Pour one out for short-lived changes to drink restrictions, as officials would rather reform what led to them

The License Commission has retreated from universally disliked ideas on limiting how much patrons can drink in bars and restaurant, including an idea to allow only one drink every half-hour.

LIT

Reviewed: ‘Plastic, Prism, Void: Part One,’ a sci-fi romance that invites the reader onto the page

June 25, 2026

A wild genre tornado of a novel will support many different readings on many different levels, satisfying, thrilling and perplexing many different readers.

BUSINESS

Cambridge wants to give its small businesses a tax break on the stuff in their offices

June 24, 2026

Small businesses could benefit from a 50 percent increase in the city’s personal property tax exemption – to $30,000 in assessed value from $20,000.

ASK CHEF JJ

What’s in your pantry? Part 2: Garlic and onion, oil and vinegar, jams and jellies and more

June 24, 2026

The things I think are essential to cooking at home add spice, a squeeze of citrus, a bite of onion or garlic or a dash of oil and vinegar.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Sipping cousins: Coffee as a common language

June 24, 2026

George Bernard Shaw said that England and America are two countries divided by a common language. Coffee brings us together.

BITE

Cheese boureka at Tatte

June 24, 2026

$4.50 Until recently, I hadn’t spent much time at Assembly Row – it’s a little out of the way for me – but found myself camping out while awaiting the launch of a summer farmers market. That let me...

TRANSPORTATION

Cambridge drivers will see parking situation get tougher as needs are balanced, with no relief in school lots

June 23, 2026

There’s no relief for on-street parking coming from Cambridge’s public school parking lots, even as a city report suggests tougher times ahead for drivers as city officials and staff try to balance the needs of a growing population.

CULTURE

Bridging the gap: an interview with a retired Pit Rat

June 23, 2026

Restaurant owner and Vigilantes member Fernando Strohmeyer reflects on the lessons learned and lifelong community gained from formative years spent at the bygone heart of Harvard Square.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): It’s Cut Night, when the cuts have been coming for months

June 23, 2026

With “cut night” starting at 6 p.m., the end is approaching rapidly for the 2027 fiscal year budget process in Somerville.

BUSINESS

Pour one out for short-lived changes to drink restrictions, as officials would rather reform what led to them

June 23, 2026

The License Commission has retreated from universally disliked ideas on limiting how much patrons can drink in bars and restaurant, including an idea to allow only one drink every half-hour.

FILM

Queer film explores new landscapes

June 23, 2026

Comedy, horror, romance and mashups galore — four recent LGBTQ+ films that push outside the confines of character drama to reinvent queer film.

NEWS

There won’t be a legal fight over the rejection of ShotSpotter in Cambridge

June 22, 2026

Objections to the shutdown of ShotSpotter gunfire-listening technology faded on the part of two Cambridge city councillors.

COMMUNITY

Take part through Saturday on price-match donation drive for the Union Square Farmers Market

June 22, 2026

With hunger growing, more than 1,500 families are expected to benefit from a dollar-for-dollar match, just $15 at a time, over the market season.

MUSIC

Hot summer days, cool jazz nights

June 22, 2026

The Indie highlights our favorite local jazz destinations for everything from dive bar jam sessions to top-shelf talent.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge’s long history with ‘the beautiful game’ of soccer highlights immigrant contributions to the city

June 22, 2026

In its earliest days in Cambridge, soccer was a way to offer Harvard students a sport they could play, but not enjoy overly much. How times have changed.

TAXONOMY

Personal finance tip of the week: Look for the paycheck advance risking the least damage

June 22, 2026

Unexpected expenses happen. If you find yourself relying repeatedly on advances between paychecks, it may be a sign a longer-term solution is needed.

NEWS

Endorsement by Boston’s mayor Wu is another boost for Lander run for state Senate

June 22, 2026

Boston mayor Michelle Wu has endorsed her former senior aide, Daniel Lander, in his campaign against Will Brownsberger for the Suffolk and Middlesex state Senate seat.

BUSINESS

Deregulation, faster permitting, being more fun: Cambridge hears how it can help Kendall Square and itself

June 21, 2026

After almost a decade of letting a strong Kendall Square “kind of run itself,” there’s a troubled environment and calls for collaboration with Cambridge City Hall.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, June 22-29: Drinking and driving (and parking)

June 21, 2026

Take part in meetings on drinking, ticketing drivers and parking permits; e-bike and scooter safety; expanding the preschool program; and more.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, June 22-29: Final budget votes and a Ward 2 pizza party

June 21, 2026

Take part in meetings on funding the next fiscal year and socializing with the mayor, city staff and city councilors.

OPINION

Scots’ introduction to Bunker Hill Day, from Revolutionary War reenactors to SpongeBob

June 21, 2026

Are we just war and cartoons? I hope the Scottish people visiting our little slice of purgatory know that Boston, and the United States, is more.

NEWS

Candidates for state Senate have harsh criticisms of bill bundling, legislative leader pay and secrecy

June 20, 2026

Candidates vying for state senator Pat Jehlen’s seat in the 2nd Middlesex District agreed at a forum that big reforms are needed in the state Legislature.

BICYCLING

Celebrating Kittie Knox, the Black cyclist who rode her way through the barriers of the 1800s

June 19, 2026

Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox was a pioneering cyclist who challenged racial and gender barriers. MassBike celebrated her Friday with the fifth annual Kittie Knox ride.

NEWS

After three tries at rent caps in recent years, Somerville’s ‘best chance’ is statewide compromise, mayor says

June 19, 2026

Wilson joins governor Maura Healey and Boston mayor Michelle Wu in saying he is “strongly” in support of compromise legislation on rent stabilization.

BUSINESS

A bike path cafe called Parlor Bird has many excited to come craft to the sound of acoustic music

June 19, 2026

Parlor Bird, a community cafe and bar, won licensing approval for an under-construction building in Somerville, but the business isn’t likely to open until 2027.

NEWS

Erika Uyterhoeven emphasizes affordability at Union Square campaign stop in state senate bid

June 19, 2026

The candidate highlights two recent legislative achievements and a record of pushing for voting transparency in government.

ARTS

With preservation of art studios, Somerville becomes the state’s flagship art city, group says

June 18, 2026

The preservation of Somerville’s Central Street Studios was marked with a ceremony that, like all art, helped people see their surroundings in a new way.

LABOR

Now playing at a theater near you: class warfare

June 18, 2026

The board files an unfair labor practice charge against the union in the latest development of the two-yearlong contract negotiation.

FOOD

Five foods to follow out of the Taste of Cambridge

June 18, 2026

Leaving this sampling event full is easy. Returning to the tastes outside its borders isn't always possible: Not every item is at brick-and-mortar settings.

NEWS

Lander’s run against Brownsberger for state Senate draws a powerhouse endorsement from Elizabeth Warren

June 18, 2026

Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Daniel Lander in the Suffolk and Middlesex District state Senate race, choosing a young first-time candidate over 14-year incumbent Will Brownsberger.

ASK CHEF JJ

What’s in your pantry? Part 1: Salts

June 17, 2026

Staples. Not talking about the big box store, but rather things that I reach for so often that I feel they are essential to my cooking life. I’m a spice hoarder. I have whole shelves of tiny jars and...

LET’S GET COFFEE

Worn wood, comfort and ease: At home at the Circus Cooperative and Café Zing

June 17, 2026

Coffee in a good setting keeps me there. The place, as you know if you read these columns, matters, almost as much as the coffee. I’m lucky that I can almost always find coffee that keeps me seated....

BITE

Buffalo chicken pizza at Ernesto’s

June 17, 2026

The location of this Boston mainstay at Assembly Row, opened in 2015, is careful to warn customers that they’re at risk of getting a great deal.

FILM

Premium fight choreography in ‘The Furious’ brings a visual clarity to the action

June 17, 2026

A vengeful father and an amateur journalist employ a very particular set of skills to fight their way through a human trafficking ring.

DEVELOPMENT

Six-story condo building wins muted approval for an odd lot in East Cambridge beset by changing laws

June 16, 2026

Laws for the land that once held a Dunkin’ Donuts have change twice since the project was permitted in 2023 – and since construction began.

MUSIC

Prayers up for global jazz at Regattabar in Harvard Square

June 16, 2026

The Ize Trio celebrate the release of their latest album 'Global Prayer' with special guest saxophonist Gregory Groover, Jr.

BUSINESS

Cambridge has ideas about how to limit customer drinking, and the response has been terrible

June 16, 2026

Restrictions on serving alcohol that are due for discussion by Cambridge’s License Commission in August are already seeing strong opposition from restaurant owners, their customers and a city...

June 15, 2026

For some taxpayers, provisions of Donald Trump’s so-called One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act reduced their tax liability, which may have led to larger refunds.

NEWS

Ethical procurement policy proposal names Israel and Palestine, and opponents cite antisemitism (updated)

June 14, 2026

An ordinance calls on the mayor and city staff to stop Somerville from financially supporting apartheid, genocide, unlawful military occupation or war crimes.

OPINION

The bottom of ‘Swan Lake’

June 14, 2026

All the talent on display in the American Repertory Theater musical “Black Swan” needs to be backed by a good story.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, June 15-22: Deciding businesses for Cambridge Street and North Mass. Ave.

June 14, 2026

Take part in meetings on “active uses” along traffic corridors, surveys about school cultures and housing proposed for East Cambridge.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, June 15-22: Somerville Avenue bike lanes and crunch time for budgeting

With Thursday’s high heat and humidity continuing over the coming days, the city of Somerville passed along an alert and tips on staying cool, healthy and safe.

NEWS

Brownsberger and Lander spar over audit, public records and campaign funds in state Senate race

June 11, 2026

The incumbent says his reelection is for “the sake of this district”; the challenger decries a system and calls him “the architect of that broken status quo.”

FOOD

Five foods to follow out of the Taste of Somerville

June 11, 2026

When staggering happily away from the event, it turns out there were dishes that had me already plotting how soon I could get back to their sources for more.

NEWS

Cambridge decides to keep Ahern Field as grass, not turf for sports (updated)

June 10, 2026

Money committed to lighting Ahern Fields for games can be used instead to support lighting at Danehy Park to expand playable hours there.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): School and police budgets offer plenty to puzzle through

June 10, 2026

The budget does not account for pending agreements with police unions and includes strong-arm tactics over just $600,000 for the schools.

NEWS

A passerby saved the life of a drug user by stopping to use a free public health vending machine (corrected)

June 10, 2026

Somerville’s public health vending machines dispense items more than 100 times weekly, from first aid kits to menstrual health products to lifesaving Narcan.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Two cafes welcoming ‘the irregular’: New Leaf Espresso and True Grounds

June 10, 2026

A coffee shop in a barbershop and woodsy space with art and painted wainscoting beckon with a trim, a long black and thoughts of a rom-Som.

BITE

Veggie patty at Chatty Patty

June 10, 2026

$3 Yes, this is take two on Chatty Patty (and take three on the Eastern Edge Food Hall). But empanadas, calzones, pasties, turnovers: I love them all, especially affordable ones, and the variety of...

MUSIC

Ize Trio make global jazz their own at Regattabar on Sunday

June 9, 2026

Pianist Chase Morrin talks about the mentors and faith that inspired the trio's latest album "Global Prayer."

FILM

‘Power Ballad’ is a no from me, dawg

June 9, 2026

Paul Rudd's charm can't save this stinker about a struggling wedding musician who believes his original work was stolen by a global pop star.

NEWS

Cocaine dealers to Cambridge and Somerville are arrested, police say

June 9, 2026

Police found cocaine and illegal guns when they acted on search warrants in Cambridge and Braintree on June 4. Four people were arrested.

FOOD

Wander Cat Cola is a craft soda whose bubbles are popping up all over the place

June 9, 2026

Try a Japanese-inspired craft cola at the Taste of Somerville, at New Leaf Espresso

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Davis Square (Diesel, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 9, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to one of our convenient locations – or, even better, come with proposals about become part of a team.

DEVELOPMENT

Two challenges to Cambridge laws could complicate the path to homebuilding

June 8, 2026

Both are referred for discussion, but one angered the vice mayor for freezing projects seeking to move forward under Affordable Housing Overlay zoning.

MUSIC

Someday Festival is twice as nice with a second day of music

June 8, 2026

At Warehouse XI, you're going to like the way local music sounds, we guarantee it.

BUSINESS

Porter Square Shopping Center gets a rebrand to match its physical refresh: The Mix Porter Square

June 8, 2026

The Porter Square Shopping Center has changed its name to The Mix Porter Square under the management company Wilder.

NEWS

Candidates in three races for state rep in Somerville reject ‘dark money’ donations

June 8, 2026

An agreement to eschew “dark money” campaign funding is in place for three Somerville state representative races.

DID YOU KNOW

Jerry’s Pit and North Cambridge’s industrial past are spotlighted in the week’s History Hang

June 8, 2026

At the mid-1840s height of the industrial revolution, there were clay pits and brickyards all over the area. The most extensive brick plant was in North Cambridge.

TAXONOMY

Personal finance tip of the week: Get your money advice from a fiduciary

June 8, 2026

Fiduciaries are legally required to put your interests ahead of their own when providing financial advice or making recommendations.

FILM

Streaming with Pride

June 7, 2026

A shortlist of recommended movies that inspire with LGBTQ+ themes (and are available at the click of a button).

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, June 8-15: Two zoning laws that speed home construction are targeted for changes

June 7, 2026

Take part in meetings on calls to alter residential zoning and how to explain school incidents to families, and a roundtable about boosting business start-ups.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, June 8-15: Budgeting for City Hall and the school department

June 7, 2026

Take part in meetings on municipal and school district budgeting and making a new school with environmentally sustainable practices.

OPINION

I am a fake Harvard student, and I think the college is worth protecting

June 7, 2026

A lot of Americans resent Harvard, where – as a Boston University student and alum – I have done a lot of showing up and somehow made a place there.

ARTS

Announcing: free live music

June 6, 2026

The Indie is teaming up with Hump Nights to signal boost their monthly ticket giveaway.

ARTS

Celebrate Pride in June

June 6, 2026

Unfurl the flags and charge the JBL speakers, Pride is here and the Indie highlights a list of events, activities and screenings to celebrate.

DEVELOPMENT

Concerns about parking and traffic dominate meeting on adding 92 affordable homes in Cambridge

June 5, 2026

An affordable-homes apartment building proposed for North Cambridge is bringing its developers a by now familiar kind of whiplash.

MUSIC

Artist Spotlight: Joyer

June 4, 2026

The Indie interviews the Saturday headliner Joyer ahead of Someday Fest, June 6 and 7 at Warehouse XI.

FILM

‘Tuner’ is a thrilling heist movie with pitch-perfect characterization

June 4, 2026

A hearing-impaired piano tuner discovers a knack for safecracking which leads him into a life of crime in Daniel Roher’s latest film.

BUSINESS

Lucky break? The Clover restaurant chain says it returns to operation Tuesday out of public demand

June 3, 2026

A public outcry about the closing of the Clover healthy fast food chain has led to its rescue, according to a company email Wednesday. The chain’s 11 locations will stay closed for the rest of this...

OPINION

Here’s Somerville’s budget book, as a new mayor perplexes and the council steps back

June 3, 2026

Even a cursory skim of the budget book raises questions. Because of all the changes, it’s difficult to tell if investment are increased, steady or reduced.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Curiosities: Vida and Third Time Together innovate culinary quirk around Kendall Square

June 3, 2026

Two curious cafes are at home in a neighborhood full of people whose curiosity has led to Nobel prizes, scientific discoveries and long-sought cures.

BITE

H Mart baked sweet potato

June 3, 2026

The skin of H Mart’s baked sweet potato is crispy and slightly charred; the inside tastes of caramel and umami, and is so soft it’s nearly mashed.

FILM

A not-so-lovable loser squanders your time and attention in ‘The Breadwinner’

June 3, 2026

An aloof man-child must take care of his three daughters alone while his wife pursues a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in this missable relic.

FASHION

Flip-flops are back (and they have opinions now)

June 3, 2026

Once dismissed as “post-gym resignation footwear,” the modern flip-flop has evolved.

