Will Stay at 655 Centre St.

The United States Post Office confirmed Thursday that it has agreed to a new lease to remain at 655 Centre St. The Post Office and landlord had been at loggerheads over a new deal, and the process to move the facility elsewhere had already begun. Rumors of a deal to keep the busy post office where it is have been swirling for weeks in JP. "I can confirm that we will remain in the facility and that a lease has been signed," wrote Maureen Marion, a spokesperson for the USPS. Marion later clarified that the actual signing of the lease was scheduled for Friday.

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