Category — Newtonville

5/31 update: This event has been rescheduled for 7pm on Wednesday, June 15.

Newton Mayor Setti Warren is hosting a community coffee for Newton Corner residents and business owners.

The mayor’s office is soliciting input on such questions as:

• How can we improve the quality of life in Newton Corner?
• What changes can we collectively bring about?
• How can you work with your neighbors, businesses and City Hall?

The Newton Corner meeting will be held from 7-8pm on Tuesday, May 31, at the West Suburban YMCA at 276 Church Street.

This is the third community coffee in a series of outreach efforts by the mayor. Earlier meetings have been held in Auburndale and Newtonville.

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A Greek-inspired cafe/bistro called Christina’s is coming to Newton Highlands, as one of our blog’s readers tells us. The owners are currently renovated the Walnut Street space vacated by Dunkin Donuts earlier this year.

Christina’s will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I spoke with the owner this morning, workers were painting the interior columns in the renovated space and finalizing the menu. The restaurant hopes to open up around Memorial Day.

Sadly, the consignment store next door has posted a “going out of business sign.”

Newtonville, as reported in the Newton Tab Blog, is losing both the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop, a thrift store on Walnut Street, and the Asian grocery across the street, Jin Mi Oriental Food Company.

In Newton Centre, Learning Express is getting a new neighbor, the fitness studio Pure Barre, the national company’s first Massachusetts franchise.

A group of residents held its first meeting tonight to initiate public deliberation of the potential redevelopment of the Newtonville’s underutilized Austin Street parking lot.

The Joint Area Planning Group (JAPG), whose members were appointed by the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen, is charged with evaluating potential uses of the site, possibly including housing, retail, and/or office space.

Members of the group include one direct abutter and 12 Newton residents who have professional backgrounds in architecture, housing, law, real estate, and urban planning. One member, from Needham, represents the interests of the abutting Swedenborgian Church.

Discussions of potential redevelopment of this site date back 3-5 years, often pitting residents who want housing in village centers against those who argue against development because of existing enrollments in the public schools.No doubt, JAPG will address questions about potential impacts on schools, as well as on parking, pedestrian flow, nearby retail space, and transportation. (Note that aldermen stipulated that any redevelopment proposal must retain 85 public parking spaces on site.)

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The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton and more than a dozen village businesses are working together this week to raise money for the youth center.

The club provides after-school programs, school vacation camp, summer camp, and many other services for children ages 6 to 18.

The hundreds of children attending the Boys & Girls club come from 15 Newton elementary schools and other area schools. To defray tuition costs, the club is able to offer full or partial scholarships to more than 200 children.

Merchants participating include:

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Down Under Yoga 306 Walnut Street, Newtonville http://www.downunderyoga.com/ Justine Wiltshire Cohen, a Newton Highlands resident, established Down Under Yoga in 2004. With 25 teachers, Down Under Yoga offers three different levels of instruction, many styles of yoga and Master Classes with some of America’s most senior yoga teachers.

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Newtonville Books’ owner Mary Cotton sent out an appeal to customers and other supporters late last week.  Heading into the last year of their current lease, the bookstore is asking patrons to become members. The goal, having 500 paying members, will help the bookstore determine its plans for the future and that includes whether to renew its lease.

As an important fixture of village life in Newtonville and beyond, Newtonville Books is an excellent example of what makes for a strong village community.  Bookstores are what sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls a “great good place,” an informal gathering place that encourages community life. His popular book The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community discusses how these places we share are integral to the health of a community.

As profiled on our site recently, Newtonville Books offers a public gathering space for readings, workshops, and book club discussions. Their upcoming event calendar alone includes at least 10 events, including a visit this Thursday Feb 24 from internationally recognized author Alice Hoffman reading from and signing her latest book The Red Garden.

Isn’t this is the type of village center business we want to see MORE of in Newton? If you would like to support this merchant and exercise your vote for great village life, please consider stopping by Newtonville Books, and become a member (individual memberships are $50; family memberships are $75).   I was happy to pay this small price to help ensure the survival of this fantastic local bookstore and healthy village centers.