NEWS

In a rematch of Decker and MacKay, her challenger from 2024, good government remains the theme

June 2, 2026

Opening remarks addressed government transparency, and the candidates sparred – but mostly drifted from questions to follow rehearsed remarks.

THEATER

‘Now Is Still Here’ is still here now (for a limited time only)

June 2, 2026

Fourth time is the charm as the eco-minded production performs its final rain date this Friday at Somerville Community Growing Center.

NEWS

Vigil brings family, friends and strangers together for man who died alone in Davis T station escalator

June 2, 2026

A candlelight vigil outside the Davis Square T station mourned Steven McCluskey, who died because people ignored him.

FILM

‘Michael’ is a sanitized biopic for superfans who don’t care they’re being lied to

June 2, 2026

Michael Jackson’s songs remain bangers, but the connecting material here is bland and problematic.

NEWS

A second vote against ShotSpotter leaves no room for pushback, and over a member’s complaint

June 2, 2026

Councillors voted May 18 to turn off the system and remove its microphones within 90 days, and now again to ensure zero wiggle room for noncompliance.

DID YOU KNOW

Land/Mark Symposium examines an 18th century murder case with Cambridge ties

June 1, 2026

How we remember a slaver murder case, and the role of enslavement and resistance in the Revolution, is discussed at a June 13 event.

NEWS

Somerville police begin test of ‘co-response,’ bringing health professionals to some crises

June 1, 2026

The co-responders are on duty to during two four-hour blocks each week, but Somerville officials say they hope to expand the program.

NEWS

Translator Ken Kronenberg has disturbing things to say about America in 2026, and they’re from Germany in the 1930s

June 1, 2026

Kronenberg is translating toxic German propaganda from the fascist era of eugenics, racism and slaughter as it seeps through U.S. political speech.

OPINION

Correcting the record about the impact of Cambridge’s Multifamily Housing ordinance

June 1, 2026

THEATER

A chat with Emma Picht, star of ‘The Aria of Julie d’Aubigny’

June 1, 2026

The actor dishes on the wild life of Mademoiselle de Maupin, coffee spots and unrequited dreams of roller skating on the esplanade.

OPINION

Cambridge needs a stormwater charge to pay for sewer improvements

June 1, 2026

Cambridge will be on the hook for between $257 million and $2.4 billion in costs to fix sewer overflows. Residential water bills will rise significantly.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: GoFundMe can help in a crunch, and donations are usually just ‘gifts’

June 1, 2026

Crowdfunding has become a meaningful way to bring together community support at difficult moments. It is not a complete financial plan.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, May 31-June 8: Ending waste outfall in public waters and razing the city’s ‘First Pizzeria’

May 31, 2026

Take part in meetings on Combined Sewer Overflows, homes at the Florentine Gardens and a fix for temperature issues at the Edgerly school.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, May 31-June 8: New homes, stopping the sewage and a gun buyback

Several hires were announced by Cambridge Public Schools, including making Allan Gately Gehant principal of CRLS, where he has been interim principal.

Clover shuts down, third Hong Kong Festival is Sunday and J.P. Licks does the World Cup

May 28, 2026

The Clover chain was in its final hours Thursday, the New England Hong Kong Festival returns and there are seven new flavors at an ice cream chain.

FILM

‘I Love Boosters’ is a heist movie that’s off the rails and loving it

May 28, 2026

Boots Riley's absurdist romp is less about "working class values" than valuing the working class.

BUSINESS

Apartment buildings with 79 units will be transitioned to affordable housing after purchase

May 28, 2026

Spokespeople with the Cambridge Housing Authority and city said they would work with current residents to convert the homes to affordable.

DEVELOPMENT

Nine years later, empty Vail Court is headed again toward becoming affordable housing

May 28, 2026

The long and narrow lot seized by the city in 2016 is again due to get a developer and be shaped into homes, though no time too soon.

FOOD

Le Grand Prix Elmendorf du Pain street fest promises more of everything this year, including actual French people

May 27, 2026

The festival and competition – inspired by a Paris baguette-baking contest – will pack onto Cambridge Street on June 14 before a French World Cup match.

DEVELOPMENT

Keezer’s has a next home and Simon’s Coffee Shop is looking as an apartment project speeds toward construction

May 27, 2026

The apartment project at 1740 Massachusetts Ave. is on track for a permit submission in June and demolition in the months that follow.

LET’S GET COFFEE

How much is that coffee in the window?

May 27, 2026

Why are some local cups of coffee just under $2 and some as much as $24? A look at cost, worth and value.

MUSIC

The Gill Aharon Trio delivers

May 27, 2026

Everything jazz aspires to be without the pretense and pandering it often exhibits.

BITE

Classic Three Cheese at Roxy’s Grilled Cheese

May 27, 2026

Roxy’s delivered a solid grilled cheese, and why wouldn’t it? it's been Roxy's bread and butter since it launched as a food truck in 2011.

NEWS

A ‘super El Niño’ will make summer hotter and more dangerous. These climate groups are getting us ready.

May 26, 2026

A roundtable talks about how Greater Boston prepares for a boiling change in climate, including from an oncoming “super El Niño” season.

NEWS

First uprooted from Harvard Square shelter, unhoused at Medford camp face eviction after alleged arson

May 26, 2026

Transit Police have given until Friday to clear a camp just weeks after a fire threatened its homeless occupants. Some hope to return to Cambridge’s Y2Y shelter.

MUSIC

Cole Pulice and Pat Horigan explore new horizons at Deep Cuts

May 26, 2026

Follow the breadcrumbs of devotional music, New Age, and ambient to a new kind of jazz.

OPINION

Online safety shouldn’t come at the cost of access

Recent efforts by the House and the governor to create online protections for our state’s youth risk serious unintended consequences.

NEWS

Police union says it is ‘deeply disappointed’ in council quitting ShotSpotter tech, reiterates points from losing vote

May 25, 2026

The organization spoke to fears that ShotSpotter audio could be used by federal agencies for surveillance but not a cited false-positive rate of 82 percent.

DID YOU KNOW

‘A friend to Cambridge’: Barney Frank’s life and legacy

May 25, 2026

Although the 4th Massachusetts Congressional District does not include Cambridge, representative Barney Frank spent a considerable amount of time addressing the city’s concerns as part of his broader...

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Find out if you missed deductions that could have lowered your income taxes

May 25, 2026

Many taxpayers overlook valuable deductions because they focus only on itemized deductions. They should dig into schedules 1 and 1A.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, May 25-June 1: A family-friendly Memorial Day and future-friendly waste plan

May 24, 2026

Take part in a Memorial Day ceremony and meetings on the Zero Waste Master Plan and the future of 135 Sherman St., formerly known as Bellis Circle.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, May 25-June 1: Memorial Day, a better Broadway and water and sewer rates

May 24, 2026

Take part in a Memorial Day ceremony and meetings on remaking Broadway and a hike in rates tied to water and sewer use.

OPINION

Let Iran be the last war without a declaration

May 24, 2026

If American service members are going to fight and die in our name, we should at least make our elected officials vote on it.

OPINION

Social housing makes economic sense

May 24, 2026

The city has a path to sustainably offer homes for people of all income levels, on its own terms – but it must be planned properly.

FILM

Be careful what you wish for in ‘Obsession’

May 23, 2026

A desperate loser makes a wish for his crush to fall in love with him, only for it to come true with violent, horrific consequences.

BUSINESS

Somerville cuts 29 positions, putting 13 people out of work as City Hall faces budget $5.4M in the red (updated)

May 22, 2026

The city first tried to raise revenues, pay down debt with reserves and make strategic cuts to nonpersonnel costs. It wasn't enough, the mayor said.

ASK CHEF JJ

It’s picnic time, and we have tips for fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and dunking watermelon in the ocean

May 22, 2026

Everyone has their own idea of a picnic. We look at cooking and presenting four classics of outdoor dining as melon (and yellow jacket wasp) season nears.

DANCE

The many shades of female dancers’ experiences in ‘Black Swan’

May 22, 2026

It's not all black and white in the American Repertory Theater's adaptation of the Darren Aronofsky film.

DEVELOPMENT

Cambridge’s first social housing project may already be identified, and a task force hasn’t even met

May 20, 2026

The task force is meant to explore how to make a social housing project possible, but a Cambridge agency may already have an answer.

OPINION

The 9 Wyman Road project is not a fluke, it’s a sign of successful multifamily zoning

It would be easy to think The Rosebud diner is closed again. It’s dark inside, lifeless. There’s no sign on the door, and no information online.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Spring cleaning can improve finances too

May 18, 2026

Cash and tax benefits can come with a spring cleaning. And even when items aren’t highly valuable, clearing them out has benefits.

FILM

You say you want a revolution

May 18, 2026

A documentary about the early days of radio station WBCN triggers fond memories and a general airing of political grievances.

NEWS

At Stronger Together, mayor links City Hall with nonprofits and Somerville and Cambridge foundations bond

May 18, 2026

A powerhouse assortment of public officials, charitable leaders and financial donors learned a new way The Somerville Foundation plans to invest in its city.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, May 18-25: Reforms to ‘cottage’ zoning and condos replacing a Union Square blight

May 17, 2026

Take part in meetings on a rental registry and stronger city civil rights, “backyard cottage” zoning and Union Square condos replacing a wreck.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, May 18-25: We’re buying land in Lincoln and learning more about Memorial Drive attack

May 17, 2026

Take part in meetings on a land buy to protect city water, a hotel expansion with a coffee and cocktail lounge and filling school district roles.

OPINION

Should we become San Francisco

May 17, 2026

Refusing to change doesn’t mean that we will preserve our way of life.

FOOD

Dickson Bros. site in Harvard Square is proposed to be four stories of Korean barbecue, including a deck

May 16, 2026

The long-empty Dickson Bros. hardware store in Harvard Square is about to become a glitzy, multistory Korean barbecue restaurant open late.

BUSINESS

‘For sale’ signs are popping up and even a price reduction or two, but the home-sale season has just started

May 16, 2026

Nationally, home sales are in a slump from war-induced interest rate hikes and consumer uncertainty. Are Cambridge and Somerville exempt?

EDUCATION

Somerville is looking at bringing back an armed high school resource officer

May 16, 2026

Just two years after a unanimous vote for police to be removed permanently from public schools, the administration is exploring their return.

BUSINESS

The Mushroom Shop announces a move to East Cambridge

May 15, 2026

After four years in Somerville, Tyler Akabane’s Mushroom Shop moves this year to East Cambridge, to where the Courthouse Fish Market operated for 112 years.

NEWS

Officials host a gathering Friday and debriefing Tuesday to help after a Memorial Drive shootout (updated)

May 15, 2026

Elected officials and health experts will be on hand at each event, and police will take questions Tuesday about a gun battle in Cambridge.

NEWS

Police investigate a stabbing outside Davis Square’s 7-Eleven

May 15, 2026

The injuries to a person stabbed in Somerville on Thursday were not life-threatening, officials said. No arrest has been reported.

BUSINESS

We Thieves vintage closes its Inman Square location Sunday with a final Eats & Crafts street fair sale

May 14, 2026

A Porter Square location sells on, but this tin-ceiling store in Inman lasted longer than expected after opening during Covid, owner Sandra Rossi said.

NEWS

Somerville Foundation throws a party Sunday to celebrate a turnaround in fortunes and brightening future

May 14, 2026

Stronger Together is a four-hour party with food, live music, arts and crafts, the year’s Steph Aman Award – and pay-what-you-want entry.

OPINION

There will be an impact from the lack of parking at 1740 Mass. Ave.

May 14, 2026

The developer offers no resident parking, and more cars seeking street parking affects neighbors and local business.

LET’S GET COFFEE

1369 times two

May 13, 2026

Cambridge has one “double café” – that is, one café with stores in two neighborhoods. This is the 1369, special “third spaces” with character and sense of place.

MUSIC

Solidarity through sound

May 13, 2026

The "Which Side?" protest music series returns with a diverse lineup to the Burren Back Room on May 19.

BITE

Chorizo taco at Los Tacos Hermanos

May 13, 2026

I’ve loved the idea of chorizo more than a lot of the chorizo I’ve eaten. This perfect taco goes its own way with a chorizo so mild it was shocking.

DEVELOPMENT

Planning Board members love a 1740 Mass. Ave. project, its mural idea and learning how to say ‘Linnaean’

May 12, 2026

The developer of 1740 Massachusetts Ave. at Linnaean Street got its flowers from Cambridge’s Planning Board. It's “grown on me,” a member said.

MUSIC

Somerville Porchfest: wet, wild and ready to party

May 12, 2026

A little rain and long portajohn lines (still) couldn't dampen the excitement for the biggest Porchfest around.

DEVELOPMENT

There’s worry that the more-liked plan for Somerville’s 90 Washington St. land will be impossible to build

May 12, 2026

The rules to develop land at 90 Washington St. say two plans must go forward – and since there are only two plans to choose from, both were advanced.

NEWS

Direct election of mayors and rethinking senior parking permit fees get bumped by a week in Cambridge

May 12, 2026

Two legislative replays of sorts got delays Monday in Cambridge and will reappear on next week’s City Council agenda: reviewing ways voters might elect a mayor directly, rather than having...

ARTS

The art of gathering in public spaces

May 12, 2026

Collage, community and a secret door await you at Harvard Art Museums at Night.

NEWS

City councillor wields race to oppose an antisurveillance order about devices that listen for gunfire

May 11, 2026

Harsh remarks toward fellow city councillors sidelined a vote on whether Cambridge keeps the gunfire-detection technology known as ShotSpotter.

NEWS

Police were hunting for shooter when he opened fire with an assault rifle, leaving two with critical injuries

May 11, 2026

A gunman in emotional crisis left two people with life-threatening injuries as he roved Memorial Drive in Cambridge with a rifle.

NEWS

Three victims reported in Memorial Drive shooting

May 11, 2026

Police are massed in Cambridge for a 1:30 p.m. shooting with two victims. Police are diverting traffic but saying there is no ongoing danger to the public.

STAGE

Fringe festival is bigger in its second year, adding drama, dance, magic and music to the clowning and comedy

May 11, 2026

The second annual Fringe runs through Sunday at three venues in Somerville, allowing the festival of unpredictable and often oddball acts to double in size.

DID YOU KNOW

Save Dana Park turns a public space into a game board May 30

May 11, 2026

The game is designed to bring players into the story of Dana Park past and present, stopping a phony deed scam before the villain takes the land away.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: PBS’ ‘Two Cents’ is the free financial resource you’re overlooking

May 11, 2026

“Two Cents” has hundreds of short, engaging episodes – often just a few minutes long – designed to make money topics easier to understand.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, May 11-18: Putting mayoral elections in voters’ hands and senior parking permits

Persian influence in fashion exists across multiple layers, and a scarf, pattern or silhouette holds personal expression and ancestral memory.

OPINION

Fidelity, Vanguard and Schwab block SPLC donations. The Cambridge Community Foundation does not.

May 5, 2026

It’s not only megafinancial institutions that host donor-advised funds. We have an alternative in our own backyard in the Cambridge Community Foundation.

BUSINESS

Electric and cargo bike pioneer Bicycle Belle closes Aug. 1, leaving others to peddle pedals

May 5, 2026

Founder and owner, Carice Reddien Pingenot, announced the closing on Tuesday, saying she needed a break and time to focus on her family.

DEVELOPMENT

Frustration is rising before a multifamily project does at 88 Ellery St.

May 5, 2026

A six-story condo project was continued again by the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. It’s been before the NCD since January.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30-6:30 p.m.)

May 5, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to one of our convenient locations – or, even better, come with proposals to become part of a team.

BUSINESS

On the way to a housing goal set for 2030, officials agree to check if Cambridge is on the right path

May 4, 2026

After passing a series of zoning changes to meet Cambridge housing needs projected in 2017, the City Council is asking whether the goals have changed.

BUSINESS

Cambridge Common House opens, a boutique flagship for a Harvard Square stay

May 4, 2026

A 16-room lodging house called Cambridge Common House is opened on Garden Street, updating an 1880 “gathering place for students, artists and intellectuals.”

