Steak in the Neighborhood: package

Steaking a claim in the Boston market by Sandra Miller

In the very trendy Back Bay steakhouse dining venue, if you’re out for a $40 sirloin and you’re looking for the excitement generated by a unique mix of business people and the upwardly mobile younger set, Abe and Louie’s the place to eat and to be seen. Consistently named by critics and magazines as one of the finest steakhouses in the city, Abe and Louie’s is celebrating its 10th anniversary this October. Owner Charles Sarkis named the restaurant after Sarkis’ father, Abe, and Abe’s best friend, Louie Fox. Sarkis was 24 when he opened his first restaurant, Boraschi’s Villa, in 1965, in the spot that became JC Hillary’s in 1974, and then Abe & Louie’s Oct. 4, 1998. Sarkis wanted to reach the young, upscale customer. "Our aim has always been to put out great food, quality service, and a great environment at a very reasonable check average," he explained in a 1991 Restaurant Business article. Run by Back Bay Restaurants Group, Abe’s tries to differentiate itself from other steakhouses by offering traditional American fare, served family style and in good portions, all made on the premises. More important, however, is how the guest is treated. “We don't say no -- that's not hospitality,” he has been quoted as saying. When the guest first walks in, the maitre’ds, Tracey and Romeo, who have been with the restaurant nearly as long as it’s been open, will probably know you by name if you’ve been in a few times. “We know everyone here,” says Raisis. “If they walk in for the first time we know they’re new….and that they’ll become a regular.” Guests skew heavily on the local regulars, couples and families who may come 3-5 times a week. There are the ladies who lunch, the tourists and International crowd, and the high-powered business meetings. The restaurant is old-school steakhouse, very clubby décor with large leather booths, bronze chandeliers, mahogany and cherry millwork, and natural stone. The main dining room has multiple levels and an outside area during the warmer months, a long bar that nearly stretches to the open kitchen, and a noisy din where you can’t hear yourself talk. The music, when it can be heard over the nighttime buzz, is American standards. For a quieter dinner, diners are sent upstairs to the newly opened 80-seat area with windows overlooking Boylston. For those who like the energy, that’s the fun of eating at Abe & Louie’s. It’s a place where many want to be seen, not heard. Maybe you’ve seen one of the regulars, Mel Gibson, who discovered Abe’s along with Robert Deniro and James Cameron, in town recently filming “On the Edge of Darkness.” DeNiro liked the crispy pork special. When you’re seated, you get freshly made bread crisps, including sourdough slices baked with cheese, and pumpernickel dusted in cinnamon sugar. For appetizers, the crunch-topped crabcakes are lump crab bound by peaked egg whites, not bread crumb, for a light and moist crowd favorite served with mango salsa and house-made tartar. The king of the appetizers is a stunning $100 seafood tower that feeds a crowd on shrimps, crab mushrooms, clams casino, lobster tails, and oysters Rockefeller. Friendly waiters will describe in detail the differences between a $45 barrel-cut bone-in filet mignon or a $84 porterhouse for two, or that the prime steaks are corn-fed, Midwestern cows with meat wet-aged 4-5 weeks and are cut fresh daily. The Saturday night special is a $40 Carpetbagger steak with oysters, wrapped in bacon. Most steaks are served with just seasoned salt, although sauces on the side include au poivre, chimichurri, béarnaise, hollandaise, portabella demi glace, and their house steak sauce (which is available online). A 24-ounce bone-in ribeye, the top-seller because of its tenderness, charred top, is brushed with butter and fills the whole plate. Each bite melts in your mouth. The executive chef, Bill Bramlett, says that a good steak is based on the quality of the meat, and “taking care of it.” He believes in just seasoning it and letting it rest to warm up to room temp. The cuts are from corn-fed Nebraskan cows, and wet-aged for 4-6 weeks by Kinnealey, their purveyor. “The climate, the room to roam, the cool weather, they tend to eat better,” says Bramlett. Waiters are trained in all of the wine selections, which vary by season, and also politely ask about price range before making a recommendation. One waiter, Joseph, recommends a glass of the Cabernet Silver Palm, North Coast, for $10, to go along with a T-bone. For a bottle, server Heather Sherwin asked a few questions, and decided that the best cabernet on the menu to pair with a great steak was a 2003 Shafer Hillside cabernet from Napa, which went for $350. “It has a great amount of structure to it, with very decent tannins,” says Heather. “When it opens iup, it’s more velvety on the mouth, which complements the marbling on the steak. The tannins will offset the fat on the steak.” For a spicier steak sauce, she would recommended a shiraz, the 2006 Torbreck, whose fruitier tones complemented the au poivre sauce. Desserts include a huge 7 layer chocolate cake, a key lime pie with a crunchy crust, or a hot chocolate sundae sprinkled with fresh whipped cream and almonds. It’s made with a special vanilla ice cream recipe that Sarkis developed 44 years ago with a local vendor, and served with a heated pot of fudge on the side. At night, it’s a busy singles scene of varying ages, from the 20s to the 60s range, and it can get crowded until the hookups seek more private space. A good place to work Abe and Louie’s is listed as the top in Boston sales by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine’s 2007 survey, and 27th out of 100 independent restaurants in the country. That may be due to loyal customers who first come for a good meal, but come back for the service. Abe’s employs about 160, with most waitstaff who are career servers. “You have to be the best of the best,” says Amy Daniels, director of marketing for the Back Bay Restaurant Group. “Good is not enough for us.” She referred to the RGPs, which she explained is short for the wait staff who are “really good people,” the keepers. Like other top restaurants in the city, they’ve enticed away top servers from other spots. Tracey Raisis has been with Sarkis for 44 years, the second employee that he hired. Sarkis’ first hire was Paul Bussolini, a general manager for decades who is now doing IT in the corporate office. It’s a company that inspires loyalty. “Their steaks melt in your mouth,” says Sherwin, who has experience working at other area steakhouses. “It feels like it’s one big family. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and this is the best job I’ve had. When I wake up I look forward to going to work every day.” Chef Bramlett has been with Abe’s for more than 9 years, 16 with Back Bay Restaurants. “I like making people happy,” he says.

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Steak, it’s what for dinner in Back Bay by Sandra Miller

