The exhibit “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel” displays 34 of 60-odd Vatican frescoes, life-sized reproductions visible “like no pope has ever seen them.”
Between a Foot Locker and TJ Maxx, a mall hosts Michelangelo
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.
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Second day of protest is planned against Citizens Bank over support of for-profit ICE prisons
Four local branches of Citizens Bank are due for protests Saturday over the bank’s involvement with for-profit prison companies working with ICE.
Circle’s local bankruptcy auction is March 10, another loss to Cambridge’s furniture history
Shoppers can still pick up deals at Circle, even though the bankrupt chain closed abruptly in December after nearly 74 years in business.
Protest surveillance: What State Police saw from the sky as we spoke against killings by federal agents
I asked State Police for helicopter flight and mission plans, reports and photographic, video or biometric records captured from protests I went to Jan. 10.
Somerville meetings, March 2-9: Winter Hill and Brown schools, 90 Washington
Take part in a week of plenty of meetings about replacing Somerville’s two oldest schools and a mixed-use project on Cobble Hill.
Cambridge meetings, March 2-9: Clearing snow, setting standards for third graders (and principals)
Take part in meetings on clearing snow from sidewalks and declaring school snow days, standard for students and school leaders and more.
Rise of the expressive puffer coat
This winter, the puffer isn’t just a coat, it’s a mood, and Cambridge and Somerville have been deep in it.
Boston Bitdown music festival expands because its organizers never unplug
Boston Bitdown respawns March 5-8, expanding its fun to four days and welcoming more than 50 musicians and artists from Salem to Somerville.
Bus changes starting April 5 gives more access to Arlington and Burlington
Six bus routes see changes starting April 5, including the CT2, 85 and 87 that are serving riders in Cambridge and Somerville.
Adding mass timber tech to zoning means more affordable housing for Somerville, councilor says
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.
Say She She’s disco revival is disconcerting only if you stop dancing long enough to think
Disco is back! The NYC-based outfit Say She She, fronted by three sashaying vocalists, made the argument Saturday at The Sinclair.
J. August reopens Friday in Harvard Square with its familiar university merch
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.
Thai chili lemonade at Saigon Tiger
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.
Somerville Democrats gather Sunday to prepare for convention weighing in on Markey seat
Registered Democrats in Somerville vote Sunday to elect delegates to attend May’s Democratic State Convention.
Eye-tricking viral pastries at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Cafe now include the Strawberry
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.
How clown troupe Liars and Believers created the apocalyptic death match of ‘The End is Nigh’
A play that’s “Animaniacs” meets “The Hunger Games” has creative and philosophical concerns behind its clowning, brightness and physical comedy.
Lab market and the economy complicate Healthpeak’s vision for a new Cambridge Highlands neighborhood
A campus of 20 buildings is planned for parcels assembled by the company Healthpeak and due for a formal application in March.
Somerville gets a cabinet-level arts czar in addition to a new leader for Arts Council in mayor’s plan
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.
My roast chicken recipe, and how to make spinach soufflé for a sandwich spread
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.
We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square
As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.
Developer is back talking with the public about its Davis Square tower proposal
The developer proposing a tower with hundreds of apartments in Somerville’s Davis Square plans a meeting in March with updates and answers.
Who’s in the tour van to rep us at the New Colossus Festival
A handful of local musicians head to New York City for the seventh edition of the New Colossus Festival, running March 3-8.
Mass transit is slowed by snowstorm and cleanup, MBTA warns
The MBTA warned that extreme snowfall and a massive cleanup effort will result in “a number of service changes” for travel through Tuesday.
Somerville’s Michette bakery is opening in Cambridge near Inman Square and adding lunch
After three years serving French breads and pastries to East Somerville, Thomas Ferté will take advantage of added square footage in Cambridge.
Tax tip of the week: Don’t leave your side hustle off when you file with the IRS
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...
Letter-writers worry there won’t be an open process when Somerville replaces Arts Council director
An abrupt departure by a longtime champion has artists wondering who will lead the Somerville Arts Council and how they will be chosen.
Somerville meetings, Feb. 23-March 2: Kennedy yard improvements and new school ideas
Take part in meetings about the McGrath Boulevard project, school improvement plans and funding for school and playing field projects.
Cambridge meetings, Feb. 22-March 1: CambridgeSide project sees delays, Healthpeak advances
Take part in meetings on school district budgeting, bike lanes on part of Broadway and developments in East Cambridge and the Alewife Quad.