DID YOU KNOW

Reeling from a president’s assassination, we said political violence was not the answer to the country’s struggles

May 4, 2026

Cantabrigians channeled their anger over Lincoln's killing, many seeing it as a symbol of a larger struggle between the forces of good and evil.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Go to the backdoor Roth IRA when there are limits at the front

May 4, 2026

Here’s a way to build tax-free retirement income and reduce future required minimum distribution concerns with create greater financial flexibility.

DEVELOPMENT

Healthpeak gets first approvals for 42 acres, but hears calls to speed up building a bridge to Alewife

May 3, 2026

With 42 acres of a new neighborhood expected to be developed over what may be decades, Planning Board were keen to hear about a bridge over train tracks.

OPINION

Tatte no way

May 3, 2026

Young professionals on this side of the river don’t talk about it, but none of us really go to Tatte. It’s a bit like going to a Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, May 4-11: Budget season hearings begin and officials talk AI in schools

May 3, 2026

Take part in meetings on an Ellery Street multifamily plan, artificial intelligence in school, redesigned bus routes and Cambridge‘s next annual budget.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, May 4-11: Building a school and moving council meetings to Tuesdays (in 2028)

May 3, 2026

Take part in meetings on building a replacement school, filling crossing guard shortages, changes to meeting schedules and much more.

OPINION

Where are consuls as immigrants get seized for deportation? Not where they should be.

May 3, 2026

Why so little consular activity reported for thousands of people detained by ICE? It may be that the locations of consulates do not map the needs of the moment.

NEWS

ShotSpotter gunshot-detection technology takes fire as surveillance that may not make Cambridge safer

May 2, 2026

The gunfire-detection technology used by Cambridge police is surveillance that has a high false alarm rate, residents and experts say.

FOOD

Owner plans to close S&S Restaurant in Inman this summer

May 1, 2026

S&S Restaurant owner Gary Mitchell hints at “other things” coming after the deli ends its 107-year run in Inman Square.

DEVELOPMENT

A developer’s ‘monolith’ and giant parking garage concept took an advisory group by surprise

May 1, 2026

“Admittedly, it’s probably too much parking,” a development company representative said. Another company proposed a large grass field instead.

ARTS

Groups align on reclaiming Davis Square as a home for everyday art, starting Friday with a concert series

April 30, 2026

Two efforts to revive the square as a community gathering place are at critical stages, starting with a Down in Davis concert series launching Friday.

EDUCATION

No immediate change in leadership is signaled at Graham & Parks, now the site of a discrimination lawsuit

April 30, 2026

A principal has seen two investigations into workplace toxicity and two discrimination lawsuits between two public school districts.

THEATER

Two theater projects promote transformative climate justice

April 30, 2026

“Now Is Still Here” to be staged outdoors at the Somerville Community Growing Center in late May.

HEAR FIRST

Jonny Tex: ‘Mustard Seeds’

April 30, 2026

Hear First discovers a more 'intentional' sound on the Cambridge musician's latest single.

FOOD

Taste of Cambridge, nearing end of early bird sales, adds six more sources of samples and sips

April 29, 2026

Surfside, Caffe Nero, Boston Burger Co., McCarthy’s and Toad, and Patco Brands join the June 17 endless-samples event.

ASK CHEF JJ

Yay! It’s time for spring produce: Asparagus, sunchokes, fiddleheads, ramps and rhubarb

April 29, 2026

We have only a few months of seriously good growing time here, so we need to come out of the gate running.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Fringe benefits: Coffee with something extra, somewhere else

April 29, 2026

This week, the journey began near Porter Square, thence near Union Square and finally to East Cambridge. Each had something off my radar to recommend it!

FOOD

Prepare for Nostalgia, where coffee and vintage clothing mix, and learn what happened to Nine Winters Bakery

April 29, 2026

Somerville welcomes a hybrid cafe and vintage clothing store called Nostalgia while the taste fades from the celebrated Nine Winters Bakery in Cambridge.

BITE

Shrimp hand pie at Chatty Patty

April 29, 2026

These Caribbean-style patties come out sizzling, with the kind of grease sheen that signals you’re about to enjoy yourself.

MUSIC

What’s up with Down in Davis?

April 29, 2026

A new Friday concert series debuts to give the community a fun, family-friendly place to gather.

MUSIC

The Indie Somerville Porchfest Preview

April 28, 2026

Your guide to all the noise you want and none you don't at the biggest Porchfest around.

BUSINESS

Two-day educator strike begins at Lesley University

April 28, 2026

Demands include livable wages, manageable workloads and a “successorship clause” to keep their contract if the school is sold.

DEVELOPMENT

Alternative Davis Square apartment designs are online from Copper Mill

April 28, 2026

The original design for the 500 units was a 26-story tower that found significant opposition in the community even among housing advocates.

HEAR FIRST

MOZZ: ‘Breadt’

April 28, 2026

Hear First spotlights the yin and yang of Mozz's latest EP 'Breadt.'

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Davis Square (Diesel, 5:30-6:30 p.m.)

“We cannot help but look forward with some anxiety to the future,” the president of Harvard said. “The Puritans no longer control Cambridge.”

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Missing the tax filing deadline isn’t cause for panic

April 27, 2026

To start with, if you’re owed a refund, there’s no penalty for filing late. Even if you owe, missing a deadline shouldn't be fatal.

OPINION

New data privacy laws will have unintended consequences that hurt mom-and-pops and nonprofits

April 27, 2026

The bills gaining traction on Beacon Hill are well-intentioned but threaten to create unintended consequences for small businesses and nonprofits.

LIT

Author David Szalay in the flesh

April 27, 2026

The 2025 Booker Prize winner talks autonomy, audiobooks and Dua Lipa's book club in Harvard Square.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, April 27-May 4: Healthpeak shows its giant project in the Highlands

April 26, 2026

Take part in meetings on Healthpeak's plan for a new neighborhood in the Alewife Quadrangle, new homes on Ellery Street and big city projects.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, April 27-May 4: Developers vie for 90 Washington St. project

April 26, 2026

Take part in meetings on remaking 90 Washington St., surveillance technology, a teen center at Cummings School and Davis Square issues.

OPINION

Call it improvements, call it planning, delaying a development is a way to make it not happen

April 26, 2026

It’s doubtful any more meetings, planning, input, commentary, essays or shouting will facilitate a better decision about the Copper Mill project.

OPINION

Something about the design of this food hall was bothering me.

April 26, 2026

CanalSide looks toward a boisterous future of 600 people warming a giant space, forgetting the lessons from ghosted storefronts.

NEWS

Somerville Housing’s special officers are under the authority of city’s police chief in new home rule petition

April 25, 2026

Special police officers also won’t be excluded from union activities or civil service rules, city councilors were assured.

NEWS

Gilligan-Corsetti organizes a run for Somerville state rep; Azeem breaks for his wedding and a party

April 25, 2026

“I understand the struggles of working class people,” said Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti, eyeing a 27th Middlesex seat. Also: A “big South Asian dance party” calls.

LIT

Indie bookstores have a day

April 24, 2026

Crawl, walk, run to your local bookstore on April 25 for Independent Bookstore Day.

FASHION

The Garment District, where the old becomes new again, hits 40

April 24, 2026

The beloved thrift megastore finds surprising ways to reinvent itself in the age of influencers.

BUSINESS

President of Lesley University says she is leaving June 30

April 23, 2026

The president of Lesley University is stepping down after seven years, leaving the role at the end of June as her contract term expires, according to a university email sent Wednesday. Upon Janet...

ARTS

Life Drawing Boston draws love from its community along with an entertainment license

April 23, 2026

Up to 200 new homes with a park, library branch and other community benefits for Union Square made for a sweet pitch, but not all were convinced.

COMEDY

Who won comedy last night: Addy Goldstein, whose mom died

April 21, 2026

At a College Comedy Showcase at The Comedy Studio, one comic got to the point quickly: “Try to keep it together,” she told the audience. “My mom just died.”

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) (corrected)

April 21, 2026

We have Tuesday office hours to hear story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints, and tonight they’re in Central Square.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge’s Humane Society changed its mission, then quit, as Cambridge changed

April 20, 2026

As the demographics of the poor community in Cambridge shifted, so too did the Cambridge Female Humane Society’s approach to meeting their needs.

NEWS

A neighborhood group is forming to fill a gap in North Cambridge

April 19, 2026

Former city councillor Paul Toner joins a wave of organizing in West Cambridge, Neighborhood 9, Somerville’s Davis Square and by businesses around Porter Square.

OPINION

Letter to a traffic engineer

April 19, 2026

Even entities such as the City of Cambridge, which in theory should have been consulted in a Reid Overpass design process, are relegated to the inbox.

OPINION

Counter intuitive

April 19, 2026

There’s a special kind of pain in seeing projects go up thoughtlessly with flaws that will confront people for years or decades.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, April 20-27: William Dawes rides again at a Patriots’ Day observance

April 19, 2026

Take part in a meeting with a new election commissioner and attend a Patriots’ Day observance.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, April 20-27: Police cameras and staying out late for World Cup games

April 19, 2026

Take part in meetings on water, sewage and cop cameras; plans for a month of World Cup; and remaking 90 Washington St.

FOOD

Somerville Plant-Based Restaurant Week has dishes and deals to help savor saving the Earth

April 18, 2026

There are bargains and special dishes at 19 restaurants for Plant-Based Restaurant Week, from new specialty pizzas to buy-one, get-one deals.

LECTURE

How to save the planet for the 99%

April 18, 2026

Philosopher Nancy Fraser critiques the capitalist underbelly of environmentalism at Harvard University lecture.

DEVELOPMENT

Cambridge Redevelopment Authority makes real estate moves in North and East Cambridge

April 17, 2026

The most prominent builder in North Cambridge may now be the quasi-governmental agency the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority. Its board voted Thursday to put up six stories of mixed-income housing at...

TRANSPORTATION

Renovated outbound Kendall/MIT headhouse reopens Monday

April 17, 2026

Access to red line trains for the past year and 10 months has been through 325 Main St., access that ends as the new headhouse opens for use.

ART AND DESIGN

‘Your Light Is Central’ is an evolving LED art installation that makes a colorful square even more vivid

April 17, 2026

Art is meant to illuminate, and a series of installations called “Your Light Is Central” went live in Cambridge’s Central Square this week to make that literal.

DEVELOPMENT

Developers are putting backyard cottages ‘on steroids’ to turn them into triple-deckers, former officials say

April 16, 2026

Developers are abusing the ability to create “backyard cottages” in Somerville, bringing crammed-in but unaffordable condos.

BUSINESS

Lesley University faculty say they are ready to strike, and they want protection if the school shuts or sells

April 16, 2026

Faculty say they are fighting for fair compensation, manageable workloads and contract retention in the event of an acquisition or shutdown.

NEWS

Cambridge Police Department sees an abrupt turnover as Christine Elow retires as commissioner

April 16, 2026

Cambridge Police Department commissioner Christine Elow has announced her retirement after 30 years with the city. Her last day is Friday.

MUSIC

Vinyl Heads, Rejoice

April 16, 2026

A roundup of our favorite records stores to visit on Record Store Day this April 18.

FASHION

Cambridge and Somerville 2026 spring style

April 16, 2026

Expect a touch of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy minimalism as well as breathable cotton poplin, linen blends and lightweight knits.

BUSINESS

Inman Eats & Crafts street fair May 17 is the start of a powerful event rotation for the all-local square

April 15, 2026

Inman Eats & Crafts is a celebration of everything Inman Square – “eclectic retailers, fabulous makers, our casual eats and culinary treats.”

BUSINESS

Cambridge city councillor McGovern urges a boycott of Citizens Bank over its support of ICE

April 15, 2026

Pressure against Citizens Bank for its political investments has grown to include Cambridge city councillor Marc McGovern.

THEATER

The last three A.R.T. plays in Harvard Square share a theme for Trump’s America

April 15, 2026

Eugène Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros,” a rock opera about the abortion network called The Janes and an underground railroad tale called “Mexodus.”

LET’S GET COFFEE

Three squares, three worlds of coffee: Yego in Teele, Bom Dough in Inman and Maprang in Union

April 15, 2026

These cafés, one Rwandan, one Brazilian and one Thai, speak different taste languages.

ASK CHEF JJ

These foods could be made from a can or box, but you’re going to want to DIY instead

April 15, 2026

What’s something you insist on making more or less from scratch that the rest of us might just break out a box or can for?

BITE

Herb roasted potatoes at Veggie Grill

April 15, 2026

With teardown complete at 221 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge is about to reopen the surrounding Sparks and Mount Auburn streets after 272 days.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Your employer can contribute to a kid’s Trump Account starting July 4

April 13, 2026

Unlike your contributions, which are after-tax, employer contributions come pretax, similar to how a company might contribute to a retirement plan.

NEWS

Order around appointing special police in Somerville, including at Housing Authority, paused for questions

April 12, 2026

Legislators warn that time is running out to make sure of passage on Beacon Hill, putting pressure on action when an order returns April 23.

OPINION

It’s time for police oversight in Somerville

April 12, 2026

It is past time for the City Council to act on its 2020 commitment and create a police commission and a community police review agency.

OPINION

You can live without your creepy doorbell camera

April 12, 2026

By owning one of these doorbell surveillance cameras, you are not making yourself safer. You are making yourself useful.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, April 13-20: Another zigzag on Garden Street and multi-income housing

April 12, 2026

Take part in meetings on a massive energy project, social housing, traffic changes (or not) on Garden Street and Gold Star Mothers park.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, April 13-20: Displacement and affordability, a change of use in Union Square

April 12, 2026

Take part in meetings on finances for the school district, displaced people and creation of affordable homes and a wish not to build Union Square offices.

OPINION

Closure overexposure

April 12, 2026

Psychologically, we warm up to things more when we encounter them a lot – as long as we don’t already dislike them. Like the misuse of words.

NEWS

Somerville is beefing up its Welcoming Community Ordinance against Trump policies

April 11, 2026

A law that spells out Somerville’s resistance to federal oppression is being strengthened, including protections for First Amendment expression.

MUSIC

Prewn’s Izzy Hagerup delivers serious star power in a visit from Northampton

April 11, 2026

Izzy Hagerup, at the head of a four-musician Prewn, effortlessly commanded the attention of the room at Deep Cuts.

NEWS

Deal offers a chance for Somerville to own instead of rent at its months-old Assembly Square fire station

April 10, 2026

With a sudden $7 million bond appropriation by the City Council, Somerville can go from renter to owner at its Assembly Square fire station.

FOOD

Where to gorge with all-you-can-eat and buffets in Cambridge and Somerville

April 10, 2026

One appeal of the buffet is not having to make hard choices. The wealth of Cambridge and Somerville buffet options perform that role on a broader scale.

NEWS

March’s rain and snow helps Northeast leave significant drought, but it’s still important to conserve

April 10, 2026

The region has been downgraded to a mild drought from significant drought. Dry conditions have persisted since August and could worsen again.

DEVELOPMENT

Approval to tear down an Ellery Street home followed the process correctly, commissioners say

April 10, 2026

An early 1900s home assessed as being in “excellent condition” continues on a path to demolition after a neighbors’ appeal was rejected.

FOOD

Somerville Plant-Based Restaurant Week could encourage new menu items but has a bigger purpose

April 9, 2026

A Plant-Based Restaurant Week set for April 18-25 follows City Council endorsement of changes to Somerville policies about meat.

ARTS

Dancing through a cemetery and poems for a Vodou spirit are coming in Mount Auburn residencies

April 9, 2026

Four artists and organizations are named as Mount Auburn Cemetery’s new artists-in-residence for its record-breaking 11th year.

NEWS

The innovators of Kendall Square are going to war or escaping to Europe: A conversation

April 8, 2026

The average resident might be shocked at where things are headed in the gleaming towers of our innovation district.

BUSINESS

In preparing for World Cup soccer, goals range from moneymaking to surviving a hooligan siege

April 8, 2026

Public safety officials are bracing for the World Cup – first an onslaught of licensing needs and then a possible invasion of hooligans.

ASK CHEF JJ

Edible flowers: Beautiful and, naturally, delicious (so long as you choose the safe ones)

April 8, 2026

Nasturtiums are edible, and popular, as you might have noticed, in fancy salads. There are lots of flowers that are edible and easy to come by here.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Three cafes as diverse as Central Square

April 8, 2026

Today’s Central Square is truly the center, the convergence point for Cambridge’s diverse cultures and lively commerce.

