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• Most Recent

  • Attend our Annual Meeting – Wednesday, March 23rd 6pm, Library
  • Volunteers Needed!
  • New Village Gateways Brighten Roslindale’s Streetscape
  • Romano’s gets noticed
  • Demolition Begins at Washington Street Gas Station Site
  • Ten Simple Reasons to Shop Locally
  • Model Railroad Museum Open House
  • Holiday Wander through Roslindale Village
  • Goodbye, Boschetto Bakery
  • 25th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

• Roslindale in the News

  • Boston's sudden change in snow policy
  • Indian restaurant opens in Roslindale
  • Manhole explodes in Roslindale Square just after man, dog walk over it
  • GLAD Summer Party
  • Indian food in Roslindale Square is nigh
  • Irresistible force vs. immovable object, Boston space-saver edition
  • The truest love
  • Crossed wires shock fire-alarm worker near Amtrak line in Roslindale
  • Mystery at Roslindale senior complex claims third victim
  • Man robbed and stabbed on Washington Street in Roslindale

Earlier this month, eight colorful, wind-powered “gateways” were installed on lightposts at the four major entrances to Roslindale Village (Washington St. at Healy Field and Kittredge St., Cummins Highway at Washington St., and Belgrade Ave. at Robert St.)  Sponsored by RVMS, the signs are part of an ongoing project to build a cohesive and unique visual identity for the business district, through wayfinding signage and public art.  Coming later in 2010: an information kiosk in front of Wallpaper City, featuring a neighborhood map, business directory and events board. Read more

Category: Live 
Tags: design, environmental graphics, location, public art, streetscape

Wednesday was a historic day in Roslindale Village, as onlookers watched a backhoe demolish a long-standing eyesore at the abandoned gas station site on Washington Street.  The demolition marks the launch of a redevelopment project on the site that promises to bring retail activity and foot traffic to a long-neglected block of the business district.  Read more

Category: Live, Uncategorized, Work 
Tags: design, economic development, gas station, redevelopment, streetscape

Why shop local? It’s good for you, it’s good for the neighborhood, and it’s good for the economy.  Here are ten simple reasons why making just  a 10 percent shift in your spending to support local, independent businesses can have a big impact:

Read more

Category: Help, Live, Shop 
Tags: 10% shift, economic development, holidays, how you can help, local businesses, local economy, shop local, shopping

We’re sorry to say goodbye to the A. Boschetto Bakery, a fixture on Washington Street since 1952 that has provided many a birthday cake to kids growing up in the neighborhood.  Owner Joe Murphy, an RVMS board member since 2006, has contributed to the Roslindale community in many ways, most notably as the man behind the hugely popular Taste of Roslindale event.  The bakery closed its doors on October 26 and the building is currently for sale.  Contact RVMS if you have any leads on potential new businesses for the site.

In other business updates, Read more

Category: Eat, Live, Shop, Work 
Tags: board of directors, closings, economic development, local businesses, new business, taste of roslindale

Saturday, November 28
3-5 pm
Adams Park (intersection of Washington & Cummins Hwy)
Free and open to all
Join RVMS to bring light to the dark winter season!  Bring an ornament for the community tree, or create one there with the Roslindale Arts Alliance.  This year features a preview performance by the Urban Nutcracker, along with a visit from the Sugar Plum Fairy.  Caroling, hot chocolate, visits with Santa and a jolly brass band fill out this much-loved tradition.  Read more

Category: Events, Live 
Tags: Adams Park, community events, holidays, village events

Introducing the newest edition in the Roslindale Poster series! One of the best things about Roslindale is the crown jewel tucked into her backyard, the Arnold Arboretum.  Artist and RVMS volunteer Brad Harris has captured the stunning views and friendly atmosphere of Roslindale’s much loved Peters Hill.

All six editions of the Roslindale series are available for sale at the RVMS office and cost $15 for a sturdy 11″x17″ print, $25 for a standard-sized 18″x24″ high quality poster.   Proceeds from the posters go to support our work in Roslindale.

Category: About, Help, Live 
Tags: Arnold Arboretum, greenspace, how you can help, marketing, posters

You may have noticed the new lanes being painted on Washington, Belgrade and Corinth Streets in recent weeks.  Designated bike lanes have finally come to Roslindale! Part of an ongoing municipal project to create a complete bike network throughout the City, these lanes are intended to provide safe access to bike paths in the Southwest Corridor and Emerald Necklace. 

For more information on biking in Roslindale, visit Rozzie Bikes.

