2016: A GOOD YEAR FOR SELLERS
2017: WHAT’S IN STORE?
This year was another banner year for sellers, with high prices, multiple bids, waived contingencies, and high activity throughout the year. In short, it was similar to the last 3-4 years, but with less price escalation overall.
What will happen in 2017? We don’t have a crystal ball, and election years are always a little hard to predict. However, we have seen signs of the As interest rise,that many buyers initially and respond Following the November stock market in 2017. That market softening a bit, andelections, we expectthe that to continue is likely rates to mean prices will stabilize properties maya dive, sit onbut the prices marketquickly a little longer—not willjumping sell in a into week.the If the Fed raises interest 2017 as market to seize a raterates thatin may initially took rallied. Real everythingby predicted, willarea usually result intoabe surge of activity initially, as buyers lockor intwo. a rateThat before additional increases look low try in atoyear stimulates our local estate salesthat in our continued strong through are made. Later in the year, it may result in slower sales. That said, our micro-economy in the Boston area is very market. Once again, our limited inventory and strong, lack of the end of 2016, with inventory still very low. Interest and most buyers in the Somerville/Cambridge market will not be adversely affected by the downturn we inevitably will buildable/developable land keep prices from deflating rates began to rise in December, as the Fed said they see in real estate markets in other parts of the country. Our lack of buildable land, growth in employer base, and high strong local the would, and likelyvariety rates will continue to increase in multis, significantly. demand for it theis wide of types of property (condos, singles) insulateOur us from most of economy the factorskeeps that crash on housing fairlyconfidence steady. I have notnationally, yet seen a the coming year. The average fixed rates haveuniformitydemand other markets (over development, loss ofinterest major employers, of inventory). If consumer is lower decline inshould consumer confidence, increased 1/2-3/4 a pointfeelings over the few weeks that will affect localofbuyers’ oflast confidence as well, but our market still be active. but that may change. - from around 3.5% to 4.0-4.25%. Although this is a If you had a good year, please help those who did not significant increase, it is still a very low rate when put No matter how good this year for many inrate our area, it– THALIA was an especially difficult year for residents struggling to in historical perspective. Thewas average fixedpeople interest TRINGO & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE meet their most basic needs of food and shelter. Please remember to make year-end donations to local charities, especially 10 years ago, for example, was about 6% - much lower those that address homelessness, affordable housing, and food insecurity. Some of our favorites are Somerville Homeless than the rate 10 and Cooks, 20 years before that. Coalition, Community Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund, Greater Boston Food Bank, Food for Free, Community Servings, Heading Home, and RESPOND.
Listings
~ Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate
Listings
26 MARSHALL STREET #2, SOMERVILLE – $TBD Lovely contemporary townhouse with 3 beds, 2.5 baths on 3 levels, with oak floors, central air, 1 garage space and 1 outdoor parking space, just around the corner from acclaimed Sarma restaurant. Open living/kitchen/ dining layout and 1/2 bath on first floor. Two bedrooms, full bath, and laundry on second level. Entire top floor is a stunning master suite with vaulted ceilings and skylit master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower.
26A Kidder Avenue, Somerville ~ $499,000 Davis Square top floor 2 bed, 1.5 bath condo with central air and in-unit laundry. Common yard and patio. Ideal Davis Square location, walkable to subway, shops, restaurants.
26 Marshall Street #2, Somerville ~ $699,000
10 Hall Street #1, Somerville ~ $425,000
Lovely contemporary townhouse with 3 beds, 2.5 baths, central air, and garage parking— just around the corner from Sarma. Three living levels with oak floors. Open layout on the first floor. Two bedrooms, full bath, and laundry on second level. Entire top floor is a stunning master suite with vaulted ceilings and skylit master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower.
Near Davis and Porter Squares, this 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom condo with a private yard is ready for your touch.
Coming Soon
Thalia Tringo
Coming Soon
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
DAVIS SQUARE Single with Garage North Family Cambridge
1-Bedroom in Mid-Rise with Garage Parking ~ $479,000 TEELE SQUARE 2-Bedroom Condo with Parking Davis Square
Niké Damaskos
1-Bedroom with Private Garage and Porch ~ $tbd UNION SQUARE Large – $TBD Union Loft Square
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Large loft ~ $tbd
Free FreeClasses Classes How to Prepare Home for Winter Planning to Buy InYour the Future: Forming Supportive Cohort Groups
TBA - 6:30-7:45 pm th Wednesday, November 30
6:30-7:45 pm
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Not ready to buy now,pipes but want to planIce ahead a year or more down the road?downspouts? One of the best ways to Do you worry about bursting? dams? Clogged gutters? Broken Heat ensure there isfrom affordable for you in the future to buy property yourself. Home ownership loss? Damage brokenhousing tree limbs? Heating systemis failure? gives you stability and security - no more landlord to raise your rent or give you notice. It has been
Routine maintenance is the wayfinancially to prevent damage yourtime. mostIt’simportant investment: shown that home owners farebest better than renterstoover not for everyone, but if you home. want toCome explore now,class at least you’ll know what possibilitiesofare. discuss the basics your toitthis to get a checklist andthe explanation theWe’ll things you need to doof creative options for purchasing. Our hope is to create online cohort groups that will tofinancing maintainand your home—and sanity. encourage and motivate each other over time to reach their long-term goal of home ownership.
First Buyers BasicTime HomeHome Maintenance
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
an overview ofpm the buying process TBA - 6:30-7:45
Wednesday, January 18th OR Tuesday, February 28th 6:30-7:45 pm Do you worry about pipes bursting? Ice dams? Clogged gutters? Broken downspouts? Heat loss?
from brokenbuying tree limbs? system Routine maintenance bestthis wayistoa IfDamage you’re considering yourHeating first home andfailure? want to understand what’s isinthe store, prevent damage to your most important investment: your home. Come to this class to get a checklist quick and helpful overview. Led by our agents, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour and explanation of the things you need to do to maintain your home - and sanity. Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
First Time Home Buyers: An Overview of the Buying Process
How CanPM BuyorProperty Together as PM a Group Wed.,Individuals Jan. 18th - 6:30-7:45 Tues. Feb. 28th - 6:30-7:45
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
aIfprimer for non-traditional homebuyers you’re considering buying your first home and want to understand what’s in store, this is a quick th Thursday, pm and helpfulJanuary overview.19 Led by our agents, it includes a 45-min presentation and6:30-7:45 1/2 hour Q&A
session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
When two or more people, whether or not they are related, buy property together, what are their options for taking title? How do you determine each one’s financial contributions, How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group: percentage legal interest in the property, and expense allocation? What kind of arrangements A be Primer forevent Non-Traditional Homebuyers can made in the one or more parties want to move on but others want to keep the property? is available? Thurs.,What Jan. type 19thof-financing 6:30-7:45 pm We will address these and other questions in this class with follow-up Q&Awhether session.orLead by our and a local realtogether, estate attorney. When twoa or more people, not they areteam related, buy property what are their taking title? How do you determine each one’s financial contributions, percentage legal Ifoptions you arefor a first time home buyer, please attend the First Time Home Buyers Workshop (Jan. 18th) interest in the property, and expense allocation? What kind of arrangements can be made in the orevent makeone anorappointment of our so you’ll your fortype thisofclass. more parties with wantone to move onagents but others want have to keep theprerequisites property? What financing is available? We will address these and other questions in this class with a follow-up Q&A
How andandSell theattorney. Same Time session. to LeadBuy by our team a local at real estate
for a move If youhomeowners are a first time homecontemplating buyer, please attend the First Time Home Buyers Workshop (Jan. 18th) or make an appointment with one of our agents so you’ll have your prerequisites for this class.
Tuesday, January 24th OR Monday, February 13th
6:30-7:45 pm
IfHow trying to the logistics selling your home and buying a new one make your head tofigure Buyout and Sell atofthe Same Time: spin, workshop will helpContemplating make the process understandable. Forthis Homeowners a Move This workshop, led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A Tues. Jan. 24th - 6:30-7:45 PM or Mon. Feb. 27th - 6:30-7:45 PM session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one make your head spin,
thisreserve workshopspace will help process understandable. This workshop, led by our agents and a To inmake any the class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. loan officer from a local bank, includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods or coats/gloves/hats for the and refreshments provided. Somerville Homeless Coalition. To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods or coats/gloves/hats for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
Adaria Brooks
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2017 ::: VOLUME 24 ::: SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 8 // WINNERS & LOSERS A Cambridge designer was the big winner on this season of Project Runway; MIT scientists speak out against President-elect Trump’s cabinet appointees.
FIND YOUR FIT
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10 // WHAT’S NEW? Lots of traffic changes went into effect in December, and tensions are still high when it comes to development in Harvard Square. Plus, a Cambridge startup is behind Boston’s first self-driving cars. 14 // PHOTOS: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES Transition House celebrates its 40th anniversary with stories from the people it’s impacted over the years. 34 // SCOUT OUT: A STITCH IN TIME For a slightly different take on finding your fit, we talked shop with the owners of two beloved Cambridge clothing stores who make up the fabric of this community.
16 // WORKOUT-SIDE THE BOX Can’t drag yourself to the gym? Not the treadmill type? Why not dance, bike commute—or even learn to fence—instead?
36 // CALENDAR
20 // EMPOWER LIFTING Trainers Andrea Isabelle Lucas and Jane Taylor help women hone their physical and emotional strength.
38 // SCOUT YOU
37 // MARKETPLACE
22 // BEYOND BARBELLS These Cambridge fitness centers go above and beyond for their members. 26 // IT’S FUN TO TRAIN AT THE YMCA It doesn’t have the glitz and glamor of boutique gyms, but the Central Square Y is still one of the best places citywide to get a workout. 28 // HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, SAFER A boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts gym that describes itself as “high-octane” could seem scary to a newcomer, but Redline Fight Sports is a welcoming, inclusive space. 30 // AT YOGARAGE, FITNESS ROUTINES GET A TUNE-UP Feel like you’ve been spinning your wheels workout-wise? Check out this garage turned yoga studio in Kendall Square. 32 // PICK UP THE PASTRY Enough about workouts—it’s time to talk fitness-fueling food. Sweet, delicious, fitness-fueling food.