THEATER

‘Breaking the Code’ is not to be missed at Central Square Theater

April 8, 2026

Many of us have heard the name Alan Turing, but few know much more about him than his legacy as the father of computer science.

BITE

Sweet frank roll at H Mart

April 8, 2026

Of course the cultish Korean grocery store has plused the impulse buys before you get to the checkouts – sweet, savory or both, like this.

DEVELOPMENT

Affordable housing and space for Public Works are priorities at six Cambridge-owned properties

April 7, 2026

Affordable housing and room for a squeezed Department of Public Works was top of mind at a Monday roundtable in Cambridge.

NEWS

Homeless shelter at church is approved by a judge, found to be part of a ‘broader religious project’ (updated)

April 7, 2026

Some neighbors worried about the effects on the area and property values from crime, drug use and noise from a 26-bed shelter near Davis Square.

DEVELOPMENT

Ellery Street building design is still in flux in a changing Mid-Cambridge

April 7, 2026

A project to put up a six-story building with more than 30 condos at 88 Ellery St. was continued to a future meeting despite better-liked designs.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30-6:30 p.m.)

April 7, 2026

We have Tuesday office hours to hear story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints, and tonight they’re in Central Square.

FOOD

June brings Taste of Somerville and Taste of Cambridge, seemingly endless nibbles from around cities

April 6, 2026

Early bird sales to the Taste of Somerville are live through April 14, the Somerville Chamber of Commerce said Monday. The discounts means 15 percent off access to the 28th edition of this sampler of...

MUSIC

Spring Festival Preview

April 6, 2026

A preview of the most exciting spring music festivals, from one-day local affairs to multiday out-of-towners.

DID YOU KNOW

Debate over Fugitive Slave Act raises questions of ‘lawful authority’

April 6, 2026

The federal mandate for Northern states to enforce the proslavery agenda of Southern states fueled the fires of division before the Civil War.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Trump Accounts aren’t tax free, but some kids can get $1,000 to start

April 6, 2026

The advantage to these new financial tools comes from tax-deferred growth, early investing and a $1,000 government contribution.

ART AND DESIGN

‘Starting From Scratch’ shares success secrets from self-made artists, including one venturing into software

April 5, 2026

It’s not easy making art for a living, but three self-taught creators in Somerville share stories in April about how they bootstrapped their way to a breakthrough.

NEWS

No one likes the state’s first attempts at a Reid Overpass redesign

April 5, 2026

More than a dozen organizations have nearly identical conclusions about redesigns of a nearly 90-year-old Cambridgeport traffic overpass.

OPINION

Why doesn’t Phil Eng know how batteries work?

April 5, 2026

Everyone warned us, but the T switched systems anyway. No U.S. transit professional believes there's anything to learn from systems around the globe.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, April 6-13: Police cameras and a new two-school campus

April 5, 2026

Take part in meetings on progress toward a new school, police body camera funding and bike lanes at the Elm-Beacon Connector project.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, April 6-13: Ellery Street projects put multifamily housing under a microscope

April 5, 2026

Two projects on one street are among those shaped by multifamily housing zoning the City Council passed last year, and the experts are watching.

OPINION

Political pundits can’t talk about Democratic wins without addressing Republican lies

April 5, 2026

It matters as Democrats enter a phase of beating Republican candidates and the losers have shown how far to hang onto power.

THEATER

Apocalyptic satire makes an encore with Bread & Puppet’s song, dance and papier-mâché

April 3, 2026

A third apocalypse-themed show inspired by modern political culture arrives: The Bread & Puppet Theater’s “The End of the World Never Minding Show.”

EDUCATION

Like and subscribe: Cambridge School Committee prepares to push publish on a newsletter (but endorses a podcast)

April 3, 2026

There’s caution about overwhelming Cambridge families who already get too much information about the goings-on in their school district.

DEVELOPMENT

‘Shocked’ by low assessed value at 90 Washington, agency members head off the map

April 2, 2026

Members of the Somerville Redevelopment Authority were dismayed to find a $3.8 million assessment at a lot that’s cost the city around $35.3 million.

FILM

Independent Film Festival Boston ready for the spotlight

April 2, 2026

Boots Riley, over 100 films, and a small army of volunteers make the magic happen.

EDUCATION

Tufts has chosen its commencement speaker in venture capital health head Ken Frazier

April 2, 2026

Commencement at Tufts University is 9 a.m. May 17 on the academic quad of Tufts’ Medford-Somerville campus.

COMEDY

Comedian Eugene Mirman is recovering after single-car crash in New Hampshire

April 1, 2026

Somerville comedian Eugene Mirman was pulled from a burning car after crashing into tolls on a a New Hampshire turnpike on Tuesday.

BUSINESS

Porter Square Shopping Center makes space for a business between Cafe Zing and Cambridge Naturals

April 1, 2026

“Cafe Zing 2.0” is expected to open in three months in Porter Square, but what opens in the remaining space won't be Cambridge Naturals.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Three destination cafes where no compromise is needed between high-quality food and coffee

April 1, 2026

There's not always a need to pair prized coffee with a generic muffin or croissant or wash down a to-die-for pastry or bagel with a lesser brew.

BITE

Napoli pastry at Yafa Bakery & Café

April 1, 2026

At Yafa, the pistachio is a major food group that appears on or in many of the treats. With the cone-shaped, chocolatey Napoli, it’s both.

ASK CHEF JJ

Spice, spice, baby: Racking up some jarring insights about what gives life flavor

April 1, 2026

For starters, how often do you throw out spices? If you are my mother, the answer is never.

NEWS

Azeem’s ads have exciting news for riders of the MBTA (in the 1940s)

April 1, 2026

Those ads about a giant expansion of the MBTA – the red line into Lexington, the green line to Woburn and so on – are accurate. In a way.

BUSINESS

Clover restaurant chain may shut down without a buyer

March 31, 2026

Less than two years after exiting bankruptcy protection, the Clover chain of restaurants is seeking a buyer and may lay off 182 workers.

DEVELOPMENT

Davis Square Neighborhood Plan could be done by fall, becoming a factor in tower decision

March 31, 2026

If you love books, why not prove it with an act of enormous physical prowess?

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Maybe this is the year you should itemize deductions

March 30, 2026

With the cap rising it $40,000, more taxpayers may now find that itemizing results in a larger deduction than taking the standard deduction.

NEWS

Cambridge has surpassed its 1950s population peak, with housing, wealth and race effects

March 29, 2026

The Human Rights Commission heard findings on age and sex; households and families; race and ethnicity; immigration; income and poverty.

OPINION

Old friends, public service and a campaign for the community

March 29, 2026

I believe my perspective is needed on Beacon Hill, where the voices of the vulnerable are too often drowned out by special interests and bureaucracy.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, March 30-April 6: Affordable homes overlay zoning … and doughnuts

March 29, 2026

Take part in meetings on 90 Washington and new school plans, affordable homes overlay zoning and hours a Winter Hill Dunkin’.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, March 30-April 6: The city is using AI and talking data centers and turning 400

March 29, 2026

Take part in meetings on changes to community benefits, tech, events and tourism issues and the future of city-owned properties.

OPINION

They talk about politeness when they mean compliance

March 29, 2026

The idea of politeness as “professionalism” is a societal delusion, and too frequently the enforcing of a gracious response to malicious policy.

OPINION

What’s really in Cambridge’s tap water?

March 28, 2026

A look at what cities do and don’t test when determining that their tap water is safe.

NEWS

Protect Act passes in state House of Representatives ahead of weekend Trump protests

March 28, 2026

An Act Protecting Access to Justice comes “in response to the ongoing fascist ICE crackdown,” state representative Mike Connolly said.

COMMUNITY

Mount Auburn Cemetery opens its gates at 6 a.m. for early morning strolls and bird-watching

March 28, 2026

Mount Auburn Cemetery brings back its Early-Bird Hours starting Wednesday and reopens its Washington Tower for the season.

MUSIC

Sado-Domestics can be your soundtrack

March 28, 2026

The alt-Americana band Sado-Domestics is one of countless acts bringing life to our stages and soundtracking our nightly revels.

MUSIC

Gypsy punk takes the crown at Royale

March 28, 2026

Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz jumps into the photo pit on a raucous Wednesday night.

NEWS

A moment of silence honors Olympian Reavis, who set records at Somerville High and nationally

March 27, 2026

Olympian Phil Reavis was mourned Thursday in Somerville, where he lived and is honored as the namesake of a high school athletic field.

THEATER

‘Breaking the Code’ unravels the mysteries of a brilliant mathematician’s inner life

March 27, 2026

Actors Eddie Shields and Josephine Moshiri Elwood talk about the challenge of bringing Alan Turing's life to the stage.

DEVELOPMENT

Plan for affordable homes on Porter Street is a capstone as Johnston retires from CHA

March 26, 2026

Amid speeches, work got done, including moves toward developing land at 16-28 Porter St., Wellington-Harrington, near the Somerville city line.

NEWS

In Brownsberger-Lander race for senate, incumbent touts governor’s endorsement

March 26, 2026

The reelection campaign of state senator Will Brownsberger was endorsed Thursday by governor Maura Healey as “crucial” to state initiatives.

FOOD

Friendly Toast menu makes some moves under a CEO brought over from Tatte

March 26, 2026

The menu is getting a minor update at The Friendly Toast, an all-day brunch and bar spot in Cambridge’s Harvard Square.

MUSIC

Hear First: ‘Bell Biv Barclay’

March 26, 2026

ET and Haasan Barclay's love letter to Boston and homage to the New Jack Swing era.

FOOD

Cheesecake as an act of meditation with Duly Lee of Korean Momma

March 25, 2026

To indulge in the custom Basque cheesecakes of Korean Momma, a customer can expect to wait. And maybe to engage in five minutes of “therapy.”

NEWS

Entering a budget cycle $5.9M in the red, Somerville city councilors are united on priorities

March 25, 2026

Somerville city councilors know their wish lists for the city might not happen, but the shared themes were deemed “really striking.”

ARTS

The music runs all April 5 as McCarthy’s and Toad celebrate their first year in Porter Square

March 25, 2026

The McCarthy’s restaurant and attached Toad nightclub celebrate their year anniversary April 5 with a party featuring a day of live music.

ASK CHEF JJ

Crispy pie: Secrets for homemade pizza, including the gluten-free kind

March 25, 2026

Very strong opinions from a former pizzamaking instructor who never mastered a perfectly round crust (because it doesn't matter).

BITE

Scallion biscuit at Phinista Cafe

March 25, 2026

$4.25 A group of us set out to find the best banh mi in Cambridge and Somerville and discovered along the way another treat everyone loved – a savory, sweet and substantial scallion biscuit. The...

COMMUNITY

No Kings rallies pop up regionwide Saturday, with sign-making parties ahead of time

March 24, 2026

No Kings, a series of protests against the politics of president Donald Trump, returns Saturday to Cambridge, Somerville and Boston.

NEWS

After a ‘particularly brutal winter,’ Somerville urges pothole reports and prepares road repairs

March 24, 2026

The repaving of streets and other road improvements are mentioned as budget priorities in memos filed with mayor Jake Wilson by five city councilors.

NEWS

Water and sewer bills, drought, ‘forever chemicals’ and a Charles River footbridge get council action

March 24, 2026

A bike lane and footpath bridge across the Charles River got a thumbs up from Cambridge city councillors, while concern greeted water issues.

COMMUNITY

We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square

A refund isn’t the finish line. Your return is generally “closed” only once the IRS statute period expires.

MUSIC

Hear First: ‘Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown’

March 23, 2026

Hear First premieres the debut album from DIY folk rock pickers Sweet Petunia.

ARTS

A memorial for Charles Coe is planned for April 11 in Boston

March 22, 2026

The late Cambridge author, poet and musician Charles Coe is honored by the literary and arts community on April 11 across the river in Boston.

OPINION

Near possibly the most important election in U.S. history, The New York Times is in a state of quantum news

March 22, 2026

By deciding which stories to cover and how, our greatest newspaper in content and readership has the power to set the agenda. That’s a concern.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, March 23-30: Public school upkeep and budget priorities

March 22, 2026

Take part in meetings on setting budget priorities, maintaining public schools, Mystic River sewage and affordable-unit rent collection.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, March 23-30: Designing a train tracks bridge, adding Twin Cities affordable housing

March 22, 2026

Take part in meetings on a bridge over rail tracks; snow season's costs; Central Square planning; and affordable homes in two parts of the city.

BUSINESS

Nicotine users will have even fewer choices by May after a Somerville clampdown

March 21, 2026

Somerville is taking more aggressive action against tobacco products that have sneaked onto store shelves without explicit government approval.

THEATER

The end is nigh for ‘The End is Nigh,’ a raucous and rollicking riot of a romp

March 21, 2026

When questions posed by the plot become too thorny, the ensemble stabs or punches someone or simply runs in circles to explode the tension.

EDUCATION

Options for East Cambridge’s closed school will be seen in May; better busing brings changes

March 20, 2026

Three to six options for the future of 158 Spring St. are expected to be presented to Cambridge Public Schools families in May, district superintendent David Murphy told School Committee members at a...

NEWS

Democratic Socialists seek more state seats but fell short of endorsing Uyterhoeven, its sole incumbent

March 19, 2026

The DSA fell a few votes short of endorsing Erika Uyterhoeven, who is running without its field team, and the issue was largely not about policy.

ART AND DESIGN

Multicultural Arts Center showcases works by high schoolers

March 19, 2026

The show tends toward up-close, pensive portraits of youth and the surreal, part of the center’s mission to show the bold and new.

BUSINESS

Mourning Dove: No lease renewal offered by shopping center, Sign of the Dove artists need a new home

March 19, 2026

“For people in the community who are looking to support local artists and purchase local artwork, losing these spaces makes it harder for them to do that.”

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown redux: dinosaurs on Saturday and a Sunday scare

March 19, 2026

A final afternoon of chiptune music saved by a barcade that came to the rescue in downtown Salem.

ASK CHEF JJ

Vegetarian chili you can make for 10 after learning how to scale recipes up, up, up

March 18, 2026

How do you cook for a lot of people in a home kitchen? A little math, some careful measuring, savvy and splitting and the right storage.

MUSIC

The date is set for Porchfest’s 15th year in Somerville

March 18, 2026

Porchfest returns to Somerville on May 9, and residents can apply through April 21 to host a band.

BUSINESS

How a ‘420 friendly’ club hopes to light up Union Square without social-consumption laws in place

March 18, 2026

A pot-friendly, no-alcohol comedy and music club got licensing to open in Somerville’s Union Square but must walk a very fine line.

BITE-OFF

We tried Cambridge and Somerville banh mi and found our favorite (for tofu, anyway)

March 18, 2026

Five Vietnamese restaurants sell banh mi in Cambridge and Somerville, and on a recent Sunday a group of us tried them all to help direct diners to the best. The sandwich is almost always great, a...

NEWS

Man used violence, stalking and fraud to force women into sex, U.S. Attorney’s Office says

March 18, 2026

Daniel Rodriguez, 36, was arrested on state charges in January after leading the police on a high-speed chase in Randolph.

BITE

Fried mozzarella at Si Cara

March 18, 2026

This is a very firm layer of panko over the smoothest, mildest, most innocuous of mozzarellas all but rescued by the choice of sauce.

NEWS

Derrick Neal is out as head of Cambridge Public Health

March 18, 2026

Neal was appointed during the Covid pandemic after withdrawing from a job in California and spent a little over four years with the department.

LIT

Anne Fadiman gets personal with her latest essay collection, ‘Frog’

March 17, 2026

The would-be love child of John McPhee and Virginia Woolf shares a few amphibian-related regrets.

EDUCATION

Unhappy over a confusing process, Somerville officials embrace a future with a 925-seat school

March 17, 2026

A combined campus on Winter Hill means closing the Benjamin G. Brown School on Willow Avenue and less walkability in West Somerville.

DEVELOPMENT

Streamlining the permitting process? Cambridge did this in 2024

March 16, 2026

Getting projects into construction is urgent, especially for housing, so staff expects to report as soon as mid-June on how to speed that up.