Category: Live 
Tags: accessibility, biking Roslindale, City of Boston, greenspace, streetscape, traffic, transportation

Thanks to all who participated in and attended the 3rd Annual A Taste of Roslindale on September 24.  The event, which took place right in Roslindale Village this year at St. Nectarios Church, was a sold-out hit, raising $15,000 to support the Roslindale Food Pantry, RVMS, and the Roslindale Village Holiday Lighting Fund.  Read more

Category: Eat, Help, Live 
Tags: community events, fundraising, holiday lights, restaurants, roslindale food pantry, taste of roslindale

Did you know that last spring the Boston Globe Magazine deemed Roslindale a Top Spot to Live for Foodies? No surprise to those of us that live here and enjoy the neighborhood’s abundance of fresh markets, bakeries and restaurants every day, but it’s nice to know that we’re getting noticed by the rest of Boston too!

Category: Eat, Live 
Tags: food, Live, press, restaurants, shop local

The Boston Redevelopment Authority continues to hold proposals to redevelop the vacant MBTA substation building (at the corner of Washington and Cummins Highway) under review, saying they need to move carefully in light of the current economic climate. Read more

Category: Live, Work 
Tags: news and events

Walkscore.com, a website that rates neighborhoods by walkability, gives Roslindale a score of 92 out of 100, rating it a “Walker’s Paradise“. That’s great news for Roslindale – a walkable neighborhood increases community and environmental health, adds to social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with neighbors, and helps local businesses thrive.

Category: Live, Work 
Tags: accessibility, location, press, recreation, shop local, walkability

A piece of good news in a down economy: Since July 2008, Roslindale Village has seen a net gain of 2 businesses, with 15 net new jobs created to support the local economy. It’s a sign that while times are tough for everyone right now, neighborhood business districts are retaining customer loyalty and faring better overall than malls and big box stores. Supporting local businesses first is one way we can all help this trend continue. Read more

Category: Live, Work 
Tags: design, economic development, local businesses, local economy, shop local, storefront improvement

It is called Roslindale’s beauty spot, this small triangular park in the heart of Roslindale. The home of community traditions such as the summer Farmers’ Market, summer evening concert series, and the annual Egg Hunt and Tree Lighting Ceremony, Adams Park is a centerpiece for the Roslindale community and the jewel of its commercial district.

The park’s footprint is tiny – only 3/4 acre – making it one of the smallest greenspaces in a neighborhood flanked with expansive open spaces. In 1965, the Parks Department approved the cutback of 22 feet from both the south and eastern corners of the park, in order to improve the traffic rotary pattern. Yet Adams Park is a much-needed haven for residents and local employees, a landmark to welcome visitors to Roslindale Village, and a symbol of the neighborhood’s history and its recent revitalization.

History
Established in 1920 when the City of Boston purchased the land, the park was named in honor of Irving William Adams, reportedly the first Massachusetts man to die in World War I. He lived at the corner of Edgemont and South Streets and attended Longfellow School. Irving W. Adams was born on December 23, 1893. Before enlisting in the Army as a young man of 23, Adams was a leather salesman. He was killed at Rambucourt, France on February 9, 1918.

The site on which the park lies was once owned by Roslindale resident Charles Wise of Amherst Street. Around the turn of the century, Mr. Wise, then a city councilor, offered the City of Boston the land for the low price of $5,000.00, after a fire nearly razed the Tafts Tavern which stood on the site. The city rejected the offer, reportedly due to Roslindale residents’ objections.

After the city refused to purchase the land, Wise redeveloped it. He rebuilt a second floor of the tavern, which served as the public library until the municipal building (at the corner of Washington Street and Ashland Avenue, now Cummins Highway) was built. He also built a row of one-story buildings along Poplar Street, and a two-story structure on South Street, which became Roslindale’s first movie theatre and public lunch room. The Parks Department tore down these buildings to clear the land when they later purchased it in 1919 for the sum of $20,000.00.

Memorials
Two war memorials are showcased in Adams Park, commemorating the Roslindale men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces.

The World War I memorial is nineteen feet high and bears the inscription “Roslindale honors its victorious sons and daughters in World War I. In the glory of their youth we shall remember them.” There is an interesting story behind the World War I monument. A house-to-house canvas for contributions was undertaken to raise the needed funds. The sculptor was to be a noted artist named Henry Albert Atkins, who designed a memorial to cost $30,000.00. A miniature display of the monument was shown in the window of Waters Candy and Ice Cream Parlor, on South Street. Since the goal was never reached, the collected funds remained dormant in the bank until 1955.