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Photo, top: Sparring practice at Redline Fight Sports in Central Square. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. Photo, bottom: Gary Drinkwater—owner of Drinkwater’s in Porter Square—knows how to make you look good. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. On the cover: Sharing a laugh with Barre & Soul founder Andrea Isabelle Lucas. Photo by thespragues.com.
scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
5
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
can’t say for sure why, on a Saturday afternoon last winter, I first dug out my tattered Nikes, threw on a cotton crew neck and went for a three-mile run around the Mystic River. It could have been the unseasonably warm weather. Or maybe one of those articles about the mental health benefits of regular exercise had finally penetrated the fog of my seasonal depression. Maybe This entire editor’s note is essentially one long humblebrag about I was just really, deliriously my running accomplishments. Please clap. bored. Here’s what I do know: Those first three miles sucked. In fact, I’m not sure I can say I went for a run. What I actually did was alternate between walking and something ever-so-slightly faster than walking—I guess you might technically call it a jog—wheezing all the way. Less than a year later, running is a regular part of my routine. I look forward to hitting the pavement a few times a week. I bore my friends with talk of my 10K split times and the things I see along my routes. I bought some shiny new sneakers. As I sit down to write this note, I’ve just finished running the first-ever Cambridge Half Marathon—which, as it turns out, is also my first-ever half marathon. Here’s something else I know: It’s super annoying to hear people talk about their own fitness accomplishments. Sorry! What I’m getting at here is that running changed my life for the better. And in this issue, you’ll meet a host of people for whom fitness has been a path to broader self-improvement. Working out certainly isn’t the only way to turn your life around, but if you’re one of the millions of people making a resolution to get in shape in 2017, maybe you’ll be inspired by the stories of Barre & Soul founder and “Fit Feminist” Andrea Isabelle Lucas (page 20) or the committed kids training for fencing glory at Olympia Fencing Center (page 16). And if you’re not one of those people? We have a pretty drool-worthy roundup of the city’s best desserts on page 32.
Emily Cassel, Editor in Chief ecassel@scoutmagazines.com
PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien hbanks@scoutmagazines.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Cassel ecassel@scoutmagazines.com emilycassel.me DEPUTY EDITOR Katherine Rugg krugg@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Jess Benjamin jbenjamin@scoutmagazines.com jsbenjamin.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kate Douglas, Matt Ellis, Rebecca Joy, Kendra Long, Alejandro Ramirez, Hannah Walters, Kate Douglas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Adrianne Mathiowetz adriannemathiowetz.com Joseph Maxwell josephmaxwellphotography.com COPY EDITOR Joshua Eaton WEB HOST Truly Good Design trulygooddesign.com BANKS PUBLICATIONS c/o Scout Cambridge 191 Highland Ave., Ste. 1A Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutcambridge.com scoutcambridge
scoutcambridge @scoutmags
Office Phone: 617-996-2283
SCOUT TO YOUR DOOR
EVERY EDITION Receive Scout Cambridge in your mailbox for just $24/year.
www.scoutcambridge.com 6
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. CIRCULATION 36,000 copies of Scout Cambridge are printed bimonthly and are available for free at more than 250 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). You can find a map of our pickup locations at scoutcambridge.com/pick-up-spots or sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutcambridge.com/shop.
Be a Hero Now, more than ever, it’s important to support local media. Newspapers and magazines across the country are underfunded, understaffed and, in many cases, folding entirely. But we still need publications that tell the stories of their communities with depth, breadth and heart. Since 2013, that’s what Scout has been doing. We’ve covered countless stories and tackled the topics that matter most to you. We’re keeping readers in touch with Cambridge, publishing profiles of the people, places, businesses and nonprofits that make it one of the most vibrant cities anywhere. And we’re always doing more. In the last six months alone, we’ve debuted a weekly e-newsletter chock-full of Somerville and Cambridge news—The Scout Dispatch—and an online video series in collaboration with SCATV called SCOUTV.
If our work is important to you—and if you have the means to show your support financially—you can now do that through Patreon, where your monthly pledge will go a long, long way to making your Scout the best it can be.
We always have been and always will be committed to producing honest, community-oriented journalism with integrity and passion. We pay each one of our contributors; we don’t have unpaid interns. We’re entirely funded by advertisers, almost all of whom are small business owners who live and work in this neighborhood. We don’t do pay to play—our editorial and advertorial teams won’t promise promotion in exchange for ad dollars. (So please, let area businesses know you appreciate their partnering with Scout!)
HONORARY SCOUT ($5 OR MORE A MONTH): We’ll deliver each edition straight to your mailbox as soon as it flies off the presses. You’ll get the mag before it hits streets, and you’ll get the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes along with supporting an independent publication. SUPER SCOUT ($10 OR MORE A MONTH): You’ll get every print issue of the mag delivered to your door, and we’ll give you an online shoutout on our “Scout Supporters” page—where we’ll also include a link to your personal or business website, if you want! You’ll also get a mention in each physical issue.
We’re committed to always staying this way, and we want Scout to be available for free no matter what, but all of these things mean we operate on a very tight budget.
SCOUT HERO ($20 OR MORE A MONTH): Direct-mailed mags, shoutouts online and in print, plus, we’ll include you in a “Where’s Waldo” style print of our supporters that we’re commissioning at the end of 2017. You know you want it.
There are so many more stories we want to write—so many more journalists, artists and photographers we’d like to welcome to our team. We want to continue growing and telling the stories that matter to you. In order to do so, we’re asking for your help.
SCOUT LEGEND ($50 OR MORE A MONTH): Are you a Scout superfan who can’t live without it? You’ll get everything listed before this and a personalized portrait by one of our illustrators.
READY TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION? HEAD TO PATREON.COM/SCOUTMAGAZINES. IF YOU CAN’T BACK US FINANCIALLY, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP US GET EVEN BETTER. VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME! SEND US YOUR NEWS TIPS! DROP US A LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA! LEARN MORE AT SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM/SUPPORT.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
HYPERLOCAL NEWS
FOOD & DRINK
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
W&L WINNERS
LOSERS
ERIN ROBERTSON A big congratulations to fashion designer Erin Robertson, who took home the top prize in the latest season of Project Runway! The 29-yearold Cambridge resident and MassArt grad brightened the catwalk all season long with colorful, whimsical designs, and she even called her winning collection “Project Funway.” “What I love is fun,” she told The Boston Globe at a season finale watch party in December. “I’m always trying to be fun, fun, fun.”
EATING ON THE JOB This left a bad taste in our mouths: In December, the Middle East nightclub fired a bouncer after he had an altercation with musician Peter Murphy, who complained that he was eating a burger and fries during his set. The former Bauhaus frontman left the stage and said he would not return until the employee— who didn’t take kindly to the request—was removed, according to The Boston Globe. Another bouncer involved in the scuffle was suspended.
FONT AWESOME In November, Cambridge-based startup Font Awesome blew past its $30,000 Kickstarter goal to raise a whopping $1,076,940 from 35,550 backers, making it both the most-funded and most-backed software Kickstarter of all time. “We feel incredibly indebted to our backer community, not only because of how generously they’ve invested in our project, but because they’ve helped make the project better with their feedback and encouragement,” founder Dave Gandy wrote on Medium after the phenomenally successful campaign. Font Awesome 5, the latest set of web-friendly icons from the company, should be ready to go by May. LOVING THY NEIGHBOR The devastating 10-alarm blaze that ripped through a densely populated East Cambridge neighborhood in early December left charred buildings in its path, displacing more than 50 families. But it also showed how strong and supportive this community is. The second floor of City Hall was rapidly transformed into a Fire Recovery Resource Center. The Mayor’s Fire Relief Fund raised more than $200,000 in 24 hours, and at press, that total was up to $728,502. Single mom Monique Beck made a big donation of diapers, clothing, baby carriers and more despite her own challenges. Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas hosted a party to support victims. The Middle East nightclub hosted a benefit show, and, in a heartwarming viral video, Cambridge Fire Department Lt. Brian Casey reunited Christina Jeffrey with her cats, Mac and Cheese, who were somehow unscathed by the blaze. City Councilor Jan Devereux said it best when she wrote for Wicked Local Cambridge that there’s “no better place than Cambridge to recover from disaster.”
SCIENCE President-elect Trump’s cabinet appointees have a lot of people worried for a lot of different reasons, including MIT scientists, nearly 400 of whom signed an open letter in November opposing his picks. “The president-elect has appointed individuals to positions of power who have endorsed racism, misogyny and religious bigotry, and denied the widespread scientific consensus on climate change,” the letter on mitvalues.org read. “Regardless of our political views, these endorsements violate principles at the core of MIT’s mission.” LOVING THY NEIGHBOR In early December, Cambridge Police investigated five reports of anti-Semitic graffiti scrawled in bathrooms at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Later, on December 16, Wicked Local Cambridge reported that a 68-year-old Cambridge man told police someone keyed a swastika on the hood of his car. Hey, everyone: Stop doing this!
SOMEONE RUSTLE YOUR JIMMIES OR TICKLE YOUR FANCY? LET US KNOW AT SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM/CONTACT-US AND WE JUST MIGHT CROWN THEM A WINNER OR LOSER.
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January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
NEWS FROM THE NORTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the January/February edition of our sibling publication, Scout Somerville.
OFF-THE-WALL WORKOUTS Shake up your fitness routine with the circus arts, parkour and more.
BOSTON SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL AND MARATHON This annual sci-fi celebration, now in its 42nd year, returns to Somerville in February.
RUNFELLOW Jillian D’Amato just wanted to start an activewear company, but she ended up building something much more meaningful. Scout Somerville is available at McCabe’s on Mass, the S&S Restaurant and hundreds of other places throughout Cambridge and Somerville. Head to scoutsomerville.com/pick-upspots for a full list of locations!
how
deep winte r at p can H ractic ygge e spa ce be pa rt of the re sistan c
e?
join us make banners for the women’s march tea + ritual retail choir with visiting artist, Carissa Potter Carlson of People I’ve Loved
are
an Squ
Inm treet / ridge S
amb 1307 C by appointmen
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15 MCGRATH HIGHWAY, SOMERVILLE 233 ALEWIFE BROOK PARKWAY, CAMBRIDGE 2153 MYSTIC VALLEY PARKWAY, MEDFORD 48 BROADWAY, MALDEN
ce / @makespaceforpractice www.practice-space.com
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PLATINUM CARDS
Perfect to make a Valentine’s card your own. Sizes range from 4 bar to lee. Cream and white, panel/ no panel, foldover/no foldover. The best DIY card. Starting at $12 for a box of 250 cards or envelopes
PAPERWORKS ELEMENTS: PAPERBAG
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Every few months Paperworks features an Artist that makes their works out of our products. We feature this artist in all of our social media outlets, email blasts and our company blog. In the past we have had card makers (one example shown above), 3D paper artists, book makers and pop-up artists, all who use our paper. We love promoting local artists! Email store@paperworks.com if you are interested!