DID YOU KNOW

With Metacom’s Resistance, colonists set Indigenous nations at war with each other

March 16, 2026

Metacom’s Resistance is a lesser-known, three-year war that is part of 350 years of conflict, coexistence and Indigenous presence.

FILM

Oscars 2026 results include a rare tie

March 16, 2026

The annual film awards were held last night in Hollywood. Did The Brattle have a premonition about a rare Oscars tie?

OPINION

The Renty daguerreotypes find a home, but Harvard’s legal fight lingers

March 16, 2026

Harvard chose to explore its legacy as an enslaver of 70 or more people at the same time it fought claims by a descendant of slavery.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Four reasons to file taxes with low income, some that put money in your pocket

March 16, 2026

In many cases, filing a tax return can put money back in your pocket even when income is relatively low – including from prior years.

OPINION

Somerville could have skipped these police grants that come with strings attached

March 15, 2026

The Somerville City Council accepted nearly $200,000 for police over two meetings filled with fractious debate. Is this money worth what it costs?

NEWS

Somerville meetings, March 16-23: Lessons from winter’s snowfall and affordable-housing zoning

March 15, 2026

Take part in meetings on building school campuses and maintaining current educational facilities and a postmortem on winter snow clearing.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, March 16-23: Cutting student screen time, and the future of the K-Lo campus

March 15, 2026

Take part in meetings on student screen time, busing and the K-Lo school campus, and city finances and micromobility.

LIT

Booksellers and librarians gather Wednesday to talk about ‘Getting the Story Out’ to new readers

March 14, 2026

A couple of decades ago, some 400 newspapers published book reviews in arts and culture sections. Now it may be as few as 40.

ASK CHEF JJ

To broil or not to broil? Here’s a dry rubbed pork tenderloin for when the heat is on

March 14, 2026

When you use the broiler setting on an oven, do you leave the door ajar? This question opens up a lot having to do with this high-heat cooking.

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown redux: the chiptune spectacle spans three cities on Friday

March 13, 2026

A visual spectacle engulfs the interior of Capital Theatre while Boston Bitdown artists take to the stage in Arlington, Medford and Somerville.

NEWS

Cambridge looks to MBTA and mall owner to take lead in updating the Alewife area

March 13, 2026

What wasn’t on the list of Cambridge housing and zoning priorities presented this week to city councillors: A few untouched parts of Alewife .

NEWS

Bill stopping ICE’s courthouse seizures wins support in Somerville as a Cambridge family mourns

March 13, 2026

Somerville city councilors became the first in the state to vote in support of a bill on Beacon Hill that protects courtgoers from seizure by ICE.

ARTS

Somerville gives an extra week to get through a 117-page application to be an Armory tenant

March 12, 2026

Somerville has extended its submission deadline by a week for artists, makers and creative organizations to lease space in its Armory building.

DEVELOPMENT

Somerville YMCA project has a friendly neighborhood meeting, getting swole without breaking a sweat

March 12, 2026

After another year of permitting and two years of construction, a project of 130,000-plus square feet will add affordable housing and amenities.

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown redux: Thursday

March 11, 2026

Relive what went down Thursday night at the world's largest chiptune festival, Boston Bitdown 2.

FILM

Tracking The Monster and his Bride through the many versions of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

March 11, 2026

Right now cinemagoers can double their Frankenstein pleasure with “The Bride!” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” up for the Best Picture Oscar this Sunday. Sure, “Frankenstein” is streaming on...

BITE

Veggie mini mandu at K-Bok Korean Fried Chicken

March 11, 2026

While it’s the wings that are most exciting about this restaurant in the former Cantina Mexicana space, these dumplings have a lot going for them.

DEVELOPMENT

Copper Mill promises alternative designs within 30 days for its Davis Square tower proposal

March 11, 2026

Renderings of a 26-story, 502-apartment building drew scoffs even from project supporters, and the developer agreed it missed the mark.

FOOD

Nagomi Bento’s expansion into Cambridge means more snacks, bowls, drinks and happiness

March 10, 2026

Less than two years after opening in Somerville’s Bow Market, Nagomi Bento is expanding to Cambridge. The Japanese restaurant, between Harvard and Porter squares, is expected to open the second week...

NEWS

Police budget in Cambridge draws attention to overlap with social services and unarmed response team

March 10, 2026

There were no “defund the police” calls, but overlaps in services were examined critically in a Finance Committee hearing.

COMMUNITY

We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square

March 10, 2026

As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations in Cambridge and Somerville.

NEWS

Political climate change pushes Ig Nobel Prize ceremony to Europe after 35 years

March 10, 2026

The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony is moving to Europe, and its Sept. 3 awards – the 36th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony – take place in Zurich.

NEWS

Cambridge will pay $400,000 over a gun discharge rather than risk paying more after a trial

March 10, 2026

Cambridge plans to settle a settle a lawsuit filed by retired police lieutenant, who said his weapon fired because of a manufacturing flaw.

COMMUNITY

Decriminalization of sex work is explored with experts in a Thursday conversation

March 9, 2026

A film screening and panel of experts grows a collective understanding of the experience of sex workers amid an erosion of freedom and democracy.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: The IRS has three years on its audit clock. Get it started by filing on time.

March 9, 2026

The IRS has a limited time to review and challenge a tax return. Filing a return promptly helps ensure this clock begins running as early as possible.

NEWS

There’s already debate, over the Legislature’s work ethic, as Miller challenges Connolly in the 26th

March 8, 2026

A seat encompassing East Cambridge and East Somerville is getting its first Democratic political primary – and race of any kind – since 2016.

NEWS

As weather warms, cities wait to see how long until their biggest snow piles melt away

March 8, 2026

Somerville city staff compare this year with 2015, when “the snow piles lasted until May,” and a Cambridge spokesperson eyed early summer.

OPINION

Why Somerville still doesn’t have public toilets

March 8, 2026

The company that makes the Portland Loo is not licensed by Massachusetts, so its structures are not allowed (except in several neighboring cities).

NEWS

Somerville meetings, March 9-16: Merged schools, Davis Square tower and a new YMCA

March 8, 2026

Take part in meetings on a merged school campus, a proposed apartment tower, a YMCA on Highland Avenue and Elm-Beacon road plan.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, March 9-16: A consolidated housing department and police budgeting

March 8, 2026

Take part in meetings on combining housing and homeless services into one department; the police budget; disability services and planning; and more.

ARTS

To save the creative, arts advocates say to get real about housing, planning and the Legislature

March 7, 2026

Along with calling on residents to push for the creation of cultural trusts, arts advocates talked about increasingly regional efforts to save the arts. That included a digital mapping project that could help identify problems and improve municipal planning.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Space, time and coffee

March 7, 2026

An occasional feature mapping our sipping in visits to cafes in Somerville and Cambridge – this time Imagine, Forge and Three Little Figs.

DEVELOPMENT

Assembly Row hotel promises its new rooftop deck won’t be open late

March 6, 2026

If someone wants to party on a rooftop deck, ”there are plenty of options in The Seaport,” the developer of Assembly Row told the Planning Board.

NEWS

Belief in the success of the Black Lives Matter movement fell by 31% at a formal debate

March 6, 2026

As Black History Month came to a close, a civic organization reflected on one of the most defining and divisive movements of the digital era.

THEATER

In Rebecca Kopycinski’s ‘Thotbot,’ obsolete tech rewinds into a dark future that predicts our present

March 5, 2026

The “ThotBot Implantation Center,” an immersive art installation and multimedia concert rounds out its latest run of sold-out shows at Bow Market.

ASK CHEF JJ

First tomato soup, and gluten-free tricks for a béchamel sauce

March 5, 2026

This week we're faking things: tomato soup when neither tomatoes nor basil are in season, and a flour-based sauce without flour, for those avoiding gluten.

FASHION

These walking sleeping bags are our cocoons when we can’t nest

March 5, 2026

The new outerwear mood on the streets this winter is hard to miss: the ankle-length puffer coat, a full-on down cocoon reaching nearly to the ground.

FOOD

Veggie Galaxy, maker of comfort food in Cambridge, is called Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in America

March 5, 2026

Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge has been named the best vegan-friendly restaurant in America in a VegNews reader survey.

DEVELOPMENT

Union Square developer, struggling to fill lab space, is open to speeding up hotel or homebuilding

March 5, 2026

USQ, master developer of a 20-acre, $2 billion project in Union Square, has been wooing AI, life sciences, robotics and other sectors.

EDUCATION

Designs for a merged Winter Hill-Brown school on Sycamore Street are presented in Somerville

March 5, 2026

Students and educators are expected to return to 115 Sycamore St., with a merged Winter Hill and Brown schools set for a 2031 move-in.

BITE

Pita and hummus at Life Alive

March 4, 2026

There’s a delicious base of creamy hummus complemented by cucumber slices, crispy dried chickpeas and tangy olives. Is there enough pita, though?

RETAIL

Somerville’s seller of environmentally friendly stuff is expanding with a crowdfunding campaign

March 4, 2026

Somerville’s eco-friendly housewares and bath and body shop, Green Tiger & Co., is expanding at Somerville’s Bow Market.

COMEDY

Andrew Della Volpe’s sitcom is limned before a live studio audience

March 3, 2026

It’s what audiences can expect Friday during Della Volpe’s new hour at The Rockwell in Somerville.

NEWS

Ewen-Campen declares for Uyterhoeven’s state rep district after Uyterhoeven announces a Senate run

March 3, 2026

Ewen-Campen said his goals as a state representative will be familiar from his work as a councilor, including housing, safe streets and immigrant protections.

MUSIC

Middle East co-founder Joseph Sater is mourned

March 3, 2026

The death of Joseph Sater, the co-founder of Cambridge’s Middle East nightclub and other arts venues, was confirmed Tuesday by brother Nabil Sater. The cause was believed to be a heart attack, Nabil Sater said through an intermediary.

MUSIC

A Fuzzstival reunion of sorts comes together to celebrate an LP release by Landowner

March 3, 2026

The icy claw of winter didn’t deter a near sellout crowd for Landowner, a postpunk band out of Western Massachusetts celebrating an LP release.

TRANSPORTATION

Rise in parking permit fees to $75 stalls in Cambridge with misunderstanding about seniors

March 3, 2026

A proposal to raise the cost of most Cambridge resident parking permits was paused Monday amid a misunderstanding that the change affects every senior.

MUSIC

Hear First: ‘Lane Says’

March 3, 2026

Hear First spotlights Lane's nod to Jane's Addiction, “Lane Says.”

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Life is easier with electronic filing

Take part in a week of plenty of meetings about replacing Somerville’s two oldest schools and a mixed-use project on Cobble Hill.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, March 2-9: Clearing snow, setting standards for third graders (and principals)

March 1, 2026

Take part in meetings on clearing snow from sidewalks and declaring school snow days, standard for students and school leaders and more.

FASHION

Rise of the expressive puffer coat

February 27, 2026

This winter, the puffer isn’t just a coat, it’s a mood, and Cambridge and Somerville have been deep in it.

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown music festival expands because its organizers never unplug

February 27, 2026

Boston Bitdown respawns March 5-8, expanding its fun to four days and welcoming more than 50 musicians and artists from Salem to Somerville.

TRANSPORTATION

Bus changes starting April 5 gives more access to Arlington and Burlington

February 27, 2026

Six bus routes see changes starting April 5, including the CT2, 85 and 87 that are serving riders in Cambridge and Somerville.

DEVELOPMENT

Adding mass timber tech to zoning means more affordable housing for Somerville, councilor says

February 27, 2026

A zoning change to allow mass timber and all-affordable buildings to go to eight stories from seven goes to a Land Use Committee in March.

MUSIC

Say She She’s disco revival is disconcerting only if you stop dancing long enough to think

February 26, 2026

Disco is back! The NYC-based outfit Say She She, fronted by three sashaying vocalists, made the argument Saturday at The Sinclair.

BUSINESS

J. August reopens Friday in Harvard Square with its familiar university merch

February 26, 2026

J. August opened in 1891 in a building owned by an all-male Porcellian Club at what was then an all-male Harvard. Its mission is different now.

BITE

Thai chili lemonade at Saigon Tiger

February 26, 2026

All weather is ice cream weather, and why not the same for lemonade? This one has a bright flavor, not too sweet or acidic, and a surprise spiciness.

COMMUNITY

Somerville Democrats gather Sunday to prepare for convention weighing in on Markey seat

February 26, 2026

Registered Democrats in Somerville vote Sunday to elect delegates to attend May’s Democratic State Convention.

FOOD

Eye-tricking viral pastries at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Cafe now include the Strawberry

February 25, 2026

The Mango is not a mango. The Lemon is not a lemon. Starting this week, the Strawberry is not a strawberry. Here's how a cafe does it.

THEATER

How clown troupe Liars and Believers created the apocalyptic death match of ‘The End is Nigh’

February 25, 2026

A play that’s “Animaniacs” meets “The Hunger Games” has creative and philosophical concerns behind its clowning, brightness and physical comedy.

DEVELOPMENT

Lab market and the economy complicate Healthpeak’s vision for a new Cambridge Highlands neighborhood

February 24, 2026

A campus of 20 buildings is planned for parcels assembled by the company Healthpeak and due for a formal application in March.

ARTS

Somerville gets a cabinet-level arts czar in addition to a new leader for Arts Council in mayor’s plan

February 24, 2026

Reassurances came Tuesday for people worried about the direction of creative culture in Somerville, where longtime Arts Council executive director Greg Jenkins steps down March 6.

ASK CHEF JJ

My roast chicken recipe, and how to make spinach soufflé for a sandwich spread

February 24, 2026

It started with an idea for a sandwich and how it might be executed. But first I feel I must start with roasting a chicken.

NEWS

We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square

February 24, 2026

As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.

DEVELOPMENT

Developer is back talking with the public about its Davis Square tower proposal

February 23, 2026

The developer proposing a tower with hundreds of apartments in Somerville’s Davis Square plans a meeting in March with updates and answers.

MUSIC

Who’s in the tour van to rep us at the New Colossus Festival

February 23, 2026

A handful of local musicians head to New York City for the seventh edition of the New Colossus Festival, running March 3-8.

NEWS

Mass transit is slowed by snowstorm and cleanup, MBTA warns

February 23, 2026

The MBTA warned that extreme snowfall and a massive cleanup effort will result in “a number of service changes” for travel through Tuesday.

FOOD

Somerville’s Michette bakery is opening in Cambridge near Inman Square and adding lunch

February 23, 2026

After three years serving French breads and pastries to East Somerville, Thomas Ferté will take advantage of added square footage in Cambridge.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Don’t leave your side hustle off when you file with the IRS

February 23, 2026

Q: Should I include “side hustle” income and expenses on my tax return? A: Yes, absolutely. Reporting your side hustle isn’t just a rule – it often gives you clarity and can even improve your tax...

ARTS

Letter-writers worry there won’t be an open process when Somerville replaces Arts Council director

February 22, 2026

An abrupt departure by a longtime champion has artists wondering who will lead the Somerville Arts Council and how they will be chosen.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, Feb. 23-March 2: Kennedy yard improvements and new school ideas

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, Feb. 17-24: Traffic infrastructure and school budgets

February 17, 2026

Take part in these meetings on Reid Overpass reconstruction, Mount Auburn Street changes, school district budgeting and more.

NEWS

We have Tuesday office hours, and they launch in Davis Square

February 16, 2026

As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.

MUSIC

A stripped-down Katzù Oso comes to The Sinclair on Saturday

February 16, 2026

In advance of his show Saturday at The Sinclair touring with Say She She, Paul Hernandez (Katzù Oso) talked with me about coming up in the Los Angeles music scene, mentors and influences, leaving...

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Why you got a 1099, and what it really means

February 16, 2026

Over time, 1099s have expanded to cover nearly every type of income the IRS wants to track, including gig work or eBay sales.

NEWS

Somerville Arts Council leader Jenkins is asked to leave by mayor

February 14, 2026

The longtime leader of the Somerville Arts Council said he is leaving at the request of new mayor Jake Wilson after nearly 25 years.

BITE-OFF

In a giant-cookie battle of Chip City vs. Crumbl, Harvard Square wins big, even a little too big

February 14, 2026

Two over-the-top chain cookie sellers came to Cambridge a couple of years ago to compete from neighboring squares. Which is for you?