A great steak is a vice. Its juiciness is hidden beneath a nice char, and when you bite into it, the meat just melts in your mouth. You heartily devour the entire plate-sized slab, the tannins of a good cabernet equal to the challenge. You don’t forget about the creamy potatoes and crisp vegetable sides, but that’s not why you’re at a Back Bay steak house. You’re there for impossibly savvy service, for the hum of a room, a stolen glance at other tables for friends, future friends, even a celebrity. Back Bay is great steakhouse central in New England, bar none. For a table of four on a weekend at one of the neighborhood’s top shelf steak houses, it’s hard to get out the door without paying $500, with tip. But you’re paying $30-$40 for the finest plate-sized USDA Prime. You want to hear a story about your cow’s sacrifice, and listen attentively to your waiter describe whether it’s dry or wet aged, and for how long, and whether the cow ate corn or grass. “People will get a ‘wow’ experience,” promises Morton’s manager Nicki Kern, who says there’s a reason Morton’s doesn’t have to advertise beyond word of mouth. “Our hospitality is over the top. It’s what they expected, and more. People like coming here.” The Restaurant Industry Performance index says sales remain soft, according to the National Restaurant Association. Operators across the nation report lower sales and traffic levels. But in this economy, in these times where the word “recession” is being debated, these major league Back Bay steakhouses are still pulling them in from all over town, as well as from the ‘burbs and from around the world. “When times get tough, people want to have fun,” says Oak Room Chef Laurent Poulain, who says they are fully booked every weekend. “They want to forget about the tough times and have a glass of wine or a martini. We have a restaurant that makes people happy.” When the weather cools, people like settling into the joy of a great steak, huge portions of creamy sides and sinful desserts. Customers want to spend their hard-earned money not on two or three forgettable meals, but a single memorable one. They wish to be entertained with the inventive menu and fabulous service, along with the uncorking of a good red, shimmying to the shakers of a fun cocktail. “You come here for birthdays, anniversaries, when you have something to celebrate,” says Flemings’ General Manager Michael Dearing. “It’s nice to splurge. You come for the experience. It’s one of the best ways to spend a Friday or Saturday night.” And you want someone else to do the dishes. Or maybe you don’t mind. Could you duplicate the experience at home? It’s pretty hard to buy a prime cut. Those ranks of the good stuff are saved for the restaurants, since they only comprise about 3 percent of all beef sold. It’s also not easy to cook a nice steak on a home grill or broiler. “When you’re cooking at home, the pan might cool off, the grill might cool off,” says McCormick & Schmick’s executive chef, Tony Hernandez. A restaurant’s professional oven offers consistent heat, as does the repetition of their chefs cooking the steak every day, he says. In other words: Kids, don’t try this at home. Steak lovers really can’t go wrong at any of the following steakhouses. All of these steakhouses have won some “best of” award; if a steakhouse has survived the competition for this long, you know they must be doing something right. Instead, you may be searching for a certain scene, or a style of preparation. The following is a guide of what’s at steak: Bonfire, A Todd English Steakhouse Boston Park Plaza Hotel Boston, MA 02116 617-262-3473 www.bonfiresteakhouse.com Summary: Local celebrity Todd English adds a touch of Latin to the steakhouse. Interior is filled with reds, polished woods, iron-accented furniture. Theater and younger trendy crowds. It’s singles night among the younger set on the weekends. Chef: Bobby Bean, moved here 4 months ago from English’s Kingfish. The Steak: Dry-aged 90-120 days, the longer th e better, and cooked on an open, wood-fired kitchen; also spit fired Prime Rib of Western Beef. The chef is bringing in more organic and local beef, including tenderloins from Lilbrock Farms in New York. The current cows come from fine farms, Bean says, but Bean wants to work with the farms whose methods he’s familiar with. “Happy cows make better beef,” he says. Chef’s recommended dish: 10-oz skirt steak from Brandt Farms in California. It’s so moist and tender, without any marinade or any seasoning aside from salt and pepper. “The flavor is so much better than a tenderloin,” says Bean. “When you bite into it, it’s almost the same as a nice Wagyu or Kobe. The explosion of fat and flavor just coats your mouth. The texture is not overly chewy, it’s a well-made steak.” The cows are cornfed. What Bean likes about the farm is that they are able to raise cows on corn diets without having to resort to antibiotics to help them digest it, by, um, letting them keep their manhood for their first six months. “It lets the natural testosterone build muscles and a digestive system,” says Bean. “Life on corn feed gives it a fine flavor,” he says. Sides: Tapas; spinach sautéed in garlic What makes them special: Latin menu; Menu’s steaks will list cow’s origins, whether grass or corn fed, if it’s organic, and other details. The Capital Grille 359 Newbury St. 617-262-8900 www.thecapitalgrille.com They didn’t want to be in our roundup. You know who they are and what makes them special. Davio’s Italian Steakhouse 75 Arlington St. Co-Executive Chefs: Stephen W. Brown and Eric Swartz Summary: This spot doesn’t normally come to mind when you think of steakhouses, but when it moved from Newbury Street to Park Square, it added quality steak to its lineup of tagliatelle Bolognese, Penne Applewood Smoked Chicken and homemade sausages. Inside features attentive friendly service, a large display kitchen with in-house bakery, an award-winning wine list, and a to-go area. Large windows, comfy chairs, muted taupes and chocolate brown decor. Busy and noisy, with a bar crowd ranging from suits to the theater crowd. Steak: All-natural dry-aged Brandt beef, from the grilled skirt steak at $28 to the Grilled Snake River Farms Kobe Coulotte at $51, and Prime Natural Aged 30oz Long-Bone Rib Eye at $52 Wine: rare and expensive Italian vintages, along with an international selection of other wines. Special: bakery makes fresh doughnuts and ice cream. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 217 Stuart St. Boston, MA 02116 617-292-0808 www.flemingssteakhouse.com Since: eight years Summary/atmosphere: Swanky atmosphere with warm lighting, an open kitchen, a .. They cater to the theater crowd, with dinner and theater packages coming up for Spamalot, featuring a chance to meet the actors before the show. They boast a neighborhood feel, remembering customers on first-name basis. This favorite among the theater crowd. Upbeat music, lots of windows, amber lighting, a view of the bar and the kitchen. Energetic/loud. 30s-40s Thursday nights, high-end business types, while Friday is date night, Saturday is special occasion night. The Chef: Jason Carron The Steak: wet aged. Corn-fed, aged up to four we4eks, hand-cut daily, broiled at 1600 degrees to seal in the juices and flavor. Flemings actually sell steaks. Manager’s favorite is bone-in NY Sirloin, 20 ounces at $44. Served medium rare with kosher salt and pepper, the steak is broiled, for a nice char on the outside, locks in moisture and flavor. Béarnaise and peppercorn sauces upon request. Side: Flemings potatoes, a cheesy, jalapeno’d escalloped version, and sugar snap peas sauteed in chili sauce. Dessert: chocolate molten lava cake Wine: Silver Oak Cabernet What makes them special: Serves a seafood tower for $95 for four, or $55 for 2. Grill 23 & Bar 161 Berkeley St. Boston, MA 02116 617-542-2255 www.grill23.com Summary: The