OTHER ITEMS WE CARRY... • Announcements & invitations • Coated paper • Menu papers • Letterpress paper & envelopes • Colored paper & envelopes • Copy paper
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scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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WHAT’S NEW? GETTING AROUND TOWN
NUTONOMY’S SELF-DRIVING CAR
B
oston’s first self-driving cars aren’t from a giant like Uber or Google, both of which are currently testing self-driving tech in major cities throughout the country. Instead, it’s a Cambridge startup called nuTonomy that began zipping around the Seaport District in early January. The Boston Globe reports that nuTonomy doesn’t make cars itself. Instead, the company develops software and outfits other vehicles—in Boston, that’s an electric car made by the French company Renault—with the necessary equipment to navigate congested city streets.
PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING RESULTS
The 2016 round of participatory budgeting wrapped up in midDecember, with 4,730 Cambridge residents voting to support projects they’d like tax dollars to fund. Of the seven projects that will receive funds, several were transportation-focused— including solar-powered realtime bus trackers at bus stops and flashing light signs that will improve pedestrian safety at six crosswalks throughout the city. Other approved projects include kinetic energy tiles in Harvard Square that generate energy from footsteps to power streetlamps and personal devices and “solar power shrines” on the roof of the Cambridge Public Library’s main branch.
INMAN SQUARE TRAFFIC CHANGES
Months after cyclist Amanda Phillips was killed while biking through Inman Square, the Department of Traffic, Parking 10
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
and Transportation announced it was prohibiting left turns from Hampshire Street onto Cambridge Street in both directions and from westbound Cambridge Street toward Antrim Street southbound beginning November 3. Drivers should take heed—The Boston Globe reported in late November that in less than a month after the changes went into effect, police officers handed out roughly 200 citations.
CYCLIST SAFETY
Amanda Phillips wasn’t the only cyclist fatally hit in Cambridge last year. In October, Joe Lavins was killed after being hit by a tractor trailer as he biked through Porter Square. These deaths have brought cyclist safety to the forefront as the city continues working towards the Vision Zero strategy it adopted in March to completely eliminate cyclist and pedestrian fatalities. One new pilot initiative was the December installation
of protected bike lanes along Mass. Ave. in Central Square, which City Council members have deemed temporary “demonstrations” that will give a sense of what a permanent protected bike lane could look like in the future. In addition, members of the Somerville Bicycle Committee, the Boston Cyclists Union, MassBike, Bike Safe Boston and the LivableStreets Alliance have teamed up to launch the Joe Lavins Fund for Bicycle Safety. Its main focus will be getting training materials to drivers of large vehicles and teaching them how to best be on the lookout for cyclists and pedestrians. “We want the best brains on this … I think we have to collaborate to get these types of goals achieved,” the Somerville Bicycle Committee’s Ken Carlson told Scout in December. “It requires a lot of voices and a lot of muscle and a lot of hard work.”
HARVARD SQUARE
PAY-BY-PHONE PARKING
Save those quarters for the washing machine! On December 12, pay-by-phone parking made its debut. Drivers can now use the Passport Parking App to pay at any meter in Harvard Square, and the city plans to eventually extend the app to each of the 3,000 metered parking locations throughout Cambridge.
Photo, top, courtesy of nuTonomy. Photo, top right, by Jess Benjamin. Photo, bottom right, by Emily Cassel.
HARVARD HAPPENINGS
s Come in a a customer,
ABBOT BUILDING
Throughout December, tensions continued to build regarding plans to redevelop the Abbot Building in Harvard Square, which houses The World’s Only Curious George Store along with several other shops. At yet another packed public hearing on the mall-like design proposed by investment firm Equity One, property owners and staffers again discussed the building’s fate—which many residents and business owners hope hasn’t been sealed yet. “We’re trying to ring the bell quickly before this goes down,” said Susan Corcoran, owner of the Brattle Street gift shop Black Ink, according to The Boston Globe. “The businesses that go will never make it back.”
OUT OF TOWN NEWS KIOSK
The future is still unwritten for the iconic Out of Town News kiosk in Harvard Square, which is slated to be converted to public use. In November, Cambridge
Day reported that officials had given in to City Council’s request for more time to figure out what, exactly, should become of the 500-square-foot, cityowned kiosk. “We recognize that there has been some confusion related to the scope of this … To address any confusion, provide an opportunity for greater community input into the scope and allow an extended time to promote [a request for proposals], we will suspend the current RFP and seek public comment on the scope and evaluation criteria,” Iram Farooq, assistant city manager for community development, wrote to the Council, according to Cambridge Day.
CLOSED FOR BUSINESS
KENDALL SQUARE
EMMA’S PIZZA
A Cambridge staple for more than 50 years, Emma’s Pizza (40 Hampshire St.) served its last pie on December 30. The beloved eatery, known for Cambridge-centric pizzas like T.T. The Bears, Chomsky’s Chicken and The Brattle, opened on Huron Avenue in the 1960s and moved to Kendall Square in 2000. A smaller, takeout- and delivery-focused Emma’s that opened in Boston’s Back Bay
last year will remain open. “We like to be really neighborly,” manager Lyndon Fuller told Scout in 2015, explaining why he often delivered free pizzas to other area businesses during lunchtime. “We’re very honored that the neighborhood has taken to us so well, and that’s our thank you for being part of it.” HARVARD SQUARE COMING
TORY ROW
SOON
It’s a time of transition in Harvard Square, and Tory Row (3 Brattle St.) is one of the latest restaurants to close its doors. “We appreciate the years of support from our customers and friends in Harvard Square,” read a message on the Tory Row website. The gastropub had been serving Cambridge for seven years.
. leave as a friend
”Compared to other car buying experiences, dealing with John’s was like night and day in terms of quality. The buying experience was incredible from the moment I walked in the door. No matter how many times I went back over the course of a few weeks, everyone who worked there always remembered me and always showed utmost care and respect. I was pleasantly surprised as well when the owner himself offered to personally meet with me and make sure I got the best deal for my budget. John is very down to earth, friendly, engaging, and genuinely concerned for the well-being of his clients. By the time I settled on my purchase, I knew beyond a doubt that I had made the right decision to buy from John’s.” – Rev. Mikel E. Satcher, Ph.D. Director of Student Life, Andover Newton Theological School 181 Somerville Ave (across from Target) johnsautosales.com QUALITY USED CARS BOUGHT AND SOLD FOR 40 YEARS
“Where my experience counts” Karen Manning, Master’s Candidate, School of Education
Karen knows who she wants to be. Do you? With a great faculty, flexible programs, affordable tuition, and campuses across the state, Cambridge College is the right place to become who you truly are. CambridgeCollege.edu 1.800.829.4723
A non-profit college since 1971
scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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What’s New?
EAT AND GREET
KENDALL SQUARE
THE AUTOMATIC
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ith its extensive cocktail list and a menu that includes bar bites like “standard,” “funky” and “freaky” fries and a “frito pie from hell,” The Automatic—a playful, zany new restaurant from East Coast Grill founder Chris Schlesinger and B-Side Lounge’s Dave Cagle— just might be your new favorite neighborhood joint. The restaurant (50 Hampshire St.) opened in mid-November, with chili, chowder, sandwiches, skewers and more. HARVARD SQUARE
In late December, Boston Restaurant Talk reported that Bluefin Restaurant (located inside the Porter Exchange at 1815 Mass. Ave.) was undergoing a transformation and getting a new name: Wafu-Ya Japanese Kitchen. “All aspects of business will now be under the guidance of new masters,” according to an update on the restaurant’s website.
COMING SOON
KENDALL SQUARE
CAFÉ ALGIERS
To the horror of the coffee community, the much-loved Café Algiers (40 Brattle St.) shuttered at the end of October. Luckily, the closure didn’t last long. Sami Herbawi, who owns Central Square’s Andala Coffee House, reopened the shop after just two weeks. He’s now running it with manager Leo Diodato, according to Boston Magazine. The pair plan to keep the menu largely intact while adding smoothies and other items. COMING SOON
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PORTER SQUARE
WAFU-YA JAPANESE KITCHEN
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
HUNGRY MOTHER
For more than a year, the team COMING behind Mamaleh’s, State Park and SOON Hungry Mother (RIP) have been planning a new concept for the space that formerly housed Hungry Mother (233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave.). Eater Boston reports that details of the new venture have been kept fairly hush-hush—and they could stay that way for a while, if the “bureaucratic issues” the team says they’ve been dealing with persist. In a December newsletter, they wrote that they’re being required to add a
third bathroom and that the cost and loss of space associated with that addition would “have a tremendous impact on the viability of the business.” Following this dispatch, an online petition to the Plumbing Board asking them to consider a variance collected more than 1,000 signatures along with well-wishes and support from the community. “Longtime homeowner in Cambridge here,” wrote Stephen Skuce. “The space in question is already tiny. Two bathrooms is plenty. Making the space smaller means making it commercially nonviable. Back off.” CENTRAL SQUARE
POKE CITY
Not to be outdone by neighboring Somerville, which got a pair of poke places— Pokéworks and Manoa Poke Shop—in December, a restaurant called Poke City could soon open in Cambridge (1722 Mass. Ave.). Details were scarce at press, but Boston Restaurant Talk reports Poke City could seat 20 and has proposed hours of 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Photo, left, freaky fries with marrow, parmesan and “meat dust” at the Automatic photographed by Creative Katz. Photo, right, by Patrick Rogers Photography.
OFFICE SPACE KENDALL SQUARE
FACEBOOK EXPANDS
Facebook has been building its Cambridge team since it opened offices here a little more than three years ago, and, according to Bostinno, now has about 100 employees. That number could grow to 150 later this year, when the social network completes a 2,000-square-foot expansion, taking over the entire eighth floor of its building at 1 Broadway. “I think we’ve really proven successfully that we’re able to hire great technical talent here,” Facebook’s Cambridge site lead, Ryan Mack, told Bostinno. “The reason we opened here is because we knew that there was just a lot of engineering talent in the area, both between large, established companies, the startups and all of the universities, research institutions here.” The company is currently hiring for its Cambridge offices and at press had several open positions listed on its website. KENDALL SQUARE
VOLPE
After a two-year bidding process, the 14-acre Volpe Center in Kendall Square finally found a developer—and they’re local. MIT beat 12 other firms who were bidding for the parcel. While it’s
still unclear what that development will look like, city officials seem pleased the federal government chose MIT to take on the project. “I think having an entity like MIT be the selected is actually positive, because they are very rooted in Cambridge,” Iram Farooq, Cambridge’s assistant city manager for community development, told Cambridge Day. “Having somebody with that level of commitment is a good thing for a project.”