What you need to know about the Sunday snowstorm in Cambridge and Somerville
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.
Biribá Union mixes Bach with beatboxing and bass at a Club Passim tour launch
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.
Survey notes rise in anti-Zionism among Jews in the area, now home to a non-Zionist synagogue
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.
Stunning ‘The Moderate’ unleashes the Internet’s good, bad and ugliest in Central Square
“The Moderate” is not for everyone. Kudos to Central Square Theater for its excellent job of warning that the play contains mature themes, including images, video and audio depictions of violence,...
A new tone at Somerville City Hall
The first few meetings Somerville City Council of 2026 have been called “chummy,” but budget season seems likely to strain the cordiality.
When Donald Trump shut down Snap benefits, it ended talks for a new Central Square grocery store
Opening a city-run grocery store was part of Ayah Al-Zubi’s successful run last year for Cambridge City Council. While she campaigned, a group that included Cambridge government officials, agency...
Jesse Jackson, a defender for LGBTQ+ rights
Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday, advocated for the LGBTQ+ community – especially Black LGBTQ+ people – at a time we had no one.
Immigration attorney Diann Slavit Baylis wants Governor’s Council seat to appoint better judges
While most immigration proceedings are federal, a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minors is determined at the state level, the candidate notes.
After around a decade of construction, the Beacon Suites Hotel is expected to open this spring
A city-line hotel under construction for around a decade is accepting reservations for mid-April after a sale by the initial developer.
Wintry mix, the seasonal coffee of choice
An occasional feature mapping our sipping in visits to cafes in Somerville and Cambridge, including Simon’s, Pepita and Cicada Coffee Bar.
Kupel’s will bring its ‘god-tier bagels’ to a long-empty Somerville space
Kupel’s Bagels is expanding to Somerville from Brookline, creating just its second location since opening nearly five decades ago.
Tequeños at Carolicious
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.
Boston Underground Film Festival is March 18-22, with Bob Odenkirk bringing his ‘Normal’
Badges go on sale at noon Wednesday for The Boston Underground Film Festival's 26th year of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and quirky indies.
Arts Council changes are opaque despite campaign rhetoric, but rock renaissance seems real
Can we reflect for a moment on what a hackneyed PR maneuver it is to drop big news at 4:54 p.m. on a Friday before a long weekend?
Somerville meetings, Feb. 17-23: Surveillance technologies and McGrath changes
Take part in these meetings on surveillance technologies, later serving hours and new eateries, McGrath Highway changes and more.
Cambridge meetings, Feb. 17-24: Traffic infrastructure and school budgets
Take part in these meetings on Reid Overpass reconstruction, Mount Auburn Street changes, school district budgeting and more.
We have Tuesday office hours, and they launch in Davis Square
As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.
A stripped-down Katzù Oso comes to The Sinclair on Saturday
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...
Tax tip of the week: Why you got a 1099, and what it really means
Over time, 1099s have expanded to cover nearly every type of income the IRS wants to track, including gig work or eBay sales.
Somerville Arts Council leader Jenkins is asked to leave by mayor
The longtime leader of the Somerville Arts Council said he is leaving at the request of new mayor Jake Wilson after nearly 25 years.
In a giant-cookie battle of Chip City vs. Crumbl, Harvard Square wins big, even a little too big
Two over-the-top chain cookie sellers came to Cambridge a couple of years ago to compete from neighboring squares. Which is for you?
Who won comedy last week: Caden Adrien and Iris Kessler
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.
Second day of protest is planned against Citizens Bank over support of for-profit ICE prisons
Four local branches of Citizens Bank are due for protests Saturday over the bank’s involvement with for-profit prison companies working with ICE.
Circle’s local bankruptcy auction is March 10, another loss to Cambridge’s furniture history
Shoppers can still pick up deals at Circle, even though the bankrupt chain closed abruptly in December after nearly 74 years in business.
Somerville meetings, March 2-9: Winter Hill and Brown schools, 90 Washington
Take part in a week of plenty of meetings about replacing Somerville’s two oldest schools and a mixed-use project on Cobble Hill.
Cambridge meetings, March 2-9: Clearing snow, setting standards for third graders (and principals)
Take part in meetings on clearing snow from sidewalks and declaring school snow days, standard for students and school leaders and more.
Rise of the expressive puffer coat
This winter, the puffer isn’t just a coat, it’s a mood, and Cambridge and Somerville have been deep in it.
Bus changes starting April 5 gives more access to Arlington and Burlington
Six bus routes see changes starting April 5, including the CT2, 85 and 87 that are serving riders in Cambridge and Somerville.
