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.

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

Work on a Davis Square Neighborhood Plan will ramp up in early May and finish within three to six months, extending into fall as needed.

FOOD

Your next cookbook can be found April 11 at a Curio-hosted benefit for World Central Kitchen

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.

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.

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

Resident parking permits in Cambridge will be $75 next time, unless the driver cites a hardship

March 30, 2026

Most Cambridge drivers could be asked to pay $75 for their next resident parking permit, up from $25, under a policy order passed Monday after four weeks awaiting action by the City Council. The...

Get a $5 burger at Cambridge Common like it’s 1996 again

March 30, 2026

Also on the Menu this week: The Big Papi Burrito helps fund a charity at Anna's and Wonder says to wonder no longer about its 500 options.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

FOOD

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

April 6, 2026

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Work on a Davis Square Neighborhood Plan will ramp up in early May and finish within three to six months, extending into fall as needed.

FOOD

Your next cookbook can be found April 11 at a Curio-hosted benefit for World Central Kitchen

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

Resident parking permits in Cambridge will be $75 next time, unless the driver cites a hardship

March 30, 2026

Most Cambridge drivers could be asked to pay $75 for their next resident parking permit, up from $25, under a policy order passed Monday after four weeks awaiting action by the City Council. The...

Get a $5 burger at Cambridge Common like it’s 1996 again

March 30, 2026

Also on the Menu this week: The Big Papi Burrito helps fund a charity at Anna's and Wonder says to wonder no longer about its 500 options.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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...

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.

NEWS

Looking at this winter convinces a councillor that Cambridge needs a snow corps to call in for help

March 23, 2026

A wild winter with extreme outcomes for city workers and finances leads to exploration of a volunteer “snow corps”; another idea emerges from Somerville.

NEWS

City gains confidence about finding money for a bridge over train tracks to Danehy Park

March 23, 2026

Staff are confident that money to pay for a bridge over Fitchburg Line train tracks will be found after designs are in place, which could be in around 18 months.

NEWS

Cambridge Housing Authority, now a regional force in affordable homes, appoints a chief executive

March 23, 2026

Clara Fraden, a Cambridge resident who has been at the Cambridge Housing Authority eight years, is the agency’s new chief executive.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: The IRS sends refunds before it finishes checking what you file

March 23, 2026

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

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

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...

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.