•B araka Cafe left its longtime Cambridgeport home in September but reopened at 1728 Mass. Ave.—right outside Porter Square—on November 28. • More updates from the Lamplighter Brewing Co. team: After opening the growler counter in late September, the brewery’s taproom made its debut at 284 Broadway on November 12. Come for the brews, stay for the board games.
• Flexible Schedule - Even Same Day Notice! • Small Group Walks • Individual Walks • Feeding • Medication Administration
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$
1/2 HO GATE-TO-GUR AT (SECOND D O JUST $5) G
E
KENDALL SQUARE
BIOGEN CLOSES CAMBRIDGE MANUFACTURING FACILITY
Biogen, which WBUR’s Morning Edition noted is the biggest biotech company in the state, announced in December that there were several changes on the horizon. The company, headquartered at 225 Binney St., cut 200 jobs in Cambridge and Somerville and shuttered its 67,000-square-foot Cambridge manufacturing facility as well as a 46,000-square-foot Somerville warehouse. CEO George Scangos is also stepping down. He told Morning Edition the company is working hard to find jobs for employees who are leaving.
SCOUT CHECK Catching you up on news we already covered recently, in print or online.
NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS
• Bendetto, from Giulia chefowner Michael Pagliarini, is now serving handmade pasta and more in the Charles Hotel (1 Bennett St.). • You no longer have to travel to Boston to get your Sweetgreen fix. The D.C.-based salad chain opened a Cambridge outpost (39 JFK St.) in mid-November. • Hot on the heels of its doughy debut in Harvard Square, Flour Bakery + Café opened a sixth location in Cambridgeport on December 5. It’s smaller than most Flour outposts, but with a fireplace and a greater emphasis on pizza. We’ll take what we can get.
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907 Main Street • 617-491-6616 • dumplingroom.com
scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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COMMUNITY
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o celebrate its 40th anniversary, Cambridge’s Transition House—the first domestic violence shelter in New England— recently debuted “40 Stories,” a multimedia project that shares the experiences of staffers and survivors who have been impacted by the shelter over the years. Sandy Goldberg conceptualized this series of “audio slideshows.” The writer, producer and longtime Transition House donor wanted to avoid the invasive atmosphere video recording can create for people who aren’t used to appearing on camera. “Especially if people are telling you quite a personal story, that is not the way to capture an intimate portrait of someone,” she says. Instead, she conducted each interview oneon-one using a handheld recorder and tiny earbud headphones—no boom mics, no bright lights— while a photographer took photos. She and friend and collaborator Ari Daniel, a PBS Nova producer who worked with Goldberg as a producer and editor on the first 10 stories, then sifted through hundreds of images and paired them with audio, condensing each of the 45-minute conversations to tell stories that are less than two minutes long. “I feel like sometimes it’s like building a haiku,” Daniel says, adding that the vignettes are perhaps more impactful because they’re so short. “We would sit together and go through the photographs that had been taken and figure out the best way to arrange those so that they would unfold over the course of the story.” Each of the pieces was emotional and personal. But Goldberg and Daniel agree that a particularly resonant story was that of Christopher Borum, who came to Transition House as a child with his mother and today works alongside the shelter as a detective with the Cambridge Police Department. You can find the first 14 installments in the series at transitionhouse.org/40stories, where the shelter will post more throughout the year. We’re also sharing some of their words here.
Photos: Fine Art Photography by Maria Verrier 14
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
“I first experienced domestic violence during my first marriage—this was back in 1971. There were no services then. If you called the police, they either didn’t show up or they told you to make up, play nice.” — Jasmine Khalfani, Housing Director, Transition House
“I think that this is the most happy that I’ve ever been, and it’s taken a lot of loss for me to get where I am right now.” — Robyn Smith
“TH was really school, a place to learn about the movement, about domestic violence, about the grassroots movement, the feminist movement. For me, it was huge.” — Genet Bekele, Domestic Violence Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and Transition House Shelter Director from 2001 to 2006
“Those are, you know, the memories we have—just kind of picking up in the middle of the night with my grandfather, throwing trash bags in his car and getting dropped off at some place called Cambridge. That was Transition House, back in the ’70s.” — Christopher Borum, Detective with the Cambridge Police Department
The greatest satisfaction is understanding our client’s needs to translate their vision into form and functional art.
“I lived at Transition House for a while, and then I restarted my life.” — Jenny
Architectural Services
• New construction, additions, renovations • Interior design • Sustainable materials & methods
“I know that the shelter is a temporary stop in people’s journey, and it should be. And it really should be as welcoming and affirming as is possible.” — Julie Kahn-Schaye, Clinical Director, Transition House
amortondesign.com 617.894.0285 info@aMortonDesign.com scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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FIND YOUR FIT
WORKOUT-SIDE
THE BOX THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE TO CABIN FEVER COULD JUST BE MIXING UP YOUR WORKOUT—WHETHER THAT MEANS PUTTING ON YOUR DANCING SHOES, PRACTICING YOUR SWORDSMANSHIP OR BRAVING WINTER WINDS AS A BIKE COMMUTER.
ÉPÉE THE DAY AWAY
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BY EMILY CASSEL
hen I mention to most of my friends that I do fencing, they’re like, ‘Oh, cool! How does it feel to stab someone?” laughs 12-year-old Olympia Fencing Center student Jaden Ruan. “They think it’s really easy, that you just stab someone, but it’s actually a lot harder than that.” Ruan has been training at Olympia, the largest fencing center in New England, for just about two years. He and his fellow students work really, really hard. He’s at the North Cambridge facility after school four days a week, and he means it when he says it’s more than just stabbing someone—a typical class starts with running, stretching, jumping rope, footwork practice and drills. It’s not until the last half-hour or so of each class that the actual fencing begins. Ruan doesn’t mind that the sport is so challenging. In fact, he loves it. “I like that it’s really dependent on you,” he says. He also plays basketball, but he enjoys fencing because it’s a skill you develop personally—it doesn’t matter if you’re particularly tall or fast: “It’s about if you’re willing to put in the commitment, not if your entire team is willing to put in the commitment.” In the words of 12-year-old Kira Hartness, who’s been fencing since September 2015, “The harder you work, the better you get.” She trains 16
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
at Olympia three days a week. “It feels good to get out my energy in a certain way,” Hartness says. “It’s really precise … you can always learn something new in a new way.” Olympia’s founder and director is Daniel Hondor, a former Romanian National Champion and coach of the Romanian National Team who—no joke—started fencing after he saw The Three Musketeers at age seven. He explains that much of the center’s programming is invitational. Students have to want to put in the work and really commit themselves, and they tend to rise to meet those expectations because they feel both challenged and supported. “We run this as a big, happy family,” Hondor says. “This is what we are.” The dedication pays off—his trainees have gone on to compete internationally and some are among the highest-ranked fencers in the world. The front room of the club is lined with pennants from former students who have gone on to study and compete at some of the top universities in the country. It’s a hit with parents, too. “What’s interesting about this club is their inclusiveness,” says Eve Encinas-Loncar, who started coming to Olympia with her son about three years ago and later became its community relations manager. She sees how hard the kids work Photo, top, by Jess Benjamin. Photo, right, by Charles Daniels.
DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING
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and says they’re encouraged— but never pushed—to do so. They learn the importance of discipline, the benefits of studying, how to eat well, how to balance work and play. “You get them ready for life, basically,” Hondor adds. “It’s a live video game. Your brain is always engaged. It’s about making a split-second decision, about making the right decision.” And there’s still plenty of time for fun, and for, you know… actual video games. Ruan says he’s partial to Madden, NBA 2K16—and, of course, a fencing app that he’s installed on his phone.