COMEDY

Who won comedy last week: Caden Adrien and Iris Kessler

February 12, 2026

Caden Adrien channels Mitch Hedberg and Steven Wright. Iris Kessler, doing comedy for only three months, brought a great joke and needled her show’s judges.

COMMUNITY

Eight stories of all kinds of love for your Valentine’s Day

February 12, 2026

Stories from people about their first encounters of love of all kinds – romantic, platonic, familial and even spiritual – with future spouses, friends and pets.

BUSINESS

Last-minute (and thoughtful) Valentine’s Day gifts in Cambridge and Somerville

February 12, 2026

Because love shouldn’t feel like a CVS candle aisle panic.

BUSINESS

How to love your Valentine’s Day in Cambridge and Somerville

February 11, 2026

A list of restaurants and experiences that couples, throuples, singles who seek or the self-satisfied can enjoy all weekend long for Valentine’s Day.

FOOD

Valentine’s, Galentine’s, as long as it’s chocolate: An anthropologist’s quick history of a holiday

February 11, 2026

Anthropologists love to say “Bet you didn’t know this!” about cultural history and the origins of things in human use – including for Valentine’s Day.

BITE

Egg salad sandwiches at 7-Eleven

February 11, 2026

The company that owns 7-Eleven is trying to change its culinary reputation. It’s started that work with egg salad sandwiches.

OPINION

Artificial intelligence is coming for us, clearly. Not in the smartest way.

February 11, 2026

Problems with the technologies lumped together as artificial intelligence are worsened by the lumping.

COMMUNITY

Black Cantabrigians may be a dwindling tribe, but will not be forgotten

February 11, 2026

The resiliency of a tribe and its complicated relationship with Cambridge was on display at “Lift Every Voice: Saving Our Stories, Sharing Our History.”

OPINION

Black History Month celebrates a century, and so does its backlash

February 10, 2026

On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, Black History Month is a necessary corrective to revisionist history, selective memory and deliberate attempts at erasure.

MUSIC

Will the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble happen in 2026? It skipped last year for a ‘reset’

February 6, 2026

No news is good news – except when it comes to the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. The long-running battle of the bands, established in 1979, signed off after the 2024 competition with the announcement that it...

ARTS

Black Lives Matter exhibit accepts the debate and stages it

February 2, 2026

“A critical reflection” runs through Black History Month with an Oxford-style debate toward the end on whether “The Black Lives Matter Movement was successful.”

MUSIC

Stormy weather shakes a lineup, but should settle down before the We Black Folks Showcase

January 30, 2026

Your average band preps weeks, if not months, to take the stage on a specific date. It all goes out the window when there's bad weather.

NEWS

Cambridge gets its first gunfire incident of the year, followed by an arrest

January 28, 2026

Two vehicles exchanged gunfire and drove off in opposite directions, witnesses told police in recounting a Cambridge gunfire incident.

NEWS

Homeland Security searches a Lesley University residence hall

January 15, 2026

A federal search of a Cambridge building ignites debate over police cooperation and transparency.

NEWS

Massive file from J6 insurrection trials goes live on the Internet Archive

January 8, 2026

Nearly 3 terabytes of material being uploaded, so much material that it may take days for it all to go live.

ARTS

Comedy Studio hosts Hump! Festival in April, much more than homemade porn

January 8, 2026

The annual touring fest brings five-minute flicks to shock, amuse and arouse.

BITE

Fried delicata squash at La Brasa

January 7, 2026

When french fry fatigue and onion ring ennui sets in, find relief at La Brasa, with its fried delicata squash in thinly sliced rounds with a lime crema dipping sauce.

BUSINESS

Cambridge wants to give its small businesses a tax break on the stuff in their offices

June 24, 2026

Small businesses could benefit from a 50 percent increase in the city’s personal property tax exemption – to $30,000 in assessed value from $20,000.

ASK CHEF JJ

What’s in your pantry? Part 2: Garlic and onion, oil and vinegar, jams and jellies and more

June 24, 2026

The things I think are essential to cooking at home add spice, a squeeze of citrus, a bite of onion or garlic or a dash of oil and vinegar.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Sipping cousins: Coffee as a common language

June 24, 2026

George Bernard Shaw said that England and America are two countries divided by a common language. Coffee brings us together.

BITE

Cheese boureka at Tatte

June 24, 2026

TRANSPORTATION

June 18, 2026

Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Daniel Lander in the Suffolk and Middlesex District state Senate race, choosing a young first-time candidate over 14-year incumbent Will Brownsberger.

ASK CHEF JJ

What’s in your pantry? Part 1: Salts

June 17, 2026

LET’S GET COFFEE

June 10, 2026

Somerville’s public health vending machines dispense items more than 100 times weekly, from first aid kits to menstrual health products to lifesaving Narcan.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Two cafes welcoming ‘the irregular’: New Leaf Espresso and True Grounds

June 10, 2026

A coffee shop in a barbershop and woodsy space with art and painted wainscoting beckon with a trim, a long black and thoughts of a rom-Som.

BITE

Veggie patty at Chatty Patty

May 29, 2026

The year of bills that starts July 1 could have been worse, but the causes of the rate increases coming up are largely out of city control.

EDUCATION

May 9, 2026

The empty lot once known as the 66-home Riverview Condominiums is expected to be returned to its owners within two to four weeks.

NEWS

Somerville needs more households to try free curbside food waste collection

May 9, 2026

NEWS

‘Lights, Camera, Joe Curtatone!’ stars former Somerville mayor in a true-to-life role: Media champion

May 7, 2026

Former 18-year Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone is set to be honored June 4 with a Public Service Award by the Somerville Media Center.

ASK CHEF JJ

When building a cheese board, start with a river and let it spill

May 6, 2026

There is nothing wrong with eating a couple of perfect cheeses plonked onto a plate, but don’t you think everything tastes best when it is pretty?

LET’S GET COFFEE

The long red line

May 6, 2026

The two universities that dominate Cambridge seem to foster café sitting. We will follow the rumble of the MBTA red line, felt in three Harvard and MIT coffee seats.

BITE

Lemon blueberry scone at Vinal Bakery

May 6, 2026

American scones can be dry and crumbly, a clumsy exaggeration of the savory British version of this cousin to the biscuit. Vinal dodges the dry.

FASHION

Persian influence on fashion: Clothing as resistance, memory and political language

May 5, 2026

Persian influence in fashion exists across multiple layers, and a scarf, pattern or silhouette holds personal expression and ancestral memory.

BUSINESS

Electric and cargo bike pioneer Bicycle Belle closes Aug. 1, leaving others to peddle pedals

May 5, 2026

Founder and owner, Carice Reddien Pingenot, announced the closing on Tuesday, saying she needed a break and time to focus on her family.

DEVELOPMENT

Frustration is rising before a multifamily project does at 88 Ellery St.

May 5, 2026

A six-story condo project was continued again by the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. It’s been before the NCD since January.

BUSINESS

On the way to a housing goal set for 2030, officials agree to check if Cambridge is on the right path

May 4, 2026

After passing a series of zoning changes to meet Cambridge housing needs projected in 2017, the City Council is asking whether the goals have changed.

BUSINESS

Cambridge Common House opens, a boutique flagship for a Harvard Square stay

May 4, 2026

A 16-room lodging house called Cambridge Common House is opened on Garden Street, updating an 1880 “gathering place for students, artists and intellectuals.”

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Go to the backdoor Roth IRA when there are limits at the front

May 4, 2026

Here’s a way to build tax-free retirement income and reduce future required minimum distribution concerns with create greater financial flexibility.

DEVELOPMENT

Healthpeak gets first approvals for 42 acres, but hears calls to speed up building a bridge to Alewife

May 3, 2026

With 42 acres of a new neighborhood expected to be developed over what may be decades, Planning Board were keen to hear about a bridge over train tracks.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, May 4-11: Budget season hearings begin and officials talk AI in schools

May 3, 2026

Take part in meetings on an Ellery Street multifamily plan, artificial intelligence in school, redesigned bus routes and Cambridge‘s next annual budget.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, May 4-11: Building a school and moving council meetings to Tuesdays (in 2028)

May 3, 2026

Take part in meetings on building a replacement school, filling crossing guard shortages, changes to meeting schedules and much more.

NEWS

ShotSpotter gunshot-detection technology takes fire as surveillance that may not make Cambridge safer

May 2, 2026

The gunfire-detection technology used by Cambridge police is surveillance that has a high false alarm rate, residents and experts say.

FOOD

Owner plans to close S&S Restaurant in Inman this summer

May 1, 2026

S&S Restaurant owner Gary Mitchell hints at “other things” coming after the deli ends its 107-year run in Inman Square.

DEVELOPMENT

A developer’s ‘monolith’ and giant parking garage concept took an advisory group by surprise

May 1, 2026

“Admittedly, it’s probably too much parking,” a development company representative said. Another company proposed a large grass field instead.

EDUCATION

No immediate change in leadership is signaled at Graham & Parks, now the site of a discrimination lawsuit

April 30, 2026

A principal has seen two investigations into workplace toxicity and two discrimination lawsuits between two public school districts.

FOOD

Taste of Cambridge, nearing end of early bird sales, adds six more sources of samples and sips

April 29, 2026

Surfside, Caffe Nero, Boston Burger Co., McCarthy’s and Toad, and Patco Brands join the June 17 endless-samples event.

ASK CHEF JJ

Yay! It’s time for spring produce: Asparagus, sunchokes, fiddleheads, ramps and rhubarb

April 29, 2026

We have only a few months of seriously good growing time here, so we need to come out of the gate running.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Fringe benefits: Coffee with something extra, somewhere else

April 29, 2026

This week, the journey began near Porter Square, thence near Union Square and finally to East Cambridge. Each had something off my radar to recommend it!

FOOD

Prepare for Nostalgia, where coffee and vintage clothing mix, and learn what happened to Nine Winters Bakery

April 29, 2026

Somerville welcomes a hybrid cafe and vintage clothing store called Nostalgia while the taste fades from the celebrated Nine Winters Bakery in Cambridge.

BITE

Shrimp hand pie at Chatty Patty

April 29, 2026

These Caribbean-style patties come out sizzling, with the kind of grease sheen that signals you’re about to enjoy yourself.

BUSINESS

Two-day educator strike begins at Lesley University

April 28, 2026

Demands include livable wages, manageable workloads and a “successorship clause” to keep their contract if the school is sold.

DEVELOPMENT

Alternative Davis Square apartment designs are online from Copper Mill

April 28, 2026

The original design for the 500 units was a 26-story tower that found significant opposition in the community even among housing advocates.

BUSINESS

Cambridge will see a budget bigger than $1B, spending that may land hard on residential taxpayers within two years

April 28, 2026

The next annual budget for the city of Cambridge will surpass $1 billion despite City Hall staff holding year-over-year growth to an austere 4.1 percent.

NEWS

Cambridge’s Garden Street will stay one-way for car traffic

April 28, 2026

Several blocks of Garden Street will stay one-way for car traffic toward Harvard Square, city councillors in Cambridge decided Monday in a 5-4 vote.

DEVELOPMENT

Copper Mill now says its alternative tower designs will be available Tuesday

April 27, 2026

There will be four options for a building at varying heights, reflecting controversy over the original 502-unit, 26-story version in a design many disliked.

NEWS

It’s DeRATification Week in Somerville, because rodents are springing back into action

April 27, 2026

A week of rat fighting began Monday in Somerville with a display of the city’s latest weapon: BurrowRx, which pumps carbon monoxide into burrows.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Missing the tax filing deadline isn’t cause for panic

April 27, 2026

To start with, if you’re owed a refund, there’s no penalty for filing late. Even if you owe, missing a deadline shouldn't be fatal.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, April 27-May 4: Healthpeak shows its giant project in the Highlands

April 26, 2026

Take part in meetings on Healthpeak's plan for a new neighborhood in the Alewife Quadrangle, new homes on Ellery Street and big city projects.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, April 27-May 4: Developers vie for 90 Washington St. project

April 26, 2026

Take part in meetings on remaking 90 Washington St., surveillance technology, a teen center at Cummings School and Davis Square issues.

NEWS

Somerville Housing’s special officers are under the authority of city’s police chief in new home rule petition

April 25, 2026

Special police officers also won’t be excluded from union activities or civil service rules, city councilors were assured.

NEWS

Gilligan-Corsetti organizes a run for Somerville state rep; Azeem breaks for his wedding and a party

April 25, 2026

“I understand the struggles of working class people,” said Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti, eyeing a 27th Middlesex seat. Also: A “big South Asian dance party” calls.

FASHION

The Garment District, where the old becomes new again, hits 40

April 24, 2026

The beloved thrift megastore finds surprising ways to reinvent itself in the age of influencers.

BUSINESS

President of Lesley University says she is leaving June 30

Get a peek at the new Urban Hearth; Bon Me has a meal subscription; Assembly Row adds farmers market

April 15, 2026

See the new Urban Hearth and get a last meal at the location that’s closing; meals by chef Ali Fong at home; a new June-to-October farmers market.

NEWS

Political notes: Get to a Barber campaign kickoff, meet new candidates, see endorsements and fundraising

April 14, 2026

There’s a campaign kickoff in Medford for state representative Christine Barber and news about Burhan Azeem, Daniel Lander, Evan MacKay and more.

NEWS

April 7, 2026

Some neighbors worried about the effects on the area and property values from crime, drug use and noise from a 26-bed shelter near Davis Square.

DEVELOPMENT

Ellery Street building design is still in flux in a changing Mid-Cambridge

April 7, 2026

A project to put up a six-story building with more than 30 condos at 88 Ellery St. was continued to a future meeting despite better-liked designs.

FOOD

March 31, 2026

The World Central Kitchen, which goes to the front lines of crises to provide fresh meals, gets a little boost April 11 from a sale of used cookbooks.

NEWS

Worry sets in about new tech’s toll on Cambridge in power and water

March 31, 2026

AI has begun its creep into municipal business and data centers are coming that can’t be regulated because the new tech isn't in the city’s table of uses.

NEWS

While it’s the wings that are most exciting about this restaurant in the former Cantina Mexicana space, these dumplings have a lot going for them.

DEVELOPMENT

Copper Mill promises alternative designs within 30 days for its Davis Square tower proposal

March 11, 2026

Renderings of a 26-story, 502-apartment building drew scoffs even from project supporters, and the developer agreed it missed the mark.

FOOD

February 23, 2026

NEWS

Somerville meetings, Feb. 23-March 2: Kennedy yard improvements and new school ideas

February 22, 2026

Take part in meetings about the McGrath Boulevard project, school improvement plans and funding for school and playing field projects.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, Feb. 22-March 1: CambridgeSide project sees delays, Healthpeak advances

February 22, 2026

Take part in meetings on school district budgeting, bike lanes on part of Broadway and developments in East Cambridge and the Alewife Quad.

NEWS

What you need to know about the Sunday snowstorm in Cambridge and Somerville

February 21, 2026

A blizzard may dump between 1 and 2 feet of snow between 4 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, with gusts of up to 60 mph and whiteout conditions.

NEWS

Survey notes rise in anti-Zionism among Jews in the area, now home to a non-Zionist synagogue

February 21, 2026

There’s been an 8 percent increase in area Jewish households since 2015 – and among them, 38 percent of their inhabitants identify as anti-Zionist.

NEWS

When Donald Trump shut down Snap benefits, it ended talks for a new Central Square grocery store

February 20, 2026

NEWS

Immigration attorney Diann Slavit Baylis wants Governor’s Council seat to appoint better judges

February 20, 2026

While most immigration proceedings are federal, a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minors is determined at the state level, the candidate notes.

BUSINESS

After around a decade of construction, the Beacon Suites Hotel is expected to open this spring

February 19, 2026

A city-line hotel under construction for around a decade is accepting reservations for mid-April after a sale by the initial developer.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Wintry mix, the seasonal coffee of choice

February 19, 2026

An occasional feature mapping our sipping in visits to cafes in Somerville and Cambridge, including Simon’s, Pepita and Cicada Coffee Bar.

FOOD

Kupel’s will bring its ‘god-tier bagels’ to a long-empty Somerville space

February 19, 2026

Kupel’s Bagels is expanding to Somerville from Brookline, creating just its second location since opening nearly five decades ago.