venerable Grill 23 & Bar has been a major steak destination of power brokers downstairs, and romancing couples in the more intimate upstairs room, for 25 years, it has set the bar for innovative cuisine and fine-dining. In the historic Salada Tea Building, with original 19th-century sculpted ceilings and massive Corinthian columns, with mahogany paneling, green marble and brass accents, and oak floors and fresh, creative seafood presentations. Executive Chef: Jay Murray The Steak: all-natural, dry-aged beef from Brandt Beef, Scotch tenderloins and flatirons Entrees: $28 prime skirt steaks with gremolata fries, $27 “meatloaf”: prime & kobe beef with mashed and mushroom gravy; and a $35 surf/turf prime rib pinwheel, wild shrimp, portobello empanada, chimichurri; $34 steak au poivre -- prime flatiron, onion loaf, dijon cognac cream. KO Prime Nine Zero Hotel 90 Tremont St. 617-772-0202 www.koprimeboston.com Summary: Fun. The “KO” is for fearless experimental chef Ken Oringer. Edgy bar décor, dining room has chic nightclub banquettes, dècor in shades of chocolate browns and deep reds, leather, faux crocodile and cow skins chef de cuisine: Jamie Bissonnette The Steak: More than a dozen cuts ranging from Japanese Wagyu Beef at $30 an ounce, three-oz minimum, with wasabi and sukiyaki; a $38 Red Kobe Bavette from Texas, with pickled ramps and black truffle aioli, and a 28-Day Dry-Aged New York 10-oz Strip Steak for $42, with Cippolini onions. Morton's Exeter Building www.mortons.com 617-266-5858 In Boston 20 years ago, this chain has a clubby candelit underground space recently brightened by knocking down some walls and painting a few others a little brighter, to make up for the lack of windows and walls of wine bottles. It’s loud, with a deal-maker vibe; the new 12*21 bar can get crowded with a late night 30s-40s range of regulars who’d rather eat their steak in a filet mignon slider. Has Seaport District sister restaurant. Summary: Executive Chef: Alessandro DaSilva The Steak: Grain-fed beef wet-aged 4-6 weeks, from Allen Brothers stockyards in Chicago. Waiter wheels out a display cart decked with cuts of raw meat and veggies, you get it back f4rom a 1800-degree broiler seared with Morton’s seasoning. “We are extremely consistent with what we do. No sizzle plate, no butter, that’s it,” says general manager Nicki Kern. Chef’s recommended Dish: Bone-in ribeye, seasoned with Mortons spices, au jus; can also be done Cajun style. The meat is tender and moist in the center, with good marbling Side dish: sauteed mushrooms and fresh spinach, mac and cheese with five types of cheese and some spices. Wine: 2003 Cornerstone Napa Cabernet, or 2002 Miner (The Oracle) Napa Meritage. What makes them special: Bar bites early evening and latenight’s inexpensive menu has $2 oysters and huge cocktail shrimp. The Oak Room Fairmont Copley Plaza 138 St. James Ave. 617-267-5300 regional director of PR Suzanne Owenz Executive Chef: Laurent Poulain Summary: Since 1997, the king of the steakhouse, elegant, dark wood paneling and mirrored walls, twin Waterford crystal chandeliers, gold, red and green upholstery and draperies, intricate white plasterwork with detailed cameos adorn the 30-foot-high vaulted ceiling. Banquettes for a comfortable, intimate atmosphere for young professionals doing business, couples, tourists. The dignified experience meets a full choice of steak offerings, and a huge wine list. The Oak Bar is reminiscent of a British Officer's Club in the Orient, with extensive martini menu, raw bar and live piano. The Steak: dramatic tableside preparation for two-person center cut Chateaubriand tenderloin, with asparagus, choice of potato, and merlot demi glace and sauce béarnaise, at $95; also a Kobe flat iron steak (10 oz.) $60; The chef gets his beef from a variety of sources, including free-range, grass-fed beef from Wolf’s Neck Farm in Maine, and Chestnut Farms in Hardwick, Mass. What makes them special: Chef says his goal is to support local farms, reduce transportation pollution, and cook with in-season ingredients as much a s possible. Smith & Wollensky 101 Arlington St. Boston, MA 02116 617-423-1112 www.smithandwollensky.com A national steakhouse, this local outlet is located in the gorgeous Park Square castle, a historic former armory with a catwalk and other amazing preserved details from within that make this atypical among paneled-brown steakhouses. The four-floor interior of the castle’s dining area is loud. Castle draws tourists, Red Sox game crowd despite being nowhere near Fenway; celebrity spottings include Jason Papelbon and some Celtics. Executive Chef: Russell Ferguson The Steak: corn-fed Midwestern prime procured by Milton Ablese of NY; dry-aged inhouse for 18-21 days, cut to portion size daily, about 200 on a Friday night. The in-house aging gives off a rich, almost grassy-fresh aroma unlike most steaks you’ll come across. “You’re tasting very wild grass, which is contradictory because it’s corn-fed,” says the chef. “It was allowed to roam, so there’s some grass, some corn husks, barley.” Can get Oscar style with crab, and with gorgonzola. Chef’s recommended Dish: 28-ounce bone-in ribeye, charred with just salt and pepper. Sides: truffled mac and cheese, a recipe that will soon be replaced with a more sophisticated yet simpler version with fontina, asiago, parmesan, smoked gouda and feta in a mornay sauce over curly cellantini; creamed spinach; seasonal mixture of roasted root vegetables and brussel sprouts. Also famous for its split pea soup. Dessert: 2-lb slice of chocolate cake, with a cow cookie. Wine: Their wine director, Brian Durand, is doing a daily high-end glass, to introduce super-premium bottles. On Friday, the glass was Archipel, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. For a bottle, he pared down his choices among 600 bottles a 2004 Heitz Cellars Napa cabernet, at $100 he said “It’s got great tannins and great structure. It’s one of the oldest in Napa.” His second choice was a 2004 Groth Napa Cabernet, with a little more lush fruit and elegance, at $145. They recently decided to stray from their all-American wine list by adding 80 international bottles, of which he highly recommended a Chateau Margaux Rothschild. What makes them special: The castle. In-house dry-aging; birthday cards signed by the entire staff. A pricey menu made less so with early-evening fixed-price menus inspired by Restaurant Week, and by the glass prime wine specials. McCormick & Schmick's Park Plaza Hotel 617-482-3999 www.mccormickandschmicks.com Summary: The West Coast's premier seafood chain also knows its way around a steak, and the dining room and bar has a traditional steakhouse vibe as well, with its gleaming hardwoods, white tablecloths, Hollywood-style booths, and crack waitstaff. Casual at night. Cheap happy hour apps draw the younger after-work crowd, and the dining room is filled with couples. Executive chef Antonio Hernandez, who has been with M&S for five years. The steak: Dry-aged 28 day minimum, corn-fed, farm-raised, from Buckhead Beef of Chicago. Dry aged. 28 days minimum, center cuts. “We buy high quality steaks and pay a lot of attention to them.” Chef’s Recommended dish: Surf and turf, with dessert, is $29.95: six-ounce filet or nine-ounce top sirloin, with shrimp scampi, fried or coconut shrimp, and crème brulee torched to order. Also: “The 20-ounce T-bone is to die for, it’s my favorite,” says Hernandez. “It’s a great cut of meat, and a nice size.” He serves it simply, seasoned with Montreal seasoning, a brush of butter and a sprinkling of parsley, and recommends a side of mashed potatoes, done up with plenty of crème, and asparagus. : What makes them special: “You try their steak and see ours, you won’t be able to see the difference and you’re paying $10 more for theirs,” says Hernandez. “Steak is all they cook, we mix it up and we pay attention to our steaks.”

