More than half a century has passed since Boston’s Chinatown residents last had a place of their own to just sit down and read.  Instead of theaters that lined Washington Street in the 1950s, today there are restaurants, grocery stores and street vendors — plenty to satisfy an appetite, but books have been a different story.

On October 14, a long-awaited vision for a Chinatown Library finally became reality.  With 3,000-square-feet of space contributed for three months by Archstone Apartments the Chinatown Storefront Library opened at 640 Washington St.  It will rely on donations from publishers and area families. Supporters hope this project can lead to a more permanent home. It already won an extra month from Archstone, when it extended the lease.

“The project was conceived as a temporary library for several reasons.  One was to activate vacant space along Washington Street.  The Boston Street Lab, one of the producers of this project, has a mission to take vacant spaces and use them in more creative ways to bring more street life.  So the idea was to really partner with an organization that could actually donate space,” said Amy Cheung, the library’s program manager.

“The other idea is that we actually want the city at one point to step in and open a permanent library so this is almost an experiment or demonstration project to show to the city and residents and the supporters what the potential of the library could be –but we’re not here to provide permanent services.”

Six years ago, the Chinese Youth Initiative, a branch of the Chinese Progressive Association, decided that a library  was vital but missing resource in Chinatown.  Their participation only went as far as getting the library idea launched.  After that, a team of the Boston Street Lab, Friends of the Chinatown Library, and city’s Department of Micro-Urbanism raised funds for the venture, Cheung said.

“I think a library in Chinatown is incredibly important because it serves several different functions.  It serves as a social meeting space for people, it serves as sort of the front line place for people to get resources.  It serves as a place for people to get books and materials, reading resources, and right now Chinatown doesn’t have a library so I think there’s been a big gap for many years,” she added.

A large gap indeed.

The last time a library branch in  Chinatown opened its doors was the same year Elvis Presley first broke into the United States music charts and the only time a pitcher threw a perfect game in the World Series. The Tyler Street branch had closed in 1938, drawing protests and briefly reopened from 1951-56 , before it was demolished to make way for construction of the city’s Central Artery elevated highway — since replaced by the Big Dig‘s underground roadway.

But some residents don’t think the new library is a good idea.

“I don’t think that they put it in the right spot.  I mean just from experience of living in Chinatown I haven’t seen a lot of teenagers wandering around the city, at least around this area and I know the history of this area being the Combat Zone and all,” Tom Beauregard, a Chinatown resident.

“Yeah it’s cleaned up, but just from experience I’ve had people ask me if I wanted drugs just by walking on Washington Street right by where the new library is.  If I was a parent I don’t think I would want my kids hanging around that area regardless of the time of day.”

With school libraries available to students and the Internet offering research help everywhere, around-the-clock, there are some skeptics but response to the new library has been overwhelming, said Sam Davol, who coordinated the library project with Boston Street Lab.

“I think it’s great because I don’t think anybody in Chinatown would want to go down to Copley to go down to the library anyway, especially kids.  So it gives them a place that’s close by to learn and get off the streets,” said Hunter Hughes, an Emerson College student and current resident of Chinatown said.  “I mean, could it be used for anything more useful?  Honestly, not that I know of.  I think education for kids is very important.”

Chinatown Library Slideshow

(photos by David Cheng)

Photos: Ivy A. Turner

By Irina Grechko

Fifteen years after a small group of Charles Street business owners decided to decorate the streets for the holidays,  Holiday Decorating Days in Beacon Hill has grown into an annual event that adorns every  lamp post in the neighborhood. This year’s two-day event attracted its biggest crowd — more than 100 people.

“A local floral designer showed us this design of wrapping a laurel around the pole and hanging the bows,” said Ivy A. Turner, who has organized the event since 2000.

Initially, the Beacon Hill Business Association championed the holiday event and the Beacon Hill Civic Association joined in later asthe main sponsors t and to help get more residents involved. Suzanne Besser,  BHCA executive director,  said that her group focuses on bringing people together to improve the quality of life on Beacon Hill.

“We do a lot to foster community experience and build a whole relationship between everyone. This [Holiday Decorating Days] is probably one of the biggest community events because it brings us all together. It makes a Beacon Hill a better neighborhood to live in if you all get together and do things like that. It’s community building,” she said.