BITE

Tequeños at Carolicious

February 19, 2026

You get five of these breadsticks with a center of queso blanco, a semifirm white cheese, served hot from the air fryer like hearty pigs-in-a-blanket.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, Feb. 17-23: Surveillance technologies and McGrath changes

February 17, 2026

Take part in these meetings on surveillance technologies, later serving hours and new eateries, McGrath Highway changes and more.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, Feb. 17-24: Traffic infrastructure and school budgets

February 17, 2026

Take part in these meetings on Reid Overpass reconstruction, Mount Auburn Street changes, school district budgeting and more.

NEWS

We have Tuesday office hours, and they launch in Davis Square

February 16, 2026

As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Why you got a 1099, and what it really means

February 16, 2026

Over time, 1099s have expanded to cover nearly every type of income the IRS wants to track, including gig work or eBay sales.

NEWS

Somerville Arts Council leader Jenkins is asked to leave by mayor

February 14, 2026

The longtime leader of the Somerville Arts Council said he is leaving at the request of new mayor Jake Wilson after nearly 25 years.

BITE-OFF

In a giant-cookie battle of Chip City vs. Crumbl, Harvard Square wins big, even a little too big

February 14, 2026

Two over-the-top chain cookie sellers came to Cambridge a couple of years ago to compete from neighboring squares. Which is for you?

BUSINESS

Last-minute (and thoughtful) Valentine’s Day gifts in Cambridge and Somerville

February 12, 2026

Because love shouldn’t feel like a CVS candle aisle panic.

BUSINESS

How to love your Valentine’s Day in Cambridge and Somerville

February 11, 2026

A list of restaurants and experiences that couples, throuples, singles who seek or the self-satisfied can enjoy all weekend long for Valentine’s Day.

FOOD

Valentine’s, Galentine’s, as long as it’s chocolate: An anthropologist’s quick history of a holiday

February 11, 2026

Anthropologists love to say “Bet you didn’t know this!” about cultural history and the origins of things in human use – including for Valentine’s Day.

BITE

Egg salad sandwiches at 7-Eleven

February 11, 2026

The company that owns 7-Eleven is trying to change its culinary reputation. It’s started that work with egg salad sandwiches.

NEWS

Cambridge gets its first gunfire incident of the year, followed by an arrest

January 28, 2026

Two vehicles exchanged gunfire and drove off in opposite directions, witnesses told police in recounting a Cambridge gunfire incident.

NEWS

Homeland Security searches a Lesley University residence hall

January 15, 2026

A federal search of a Cambridge building ignites debate over police cooperation and transparency.

NEWS

Massive file from J6 insurrection trials goes live on the Internet Archive

January 8, 2026

Nearly 3 terabytes of material being uploaded, so much material that it may take days for it all to go live.

BITE

Fried delicata squash at La Brasa

January 7, 2026

When french fry fatigue and onion ring ennui sets in, find relief at La Brasa, with its fried delicata squash in thinly sliced rounds with a lime crema dipping sauce.

LIT

Reviewed: ‘Plastic, Prism, Void: Part One,’ a sci-fi romance that invites the reader onto the page

June 25, 2026

A wild genre tornado of a novel will support many different readings on many different levels, satisfying, thrilling and perplexing many different readers.

CULTURE

Bridging the gap: an interview with a retired Pit Rat

June 23, 2026

Restaurant owner and Vigilantes member Fernando Strohmeyer reflects on the lessons learned and lifelong community gained from formative years spent at the bygone heart of Harvard Square.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): It’s Cut Night, when the cuts have been coming for months

June 23, 2026

With “cut night” starting at 6 p.m., the end is approaching rapidly for the 2027 fiscal year budget process in Somerville.

FILM

Queer film explores new landscapes

June 23, 2026

Comedy, horror, romance and mashups galore — four recent LGBTQ+ films that push outside the confines of character drama to reinvent queer film.

COMMUNITY

Take part through Saturday on price-match donation drive for the Union Square Farmers Market

June 22, 2026

With hunger growing, more than 1,500 families are expected to benefit from a dollar-for-dollar match, just $15 at a time, over the market season.

MUSIC

Hot summer days, cool jazz nights

June 22, 2026

The Indie highlights our favorite local jazz destinations for everything from dive bar jam sessions to top-shelf talent.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge’s long history with ‘the beautiful game’ of soccer highlights immigrant contributions to the city

June 22, 2026

In its earliest days in Cambridge, soccer was a way to offer Harvard students a sport they could play, but not enjoy overly much. How times have changed.

OPINION

Scots’ introduction to Bunker Hill Day, from Revolutionary War reenactors to SpongeBob

June 21, 2026

Are we just war and cartoons? I hope the Scottish people visiting our little slice of purgatory know that Boston, and the United States, is more.

BICYCLING

Celebrating Kittie Knox, the Black cyclist who rode her way through the barriers of the 1800s

June 19, 2026

Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox was a pioneering cyclist who challenged racial and gender barriers. MassBike celebrated her Friday with the fifth annual Kittie Knox ride.

ARTS

With preservation of art studios, Somerville becomes the state’s flagship art city, group says

June 18, 2026

The preservation of Somerville’s Central Street Studios was marked with a ceremony that, like all art, helped people see their surroundings in a new way.

FILM

Premium fight choreography in ‘The Furious’ brings a visual clarity to the action

June 17, 2026

A vengeful father and an amateur journalist employ a very particular set of skills to fight their way through a human trafficking ring.

MUSIC

Prayers up for global jazz at Regattabar in Harvard Square

June 16, 2026

The Ize Trio celebrate the release of their latest album 'Global Prayer' with special guest saxophonist Gregory Groover, Jr.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 16, 2026

DID YOU KNOW

Today’s Glacken Field results from a series of struggles and unexpected wins, and JFK plays a cameo

June 15, 2026

Before children could run and play on Glacken, the city had to create it from untamed marshes that were a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

FILM

Spielberg back on his alien grind in ‘Disclosure Day’

June 15, 2026

A narrative thread of ponderous pop theology doesn't dampen the fun of this extra terrestrial action thriller.

OPINION

The bottom of ‘Swan Lake’

June 14, 2026

All the talent on display in the American Repertory Theater musical “Black Swan” needs to be backed by a good story.

FILM

Author Foster Hirsch introduces us to the dark side of the screen

June 13, 2026

“Noir City Boston” returns to the Brattle, delivering tough guys, blonde bombshells and fugitives from justice through Monday.

MUSIC

They Might Be Giants play the hits for the hometown crowd

June 13, 2026

The veteran duo out of Lincoln, Massachusetts mix gimmickry with musicianship at House of Blues.

FILM

‘Masters of The Universe’ is better than average nostalgia slop

June 12, 2026

The long lost Prince Adam returns to his home planet of Eternia to do battle with the evil Skeletor in a campy reboot of the 80s franchise.

BICYCLING

Boston Cafe Bikers fulfill the promise of their name weekly and are expanding their destinations

June 12, 2026

Boston Cafe Bikers go weekly to cafes and other destinations, with many starting or ending in Cambridge and Somerville.

COMMUNITY

How to enjoy the World Cup in Cambridge and Somerville

June 11, 2026

World Cup soccer has arrived in Somerville and Cambridge, with its Cambridge United series of outdoor soccer screenings and community celebrations.

COMMUNITY

How to handle the National Weather Service’ two-day heat advisory

June 11, 2026

With Thursday’s high heat and humidity continuing over the coming days, the city of Somerville passed along an alert and tips on staying cool, healthy and safe.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): School and police budgets offer plenty to puzzle through

June 10, 2026

The budget does not account for pending agreements with police unions and includes strong-arm tactics over just $600,000 for the schools.

MUSIC

Ize Trio make global jazz their own at Regattabar on Sunday

June 9, 2026

Pianist Chase Morrin talks about the mentors and faith that inspired the trio's latest album "Global Prayer."

FILM

‘Power Ballad’ is a no from me, dawg

June 9, 2026

Paul Rudd's charm can't save this stinker about a struggling wedding musician who believes his original work was stolen by a global pop star.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Davis Square (Diesel, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 9, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to one of our convenient locations – or, even better, come with proposals about become part of a team.

MUSIC

Someday Festival is twice as nice with a second day of music

June 8, 2026

At Warehouse XI, you're going to like the way local music sounds, we guarantee it.

DID YOU KNOW

Jerry’s Pit and North Cambridge’s industrial past are spotlighted in the week’s History Hang

June 8, 2026

At the mid-1840s height of the industrial revolution, there were clay pits and brickyards all over the area. The most extensive brick plant was in North Cambridge.

FILM

Streaming with Pride

June 7, 2026

A shortlist of recommended movies that inspire with LGBTQ+ themes (and are available at the click of a button).

OPINION

I am a fake Harvard student, and I think the college is worth protecting

June 7, 2026

A lot of Americans resent Harvard, where – as a Boston University student and alum – I have done a lot of showing up and somehow made a place there.

ARTS

Announcing: free live music

June 6, 2026

The Indie is teaming up with Hump Nights to signal boost their monthly ticket giveaway.

ARTS

Celebrate Pride in June

June 6, 2026

Unfurl the flags and charge the JBL speakers, Pride is here and the Indie highlights a list of events, activities and screenings to celebrate.

MUSIC

Artist Spotlight: Joyer

June 4, 2026

The Indie interviews the Saturday headliner Joyer ahead of Someday Fest, June 6 and 7 at Warehouse XI.

FILM

‘Tuner’ is a thrilling heist movie with pitch-perfect characterization

June 4, 2026

A hearing-impaired piano tuner discovers a knack for safecracking which leads him into a life of crime in Daniel Roher’s latest film.

OPINION

Here’s Somerville’s budget book, as a new mayor perplexes and the council steps back

June 3, 2026

Even a cursory skim of the budget book raises questions. Because of all the changes, it’s difficult to tell if investment are increased, steady or reduced.

FILM

A not-so-lovable loser squanders your time and attention in ‘The Breadwinner’

June 3, 2026

An aloof man-child must take care of his three daughters alone while his wife pursues a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in this missable relic.

THEATER

‘Now Is Still Here’ is still here now (for a limited time only)

June 2, 2026

Fourth time is the charm as the eco-minded production performs its final rain date this Friday at Somerville Community Growing Center.

FILM

‘Michael’ is a sanitized biopic for superfans who don’t care they’re being lied to

June 2, 2026

Michael Jackson’s songs remain bangers, but the connecting material here is bland and problematic.

DID YOU KNOW

Land/Mark Symposium examines an 18th century murder case with Cambridge ties

June 1, 2026

How we remember a slaver murder case, and the role of enslavement and resistance in the Revolution, is discussed at a June 13 event.

OPINION

Correcting the record about the impact of Cambridge’s Multifamily Housing ordinance

DID YOU KNOW

‘A friend to Cambridge’: Barney Frank’s life and legacy

May 25, 2026

OPINION

Let Iran be the last war without a declaration

May 24, 2026

If American service members are going to fight and die in our name, we should at least make our elected officials vote on it.

OPINION

Social housing makes economic sense

May 24, 2026

The city has a path to sustainably offer homes for people of all income levels, on its own terms – but it must be planned properly.

FILM

Be careful what you wish for in ‘Obsession’

May 23, 2026

A desperate loser makes a wish for his crush to fall in love with him, only for it to come true with violent, horrific consequences.

DANCE

The many shades of female dancers’ experiences in ‘Black Swan’

May 22, 2026

It's not all black and white in the American Repertory Theater's adaptation of the Darren Aronofsky film.

OPINION

The 9 Wyman Road project is not a fluke, it’s a sign of successful multifamily zoning

May 20, 2026

The project at 9 Wyman Road is not displacing renters or gentrifying a neighborhood. It is creating 55 additional homes for current and future Cantabrigians.

OPINION

There’s a pit at the center of Harvard Square, but not the one we pine for

May 20, 2026

Gentrification killed "the Pit" and we're going to spend another summer staring at a fenced-up hole in the ground.

COMEDY

Eugene Mirman doesn’t remember the crash that might have killed him. But he does have a new comedy special.

May 18, 2026

Comedian Eugene Mirman talks about the dramatic car crash and amazing rescue that hospitalized him – and how little he remembered of any of it.

ARTS

Davis Square Plaza owner agrees to let it be filled through October with musicians and other buskers

May 18, 2026

An agreement is in place to fill the unused Davis Square Plaza with musicians and other buskers, part of a bigger effort to reclaim the area.

DID YOU KNOW

As America held down or kept out Asian immigrants, Harvard hired a Chinese professor in 1879

May 18, 2026

The presence in Cambridge was a curiosity and a sign of Harvard’s increasing awareness of the place China was to occupy on the world stage.

FILM

You say you want a revolution

May 18, 2026

A documentary about the early days of radio station WBCN triggers fond memories and a general airing of political grievances.

OPINION

Should we become San Francisco

May 17, 2026

Refusing to change doesn’t mean that we will preserve our way of life.

OPINION

There will be an impact from the lack of parking at 1740 Mass. Ave.

May 14, 2026

The developer offers no resident parking, and more cars seeking street parking affects neighbors and local business.

MUSIC

Solidarity through sound

May 13, 2026

The "Which Side?" protest music series returns with a diverse lineup to the Burren Back Room on May 19.

MUSIC

Somerville Porchfest: wet, wild and ready to party

May 12, 2026

A little rain and long portajohn lines (still) couldn't dampen the excitement for the biggest Porchfest around.

ARTS

The art of gathering in public spaces

May 12, 2026

Collage, community and a secret door await you at Harvard Art Museums at Night.

STAGE

Fringe festival is bigger in its second year, adding drama, dance, magic and music to the clowning and comedy

May 11, 2026

The second annual Fringe runs through Sunday at three venues in Somerville, allowing the festival of unpredictable and often oddball acts to double in size.

DID YOU KNOW

Save Dana Park turns a public space into a game board May 30

May 11, 2026

The game is designed to bring players into the story of Dana Park past and present, stopping a phony deed scam before the villain takes the land away.

OPINION

Helping music survive is about more than just Porchfest

May 10, 2026

The band couldn’t afford to play its monthly jam sessions. What? These guys could fill a room on a weeknight, sell alcohol and not break even?

FILM

When WBCN rocked the airwaves (and politics too)

May 8, 2026

Filmmaker Bill Lichtenstein talks about “The Airwaves Belonged to the People: WBCN and The American Revolution," screening May 10 at Somerville Theater.

MUSIC

A music lover’s music club called Altar may finally have found its home in Cambridge’s Central Square (corrected)

May 6, 2026

Central Square could be within a few weeks of knowing the address of Altar, its next nightclub. But founder John Kearney doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.

MUSIC

Central Square’s nightlife options, from the venerable Middle East to the transforming Smoot

May 6, 2026

Even without the music-focused, minimalist Altar yet on the nightclub scene there are plenty of places to go around Central Square for a drink and dance.

ARTS

Armory board members are named, including leaders at Esh Circus Arts, Arlington International Film Festival

May 6, 2026

Names of board members came in a press release filled with buzzwordy terms (“cultural strategist”) and unexplained references to unknown businesses.

OPINION

Fidelity, Vanguard and Schwab block SPLC donations. The Cambridge Community Foundation does not.

May 5, 2026

It’s not only megafinancial institutions that host donor-advised funds. We have an alternative in our own backyard in the Cambridge Community Foundation.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30-6:30 p.m.)

May 5, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to one of our convenient locations – or, even better, come with proposals to become part of a team.

DID YOU KNOW

Reeling from a president’s assassination, we said political violence was not the answer to the country’s struggles

May 4, 2026

Cantabrigians channeled their anger over Lincoln's killing, many seeing it as a symbol of a larger struggle between the forces of good and evil.

OPINION

Tatte no way

May 3, 2026

Young professionals on this side of the river don’t talk about it, but none of us really go to Tatte. It’s a bit like going to a Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

OPINION

Where are consuls as immigrants get seized for deportation? Not where they should be.

May 3, 2026

Why so little consular activity reported for thousands of people detained by ICE? It may be that the locations of consulates do not map the needs of the moment.