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Steak primer by Sandra Miller

Vocabulary: Dry aged beef: hung to dry for several weeks. This process involves considerable expense as the beef must be stored at near freezing temperatures. Also only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Preferred because moisture is evaporated from the muscle, for greater concentration of beef flavor and taste. Beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle for tender beef. This process creates significant loss of weight in the aging process from evaporation, and trimming of mold. Mold can actually tenderize beef. Wet-aged beef: typically aged in a vacuum-sealed bag, requiring only a matter of days with no loss of weight, and doesn't require the same precision in cooling. Most common method of aging beef in US. None of the beef is lost in the process. “Dry aged beef, to most palates, tastes gamier, almost like venison,” says Fleming’s manager Michael Dearing. “Wet-aged, logic says it’s a moister, wetter steak. Prime beef: best grade, It comprises less than 2% of all graded beef. Has an abundant amount of marbling; tends to be found only in restaurants, fine butcher shops, and custom or specialty suppliers of beef. Choice grade: high grade to fine butcher shops; middle of the Choice grade goes to supermarkets. Choice can be nearly as good as Prime, especially in the top 2/3 of the grade. Generally, it tends to have a little less marbling (and therefore less complexity to the flavor) and a slightly tougher texture than Prime. Choice is usually the highest grade found in grocery store meat departments, although some chains may custom order prime cuts for large purchases. Select or good grade: supermarket grade, leaner than prime or choice, not as tender, flavorful and juicy as prime or choice. Good for pot roast or stew. less marbling than Choice, and will have even less complexity to the flavor. Can dry out easily when overcooked, especially as steaks. It's trimmed well and ready for cooking Certified Angus Beef (CAB) In 1978 a beef program was formed between the American Angus Association and beef producers, to assure a certain level of quality and flavor for consumers. The result was Certified Angus Beef or CAB for short. CAB states that less than 8 percent of beef produced in the USA can earn the distinctive Certified Angus Beef ® brand stamp. Certified Beef, Black Angus Beef, Angus Beef and or any combination of words, is not the same as CAB. Wagyu beef: Wagyu is a breed of cattle that naturally produces densely marbled beef, and surpasses USDA marbling standards for prime-grade beef. Often referred to as the "foie gras of beef.” Kobe Beef: The famed Japanese beef massaged with sake and fed a daily diet that includes large amounts of beer. This produces meat that is tender, finely marbled, and full-flavored. It can cost $100 a pound. Wagyu is the same breed stock that yields Kobe beef. To earn the appellation of Kobe beef its production must conform to standards imposed within that region. Marbling: the network of fine lines of white fat adds to the rich flavor and fine texture of the best cuts.

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How to cook a steak: tips from local chefs by Sandra Miller

• McCormick & Schmick’s executive chef Tony Hernandez says he’d pick a cowboy steak or T-bone with some good marbleization for flavor, season it with Montreal seasoning, brushed on top with butter, and sprinkle with parsley. “You want to move it around in the pan,” says Hernandez. • Many chefs prefer a steak with the bone on it, to offer more flavor; many confess to chewing on the bone afterward. • Flemings manager Michael Deering will grill outdoors until it snows. He recommends cooking on a really clean grill, heat on high. The T-bone, about 1 ½-inches wide, is salted and peppered, and put on the high heat for five minutes. “People want to start pulling it apart,” he says. “Let it sit there. It’s not going to stick after five minutes. It needs the crust.” Salt and pepper the top, then flip, to sit for another five minutes. Then, if you want it medium rare, turn down the heat for another couple of minutes. • Bonfire’s Bobby Bean: “The biggest thing is resting at the end, that way, when you cook it, the blood redistributes; otherwise, it’ll bleed out and become a well-done steak.” • Smith & Wollensky executive chef Russell Ferguson would pick up a ribeye at Savenors, let it warm at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and pan-sear it with just salt and pepper, for a nice crust on both sides, then finish it in a 375-degree oven. • Oak Room chef Laurent Poulain’s lets the steak sit at room temperature a couple of hours, seasoning it with cracked pepper and sea salt, melted butter or olive oil, and using a nice hot grill or pan. “If it’s not hot, you won’t seal in the juices.” For medium rare, he’d do eight minutes each side; a meat thermometer should read 120 degrees. Just before it would reach medium rare, let it sit for 10 minutes, off the heat, which will keep it cooking. “You want to let it relax,” he says. • Bill Bramlett, of Abe and Louie’s: in an outdoor grill, “be patient with it, cook it slow,” he says.

Good neighbors

by Sandra Miller

CAPTION: Living (left) and dining (right) areas of the units inside the condos at 136 Arlington St. A local designer and her husband has rehabbed an abandoned blight on Arlington Street into a hip urban 5-unit condo building. Featuring some of the latest in eco-friendly as well as luxury features, 136 Arlington St. will host an open house to show three of the units. The units feature lots of natural light, oversized insulated windows, exposed brick walls, radiant heating throughout, and wide pine floors from reclaimed lumber. The building was a former Swedish church in Bay Village, and later a recording studio, whose façade had been lopped off during the widening of Arlington Street years ago. It sat empty for more than 20 years, with a hole in the roof and no floors inside, when three years ago, This Old House designer Lisey Good and her real estate developer husband, Lenny Snyderman, bought it. “This is the largest project we’ve ever done,” said Lisey, who has also been a designer on high-profile projects such This Old House. “It’s been easier than I would have thought.” Often with extensive rehabs, developers go through an extensive trial of permit applications and neighborhood concerns. “We were so nervous when we posed this project to them,” she recalled. “Boston can be difficult when you make changes to a building.” But in this case, Bay Village and the city were thrilled with the project. Good received the ok to change the zoning to residential, to paint the doors red and add copper sconces around the entrances, and went to work. “The neighborhood was incredibly welcoming to us,” she said. “Bay Village was really helpful. This was a blight here.” Good did some research, and found an old photo of the church to pick up some elements for the building redesign, which now includes a pediment and oculous window added to the second floor arch. Inside, she and her husband followed followed strict LEEDS guidelines to make this an environmentally friendly project. “My husband and I are into the environment” she said. “It’s not like we’re big real estate developers. We feel it’s not worth doing if you’re not proud of it.“ Going green was pricy, she says, but “It’s the right thing to do, in this day and age, and I think (interested buyers) will agree.” They used reclaimed materials wherever possible, including interior walls featuring noise-deadening recycled denim insulation, reusing the wood taken from the house itself, using Silestone kitchen counters made of recycled glass and quartz. Otherwise, they recycled the leftover drywall and other construction materials, even donating the leftover materials to a nonprofit dedicated to building low-income housing. They tried to shop locally to cut down on gas costs, buying slate floors from Vermont, reclaimed wood from Maine, and reclaimed architectural details from local shops like Old Bostonian. ) It’s eco-friendly from top to bottom, from the roof seeded with wildflowers to attract honeybees, birds and butterflies, down to the rainwater tanks that capture and filter rainwater for re-use in the washers and the low-flow/dual-flush toilets. ““I believe it is one of the first buildings in the area to actually re-charge the groundwater,” said Good. “There are enormous tanks in the basement that sense when the groundwater gets low and then inject water.” To reduce energy costs, units have ceiling fans to redistribute heat and cut down on air conditioning, Energy Star appliances, light dimmers, and efficient radiant heating in every floor throughout the building. It’s so efficient, that the whole building – five units – will heat for the same price as her former 1,600 square foot Beacon Hill unit, she says. “It has good insulation.” Other details include low/No VOC paints and solvents throughout. Each unit has high ceilings, new sound-dampening argon filled windows, stainless steel kitchen appliances, stainless shelving and storage, Halogen track lights, laundry and storage. Units one and two feature a slate-floored common area featuring one wall of floor-to-ceiling exposed bricks. In Unit 1, a 1,081 square foot loft-style duplex, offered at $599,000, is a large two floor unit. “It’s a true loft that’s totally open, with no divider walls,” she says, describing the design as “a little funky.” The entranceway faces enormous windows with deep window-seat sills that will feature an exterior bamboo curtain to block the alleyway. A catwalk with wrought-iron railings peeks into the lower level of the unit, an oversized space with spot-lit custom bookshelves, stained and scored polished concrete floors, 20-foot ceilings and a European style galley kitchen with large pantry closet, and oversized commercial faucet and deep stainless sink. The spacious bath features slate tile and a deep soaking bathtub. The bedroom area features tall curtains for privacy, can accommodate a king size bed and is lit by recessed lighting and wall sconces. Unit 2 is a sunny 465 sq ft studio offered at $399,000. The unit features large windows with deep window-seat sills and custom wood Venetian blinds. A dividing wall separates the eat-in kitchen and living room from a bedroom that accommodates a queen size bed and features a roomy closet. A spacious bath features a slate floor, oversized shower and custom storage shelves. Unit 3 is a 1,224 sq. ft. 2 bedroom/2 bath floor-through offered at $799,000. It features a slate-floored common area reserved for the exclusive use of Unit 3 and the Penthouse unit only. The loft room features 9-foot ceilings, wide pine floors and exposed brick walls drenched in sun from two tall windows with city views, and two floor-to-ceiling French doors opening onto a wrought iron Juliet balcony. A reading nook/small dining or office area features built-in bookshelves and a hidden storage area. The floors are reclaimed barn wood. “It’s hard to get these wide floors,” said Good. The open gourmet kitchen also has an oversized bar. The unit also features a large hall closet, compact home office unit with desk and storage. Lisey, her husband and their dog, Cooper, will live on the top 3 floors, reachable by an elevator. They are former BeaconHill residents who loved the historic neighborhood. “I was really sad to leave Beacon Hill,” she said. But then she opened two huge sliding windows in her new home, to a roof terrace that will be landscaped. “This is why I wanted to move here. You don’t get this much sunlight on Beacon Hill unless you live on Beacon Street. The dog would lie in the one small sunny patch we had.” Now Cooper has its own dog-height arched alcoves to lay in the sun. The area is undergoing several other rehabs, including the building next door, which will be the future Boston Center for Adult Education, which Good says she’s thrilled about. But if she does say so herself, the building’s extreme makeover is even more thrilling. “The transformation is really amazing—inside and out,” she says.