Holiday Decorating Days expanded from Charles Street to adorning of lamp posts on Charles and Cambridge streets, and eventually came to decorate every single street on the Hill.

“In 1999, I got the idea that for the millennium, we would have once in a lifetime event. We would decorate every single lamp pole in Beacon Hill for special millennium celebration,” Turner said.

It was a difficult, slow task as every group had only one Sunday, to cut the laurels, put the wires on and then decorate each post.  While planning the decoration of every lamp as a once in a lifetime event, feedback from residents was so positive that after 2000, Holiday Decorating Days became an annual event.

The current version came together when volunteers had the idea to make it a two-day event.

“He [volunteer] said, if we found a place where we could cut the stuff the day before, we could have this big event where we could get the stuff ready and the next day it would be a lot easier. And then someone got the idea that if we had a van we could drive it around to people to make it manageable. And then the Otis House Museum got involved and said they would host this event,” Turner said.

With enough headquarters and space, on Saturday, volunteers cut and wire the laurel garlands, sort and package the bows into smaller bundles. A van then drives around to deliver supplies to block captains, who are responsible for either one block or the whole street.

Sunday, the decorating continues, with volunteers assigned to different groups and streets, until every single lamp post is adorned with a laurel garland and two red bows.

This year’s crowds got Turner in the spirit of the season.

“Today’s event was really our best ever. It was the biggest turnout, the most enthusiastic people and the hardest working. It was a total different feeling than past years. This year, volunteers came and planned to stay and work a lot. They came prepared to work for a whole day.” she said.

In addition to a large participation from the local residents and members of the Beacon Hill Civic Association, an unexpectedly large number of Suffolk University students, members of the Beacon Hill Young Professionals and volunteers from Boston Cares.

Jay Faro, a Beacon Hill resident, said this year was his ninth time as a volunteer to the Holiday Decorating Days event.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way to meet people. Volunteers from the hill come down and we all work together and so people that maybe I don’t see from one end of the year to the next, I get a chance to see them today. And I get to meet new people,” he said.

Turner said friendships form and at least four marriages have resulted among people who have met on decorating days.  One reason she said she loves this event is  the sense of community and tradition.

“ I think tradition is important. And I think it’s something people look forward to and it makes people feel more part of their community. And I think when you walk around a neighborhood and every single lamp is decorated, there is a different feeling when you know that you helped,” Turner said.

Many local shops in Beacon Hill report that holiday traffic in the area is holding steady from last year. “People are buying pretty much the same amount as they were last year,” said Virgil Aiello, the owner of DeLuca’s market on Charles Street. “But then again, last year was a pretty slow year.”

For a snapshot of some of the local businesses in Beacon Hill, see the slideshow below.

Bells are ringing, lights are twinkling yet shoppers are waiting for last-minute sales or a chance to hold onto their hard-earned dollars a little longer in Boston’s downtown shopping district.

“People are definitely more conservative in their spending,” said Susan Ellis, who works in the cosmetics department at Macy’s in Downtown Crossing. “But we say the same thing every year and get panic-stricken, and then they all come out the last week.”

Ellis’ sentiments were echoed by 68-year-old Alice Mahoney, owner of local printmaking company Boston Off the Wall, who has worked in the area all her life.

“Stores just keep lowering prices, so people just wait and wait. But this year the big companies have said they bought less merchandise so they’re not going to need to do that,” she said.

Some shoppers are buying – just buying less. Others are scouting for bargains.

“My kids will still get some of what’s on their lists,” said Anne Kieran, a mother of two. “They just won’t get as many things as maybe they would have a couple years ago.”

And even those who choose not to shop are busy this time of year. A report in The New York Times said police departments across the country report a rise in shoplifting arrests — 10 to 20 percent higher this year than last, with more than $35 million in merchandise is stolen each day nationwide.

“Around the holidays it definitely peaks,” said a security officer at local mall/food court The Corner who asked not to be identified by his full name. “But so far I’ve only seen a couple of incidents. I’ve heard all these horror stories, but nothing big yet.”

People who want to give but may not have the funds are finding other ways to support the causes and organizations who serve others at the holidays. Sometimes giving money is just not an option and new and gently used items can be just as helpful. Here are things to know about donating used goods, from Charity Navigator.

Determine whether the items are useful.