BY HANNAH WALTERS
ooking to bring more physical activity into your life but can’t stand the treadmill or freezing temperatures? Try trading in those running shoes for castanets. The Dance Complex (536 Mass. Ave.) is a vibrant, bustling Central Square staple—don’t be fooled by its discrete maroon awning and understated logo. Since opening in 1991, it’s offered a diverse mix of dance classes—both in style and difficulty—giving its students a means to express their creativity, connect with the community and get a serious workout all at once. “We find that people are attracted to coming here because it is dance with all that comes with it,” executive director Peter DiMuro explains. “What does it mean to dance versus exercise? [That students’] minds are engaged with an art form.” Perhaps best of all, the studio is a nonprofit space that’s almost entirely run by volunteers. “We have an absolutely massive army of volunteers who work in exchange for rehearsal space and free classes,” explains Dance Complex board chair Mary McCarthy, who’s been a volunteer herself for more than 13 years. “It’s this really robust group of people who run the desk and clean the building and partner closely with the staff to make the Dance Complex run.” It’s a lot of work. The building is huge and always humming with activity. Its seven studios host almost 90 classes a week in 38 different styles. And it’s growing. The nonprofit recently expanded into a space downstairs—Studio #7, a multidisciplinary room for exhibitions, performances and community gatherings with three massive windows that look out on Mass. Ave. It’s an accessible space for those who have mobility challenges. Last year,
the Dance Complex also launched an accessible dance initiative in partnership with Mass. General Hospital for people with Parkinson’s disease and their care providers. They hope to expand the program in 2017. Because the studio works by allowing its teachers to “rent” space for a small monthly fee or in exchange for volunteer hours, instructors are able to teach in their own style at whatever price they decide to charge. It makes classes more financially accessible for both students and teachers—most cost between $9 and $18, which is generally paid directly to the instructor. DiMuro sees this as one of the keys in keeping the studio an institution for all of Central Square, newcomers and longtime residents alike. The sheer volume and diversity of dance classes also supports their mission to offer dance for everyone. “We are probably the only dance studio in the world that offers six kinds of African dance from six different African nations,” DiMuro says. The studio regularly offers classes in hip hop and funk, improv, modern, ballet and even flamenco. It also hosts fusion classes that bring together everything from yoga to Afro-Caribbean to modern. “We are one of the best examples of why not to gentrify to the point of blandness,” DiMuro explains. “Why would we only want to have one type of dance? Why have cookie cutter homes?” “It’s not so often that you find a dance or art environment that transcends boundaries,” McCarthy adds. “It’s an unusual nexus of culture and artistry. For me, cleaning the building every Saturday morning for an hour and a half before it opens is this meditation in gratitude.” scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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Fitness Edition
18
Workout-side the Box
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
We believe in play! BIKING THROUGH THE SNOW
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BY KATHERINE RUGG
very weekday morning, Amy Chilton wakes up in her Somerville apartment, throws on a pair of jeans, stuffs her work clothes into a no-frills, waterproof backpack and is out the door by 8:30 a.m. On an indigo road bike she’s lovingly named “Blue Seagrass,” she pedals through Union Square towards Kendall, where she works as an internal medicine triage nurse at MIT Medical. Chilton began bike commuting through Cambridge and Somerville when she moved to the area in 2002, and she’s been cycling the 2.3 miles to MIT Medical almost every day since she started working there five years ago. “It gets really busy in my office,” says Chilton. “So it’s always nice to have some alone time on the bike.” For Chilton, biking is just a part of life. She grew up riding with her brothers and sisters, two-wheeling to school together and building trails in the woods outside her childhood home in Auburn, Mass. She covered her first long-distance trip of 24 miles when she was just 12 years old, and eight years later she went on an 11-day biking adventure with her older brother. They trekked the 700 miles from Auburn all the way up to Pugwash, Nova Scotia, with just backpacks and bicycles, camping and eating pizza and veggie subs along the way. “Biking is so fun and refreshing and graceful. I’ll go for a run and it feels like an old truck bumping down the road,” she jokes. All that time spent spinning gears has helped her expertly navigate city streets, even through the icy winter months. And it’s not too hard to avoid freezing in those frosty early-morning temps, according to Chilton. All it really takes is a little extra layering—a balaklava, a bandana and maybe a pair of ski goggles. “In the winter, I just look crazier and crazier as it gets colder,” she laughs. If temperatures drop below 10 degrees, she’ll walk. Chilton says she’s lucky to live so close to her workplace. Travelling on two wheels—or even just two feet—feels like a “no-brainer” when the distance is short and the alternative is an unpleasant bus ride. To her, a bus is the opposite of a bike. On two wheels, she’s speedy and selfreliant. But on a bus, she’s at the whim of the MBTA’s fickle schedule. And when Chilton does need to use the MBTA, she’s able to ride the subway and local buses for free thanks to the the Access MIT passes the school rolled out in 2016. The new commuter benefits for faculty and staff include subsidies for commuter rail tickets and parking at MBTA stations. According to Chilton, employees and students—and even the patients she sees at MIT Medical—all seem to be growing increasingly dissatisfied with the construction around Kendall Square and the impact it’s had on their driving commute. Israel Ruiz, the university’s executive vice president and treasurer, has explained that the new initiative is one of the ways in which the school is making a “visible demonstration” to lowering MIT’s commuter-related emissions. But while Chilton can ride the bus to work for free, she still chooses to cycle. When pedaling through the city streets—even in frigid temps— she feels optimistic and connected to the community. “It really helps me wake up in the morning, and then also decompress at the end of the day,” she says. “It’s such a good set of parenthesis around the workday.”
Enroll now for Spring and Fall 2017 Visit us at www.agassiz.org 20 Sacramento Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Sacramento Street Preschool is a program of Agassiz Baldwin Community
SCOUT TO YOUR DOOR
EVERY EDITION We’re dropping in more than 250 locations in and around Cambridge. Show your support for local media and continue to receive Scout Cambridge in your mailbox for just $24/year.
www.scoutcambridge.com Photo by Jess Benjamin. scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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FIND YOUR FIT
EMPOWER LIFTING AT THESE CAMBRIDGE FITNESS CENTERS, A PAIR OF STANDOUT TRAINERS HELP WOMEN HONE THEIR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STRENGTH BY EMILY CASSEL AND HANNAH WALTERS
ANDREA ISABELLE LUCAS, BARRE & SOUL BARRESOUL.COM | 36 JFK ST.
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women’s studies degree opens a lot of doors. You can pursue a future in politics or study for a career as a civil rights attorney. You can write, or work for a nonprofit, or become a women’s studies professor yourself. If you’re Andrea Isabelle Lucas, you become a trainer, using fitness as a platform to lift women up. “My calling in life, and the thing that I want to be remembered for, is helping as many women as possible achieve their full potential,” the Barre & Soul founder says. Lucas was pregnant with her second child and was going through a tumultuous divorce—she crossed state lines to escape an abusive relationship—when she started teaching barre classes as a way to make some money. She quickly realized it wasn’t something she wanted to do part-time. “Every time I would go into the studio, drop off my kids and take that hour for myself, it turned into the best therapy I ever could have had for everything I was going through,” she says. With every class, Lucas felt herself temporarily escaping from the stress she was under. She began to reconnect with her body. More than that, as she watched her physical transformation, she realized just how powerful she was. The ability she had to change her body and her life—to improve both physical and mental health— eventually led her to become a full-time barre teacher. “What you get up and say to a group of women three times a week can have a huge impact on them,” Lucas explains. “I started to think that I could create studios that would embody this culture of empowering women.” When Lucas says “empower,” she’s not just talking about the
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physical strength that comes from exercise. There’s a mindfulness component that extends beyond the barre—Lucas and her instructors take a moment before each class to share a thought and ask students to check in and consider their intentions. Then, there’s the social empowerment of finding a community that welcomes you, where you belong and where positive messaging about taking ownership of your life is at the core of its ethos. The barre community was endlessly important to Lucas when she left her abuser—she says it “gave context” for who she was. There are no mirrors in the Barre & Soul studio, one of several subtle positive touches in the space. Lucas wants her students to feel they can participate without judging their bodies or comparing themselves to one another. She also runs a blog, The Fit Feminist, where she tackles health and wellness, addresses personal challenges like juggling kids and career and writes about larger societal issues. And it isn’t only women who train at Lucas’s studio—she’s watched Bruins and Celtics players step up to the barre next to pregnant women and women in their seventies. The Harvard Square Barre & Soul location, which opened in 2015, was Lucas’s third, but she says it took the most guts. It was the biggest and most expensive space, and it required the costliest and most time-consuming renovations. But Lucas, who was a single mom at 19, knew she was strong enough to get through it. “I knew I wasn’t going to die if I failed; I was only going to be broke,” she laughs. “I’ve been broke before and survived that.” She’s since opened two more locations, in Brookline and in Providence, R.I.
Photo, left, by thespragues.com. Photo, right, by Jess Benjamin.
JANE TAYLOR, RAW FITNESS PERFORMANCE RAW-FITNESS.NET 201 MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN HIGHWAY
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oys don’t have the same cultural and emotional barriers to weight lifting,” Jane Taylor, founder of Raw Fitness Performance in East Cambridge, explains early on in our conversation. Teenage girls may worry about “getting too big,” according to Taylor, which means they’re missing out on what she believes is one of the best activities they can do for fitness: heavy weightlifting. That’s why she started a summer camp to get Cambridge-area girls into the gym, working out and pushing boundaries. The physical ambition and courage Taylor seeks to instill in young women is reminiscent of the ambition and drive she tapped into before opening the doors to Raw Fitness Performance. With an already long and robust training career to her name, Taylor decided to drop everything and travel the world with her wife in 2011. It was something she’d always wanted to do, and when she asked her wife to join her on a globe-trotting journey, her answer was simple: “Yes.” Two years and thousands of miles later, Taylor and her wife found themselves back home in Cambridge. But Taylor didn’t have a job, and while she considered going back to a gym and starting over, she eventually decided to go in a different direction. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, if I have to grind it out [somewhere new], I just want to do it for me,’” she explains. She opened Raw Fitness Performance in 2013. “I started with literally two clients in the morning and one at night, and then it just grew from there,” she recalls. Now, she’s looking to expand and hire additional coaches. Taylor has a master’s degree in exercise science and more than 30 years of fitness coaching experience to her name, so she’s known for offering the right amount of tough love and serious fitness expertise in the gym. With classes like her early morning “Everything but the Kitchen Sink,” she uses a variety of training tools and drills to increase strength and conditioning while minimizing injury. “I want my clients to be healthy. We don’t talk a lot about weight loss and fat loss. I want to get people focused more on performance,” she explains. “The shtick here is to train, to get better, to practice.” She doesn’t encourage fad dieting or cutting corners when it comes to exercise. Raw Fitness Performance is a place to turn to if you’re looking to transcend your usual excuses, put in an honest workout with a top notch coach and support a business owner who cares about the community.
scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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FIND YOUR FIT
BEYOND BARBELLS BY KATE DOUGLAS
Sometimes all you want from a gym is to pop in your earbuds, jump on a treadmill and tune out while you work out. But if you’re looking to get fit in a space that offers a little more, check out one of these area gyms where you’ll find yourself thinking “I get to go to the gym today” and not “I have to go to the gym today.” 22
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Turnstyle Cycle
1 Kendall Sq., B3002 | turnstylecycle.com
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ver have a perfectly good workout ruined by a terrible playlist? That would never happen at Turnstyle Cycle in Kendall Square. “The music is so important,” says Nick Resor, one of Turnstyle’s owners. “It’s all beat-based—the music is the most important part of our classes.” Beat-based means that every step you take, every move you make—Puff Daddy pun very much intended—fits with the playlist. It gets you tuned into the workout, helps you keep up your rhythm and makes the class incredibly fun. Turnstyle offers fullbody cardio workouts with a wide range of cool classes like Beyonce v. Jay Z and one that brings together the tunes of M.I.A., Porter Robinson and The White Stripes. The first indoor cycling studio in Cambridge, Turnstyle opened in 2014 because its owners noticed a few
problems with the boutique gym experience in Greater Boston. For starters, most of those studios tend to come with a steep price tag. “We offer a high-quality product at an affordable price,” Resor assures. A second problem? Boutique gyms can seem intimidating. It’s easy for small, exclusive spaces to feel just that way to individuals looking to go somewhere new for their workout. “A lot of studios make their trainers seem like celebrities,” says Resor. “We didn’t want to do that.” Turnstyle offers a friendly and inviting atmosphere—one that doesn’t stop once class is over. Trainers hang around and chat with the people who just took their class, and it’s even common for gym-goers and trainers to grab a drink together after class. At Turnstyle, trainees can either take a class in the cycle room or in the TRX studio, depending on their preference for highintensity cycle classes or smaller, boot campstyle workouts. But don’t be intimidated by the mention of “high-intensity” or “boot camp”—these workouts are for everyone, not just the super fit among us. Each session can be modified for people of all age ranges and fitness abilities.