Adding mass timber tech to zoning means more affordable housing for Somerville, councilor says
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.
J. August reopens Friday in Harvard Square with its familiar university merch
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.
Thai chili lemonade at Saigon Tiger
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.
Eye-tricking viral pastries at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Cafe now include the Strawberry
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.
Lab market and the economy complicate Healthpeak’s vision for a new Cambridge Highlands neighborhood
A campus of 20 buildings is planned for parcels assembled by the company Healthpeak and due for a formal application in March.
My roast chicken recipe, and how to make spinach soufflé for a sandwich spread
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.
We have Tuesday office hours, and tonight they’re in Central Square
As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.
Developer is back talking with the public about its Davis Square tower proposal
The developer proposing a tower with hundreds of apartments in Somerville’s Davis Square plans a meeting in March with updates and answers.
Mass transit is slowed by snowstorm and cleanup, MBTA warns
The MBTA warned that extreme snowfall and a massive cleanup effort will result in “a number of service changes” for travel through Tuesday.
Somerville’s Michette bakery is opening in Cambridge near Inman Square and adding lunch
After three years serving French breads and pastries to East Somerville, Thomas Ferté will take advantage of added square footage in Cambridge.
Tax tip of the week: Don’t leave your side hustle off when you file with the IRS
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...
Somerville meetings, Feb. 23-March 2: Kennedy yard improvements and new school ideas
Take part in meetings about the McGrath Boulevard project, school improvement plans and funding for school and playing field projects.
Cambridge meetings, Feb. 22-March 1: CambridgeSide project sees delays, Healthpeak advances
Take part in meetings on school district budgeting, bike lanes on part of Broadway and developments in East Cambridge and the Alewife Quad.
What you need to know about the Sunday snowstorm in Cambridge and Somerville
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.
Survey notes rise in anti-Zionism among Jews in the area, now home to a non-Zionist synagogue
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.
When Donald Trump shut down Snap benefits, it ended talks for a new Central Square grocery store
Opening a city-run grocery store was part of Ayah Al-Zubi’s successful run last year for Cambridge City Council. While she campaigned, a group that included Cambridge government officials, agency...
Immigration attorney Diann Slavit Baylis wants Governor’s Council seat to appoint better judges
While most immigration proceedings are federal, a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minors is determined at the state level, the candidate notes.
After around a decade of construction, the Beacon Suites Hotel is expected to open this spring
A city-line hotel under construction for around a decade is accepting reservations for mid-April after a sale by the initial developer.
Wintry mix, the seasonal coffee of choice
An occasional feature mapping our sipping in visits to cafes in Somerville and Cambridge, including Simon’s, Pepita and Cicada Coffee Bar.
Kupel’s will bring its ‘god-tier bagels’ to a long-empty Somerville space
Kupel’s Bagels is expanding to Somerville from Brookline, creating just its second location since opening nearly five decades ago.
Tequeños at Carolicious
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.
Somerville meetings, Feb. 17-23: Surveillance technologies and McGrath changes
Take part in these meetings on surveillance technologies, later serving hours and new eateries, McGrath Highway changes and more.
Cambridge meetings, Feb. 17-24: Traffic infrastructure and school budgets
Take part in these meetings on Reid Overpass reconstruction, Mount Auburn Street changes, school district budgeting and more.
We have Tuesday office hours, and they launch in Davis Square
As part of its mission of community, The Independent plans weekly “office hours” at two convenient locations, and the hours start this week.
Tax tip of the week: Why you got a 1099, and what it really means
Over time, 1099s have expanded to cover nearly every type of income the IRS wants to track, including gig work or eBay sales.
Somerville Arts Council leader Jenkins is asked to leave by mayor
The longtime leader of the Somerville Arts Council said he is leaving at the request of new mayor Jake Wilson after nearly 25 years.
In a giant-cookie battle of Chip City vs. Crumbl, Harvard Square wins big, even a little too big
Two over-the-top chain cookie sellers came to Cambridge a couple of years ago to compete from neighboring squares. Which is for you?
Last-minute (and thoughtful) Valentine’s Day gifts in Cambridge and Somerville
Because love shouldn’t feel like a CVS candle aisle panic.
How to love your Valentine’s Day in Cambridge and Somerville
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.
Valentine’s, Galentine’s, as long as it’s chocolate: An anthropologist’s quick history of a holiday
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.
Egg salad sandwiches at 7-Eleven
The company that owns 7-Eleven is trying to change its culinary reputation. It’s started that work with egg salad sandwiches.