That year, local resident Fred Davis noticed that the “Old Roslindale Memorial Association” was one of the dormant accounts listed in the paper that would soon revert back to the state. He went to court to reactivate the funds and hired another man to create an affordable memorial in Atkins’ style. Mr. Gordon Carr of the Erikson Monument Co., Quincy Massachusetts designed the monument and the Jones Brothers Co., Barre, Vermont produced it in 1958, 38 years after the first monument was planned.

The large granite urn was erected in 1945, and is entitled the “Gold Star Mothers World War II Memorial.” This monument was erected by the same Fred Davis, who was the owner of Davis Monument Company on Washington St. In 1990, a line of memorial inscription commemorating the men and women who served in Vietnam and Korea was added to the World War I monument.

A third memorial, a historical tile mosaic installed in 1987, is detailed below.

Maintenance
The chief caretaker of the park for the longest period was Boston Parks Department’s employee and Roslindale resident, Thomas J. Prendergast. He maintained the park for 24 years, from the period of 1956 to 1979, when he retired. There is a tale that tells of the time when Mr. Prendergast was assigned a post other than Adams Park. The residents of Roslindale protested to the Mayor in order to have him reinstated.

The Boston Parks Commission, at the request of area residents in 1990, dedicated the curved walkway as Prendergast Walk for his outstanding stewardship.

The Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund, Townscape Institute, Boston Neighborhood Development Employment Agency, and the Roslindale Historical Society spearheaded the first of a series of improvements to the park in 1984-1986. These initial improvements included replacing the central walkway, adding brick detail and placing a mosaic and six “Louis Armstrong” style benches in the middle of the walkway.

The mosaic, entitled Star Pool, created by artist Be Allen, reflects Roslindale’s history and incorporates objects of its past. These include the metal fragments from the famous train wreck of 1887, and bottle fragments from the Taft’s Tavern, which stood on the site during most of the nineteenth century. Roslindale Village Main Street helped with the design review.

Roslindale Village Main Street, working with the Boston Parks Department and the Browne Fund, initiated further improvements in 1989-90, which included the replacement of the curved walkways and entry pillars, new landscaping, and cleaning the granite statuary.

Since 1985, the park’s annual maintenance has been provided through an innovative public-private partnership between Roslindale Village Main Street, the Boston Parks Department, and local corporate sponsors, including Bank of Boston, Bank of America and most recently, The Cooperative Bank of Roslindale. In 2010 the City of Boston’s Parks Department resumed the parks’ primary maintenance, but plans for improvements continue through RVMS and other local community groups such as Roslindale Green & Clean.

Category: Live 

Location

Roslindale is located in the center of the Southwest corner of Boston, approximately 6 miles from downtown. Abundant in greenspace and characterized by tree-lined streets, Roslindale is an urban neighborhood with a distinctly small-town feel. Its village center, located around Adams Park, offers the convenience of businesses within walking distance for most residents.

• Roslindale is close to Route 128 and directly on the original “Providence to Boston Turnpike,” or Washington Street
• By car, Roslindale is less than twenty minutes from downtown Boston
• By subway, Roslindale is within fifteen minutes of downtown Boston
• By commuter rail, Roslindale is twelve minutes from downtown Boston

Community Resources

The local police station Area E-5,  actively engages in community policing efforts such as participating in community meetings, and assigning a regular foot patrol in the Village.  The E5 Community Office can be reached at 617-343-4565.

The Roslindale Community Center has three locations, including the Flaherty Pool, Archdale Community Center, and a newly renovated central facility located in the center of Roslindale Village.  For info call 617-635-5185 or visit the RCC website.

The Roslindale Public Library is located in the center of the Village, and hosts regular activities on weekends and afternoons.

Other community resources located in Roslindale Village:

ABCD/Head Start
Casserly House
Registry of Motor Vehicles
Rogerson Communities
Roslindale Food Pantry
Roslindale WIC Office
Social Security Office

Community Groups

Roslindale Board of Trade
Healthy Roslindale Coalition/Rossie Reps
Roslindale Green & Clean
Roslindale Arts Alliance
Click here for a listing of Neighborhood Associations and Crime Watch groups

Many civic clubs have active local branches supporting the community, including the Lions, Rotary, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, and Elks clubs.

Community Events

Schools

Roslindale offers 7 public schools (6 elementary and one middle school), and one private grade school, the Sacred Heart School.  Roslindale Village is also home to the Boston School of Modern Languages, which brings over 200 graduate students into Roslindale on a daily basis.

Medical Facilities

Roslindale Village is home to the Greater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center, a full-service healthcare provider affiliated with the Boston Medical Center and Boston HealthNet.