ARTS

Groups align on reclaiming Davis Square as a home for everyday art, starting Friday with a concert series

April 30, 2026

Two efforts to revive the square as a community gathering place are at critical stages, starting with a Down in Davis concert series launching Friday.

THEATER

Two theater projects promote transformative climate justice

April 30, 2026

“Now Is Still Here” to be staged outdoors at the Somerville Community Growing Center in late May.

HEAR FIRST

Jonny Tex: ‘Mustard Seeds’

April 30, 2026

Hear First discovers a more 'intentional' sound on the Cambridge musician's latest single.

MUSIC

What’s up with Down in Davis?

April 29, 2026

A new Friday concert series debuts to give the community a fun, family-friendly place to gather.

MUSIC

The Indie Somerville Porchfest Preview

April 28, 2026

Your guide to all the noise you want and none you don't at the biggest Porchfest around.

HEAR FIRST

MOZZ: ‘Breadt’

April 28, 2026

Hear First spotlights the yin and yang of Mozz's latest EP 'Breadt.'

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Davis Square (Diesel, 5:30-6:30 p.m.)

April 28, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints – or, even better, come with proposals about how you can become part of the team.

MUSIC

‘Taking it easy’ at the Wilbur Theater with a night of song

April 27, 2026

Charismatic Canadian songwriter Alan Doyle brings the NYC-based folk trio Bandits On The Run along for the ride.

DID YOU KNOW

Guess who was left out of the speeches in 1905 celebrating Cambridge’s 275th anniversary

April 27, 2026

“We cannot help but look forward with some anxiety to the future,” the president of Harvard said. “The Puritans no longer control Cambridge.”

OPINION

New data privacy laws will have unintended consequences that hurt mom-and-pops and nonprofits

April 27, 2026

The bills gaining traction on Beacon Hill are well-intentioned but threaten to create unintended consequences for small businesses and nonprofits.

LIT

Author David Szalay in the flesh

April 27, 2026

The 2025 Booker Prize winner talks autonomy, audiobooks and Dua Lipa's book club in Harvard Square.

OPINION

Call it improvements, call it planning, delaying a development is a way to make it not happen

April 26, 2026

It’s doubtful any more meetings, planning, input, commentary, essays or shouting will facilitate a better decision about the Copper Mill project.

OPINION

Something about the design of this food hall was bothering me.

April 26, 2026

CanalSide looks toward a boisterous future of 600 people warming a giant space, forgetting the lessons from ghosted storefronts.

LIT

Indie bookstores have a day

April 24, 2026

Crawl, walk, run to your local bookstore on April 25 for Independent Bookstore Day.

ARTS

Life Drawing Boston draws love from its community along with an entertainment license

April 23, 2026

Life Drawing Boston is drawing life to Somerville’s Inner Belt and plans to add regular entertainment such as performances, dances and variety shows.

THEATER

‘Rhinoceros’ brings Paul Giamatti, Tatiana Maslany and John Turturro to the Harvard Square stage

April 22, 2026

Hollywood comes to Cambridge this summer to star in “Rhinoceros” at the American Repertory Theater. One actor has even played a rhino before.

LECTURE

Making mushrooms magic again

April 22, 2026

Bay Staters celebrate the fifth anniversary of Somerville's decriminalization of psilocybin mushrooms.

MUSIC

Applications open May 4 as Cambridge cautiously expands for its second year of Porchfest

April 22, 2026

Cambridge is preparing to take applications for its second Porchfest, set for July 11-12 primarily in the Cambridgeport, The Port and Riverside neighborhoods.

COMEDY

Who won comedy last night: Addy Goldstein, whose mom died

April 21, 2026

At a College Comedy Showcase at The Comedy Studio, one comic got to the point quickly: “Try to keep it together,” she told the audience. “My mom just died.”

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) (corrected)

April 21, 2026

We have Tuesday office hours to hear story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints, and tonight they’re in Central Square.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge’s Humane Society changed its mission, then quit, as Cambridge changed

April 20, 2026

As the demographics of the poor community in Cambridge shifted, so too did the Cambridge Female Humane Society’s approach to meeting their needs.

OPINION

Letter to a traffic engineer

April 19, 2026

Even entities such as the City of Cambridge, which in theory should have been consulted in a Reid Overpass design process, are relegated to the inbox.

OPINION

Counter intuitive

April 19, 2026

There’s a special kind of pain in seeing projects go up thoughtlessly with flaws that will confront people for years or decades.

LECTURE

How to save the planet for the 99%

April 18, 2026

Philosopher Nancy Fraser critiques the capitalist underbelly of environmentalism at Harvard University lecture.

ART AND DESIGN

‘Your Light Is Central’ is an evolving LED art installation that makes a colorful square even more vivid

April 17, 2026

Art is meant to illuminate, and a series of installations called “Your Light Is Central” went live in Cambridge’s Central Square this week to make that literal.

MUSIC

Vinyl Heads, Rejoice

April 16, 2026

A roundup of our favorite records stores to visit on Record Store Day this April 18.

THEATER

The last three A.R.T. plays in Harvard Square share a theme for Trump’s America

April 15, 2026

Eugène Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros,” a rock opera about the abortion network called The Janes and an underground railroad tale called “Mexodus.”

OPINION

MWRA was created to solve a regional problem, and we need to push it to do so now

April 14, 2026

Now is the last time that Cambridge and Somerville are able to use MWRA funding to cover the cost of sewer infrastructure upgrades.

DID YOU KNOW

This spring, History Cambridge takes ‘History Hangs’ on the road

April 14, 2026

Walk, talk and learn more about West Cambridge, first the Brattle Street area and then Lowell Park and Mount Auburn Cemetery.

LIT

Step into the unknown with ‘The Flowers of Evil’

April 14, 2026

A course examining French poet Charles Baudelaire's seminal collection is coming to the Cambridge Community Center.

OPINION

It’s time for police oversight in Somerville

April 12, 2026

It is past time for the City Council to act on its 2020 commitment and create a police commission and a community police review agency.

OPINION

You can live without your creepy doorbell camera

April 12, 2026

By owning one of these doorbell surveillance cameras, you are not making yourself safer. You are making yourself useful.

OPINION

Closure overexposure

April 12, 2026

Psychologically, we warm up to things more when we encounter them a lot – as long as we don’t already dislike them. Like the misuse of words.

MUSIC

Prewn’s Izzy Hagerup delivers serious star power in a visit from Northampton

April 11, 2026

Izzy Hagerup, at the head of a four-musician Prewn, effortlessly commanded the attention of the room at Deep Cuts.

ARTS

Dancing through a cemetery and poems for a Vodou spirit are coming in Mount Auburn residencies

April 9, 2026

Four artists and organizations are named as Mount Auburn Cemetery’s new artists-in-residence for its record-breaking 11th year.

THEATER

‘Breaking the Code’ is not to be missed at Central Square Theater

April 8, 2026

Many of us have heard the name Alan Turing, but few know much more about him than his legacy as the father of computer science.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30-6:30 p.m.)

April 7, 2026

We have Tuesday office hours to hear story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints, and tonight they’re in Central Square.

MUSIC

Spring Festival Preview

April 6, 2026

A preview of the most exciting spring music festivals, from one-day local affairs to multiday out-of-towners.

DID YOU KNOW

Debate over Fugitive Slave Act raises questions of ‘lawful authority’

April 6, 2026

The federal mandate for Northern states to enforce the proslavery agenda of Southern states fueled the fires of division before the Civil War.

ART AND DESIGN

‘Starting From Scratch’ shares success secrets from self-made artists, including one venturing into software

April 5, 2026

It’s not easy making art for a living, but three self-taught creators in Somerville share stories in April about how they bootstrapped their way to a breakthrough.

OPINION

Why doesn’t Phil Eng know how batteries work?

April 5, 2026

Everyone warned us, but the T switched systems anyway. No U.S. transit professional believes there's anything to learn from systems around the globe.

OPINION

Political pundits can’t talk about Democratic wins without addressing Republican lies

April 5, 2026

It matters as Democrats enter a phase of beating Republican candidates and the losers have shown how far to hang onto power.

THEATER

Apocalyptic satire makes an encore with Bread & Puppet’s song, dance and papier-mâché

April 3, 2026

A third apocalypse-themed show inspired by modern political culture arrives: The Bread & Puppet Theater’s “The End of the World Never Minding Show.”

FILM

Independent Film Festival Boston ready for the spotlight

April 2, 2026

Boots Riley, over 100 films, and a small army of volunteers make the magic happen.

COMEDY

Comedian Eugene Mirman is recovering after single-car crash in New Hampshire

April 1, 2026

Somerville comedian Eugene Mirman was pulled from a burning car after crashing into tolls on a a New Hampshire turnpike on Tuesday.

COMMUNITY

We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Davis Square

March 31, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints – or, even better, come with proposals about how you can become part of the team.

LIT

Indie Bookstore Crawl offers a passport to 25 shops with prizes along the way

March 30, 2026

If you love books, why not prove it with an act of enormous physical prowess?

OPINION

Old friends, public service and a campaign for the community

March 29, 2026

I believe my perspective is needed on Beacon Hill, where the voices of the vulnerable are too often drowned out by special interests and bureaucracy.

OPINION

They talk about politeness when they mean compliance

March 29, 2026

The idea of politeness as “professionalism” is a societal delusion, and too frequently the enforcing of a gracious response to malicious policy.

OPINION

What’s really in Cambridge’s tap water?

March 28, 2026

A look at what cities do and don’t test when determining that their tap water is safe.

COMMUNITY

Mount Auburn Cemetery opens its gates at 6 a.m. for early morning strolls and bird-watching

March 28, 2026

Mount Auburn Cemetery brings back its Early-Bird Hours starting Wednesday and reopens its Washington Tower for the season.

MUSIC

Sado-Domestics can be your soundtrack

March 28, 2026

The alt-Americana band Sado-Domestics is one of countless acts bringing life to our stages and soundtracking our nightly revels.

MUSIC

Gypsy punk takes the crown at Royale

March 28, 2026

Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz jumps into the photo pit on a raucous Wednesday night.

THEATER

‘Breaking the Code’ unravels the mysteries of a brilliant mathematician’s inner life

March 27, 2026

Actors Eddie Shields and Josephine Moshiri Elwood talk about the challenge of bringing Alan Turing's life to the stage.

MUSIC

Hear First: ‘Bell Biv Barclay’

March 26, 2026

ET and Haasan Barclay's love letter to Boston and homage to the New Jack Swing era.

ARTS

The music runs all April 5 as McCarthy’s and Toad celebrate their first year in Porter Square

March 25, 2026

The McCarthy’s restaurant and attached Toad nightclub celebrate their year anniversary April 5 with a party featuring a day of live music.

COMMUNITY

No Kings rallies pop up regionwide Saturday, with sign-making parties ahead of time

March 24, 2026

No Kings, a series of protests against the politics of president Donald Trump, returns Saturday to Cambridge, Somerville and Boston.

COMMUNITY

We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square

March 24, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints – or, even better, come with proposals about how you can become part of the team.

ARTS

Repairs to ‘Gift of the Wind,’ the Porter Square T stop sculpture, could be budgeted this year

March 23, 2026

The first step is determine the cost of reviving the art. Estimates heard at a Porter Square Neighbors Association meeting ranged up to $600,000.

LIT

Pop-up booksellers, poetry on demand, and literary drag trivia make March a less cruel month

March 23, 2026

A sunny Saturday welcomed the 7th annual Bow Market Book Fair.

MUSIC

Hear First: ‘Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown’

March 23, 2026

Hear First premieres the debut album from DIY folk rock pickers Sweet Petunia.

ARTS

A memorial for Charles Coe is planned for April 11 in Boston

March 22, 2026

The late Cambridge author, poet and musician Charles Coe is honored by the literary and arts community on April 11 across the river in Boston.

OPINION

Near possibly the most important election in U.S. history, The New York Times is in a state of quantum news

March 22, 2026

By deciding which stories to cover and how, our greatest newspaper in content and readership has the power to set the agenda. That’s a concern.

THEATER

The end is nigh for ‘The End is Nigh,’ a raucous and rollicking riot of a romp

March 21, 2026

When questions posed by the plot become too thorny, the ensemble stabs or punches someone or simply runs in circles to explode the tension.

ART AND DESIGN

Multicultural Arts Center showcases works by high schoolers

March 19, 2026

The show tends toward up-close, pensive portraits of youth and the surreal, part of the center’s mission to show the bold and new.

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown redux: dinosaurs on Saturday and a Sunday scare

March 19, 2026

A final afternoon of chiptune music saved by a barcade that came to the rescue in downtown Salem.

MUSIC

The date is set for Porchfest’s 15th year in Somerville

March 18, 2026

Porchfest returns to Somerville on May 9, and residents can apply through April 21 to host a band.

LIT

Anne Fadiman gets personal with her latest essay collection, ‘Frog’

March 17, 2026

The would-be love child of John McPhee and Virginia Woolf shares a few amphibian-related regrets.

DID YOU KNOW

With Metacom’s Resistance, colonists set Indigenous nations at war with each other

March 16, 2026

Metacom’s Resistance is a lesser-known, three-year war that is part of 350 years of conflict, coexistence and Indigenous presence.

FILM

Oscars 2026 results include a rare tie

March 16, 2026

The annual film awards were held last night in Hollywood. Did The Brattle have a premonition about a rare Oscars tie?

OPINION

The Renty daguerreotypes find a home, but Harvard’s legal fight lingers

March 16, 2026

Harvard chose to explore its legacy as an enslaver of 70 or more people at the same time it fought claims by a descendant of slavery.

OPINION

Somerville could have skipped these police grants that come with strings attached

March 15, 2026

The Somerville City Council accepted nearly $200,000 for police over two meetings filled with fractious debate. Is this money worth what it costs?

LIT

Booksellers and librarians gather Wednesday to talk about ‘Getting the Story Out’ to new readers

March 14, 2026

A couple of decades ago, some 400 newspapers published book reviews in arts and culture sections. Now it may be as few as 40.

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown redux: the chiptune spectacle spans three cities on Friday

March 13, 2026

A visual spectacle engulfs the interior of Capital Theatre while Boston Bitdown artists take to the stage in Arlington, Medford and Somerville.

ARTS

Somerville gives an extra week to get through a 117-page application to be an Armory tenant

March 12, 2026

Somerville has extended its submission deadline by a week for artists, makers and creative organizations to lease space in its Armory building.

MUSIC

Boston Bitdown redux: Thursday

March 11, 2026

Relive what went down Thursday night at the world's largest chiptune festival, Boston Bitdown 2.

FILM

Tracking The Monster and his Bride through the many versions of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

March 11, 2026

COMMUNITY

We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square

Women’s History Month in Cambridge is a restoration project of scattered and missing stories

March 3, 2026

The work is meticulous and often challenging. Many women left few written records, and their contributions were not always preserved in traditional archives.

ARTS

February 22, 2026

An abrupt departure by a longtime champion has artists wondering who will lead the Somerville Arts Council and how they will be chosen.

MUSIC

Biribá Union mixes Bach with beatboxing and bass at a Club Passim tour launch

February 21, 2026

Biribá Union’s nimble parade of genre mashery delivered more rap to Passim’s folkhead patrons than they have probably listened to in the past year.

THEATER

February 11, 2026

The resiliency of a tribe and its complicated relationship with Cambridge was on display at “Lift Every Voice: Saving Our Stories, Sharing Our History.”

OPINION

Black History Month celebrates a century, and so does its backlash

February 10, 2026

On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, Black History Month is a necessary corrective to revisionist history, selective memory and deliberate attempts at erasure.

MUSIC

Will the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble happen in 2026? It skipped last year for a ‘reset’

February 6, 2026

ARTS

Black Lives Matter exhibit accepts the debate and stages it

February 2, 2026

“A critical reflection” runs through Black History Month with an Oxford-style debate toward the end on whether “The Black Lives Matter Movement was successful.”

MUSIC

Stormy weather shakes a lineup, but should settle down before the We Black Folks Showcase

January 30, 2026

Your average band preps weeks, if not months, to take the stage on a specific date. It all goes out the window when there's bad weather.

ARTS

Comedy Studio hosts Hump! Festival in April, much more than homemade porn

January 8, 2026

The annual touring fest brings five-minute flicks to shock, amuse and arouse.