Columbus Center update: Sept. 25 meeting postponed

by Sandra Miller

The Columbus Center project continues to stop and start and stop again. A September 25 meeting about Columbus Center with the Cortes Street neighborhood and the Mass. Turnpike has been postponed, due to a schedule conflict from the Turnpike’s executive director. A rescheduled meeting will be announced soon, a Turnpike spokesperson said. In the meantime, a meeting last week with the Columbus Center Community Construction Committee had developers stating they are still looking to build the deck all at once. “They would not be changing the project,” said Deputy Director for Community Planning Randi Lathrop. “They are particularly focusing on the platform.” For 13 years, residents, city and state officials and developers have been working on the ambitious Columbus Center, which promises to link the South End and Back Bay by building over the turnpike and creating a hotel, residential, and retail complex. The project has received public subsidies totaling $116 million, but when the developers’ request for more money was rejected, the project stalled and developers requested an 18-month extension to find more financing. The deadline to approve that extension has passed. According to the cost consultants investigating the financial viability of the project, they may have found a less expensive way to build the seven acres of tunnels below the skyscraper complex. that was first proposed 13 years ago. Beal’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel Peter Spellios said the "deck" would be called a "platform" due to a different and cheaper engineering technology that can be used. Such changes to the project are the key to making the project affordable, said Spellios. Before the end of the year, if approved, the project will resume construction, continue its temporary suspension, or be canceled, said McDermott. City officials confirmed that the project would not differ from plans made and approved in 2003. However, all involved look anxiously to a viability report due November 15 from Related Properties of New York and the Beal Companies of Boston. They were hired by the project’s owners, MacFarlane Urban Realty Co. and WinnCompanies, to evaluate the center’s viability, said Bruce Beal Sr., of the Beal Companies. CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) is the primary financial backer of the project. "The current go-or-no-go analysis is the final round, and there will be no more chapters after that," said Pamela McDermott, a spokesperson for the developers. The meeting was also attended by McDermott Ventures’ president and executive vice president, Mayor's Neighborhood Coordinator Tabitha Bennett, BRA Senior Planner Mary Knasas, John Herbert of the South End Ellis Neighborhood Association, John Shope of Bay Village Neighborhood Association, Lynn Andrews of Cortes Street residents, and Karen Lassiter and Joel Miller of Pope Condominium. The BRA reports that the Columbus Center Committee is working with the developers to fix up the site in the meantime. “They are going to move equipment and trailers, see if parking can be restored, and clean up the site as much as it can,” said Lathrop. “Beal and Related will come back around November 15, and we’ll be meeting back with the construction committee.” That’s another dubious deadline, said Columbus Center watchdog Ned Flaherty, of 75 Clarendon Street Condominium, who also attended last week’s meeting. He notes a long list of missed deadlines, including those set by the Turnpike Authority to approve the construction delay, a November 2007 deadline to have bank financing by January 15, then February 15. In April, the owners said they would regroup, talk to lenders, work with city and state officials, and come back with a new plan, according to one news story. But Columbus Center President Roger Cassin came back empty handed from a visit to his California financial backers.“We are spending $5 million a month on this,” Cassin told Banker & Tradesman. In May, the MTA set a June deadline to renegotiate, but the developers again missed that deadline, so the MTA extended that deadline to July. “The owners missed that deadline, too,” said Flaherty. Flaherty said experts disagree on whether the project can be saved, citing a meeting held last week where air rights developer John Rosenthal reportedly told Boston Redevelopment Authority and turnpike officials that such a project is cost-prohibitive, and that he believes that most of Boston's 23 air rights properties will never get developed. According to Flaherty, the MTA still needs to revise the project’s lease. “The developers defaulted on the 99-year lease signed in May 2006, when they failed to start construction on time and failed to obtain bank loans,” he said. “Under the original lease, the seven acres of tunnels were to have been completed in October 2008, but nothing was ever built. And the latest version of that lease allows the developers to postpone completion to 2025.” He also noted a revised agreement is needed with CSX, the freight railroad that owns some of the rail lines that would run through tunnels underneath the project; and a new lease is needed for Manulife Insurance, which donated land and funding for Garcia Park, but meanwhile has rented the land to Columbus Center for temporary equipment and materials storage.