Sullivan’s Pharmacy in Roslindale Village is the largest independent pharmacy in New England.

A wide range of private and alternative healthcare specialists also practice in the neighborhood.  See our business directory for a complete listing.

Religious Institutions

Roslindale Village offers a diversity of religious faiths in the area.

•Bethany United Methodist Church
100 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, (617) 327-2532

•Bethlehem Lutheran Church
5 Cliffondale St., Roslindale, (617) 325-4559

•Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints
79 Mt. Hope St., Roslindale, (617) 325-3906

•Englise Methodist Unie Dde Wesley Congregation Hatienne
100 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, (617) 323-7430

•Roslindale Baptist Church
52 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, (617) 327-5262

•Roslindale Congregational Church
25 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, (617) 323-8302

•Russian Orthodox Church of the Epiphany
963 South St., Roslindale, (617) 327-3663

•Sacred Heart Church
169 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, (617) 325-3322

•St. Anna’s Orthodox Church
852 South St., Roslindale, (617) 327-5300

•St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church
39 Belgrade Ave., Roslindale, (617) 327-1983

•Trinity Lutheran Church
1195 Centre St., Roslindale, (617) 327-8866

Political Representatives

The following politicians represent Roslindale:

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Jeffrey Sanchez (D)
Room 42, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2370
E-mail: rep.jeffreysanchez@hou.state.ma.us
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Fifteenth Suffolk. – Consisting of Ward 10, Precincts 1-3, 5-9; Ward 11, Precinct 6; Ward 19, Precincts 1-5, 8-9; Ward 20, Precincts 1, 2, 4; Brookline 5

STATE SENATOR

Marion Walsh (D)
Room 405, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617)722-1348
marian.walsh@state.ma.us
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: SUFFOLK AND NORFOLK. — Boston, ward 18, precincts 7 to 20, inclusive, 22 and 23, ward 19, precincts 10 to 13, inclusive, and ward 20, in the county of Suffolk; and Dedham, Norwood and Westwood, in the county of Norfolk.

CITY COUNCILOR

Rob Consalvo
Boston City Hall
District 5
(617) 635-4210
rob.consalvo@cityofboston.gov
Hyde Park: Ward 18, Pcts 5-6, 8, 12-21, 23 Roslindale: Ward 18 Pcts 7, 9-11, 22; Ward 19, Pcts 10-11, 13; Ward 20, Pcts 1-2, 4, 8-9 Mattapan: Ward 18, Pct 3

NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON – Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services
David McNulty
617-635-4830
david.mcnulty@cityofboston.gov

Category: Live 
Tags: accessibility, community benefits, community events, education, Live, location, medical, parking in the village, political, recreation, religous, traffic

Roslindale, a community 6 miles from downtown Boston, was annexed to the city in 1873. At the time, it was an out of the way part of the expansive town of West Roxbury.

In the 1880’s, the area was called South Street Crossing because the railroad crossed South Street at the street level. However, when the community applied for a post office district of its own, it was told that “South Street Crossing” was unacceptable to the government. And so, the community renamed itself.

The name, “Roslindale”, was suggested by a well-traveled member of the community who told the assembled citizens that the area reminded him of the beautiful historic town of Roslyn, Scotland, outside Edinburgh. He thought the area was like a dale because of the hills surrounding it. Thus the combination of”Roslyn” and “dale” were submitted to the Post Office and the name “Roslindale” was formally established.

Roslindale grew residentially as a classic street car suburb. The railway, which currently serves as the Needham line of the MBTA, was built after the Civil War, and spawned a new round of commercial development. Roslindale saw steady growth in its residential population, beginning in the 1880’s, with the introduction of the horse-drawn street railway service between Forest Hills and Dedham.

By the 1920’s Roslindale Village had assumed the configuration it has today. It is beautifully laid out with well-kept Adams Park at its center. The area is convenient, walkable, and allows easy access to its rail and bus lines. Roslindale continues to grow and offer great opportunity as a commercial and residential district.

For more information and resources on Roslindale history, contact the Roslindale Historical Society.

Category: Live 
Tags: historic preservation, history

Roslindale is located in the center of the Southwest corner of Boston, approximately 6 miles from downtown. Easily accessed by public transportation, car, or bicycle, Roslindale Village offers ample free on- and off-street parking and bike racks, with a thriving business district, abundant greenspace, and a range of community resources all within easy walking distance. Read more

Category: Eat, Live, Shop, Work 
Tags: accessibility, biking, commuter rail, directions, getting to roslindale, mbta, parking, transportation

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