VIM Fitness
579 Mass. Ave. | vimfitness.com
“G
orgeous.” “Zen-like.” “Immaculate.” These are not words members often use to describe their fitness facilities—but then, VIM Fitness is not your average gym. “We want to offer a more luxurious experience for a more reasonable price,” says VIM co-owner Brett Owens. “We don’t want to just sell an experience; we want to sell a relationship.” This philosophy runs deep in VIM’s core values. The owners feel big-box gyms are too focused on numbers and not focused enough on individuals. In their opinion, those gyms are renting you a machine instead of providing you with a great fitness experience. Nearly every aspect of the VIM experience can be described as luxurious, from the impeccable aesthetics of the facility to the beautiful steam room and sauna. The new owners have re-imagined their gym down to the very last detail. And they’ve made sure to impart the same philosophy of luxury to their staff. This means they treat their trainers well and make sure they’re able to give all clients the best experience possible. The entire staff is there to cater to clients, and they’ve been trained to focus on customer satisfaction. This doesn’t mean fitness is secondary. VIM offers a hybrid experience of group classes— it boasts the most group exercise classes of any facility in Cambridge—and one-on-one training and access to equipment so clients get a tailored training package that yields results. Trainer Lindsey Norse worked at other corporate facilities before joining VIM’s Central Square location as general manager. She’s felt more supported as a trainer and manager here, and she says that’s a feeling that trickles down to customers. Norse describes the boutique gym as a “kind, calm and laidback environment,” where everyone is happy to be there. But her favorite thing that VIM does differently than those big-box gyms? “Any problems go straight to the top,” Norse says. “Any issues are taken care of immediately.” scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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Fitness Edition
Beyond Barbells
OrangeTheory
270 Third St. | orangetheoryfitness.com
“W
e want to bring people together who are passionate about fitness,” says Travis Murray, studio manager of the newly opened Orangetheory in Kendall Square. Maybe that has you thinking, “Am I passionate about fitness?” Trust us: One class at this facility and you will be. They have your workout down to a science—literally. At Orangetheory, you can see just how hard you’re working in real time—you’re hooked up to a heart rate monitor during your workout. This is a whole new method of individual accountability. Not only do you have a supportive trainer there to cheer you on, but you can see immediately if you’re slacking off based on your body’s response. The monitor is strapped to either your chest or wrist before class, and your results are displayed on a screen along with everyone else’s. The goal is to get your rate to the “orange zone,” which starts at about 84 percent output and means you’ll burn at least 500 to 1,000 calories in each hour-long session. It’s a super high-tech premise that really pays off. “We’re a trusted leader in innovative, heart-rate-based fitness,” Murray says proudly. If the scientific stuff doesn’t draw you in, maybe knowing that Britney Spears works out at an Orangetheory five days a week will. But
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the celeb treatment isn’t limited to Brit. In addition to top-of-the-line technology, Orangetheory has a luxurious facility with all the amenities. We’re talking high-quality shampoos and conditioners in the showers, deodorant and other hygiene products stocked in the bathroom and complimentary hair-dryers. Or maybe the friendly and supportive staff will be a better draw—you’ll get a warm welcome and an amazing workout every time you walk in. Orangetheory also offers what could be the biggest community workout ever. Every day, at every Orangetheory facility around the country, instructors are teaching the same workout. If you head in for a session in Kendall Square, you can debrief with your friend in California who also went to Orangetheory that day. Or simply post about your training on social media, where you’re sure to get a response. This gym offers an amazing online network and some serious social media outreach. On a local level, the Orangetheory in Kendall Square is working hard to invest in community. From donation drives that benefit organizations in the area to challenges and prizes that engage all members, giving back to the neighborhood is at the top of their to-do list.
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FIND YOUR FIT
BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
I IT’S FUN TO TRAIN AT THE
YMCA IN CENTRAL SQUARE, A COMMUNITY STAPLE WITH A “PRETTY CAMBRIDGE” FEEL 26
January | February 2017 scoutcambridge.com
n the first-floor basketball gym of the Cambridge YMCA, The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” blares from a boombox, accompanied by the sounds of 11 people skipping rope—a gentle whirring noise regularly punctured by a sharp “tap, tap, tap.” Veterans of the Y’s “Punk Rope” class rotate, hop sideto-side and switch feet with ease. The newer members soldier on, adding their own less rhythmical whirs and taps to the din until instructor Michelle Deutsch tells the class to put their ropes down and grab medicine balls for a circuit of high intensity workouts. Down a stairwell, in the building’s basement, an older, graying man shadowboxes in a 70-year old ring while a younger guy, his jet-black hair pulled back into a ponytail, throws combinations at one of many punching bags. Adjacent to the boxing gym is a spartan, windowless room full of free weights, benches and barbells. It’s almost the exact opposite of the YMCA cardio room, now full of brand-new treadmills and ellipticals—the kind that come with TV screens and music apps installed. Throughout the day, people can be found swimming laps in the pool, getting in a game at one of two squash courts, taking classes tailored to kids or senior citizens and making use of the dance and yoga studio. And most of this is covered by a membership that costs between $45 to $65—a price tag cheaper than or comparable to most of the area’s high-end gyms. “I love the Y!” effuses Deutsch, who is a personal trainer in addition to teaching classes like Punk Rope. “What’s nice is that I have the most diverse crowd.” Deutsch has taught classes like Zumba and Aqua Aerobics at other area fitness centers. But here, she works with seniors and young folks, with people who come from all different backgrounds. Kristina Courage, aerobics manager and a personal
trainer, says the Y’s unique classes are one of its biggest draws. This assortment of offerings, along with the welcoming environment, fit her own philosophy that “fitness should be accessible.” The clientele is varied—the Punk Rope class, for example, sees participants ranging from their 20s to their 50s. Clients can work towards their own fitness goals, Courage notes, whether that’s losing weight, getting better at a sport or improving strength, cardio or endurance.
Bean Leonard is a marathon and half-marathon runner, and she’s noticed a change thanks to the high intensity interval training offered by Punk Rope. “My running has actually improved,” she says. The YMCA building is more than 100 years old. It’s a bit of a labyrinth, with narrow hallways and stairwells that turn you around. But it consistently receives updates and improvements—from new equipment to a fresh coat of paint on the walls—without succumbing to the flash and gloss of chain gyms. Down in the lower level, Camara Kadete explains how he first came to the YMCA 20 years ago. “This is where all the kids came to play basketball. I did karate here, stayed out of trouble,” he says. “It’s improved over the years—they keep renovating. I know the staff pretty well, and they know me.” While Kadete moved around later in life, he found himself back in the weight room when he returned to the area. The gym offers a familiar vibe, he explains—one that’s not unlike what you find in local bars and restaurants. “It’s pretty Cambridge,” he says. While there are fewer families in the neighborhood these days, marketing director Wade Oliver notes that the YMCA still offers plenty of youth programming, the most popular of which is swimming. They also run a pre-school. Youth basketball and youth boxing are draws for younger crowds—the programs are designed to keep local kids active and off the streets. “The focus is to teach kids basketball, get them ready for high school and to have fun,” says Jonathan LaRosa, who runs the basketball program. The program mostly coaches kids from age five through 13, though teenagers often return to help out. This year, they’re coaching an all-time high of 233 kids. There’s also an “each one teach one” dynamic where older kids help out younger ones. “You need to become a leader—you were once nine years old and not the best player in the world,” LaRosa says. “It’s not just stars—there are role-players.” J.J. Jones is a Cambridge police officer who heads the youth boxing program, which is part of Cambridge Police Department’s Safety Net youth outreach initiative. The program was designed for young troublemakers, but Jones says it’s now open to all area youth, giving kids something productive to do between the time they get out of school and the time their parents come home from work. The YMCA was an unexpected home for the group, but he says it was perfect: The gym was fully stocked from the days Somerville Boxing Club used the facilities, and the Y doesn’t charge the department to use its space. “I know this program wouldn’t have been as successful without the Y,” Jones says. “It’s all about putting community first.”
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FIND YOUR FIT
HARDER, BETTER,
FASTER, SAFER YOU’LL FIND STRENGTH IN NUMBERS AT REDLINE FIGHT SPORTS, WHERE YOU’RE SAFE TO TRAIN. BY REBECCA JOY | PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
A
boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts gym that describes itself as “high-octane” could seem scary to a newcomer—especially when you realize that entering the gym means descending a flight of cinderblock-lined stairs to an underground training space. But Redline Fight Sports isn’t intimidating at all. In fact, it just might be one of the most inclusive workout facilities around. Since opening in 2008, Redline and its coaching staff have fostered an inclusive atmosphere for mixed martial arts and fitness training. It’s currently one of two in the state listed on on SafeToTrain.com, a new online directory of sports centers nationwide committed to creating safe, supportive workout arenas. Owner and coach Chris Gully says the boxing gym’s welcoming environment is just a natural part of its heritage. “It’s who we’ve been since the beginning,” he says simply. Before Redline opened, he and coowners Tara Gully Hightower and Joshua Bartholomew were part of a local group of competitive martial artists. Looking for a home base where 28
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they could settle down and train, they moved to Mass. Ave., steps from the Central Square Red Line stop. Gully, a professional architect, renovated the subterranean location—then a labyrinth of offices in various states of operation—to get the gym in fighting shape. In a single day, Redline trains both professional athletes and interested newcomers in Brazilian jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, kung fu, kickboxing and more. “The workouts are not boring,” Gully says. “Here, in this environment, you can almost get distracted by how much there is to learn.” He remembers receiving pre-opening advice that encouraged the owners to choose either a tough, competitive or lighter, cardio-focused approach. Instead, he, Gully Hightower and Bartholomew crafted a hybrid, finding an equilibrium where professional fighters and newbies practice side-by-side. Beyond the main matted area, the space boasts a boxing ring, a grappling room and a kung fu room outfitted with traditional training equipment. With all in use at once, Redline transforms into what Gully calls a “three-ring circus of fun, high-energy activities.” The benefits of the exercise extend beyond the mat. “Parallel to training is the mental component,” Gully notes. Through that highoctane physical exercise, fighters can learn to better handle stressful circumstances both in and out of the ring. “That can be applied to social situations, business, public speaking—anything that can scare someone or give them that adrenaline rush,” he adds. Mental strength is one of the key values at Redline Fight Sports, which, despite its name, is about more than literally fighting. “It’s about battling yourself, your apprehensions or anxieties,” Gully explains. The power of martial arts practice to reframe a student’s notion of their own strength was part of the impetus behind SafeToTrain.com, which was founded in November by Richmond-based writer, marketer and Brazilian jiu jitsu-er Michelle Nickolaisen as a resource for those feeling unsafe after the 2016 presidential election and the accompanying amped-up cultural tensions. “As someone who trains—and who is under the LGBTQ+ umbrella—I know that martial arts has made me feel much more able to handle an altercation or unpleasant encounter and can help people with that,” Nickolaisen says. “But I also know how scary it can be to go to a new gym, period, especially if you don’t know if it’s going to be a safe place for you—or your children—or not.” Nickolaisen says her personal experience with Brazilian jiu jitsu has made her feel much safer and more confident overall. “Obviously, I wouldn’t go out and pick a fight or anything like that,” she says. “But once you’ve had someone twice your size and much stronger than you sitting on you, trying to choke you, saying ‘Excuse me, you need to back off,’ to that rude stranger on the bus is much less intimidating.” The interactions within the gym—sparring or grappling with teachers, other students, equipment or oneself—afford a new context for navigating interactions in the larger world and maintaining a sense of self. As part of her online guide, Nickolaisen highlights the importance of regular training rather than one-off classes “to make it ‘stick’ and make it so you can react quickly in the moment” should the need arise. Redline helps athletes achieve those fitness, self-defense and selfconfidence goals in a safe place with a slew of varied workouts taught by high-level instructors every week. Outside of its regular classes, Redline engages with the broader Cambridge and Boston network with one-off community events. In the past, it’s hosted smokers— amateur sparring match-ups—and donated proceeds to nonprofit organizations like women’s shelters, cancer research initiatives and fire relief funds. In January, Redline is collaborating with the Cambridge Police Department and the Central Square YMCA for a free self-defense seminar. The gym has long exemplified a spirit of openness, and Gully recognizes the crucial role that the martial arts gym can play for those feeling endangered or at-risk in the current political climate. “We want people to feel like they have the tools and the knowledge to be safe in a kind of frightening new world,” he says. “We want people to feel in control of their safety and to have practical techniques to use—both if something happens and to have that self-confidence.”