Tom Brady package

Brady and Back Bay quarterbacking by Sandra Miller

One of our favorite Back Bay boys, Tom Brady, is on the sidelines with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. While he reportedly is attending games and will likely undergo surgery next month, possibly at MGH, he faces six to nine months of recovery and rehabilitation. Otherwise, no one’s saying much on how he’s doing, so we called around town for ideas and what Brady will be doing to speed his recovery. Michael Morris, a co-owner at Fitness Together on Newbury Street, also tore his ACL playing rugby. “It felt like I sprained my ankle, and at the same time, like someone stuck a knife in my knee and ran it down my entire leg,” he said. Morris knows from experience how to bounce back from this kind of injury, and as Brady’s trainer, he would write a protocol for him once Brady had clearance from his doctor. “Aside from obvious leg strengthening work, I would also improve the stability of his joint through a lot of balance work, combining balance and strength movements in one,” said Morris. He’s included single-leg movements to improve the stability of Brady’s joint and redevelop neuromuscular efficiency to the muscles around the joint. “Whenever there is major trauma, you lose that neuromuscular efficiency to the joint,” said Morris. That joint may need crutches to heal quickly. Over at Sullivan's Pharmacy in Roslindale, they can get some nice crutches that can fit a 6-foot-5 man like Brady. “When I fit someone for crutches, especially someone that tall, I would make sure they stand up straight, and use whatever foot apparel they use,” said Sullivan’s Pharmacy owner Gregory Laham, who says crutch fittings are not as simple as it seems. “I’m 5 feet 5 inches,’ so I’d probably get a stepladder,” he joked. He’d order crutch tops to minimize chafing and rubbing underneath Brady’s arms, and recommend an extra sleeve over the top. He could order Neoprene handgrips in Patriots’ red and blue, to avoid calluses or blisters. “Tips are vital,” said Laham. “Someone like him needs special-performance tips for better traction, and he’d need crutch shocks.” Laham would also recommend crutch accessories, like bags that would hold water bottles and small books like playbooks. For snow and ice, he could get ice tips for added traction. “Usually, that would be all, but if the customer is a man of means, I’d recommend telescoping crutches that fold up for easy travel.” These come in a Patriots-friendly silver color. Maybe Brady would like some reachers to pick up things out of reach, too. “If you fumbled anything, you could pick it up,” said Laham. “We have the tuck rule…” For someone using crutches, that can do a number on the spine. Dr. Peter Hill, a chiropractor on Boylston Street, said once Brady gets his surgery and physical therapy, he could help in several areas. “Sometimes, that kind of injury throws off your spine because it creates an imbalance,” said Dr. Hill. “If he uses a crutch, it may throw off his back, causing spinal subluxations. We adjust the spine to reduce the number of subluxations.” Dr. Hill could also adjust Brady’s knees and would recommend water therapy and strengthening exercises. He’d also offer holistic healing, such as focusing on nutrition, emphasis on proper sleep, and maintaining a healthy mindset. “He’ll be a little gun shy after this - it’s normal. But in order to be an athlete like Tom Brady, they have to have a nervous system and a mindset that is different than other persons. He may be able to bounce back more than others,” he said. Someone like Brady isn’t built like the average person – he just has great genes, said Dr. Hill. “I can play tennis as hard as I can and take lots of lessons, but I’ll never be John McEnroe. I’m not genetically wired like him.” Still, Dr. Hill worried about Brady’s brain. “He may not jump into the pocket as fast as he used to. The brain gets an imprint and it does remember,” he said. Dr. Hill would then recommend a sports psychologist. Actually, Dr. Howard Katz, of New England Sports Psychiatry, is a rare sports psychiatrist, with years of experience not only watching the Pats, but also working with professional athletes who struggle with their injuries. He wouldn’t do any armchair quarterbacking on the actual state of Brady’s mind at the moment. However, he offered some theories on what someone of Brady’s caliber might be facing mentally. “In a certain sense, he is at the top of his game … at the highest level of performance,” Katz said, pointing out that Brady is 31 years old, in a field that doesn’t see too many athletes in their 40s. “I don’t know how many years that can go on, nor does he. One hates to lose a year at any point in a professional athlete’s career.” Will he lose his competitive edge as he sits on the sidelines? Probably not, said Dr. Katz. “The highest caliber athletes have reached that level particularly because they want to be in the center of things. In the most competitive moments, they’re saying, ‘I want the ball, I want the ball.’ Brady has to be that kind of guy, so it must be very hard for him to be on the sidelines.” Professional athletes deal with injuries all the time, Katz said. “Injury is part of the game, maybe not this seriously, but professional quarterbacks have to be somewhat fearless. They have to have that built into ways to do their job, a long ago. I’m sure he has that well structured in his mind. It probably won’t change much when he gets back.” As a trainer, Michael Morris sees athletes mentally nursing injuries all the time. “The first time you go to the cut, the first time you get hit, I wouldn’t be surprised if it pops into Brady’s brain, thinking about his injury,” said Morris. Dr. Katz is confident that Brady is the kind of uberathlete who can rise above this sort of mental injury. “I think he’s going to come back very strong from this. He has to ... the qualities that make him an outstanding quarterback is his preparation, his level of understanding, his work ethic, a whole bunch of things that can’t be taken away from him,” he said. Meanwhile, to athletes sidelined like Brady, Dr. Katz advises patience. “Pay attention to the broader range of things and people that are important to you, and maintain your involvement in the sport, whatever you can, given the limitations of injury. What Tom Brady does, day in and day out, is pay attention to a team’s defenses and pay attention to strategies. All of that is going to continue, I suspect, along with rehab.” And shopping, too. We’re sure he won’t stop shopping. But at the end of a long day, he may have trouble fitting his Versace or Giorgio Armani slacks over his knee brace or sore leg. And when you’re injured, you want comfort. When he’s ready to wobble over to Niketown on Newbury Street, he can get some of the dry fit running pants that zip at the bottom. “It will allow Brady to slip them over his shoes, and he may have a mobile cast over his leg too,” said Ken Beardsley, store lead for Niketown. “He can use this casually and comfortably. It would be very lightweight and not inhibit his movement at all. Tom has a pretty good idea of what we offer, as does his girlfriend, Gisele.” Added Beardsley, “We wish him well and hope he recovers quickly and heals fast.”

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Brady plays the real estate market like an NFL defense by Sun staff

Tom Brady converted his Beacon Street townhouse into four condos and sold three of them in a deal that essentially meant his own top two floors were free. The quarterback is not only a whiz on the field, he’s a star on the real estate flip. He bought his townhouse in Franklin from teammate Ty Law in 2000 for $265,000, moved to Quincy, and two years ago, he sold his Marina Bay condo for a $6 million Beacon Street building. Brady also recently paid a reported $11 million for a Brentwood lot in a gated community near California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver. Other reports say Brady and his girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, put their Manhattan apartments on the market. Brady's 74th floor Time Warner Center unit is listed at $19 million, up from the $14 million he paid in 2004. For the Beacon Hill property, which comes with eight parking spaces and a doorman, Brady renovated the building, including installing his residence with soundproof glass. He hired Frank Nicholson, who also provided interior design for the Mandarin Oriental in Boston. Brady converted the townhouse into four condos, listed it with Tracy Campion, and sold the condos for a total of $7.95 million to Andronico Luksic, vice chairman of Banco de Chile. Brady kept the top two floors, which sport a Charles River view. According to one real estate agent quoted in the Boston Globe, Brady broke even on the sale and got his condo for free. Perhaps while he’s sidelined, he can freelance in real estate development.