Cambridge gets its first gunfire incident of the year, followed by an arrest
Two vehicles exchanged gunfire and drove off in opposite directions, witnesses told police in recounting a Cambridge gunfire incident.
Homeland Security searches a Lesley University residence hall
A federal search of a Cambridge building ignites debate over police cooperation and transparency.
Massive file from J6 insurrection trials goes live on the Internet Archive
Nearly 3 terabytes of material being uploaded, so much material that it may take days for it all to go live.
Fried delicata squash at La Brasa
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.
Between a Foot Locker and TJ Maxx, a mall hosts Michelangelo
The exhibit “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel” displays 34 of 60-odd Vatican frescoes, life-sized reproductions visible “like no pope has ever seen them.”
Protest surveillance: What State Police saw from the sky as we spoke against killings by federal agents
I asked State Police for helicopter flight and mission plans, reports and photographic, video or biometric records captured from protests I went to Jan. 10.
Boston Bitdown music festival expands because its organizers never unplug
Boston Bitdown respawns March 5-8, expanding its fun to four days and welcoming more than 50 musicians and artists from Salem to Somerville.
Say She She’s disco revival is disconcerting only if you stop dancing long enough to think
Disco is back! The NYC-based outfit Say She She, fronted by three sashaying vocalists, made the argument Saturday at The Sinclair.
Somerville Democrats gather Sunday to prepare for convention weighing in on Markey seat
Registered Democrats in Somerville vote Sunday to elect delegates to attend May’s Democratic State Convention.
How clown troupe Liars and Believers created the apocalyptic death match of ‘The End is Nigh’
A play that’s “Animaniacs” meets “The Hunger Games” has creative and philosophical concerns behind its clowning, brightness and physical comedy.
Somerville gets a cabinet-level arts czar in addition to a new leader for Arts Council in mayor’s plan
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.
Who’s in the tour van to rep us at the New Colossus Festival
A handful of local musicians head to New York City for the seventh edition of the New Colossus Festival, running March 3-8.
Letter-writers worry there won’t be an open process when Somerville replaces Arts Council director
An abrupt departure by a longtime champion has artists wondering who will lead the Somerville Arts Council and how they will be chosen.
Biribá Union mixes Bach with beatboxing and bass at a Club Passim tour launch
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.
Stunning ‘The Moderate’ unleashes the Internet’s good, bad and ugliest in Central Square
“The Moderate” is not for everyone. Kudos to Central Square Theater for its excellent job of warning that the play contains mature themes, including images, video and audio depictions of violence,...
A new tone at Somerville City Hall
The first few meetings Somerville City Council of 2026 have been called “chummy,” but budget season seems likely to strain the cordiality.
Jesse Jackson, a defender for LGBTQ+ rights
Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday, advocated for the LGBTQ+ community – especially Black LGBTQ+ people – at a time we had no one.
Boston Underground Film Festival is March 18-22, with Bob Odenkirk bringing his ‘Normal’
Badges go on sale at noon Wednesday for The Boston Underground Film Festival's 26th year of horror, fantasy, sci-fi and quirky indies.
Arts Council changes are opaque despite campaign rhetoric, but rock renaissance seems real
Can we reflect for a moment on what a hackneyed PR maneuver it is to drop big news at 4:54 p.m. on a Friday before a long weekend?
A stripped-down Katzù Oso comes to The Sinclair on Saturday
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...
Who won comedy last week: Caden Adrien and Iris Kessler
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.
Eight stories of all kinds of love for your Valentine’s Day
Stories from people about their first encounters of love of all kinds – romantic, platonic, familial and even spiritual – with future spouses, friends and pets.
Artificial intelligence is coming for us, clearly. Not in the smartest way.
Problems with the technologies lumped together as artificial intelligence are worsened by the lumping.
Black Cantabrigians may be a dwindling tribe, but will not be forgotten
The resiliency of a tribe and its complicated relationship with Cambridge was on display at “Lift Every Voice: Saving Our Stories, Sharing Our History.”
Black History Month celebrates a century, and so does its backlash
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.
Will the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble happen in 2026? It skipped last year for a ‘reset’
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...
Black Lives Matter exhibit accepts the debate and stages it
“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.”
Stormy weather shakes a lineup, but should settle down before the We Black Folks Showcase
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.
Comedy Studio hosts Hump! Festival in April, much more than homemade porn
The annual touring fest brings five-minute flicks to shock, amuse and arouse.