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Call: 617.354.5888 scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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FIND YOUR FIT
AT YOGARAGE, FITNESS ROUTINES GET A TUNE-UP BY REBECCA JOY | PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
F
eel like you’ve been spinning your wheels workout-wise? Park yourself in this makeshift Kendall Square studio. Last June, yoga enthusiasts Katharina Giegling and Nicco Krezdorn brought their practice home— literally—when they converted their Cambridge garage into a cozy, fully functioning yoga studio. At Yogarage (34 Bristol St.), the husband-wife team offers a range of small classes in a unique neighborhood setting while providing a fresh perspective on working fitness into everyday life. Both Giegling and Krezdorn have professional lives outside of Yogarage. In fact, Giegling says it was her primary pursuits that brought her to yoga
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in the first place. A violinist and music teacher, she wanted something that could help her balance and decompress after long hours of musical training and performance. “I needed something to relax and work out at the same time,” she says. Yoga allowed Giegling to “be aware of the body and to breathe, to be healthy and to stretch.” It also turned her workout routine upside down—before concerts, the musician could often be found backstage in a stimulating headstand pose. The flexibility of the exercise, and its utility, was part of its appeal. “I could do yoga where I was,” says Giegling. “I didn’t even need a mat.” Other non-traditional spots where the yogini has done poses include a museum and a harbor, where
she and Krezdorn set up their mats to follow along with a yoga video in synchronized stretching during a sailing trip. “I think it looked kind of weird from a distance,” she says. Then, of course, there’s their garage. The duo moved to Boston in 2015—Krezdorn is a post-doc at Brigham and Women’s—and were drawn to Cambridge for its diversity. “It’s such a perfect balance between old and young,” Giegling notes. “You can find everything here.” They attended different yoga studios before the ignition of Yogarage, and it was in a tiny Cambridge yoga studio that Krezdorn first said, “This is as big as our garage.” At first, the couple laughed at the idea of using their empty storage space as a studio, but a friend took the opportunity seriously and pointed out the perfect, punny portmanteau it offered: yoga + garage = Yogarage. Once they had the name, Giegling and Krezdorn set about transforming their idle one-car garage into a comfortable workout spot. Starting in the entryway, they lay carpeting, lit candles and hung fabric to dress up what’s “normally our cellar, where we have the stroller for my daughter and the washing machine.” Inside the garage, they left the walls largely untouched save for a decorative cloth print—they wanted to keep the aesthetic authentic. Inspired by a previous class where the studio doubled as a kids’ playroom, they put down a foam floor. “It was important to have a clean floor and to have the atmosphere of—I don’t know if it has to be called a yoga studio—but the atmosphere of having a special place,” Giegling says. A speaker that plays playlists curated by Giegling and a small heater were the final touches that brought the room together. “Nicco and me, we do yoga every morning here,” Giegling says. “We really enjoy the space because it’s so holy. It’s just doing yoga and nothing else.” Even with its limited square footage, Yogarage provides students with all the trappings of a successful yoga practice: mats, blocks and even a makeshift changing room behind a paneled curtain in the hallway. Classes take place three days a week on Monday mornings and Wednesday and Thursday nights. They accommodate seven or eight students with room for a range of poses, though participants are encouraged to RSVP via email ahead of time to help the teachers plan.
“WE REALLY ENJOY THE SPACE BECAUSE IT’S SO HOLY. IT’S JUST DOING YOGA AND NOTHING ELSE.” The 60- to 75-minute sessions cost $10 to $12 each and are taught by Giegling and fellow instructor Annie Feldman. While Feldman’s slow flow classes lean more towards stretching, meditative yin yoga, Giegling describes her vinyasa exercise as strong and energetic. “I like to encourage students’ awareness of their body. I think yoga is a great opportunity to relieve stress and relieve pain, and I think it helps you to be aware of your emotions, too, and to soften everything,” she says of her teaching philosophy. “I especially like doing yoga as a sport, as well. I think it’s important to move and to strengthen everything, and then you’re able to soften.” Due to its unlikely locale, the Yogarage studio fosters a strong sense of community. Giegling has witnessed the mostly Cambridge-based students form friendships through their yoga practice, feeding into her (admittedly expansive) belief that “there would be less aggression and less war in the world if everyone would do yoga.” Yogarage allows students to engage in fitness not just of the body, but also of the emotions and the mind. Like Giegling’s pre-concert headstands or the couple’s harborside asanas, it proves that a workout can be accomplished wherever there’s a little space. Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to change gears.
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scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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FIND YOUR FIT
Pick up the Pastry
BY KENDRA LONG
Enough about workouts—it’s time to talk fitness-fueling food.
Whether you’re looking to carbo-load before a long run, are indulging in a cheat day or want all of the flaky, sugary goodness without quite so many calories, we’ve got your list of Cambridge’s best baked goods (and a few bonus sweets) right here.
For your cheat day A DECADENT START TO THE DAY Waffle, Curio Coffee 441 Cambridge St. instagram.com/curiocoffee Belgium’s Liege waffles are quickly racking up fans all over the country. They’re yeasted and flecked with a special pearl sugar that doesn’t melt as easily as table sugar, so they’re crunchy and sweet on the outside but yield to a soft, rich center. According to the Curio rumor mill, chocolate-filled waffles are also on the way. Until then, bites of these crunchy little gems will have to suffice.
For when you’re dieting A HEALTHY START TO THE DAY Granola Bars, Bourbon Coffee 1815 Mass. Ave. | bourboncoffeeusa.com Heavy on the dried fruit and nutty—but not overly sweet or gooey—Bourbon’s granola bars are great for a protein boost in the morning that still feels like a treat. FOR YOUR MID-AFTERNOON PICK ME UP Any Bread, Sofra 1 Belmont St. | sofrabakery.com As a partner of Siena Farms in Sudbury, Sofra’s bakers often incorporate locally grown, seasonal ingredients into their recipes. In the fall, it’s pumpkin bread with salted pepita crumb; in the winter, it’s a Taza chocolate-infused gingerbread. They’re richly spiced and intensely flavorful, and the bread stays moist and tender—even if you forget about it in your bag through half of the workday.
Meghan Photo by ka ch us g o R
WITH YOUR AFTERNOON TEA Tahini Shortbread, Sofra Yes, Sofra was already on this list. But the thing is, the bakery’s tahini shortbread cookies are the total package: healthy and crumbly and buttery and immensely rewarding. With the texture of a peanut butter cookie but less fat and more protein, tahini is a great substitute for the peanut-averse and those seeking a less caloric treat. Best yet, the shortbreads are coin-sized and dirt cheap, so portion control is thrifty and easy. FOR DESSERT Vegan Ice Cream, Honeycomb Creamery 1702 Mass. Ave. | honeycombcreamery.com Brick-and-mortar newcomers Honeycomb Creamery are master flavor blenders, whipping up totally unexpected and fully delicious combos like blood orange chipotle, grapefruit rosemary and dark chocolate crunch that are a godsend for vegans and lactose intolerants alike. The dairy-free flavors rotate often but are always just as rich and flavorful as their cow-based offerings, with a luscious creaminess that will have you forgetting they’re even vegan.
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FOR YOUR MID-AFTERNOON PICK ME UP Coconut Macaroon, Crema Cafe 27 Brattle St. | cremacambridge.com Coconut macaroons are a fairly straightforward operation: sugar, a binder like egg whites or flour and lots of coconut. What sets Crema’s apart is their dense centers—which are almost like a pudding in their creaminess—and their crispy edges, like a meringue that’s been browned.
Photo by Harlan Tu Michael rkell
Photo by ig Kristin Te
Photo by Cartoon W.
WITH YOUR AFTERNOON TEA Kouign Amann, Flour Bakery + Cafe Multiple Locations | flourbakery.com The kouign amann is a labor-intensive pastry deserving of a few minutes of reflection and contemplation. Sugar folds into croissant dough to bake into a buttery, salty-sweet pastry with a crunchy, sweet crust and a soft, fatty center. Flour’s regularly sell out, though, so it’s best to buy yours with your morning coffee and let it stare you down until the afternoon comes. FOR DESSERT Brown Butter Pecan Pie, Petsi Pies 594 Cambridge St. | petsipies.com Petsi’s pecan pie is—dare we say it—the highlight of the menu. It’s chewy and crunchy and sweet and fatty, and it will almost assuredly ruin you to most other pies. The crust is fantastically crisp and flaky, but it’s that brown butter filling that really sells ‘em.