Chang-Diaz defeats Wilkerson in State Senate Primary

by Sandra Miller

Senator Dianne Wilkerson is expected to release a statement tonight on what she plans to do next, following her defeat in last week’s primary.
Challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz narrowly upset Wilkerson, 9,051 (51 percent) to 8,823 (49 percent), in an election that only saw 14 percent of voters turn out.
“The senator is still deciding what to do,” said a campaign spokesperson, Monica Dean. “She will make a public announcement at 6 p.m. [tonight].”
Wilkerson reportedly is mulling whether to ask for a recount in the Second Suffolk District, or to possibly run as an independent in the November election.
If she runs as an independent, she had to gather signatures from 50 voters in each ward and submit them by last night. She would also lose her backing by Gov. Deval Patrick, who is now supporting Chang-Diaz as the Democratic nominee.
In the weeks before the primary, Wilkerson had many prominent backers. Wilkerson is the only black senator, and has an impressive voting record for her 15 years in office that drew many endorsements.
However, many blamed Wilkerson’s loss to her various legal and financial battles, recently topped last week with Wilkerson reportedly having to rush over a $1,200 check to the attorney general's office to pay the balance of a $2,200 fine for campaign finance violations.
She also faced foreclosure proceedings on her home, and served 30 days in a halfway house after pleading guilty to four federal income tax misdemeanors. Wilkerson recently paid a $10,000 fine and admitted to campaign finance violations.
Political analysts also said when the district was redrawn in 2001, it reduced the number of black voters in the district when sections of Mattapan and Dorchester were lost; while Jamaica Plain gained more voters. Chang-Díaz won the race with strong support in her home base of Jamaica Plain, along with Back Bay, the Fenway, Chinatown, and the South End. Wilkerson took Dorchester and Roxbury.
Chang-Díaz had narrowly lost in her challenge two years ago, in a race that had both as write-in candidates, when Wilkerson missed the deadline to register.

Suffolk hosts Fall Public Policy Forum

By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
When a bullet recently lodged into the State House, police began enforcing a nighttime curfew on Boston Common to clear out drug dealers. They also shooed away the homeless, but that only moved them to other areas of the city.
The city's census in December counted more than 6600 homeless persons, 306 living on the streets.
Nearby, those on Beacon Hill and Back Bay are not only affected by those seeking shelter in their doorways and alleys, but many are seeking ways to help.
“[The curfew] really brings it closer to home the issues of homelessness,” says Robert Whitney, a board member of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and chair of the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee. “People in Beacon Hill and Back Bay are pretty secure, but within a stone’s throw, there are people who are homeless. This is not other peoples’ concern, this is our neighborhood. It’s real, it’s right here and we need to find new ways to help.”
When Rep. Byron Rushing visited the Ward 5 group recently to discuss the state’s new initiatve to end homelessness, Whitney and his group decided to make that the topic of its annual fall forum on local public policy topics.
The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee will host “Ending Homelessness in Massachusetts: New Thinking on an Age-Old Problem,” Monday at 6:30 pm at Suffolk University Law School from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Suffolk University Law School’s Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service is a co-sponsor of the event.
“The Rappaport Center seeks to bring together policy makers, academics, and community activists together to address current public policy issues that affect people at the state and local level,” said Susan Prosnitz of the Rappaport Center. “Homelessness is exactly the kind of issue the center, using its convening power, hopes to raise awareness about. This forum will educate people about the ongoing and most recent efforts of the state, and the Patrick administration’s efforts to proactively and strategically address the issue.”
Whitney reviewed a recent state report on homelessness, and thought many of the ideas were worth discussing.
In 2007, the Commission to End Homelessness came up with a broad five-year budget and housing plan that recognizes service needs to end homelessness in the Commonwealth. The recommendation guides the Executive, Administrative and Legislative branches in their effort to implement a housing and support services strategy, to help leverage outside resources from federal, municipal and private sources to coordinate homeless services and end homelessness.
“It’s an age-old issue,” says Whitney, who expects 75-100 attendees. “People from the audience will be able to ask questions and see what could be done. We’re trying to find new ideas on how to deal with homelessness issues. Instead of shelters, there could be halfway houses in the neighborhood. We could try to help finance or arrange for smaller units in neighborhoods to transition people. … Our purpose is to just provide a forum for these issues.”
Representatives from state agencies involved in the new state policy to end homelessness in Massachusetts will discuss implementation strategies, the policy and program design, similar initiatives in other states, and how revenues will be re-allocated from shelter services to permanent housing for this new initiative.
The City of Boston will also offer perspective on this new initiative and its impact on the City's homeless population.
Panelists will include Undersecretary Tina Brooks; State Senator Dianne Wilkerson; City of Boston Shelter Commission Acting Director James Greene; Department of Transitional Assistance Director Stephanie Brown; Elder Affairs’ Housing and Assisted Living Director Duamarius Stukes; and Shelter, Inc. Executive Director Tom Lorello; Robert Pulster, Executive Director, Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness, will moderate the panel discussion and Lt. Governor Timothy Murray will deliver the opening remarks.
The public is invited, and light refreshments will be provided.

Students home in on Back Bay; overcrowding issue

by Sandra Miller

Students from Boston University, Emerson, Suffolk, Berklee, and other nearby colleges are scrambling for housing, as university officials deal with the annual juggle for finding housing for its students. This year, students who want to live off-campus are now faced with the new regulation that says only four students can live in an apartment, whether it’s a one-bedroom or a 12-bedroom apartment.
Reports indicate many landlords are looking the other way as students strapped for cash and on-campus options are continuing to flout the law, but local officials so far have not heard any complaints.
“We have not experienced that in our neighborhood,” said Jackie Yessian, president of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. “We supported the legislation, but we wouldn’t have generated a complaint that started that. Other neighborhoods felt it, but we didn’t.”
So far, the law’s biggest proponent, Councilor Michael Ross, hasn’t heard any complaints from neighbors as students began moving in last week. But, he said, it isn’t in the landlord’s best interest to flout the law, since the bylaw will holds property owners, not students, responsible for violations.
“It’s a good law,” he said. “Any landlord who allows this puts themselves at great risk. Eventually, the law will be enforced.”
He said that violations will slowly start coming over the course of the school year, with rental inspector certifications and tenant and neighborhood complaints.
The landlord could lose their rental license, he said. “To respond to a legal complaint, the landlord will have to spend a lot of money,” said Ross.
Ross also worries about the dangers of overcrowding. “Of more concern is what happens if some sort of disaster, God forbid, like a fire, or loss of life, God forbid? … if there’s an injury in the house, their insurance costs are at risk. It is just not worth the risk for the landlord to take that gamble.”
In general, the past week or so has seen few headaches with students moving in. Part of this may be due to the city’s newly-created task force, a collaboration among the Boston Police, Transportation, Inspectional Services (ISD) and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, to ease students transitioning back into Back Bay and other Boston neighborhoods.
According to the mayor’s office, the team helped facilitate traffic, pick up trash from residents moving out of apartments, and monitor “the commotion” of students moving in. “The city is committed to ensuring a smooth and efficient transition for residents who live in the neighborhoods where high tenant turnover occurs and ensuring the safety of those who move in,” the mayor wrote in a press release.
“Emerson is very strict,” said Yessian. “They organize moving-in day with precision. They are very keen on making it smooth for the students as well as the community-at-large.”
ISD housing inspectors were on standby to ensure that landlords comply with the mandatory rental inspection ordinance and rental unit delivery standard ordinance.
The city’s Rental Housing Resource Center helps both landlords and tenants learn about their rights and responsibilities, and is available to help mediate disputes. The resource center can be reached at 617-635-RENT (7368). Students can also learn more about renting apartments at www.cityofboston.gov/rentalhousing/students.asp.

Newbury Street experiences a Gap in retail lineup

by Sandra Miller

When Newbury Street’s Gap store closed its doors at the end of August, with just a couple of signs taped to the doors, many were left surprised, even mystified. How could The Gap close? It was like a McDonald’s closing. It just doesn’t happen. The Gap, like many retailers, is experiencing drops in sales due to the economy. The Newbury Street Store is just one of 115 to close this fiscal 2008, although the Gap will continue to open more than a 100 other Gaps nationwide. For Gap fans, it means having to go to Copley Place and elsewhere. For Newbury Street, many are left puzzled. “That one caught me by surprise,” said Susan Kelley, chief administrator of the Newbury Street League. “All of a sudden, I see a moving truck, and they’re gone in a day,” said Mitch Rosenfield, owner of the nearby The Hempest. Newbury Street was once a scruffy, eclectic business district that has reinvented itself more often than Madonna. But through the years and through changing storefronts, it still manages to offer something for every wallet. Still, did the Gap belong on Newbury Street anymore? No, say some, who noted that such iconic Newbury Street spots such as the TGI Fridays restaurant and once-hot bar moved to the suburbs. The Gap is located in the Prince Building, which includes a 36-unit condo development whose units range up to $700 per square foot. The building was formerly the old Prince School before it was renovated and storefronts were installed. Apparently, rents are going up, and the Prince Building is a prime chunk of real estate. Perhaps the Gap would have been more comfy on the funkier end of Newbury Street. “You have to be on the cutting edge,” said one Newbury Street businessman. “Buildings are selling for big bucks. The little hair salons and other businesses that made Newbury Street what it is are leaving, because they can’t afford it anymore. … It’s hurting a lot of people. A lot of European stores are moving in.” “Landlords are trying to get too much money here,” said Rosenfield, who mused that whatever the rent was, he was surprised something like the Gap couldn’t afford it. “It always seemed pretty busy in there,” he added. “I can’t say I’m all that sorry to see them go,” he added. “It would be nice to see something more diverse and colorful in the space.”

Changing places: Retail experts say storefronts don't stay empty for long by Sandra Miller

The Gap is the latest in a shuffle of area retailers reacting to rising rents and a lackluster economy. Louis of Boston decided not to renew its lease when it comes up in 2010. Its owner, Debi Greenberg, said her reason for wishing to move to a "trendier" location echoed a common sentiment: that Newbury Street was becoming just another mall. When it opened 20 years ago, Louis of Boston was said to open the street to a new level of luxury. Greenberg told the Boston Globe that stores along Newbury Street are all similar. "There isn't anything new anymore," she said. More likely, she didn't like the rents, which are now shooting into the $100- to $250-square-foot range. Some estimate the Louis of Boston space, a prime standalone 40,000 square-foot historic building with parking, could get $200 per square foot on the ground floor. One Newbury Street real estate professional figures it will attract a major anchor store, or a European-style high-end hotel. However, industry specialists say the economy isn't creating empty storefronts along Newbury Street. For every business that complains of high rents, another business is very willing to take its place. Chain stores such as Nike, Filene's Basement, H&M, Borders, and Victoria's Secret continue to move in, as are European retailers. Newbury Street's long list of luxury names still include Chanel, Donna Karan, Burberry, Cartier, Fendi, Gucci, Kate Spade, Bang & Olufsen, Valentino, Yves Saint-Laurent, Hermès, Versace, Prada, Marc Jacobs, and Ermenegildo Zegna, as well as more modern upscale upstarts like Johnny Cupcakes. But Newbury Street is no longer the sole luxury magnet, with more upscale presence in shopping centers along Boylston Street and even down the pike at the Natick Collection. French restaurant L' Espalier closed its 8 Gloucester St. digs and will be opening in the new Mandarin later this month. Meanwhile, Copley Place has Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and Bally of Switzerland, but it will be losing Gucci to the Mandarin. The Mandarin has also been attracting upscale retailers, restaurants and services, such as yoga specialists Lululemon Athletica, Italian fine linens retailer Frette, and Sel de La Terre. When Armani moved off Newbury Street last year, the buzz ranged from worries about the decline of Newbury Street's cache', to sniffs about the decline of the label, to musings over whether men were really bothering with ties much anymore. The Tempest's Mitch Rosenfield misses Armani's café, which was across the street. "They tripled the rent," Rosenfield recalled. "Zara came in with some ridiculous offer." While Rosenfield notices an upward trend of rent increases over the 13 years he's been there, he remains upbeat. "You can't expect to get a cheap place here. The landlord is pretty reasonable. Some months are worse than others in this economy, but we wouldn't be here 13 years if we couldn't find a way to make some money."

On Beacon Hill, greener is better

by Sandra Miller

As residents transition from summer living to fall cleanup, the Beacon Hill Civic Association is planning to get even greener and cleaner.
The BHCA just finished distributing introductory packages of plastic bags to educate residents about the city’s new single-stream recycling program, which replaces those awkward and bulky blue bins with clear bags.
Already, residents are getting used to replacing those awkward bins with bags that are easier to sort, store and transport recyclables, although the city and the BHCA are still fielding questions, such as where to buy the clear plastic bags (most markets sell clear bags, but any clear bag will do), and when it’s ok to put out the bags (after midnight).
“They are really working hard, keeping every thing clean,” says Suzanne T. Besser, executive director of the Beacon Hill Civic Association.
Added BHCA’s Ross Levanto, “Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been working with the City of Boston to basically deliver to residences all over the hill, everything you need to know about recycling. The BHCA provided the manpower and delivered them. Basically the neighborhood is being very aggressive in promoting the single stream.”
Suffolk University has also educated its off-campus students in recycling tips. “They have been great,” said Levanto. The Beacon Hill Block Party on Sunday also hosted a recycling station for further education.
Levanto is a member of what is now called the Neighborhood Life Committee, with new members Rajan Nada of Garden Street, and Meghan Haggerty of Joy Street, as well as Janet Terlizzi of Mount Vernon Street. The committee also works on street lights and brick replacements.
They and the rest of the BHCA also aims to encourage more of the larger buildings to purchase toters, to get after dog owners to pooper-scoop for their pets, and to ask for street sweeping through the winter, rather than taking a break from November to April. “It makes a real difference,” Besser said.
When the leaves fall, the Hill’s fall edition of its twice annual Neighborhood Cleanup Day is Oct. 18. “The neighborhood get people to clean up the streets, and the city provides extra workers to pick up the bags, along with other fun activities,” says Levanto, who believes it will be similar to last fall’s event, which featured “Scare Street Stations” at the playgrounds, a neighborhood potluck at the BHCA headquarters, and T-shirts.
Levanto says the BHCA chuckles at itself when it goes through old photos and articles and letters, almost all of which are concerned with keeping the neighborhood clean. “Cleanliness is always an issue,” Levanto says. “We have three days of trash pickups, and things still get messy.”
But he also says that over the years, he has seen big changes. “What has really worked well is the aggressive towing posture by DPW Chief Dennis Royer,” he says. “They will do whatever they can to remove cars during street sweeping days. That has had a dramatic effect on Beacon Hill.”
Before the towing, residents were ticketed: “To be totally blunt, the ticket for being parked illegally was a parking expense to people, it was cheaper than parking it in a garage,” he says. “But he reality is, the street sweeper comes in at taxpayers’ expense, and it was useless because trash is trapped underneath the cars.”
He also praises the smaller street sweeper “green machine” that’s easier to get around the tight neighborhood. “The two or three days after move in day, Sept. 1, I walked down Myrtle Street 1 and it was a disaster,” Levanto recalled. When called up City Hall for the Green Machine, it did the trick quickly. He says the BHCA has also been able to request the machine to make extra passes around the neighborhood during certain special events, such as the garden tours.