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SCOUT OUT!
“The millennial has made a decision that he doesn’t want to look like the guys that preceded him. He wants to be a little smarter about the way he dresses. He’s very interested in fabric and construction and all the various elements that put a wardrobe together.”
Famous visitors have included Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, who were looking for leather jackets to wear in Mystic River, and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, who liked the jeans selection so much he practically had Clauss on retainer.
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A STITCH IN TIME BY MATT ELLIS | PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
For a slightly different take on finding your fit, we talked shop with Marlene Clauss and Gary Drinkwater—both longtime residents of the area, owners of beloved Cambridge clothing stores and sparkling, one-of-a-kind figures who make up the fabric of this community.
GARY DRINKWATER, DRINKWATER’S
G
ary Drinkwater got his start in 1978 at the world-famous Louis Boston, a menswear institution that recently closed after 85 years. He interviewed for a visual merchandising position, but when that had already been filled, he moved over to sales. There, he learned how to be not just a salesman but a consultant. He quickly realized it wasn’t necessarily clothing people wanted, but an experience. “It’s a relationship business,” he says now, reflecting on those early days. “And relationships turn into long-lasting ones. Some of the first guys I waited on in 1978 are still shopping with me today.” Drinkwater is impeccably dressed, with posture that would put a Catholic school nun to shame. He has a thoughtful, measured way of speaking, and he takes time to pause before he answers a question. This is all to say: Gary Drinkwater is the man you trust to help make you look good. When you walk out of Drinkwater’s—which opened outside of Porter Square in 2004—you’re leaving with more than just a fine piece of clothing. At his award-winning shop, Drinkwater doesn’t carry any big brand names—if you can find it in a department store, you won’t find it here. He doesn’t stock anything you can buy online, either. And if you’ve heard of the store at all, it was almost assuredly from a friend or well-dressed stranger. “We haven’t spent one dime on advertising since the day we opened,” Drinkwater says proudly. The clientele of Drinkwater’s isn’t just well-to-do older gentlemen.
The much-maligned millennial now makes up a significant portion of the customer base. “The millennial,” Drinkwater says, no hint of malice in the word, “has made a decision that he doesn’t want to look like the guys that preceded him. He wants to be a little smarter about the way he dresses. He’s very interested in fabric and construction and all the various elements that put a wardrobe together.” Keeping an eye on these nearly imperceptible trends allows Drinkwater to remain on top. He owns the store with his wife, Teresa Borges. (They met as coworkers at Louis.) Together, they travel to trade shows and meet with suppliers to ensure their store remains the place to go when you need to make an impression or update your closet. Drinkwater wants his customers to have a memorable experience every time they’re in the shop, and he wants them to leave the store looking really, really good. Because, more than the beautiful jackets, custom-made shirts and fine shoes, it’s the people Drinkwater loves. “I’m a people person. I just love it,” he says. “I think it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed. I’ve been able to meet the most incredible people in the world. That’s the fun part of my business.” What keeps him coming back day in and day out—sometimes for 12 hours a day? He pauses for a moment in his thoughtful way, then quips, with a hearty laugh, “What else am I going to do?”
MARLENE CLAUSS, GREAT EASTERN TRADING COMPANY
W
hen Marlene Clauss started working at Great Eastern Trading Company in 1974, it was a far different place than it is today. Back then, the vintage clothing shop on the outskirts of Central Square was a commune she operated collectively with four other people. But Boston was a different place then, too. Clauss worked one day a week at Great Eastern, but she spent her nights as a go-go dancer in the Combat Zone, the infamous Boston red light district that Government Center would later displace. When she moved on from dancing, Clauss took a position as a waitress at a strip club. “I used to buy floor-length gowns,” she recalls fondly. “I would wear them to the Combat Zone. I loved the counterpoint of dressing in these long gowns while the girls were on the stage.” Clauss, who has owned Great Eastern since the ’80s, has always been infatuated with clothing. As a kid, she had recurring dreams that her closets were stuffed with clothes. More curator than compiler, she compares herself to a musician—and the store is her magnum opus. “Like a musician composes a melody,” she explains, “the store is composed.” She pauses, taking in the rich tapestry of clothing that makes up the different areas of the store. “It’s a song composed of notes from different sources that are put together to create this beautiful harmony you see in here.”
Clauss’s childhood dreams have become a reality, as clothes take up nearly every inch of her shop, floor to ceiling. On a pair of enormous revolving racks housed in wooden closets that date to 1912, you’re liable to find everything from Hawaiian shirts to denim jackets to party dresses—clothing that spans every decade in the last century. There are regular, sensible clothes here, too, but they still have a certain sense of flair. Great Eastern isn’t at the whim of donations—Clauss has a source she visits every month to handpick the clothing for her inventory. The store has had its fair share of luminaries stop by over the years, including a certain recent presidential candidate. “Jill Stein used to hang out here,” Clauss laughs. (Because of course she did.) “I just saw an article the other day about how she’s a drummer. Well, guess where she used to play the conga drums?” Other famous visitors have included Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, who were looking for leather jackets to wear in Mystic River, and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, who liked the jeans selection so much he practically had Clauss on retainer. But for celebs and non-celebs alike, the real appeal of Great Eastern Trading Company is the collection of clothing—from costume jewelry to cowboy boots—that tells stories that were in danger of being lost before Clauss rescued them. “It’s a mix of the practical and surreal,” she says. scoutcambridge.com January | February 2017
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CALENDAR
1
SHOPPING | Sundays
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FUN & GAMES | January 23
2
THEATER | January 8 - 30
7
NATURE | January 28
3
PHOTOGRAPHY | January 11 - February 3
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ACTIVISM | February 3 and 4
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BOOKS | February 8
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5
THE SOMERVILLE WINTER FARMERS MARKET 9:30 A.M. - 2 P.M., FREE ARTS AT THE ARMORY, 191 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE Grab all the local produce, meat, baked goods and more you could ever want while enjoying live music from bands including The Ways and Means Committee (January 21), The Wicked Pickers (January 28) and The Hoot Owls (February 11).
BOSTON CRIME SCENES 4 AND 7:30 P.M., $25 - $30 THE ROCKWELL, 255 ELM ST., SOMERVILLE Locals will love this Boston-centric production from writer and director Pete Holm, a three-act musical homage to Hollywood favorites—Boondock Saints, The Departed, The Town—that have Massachusetts roots.
COUNTERMOVES: CUBA & UGANDA 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. MONDAY - FRIDAY, FREE THE CHANDLER GALLERY, 25 SACRAMENTO ST., CAMBRIDGE This exhibit brings together Robin Z. Boger’s photographs of rural Cuba and Sean Kernan’s shots from a boxing club in Kampala, Uganda. “We both went into other universes than our own,” says Kernan. “But our responses were quite different.” Opening reception on January 22 from 5 to 7 p.m.
MUSIC | January 19
WILL DAILEY & THE FAITHLESS ELECTORS 7-INCH VINYL RELEASE 10 P.M., $12 OR $15 AT DOOR ATWOOD’S TAVERN, 877 CAMBRIDGE ST., CAMBRIDGE Hot off the heels of his Boston Music Awards win for Best Male Vocalist, Will Dailey and his new band, The Faithless Electors, are hitting the stage to celebrate the release of an exclusive 7” with two brand new tracks that the singer says will never be available digitally.
FILM | January 21 and 22
SAILOR MOON R: THE MOVIE 1 P.M., $15 THE BRATTLE THEATRE, 40 BRATTLE ST. This special engagement brings Sailor Moon to the big screen for the first time ever. Catch the 1993 flick on Saturday (subs) or Sunday (dubs) and get those tickets early—the Brattle is giving out a special gift to ticket holders while supplies last.
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BOARD GAME BONANZA 6:30 - 10:30 P.M., FREE AERONAUT BREWING CO., 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE Whether you’d rather settle Catan, slide down some Chutes & Ladders or ruin longstanding friendships over a game of Monopoly, this board game night in the Aeronaut taproom has you covered.
THE TAPPING OF THE TREES 2 P.M., FREE TISCH LIBRARY AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY, 35 PROFESSORS ROW, MEDFORD Don’t let winter sap your enthusiasm for the outdoors! Kick of Somerville’s syrup season— yeah, it’s a thing—with the annual tapping of the trees, then head to Union Square on February 22 for a Maple Brunch hosted by the Independent. It all leads up to the Maple Syrup Boil Down Festival on March 4 at the Somerville Community Growing Center.
BLACK LIVES MATTER: MUSIC, RACE AND JUSTICE 9 A.M., FREE 3 OXFORD ST., CAMBRIDGE This graduate conference at Harvard—which is open to the public—“seeks to interrogate the place of music, musicians and sound in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the crises to which it responds.”
JOHN DARNIELLE READS FROM UNIVERSAL HARVESTER 5:30 P.M., $5 OR $26.25 (INCLUDES BOOK) BRATTLE THEATRE, 40 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE John Darnielle, author of acclaimed 2014 novel Wolf in White Van and frontman of acclaimed folk band The Mountain Goats, reads from his latest novel, which tells the story of a small Nevada town that’s upended when disturbing footage begins appearing on VHS tapes at the local Video Hut. (Yes, it’s set in the ‘90s.)
SCIENCE | February 18
2017 MIT TECH CONFERENCE 8 A.M. - 5 P.M., $30 - $100 MIT MEDIA LAB, 75 AMHERST ST., CAMBRIDGE This year’s conference highlights “exponential technologies,” or emerging technologies that propel society forward, including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, robotics and more. Find more info and tickets at mittechconference.com.
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SCOUT YOU
MassArt senior and Cambridge resident Eve Lee Schauer with a model for the first-ever periodaccurate, full-scale Trojan Horse, which will debut at the International Spy Museum in D.C. next year. Read more about Schauer’s work at scoutcambridge. com! Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
Skaters carve up the ice at the community rink in Kendall Square. Photo by Joseph Maxwell. 38 January | February 2017
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Cambridge resident Cornell stays warm on an icy day at the Somerville Public Library as friend Jean Paul of Somerville researches employment opportunities. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
Sydney Lee and guitarist perform holiday songs on stage at the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market. Photo by Joseph Maxwell.
Logan of Recreo Coffee & Roasterie gives out samples on the first day of the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market. Photo by Joseph Maxwell.
Reaching for the sky during Janine Duffy’s toddler yoga class at Bow Street Yoga in Union Square. Don’t forget to pick up our Somerville edition for more fitness-focused fun! Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.