Clothing, household items, books and shoes may be gently-used but things like personal care items must be brand new for health and safety reasons. That means no opened bottles of lotion or makeup. Put yourself in the recipient’s position: If you wouldn’t wear the jeans with holes in the knees, chances are they wouldn’t either. Don’t donate anything that is unusable or beyond repair.

Start locally and find the right organization.

Additional transportation reduces the impact of your donation so avoid unnecessary travel to donation sites. Chances are you can find a charity right in your own neighborhood. Begin by looking in your local community for a charity that will accept your items. Schools, churches and government buildings or office buildings often act as collection centers for various causes and agencies.

Search to find a particular cause.

Organizations like Charity Navigator can help you find specific charities or organizations such as your local Salvation Army office. Log onto charitynavigator.org and you can search for specific groups looking for the items you wish to donate.

Consider selling items and donating the money to charity.

Selling things you own and contributing proceeds to a charity gives the recipient the greatest flexibility when it comes to choosing what it needs most. Also, by selling the items yourself, you eliminate any for-profit middle man that might take a cut of the donation. Great places to sell your items include eBay and Craig’s List. You may also consider holding a multifamily yard sale and donating proceeds to a charity.

Happy giving!

Boston charities are feeling the strain to meet a greater need for goods and services after two years of a difficult economy for non-profits and contributions of cash or goods.

“It looks like it’s a little tougher this year,” said Thomas Langdon, director of community relations and development for Boston’s office of The Salvation Army. “In past years, people really were stepping to the plate. We really haven’t been seeing that this year.”

There are few bills larger than $1 in the kettles these days. Based on the organization’s annual report statistics, the demand for more specific items and services has increased such as, meals, shelter, coats, and holiday gifts. For example, in the past year, the number of coats distributed increased reached 13,000. (Click for related story on goods donations and how you can help)

And he’s not alone. Wayne Pozzar, food acquisition associate at the Greater Boston Food Bank, has seen a decline in food donations. GBFB is a nonprofit organization that “distributes more than 30 million pounds of food annually…to a network of nearly 600 member hunger-relief agencies,” he said.

Pozzar explained that the organization’s 2008 hunger study found 90% of its member food pantries and soup kitchens agree that the demand in Boston is up.

“Companies seem to have less to spare,” he added. “Supermarkets are now putting out discount aisles.”

One measure of need is The Salvation Army served 1,189,694 meals so far this year—equal to almost two meals per Boston resident.

And to counter the projected decrease in donations, the Salvation Army put out kettles earlier this year, because of the increased need. But a different kind of donation came when representatives were setting up the kettles: 45 people offered not to donate, but to work.

“We’ve never experienced that before,” Landon said. “These are people who just can’t find work, so they’ll ring a bell for $8 an hour.”

Decorations may be red-and-green but economists are finding a gray mood as shoppers head to the stores. High unemployment, shrinking consumer credit and limited holiday spending may crimp gift-giving in the Hub.

Retail analyst Keith Anderson said shoppers are finding new ways to buy smartly – giving gifts but cutting costs. One tactic is less expensive gifts that still give their loved ones what they want.

“Many shoppers are trading down within discretionary categories like electronics by buying a lower-quality product than they would have in the past, while others are trading out of categories altogether and substituting lower-cost alternatives,” he said.

One option is giving tickets to a movie theater vs. buying a flat-panel TV — though it might be an extreme example.

Anderson said this will be a very difficult holiday for business. He analyzes retail strategy and consumer-facing technologies for large chain retailers such as Wal-Mart. There are many reasons for the challenging environment as retailers and shoppers adapt to the ongoing recession.

Massachusetts unemployment rates have hovered around 9 percent, slightly lower national unemployment rates of 9.8 percent in September and 10.2 percent in October. November’s state figures are not yet available

Consumer credit has also decreased in 12 of the past 13 months. According to the most recent data, in October outstanding consumer credit fell by $3.5 billion, down from a year ago by nearly 3.6 percent.

To put this holiday’s spending into perspective, according to Gallup Poll numbers, last year’s Black Friday saw Americans spending an average of $177 compared to $109 average day spending. This year’s Black Friday spending was an average of $69, compared to average day spending which is currently at $62.

However, Anderson said the bulk of holiday shopping has yet to occur, with people holding out for sales closer to their holiday deadline.

“Behaviorally, many shoppers are deferring purchases. About half of shoppers have begun their holiday shopping, but the vast majority have not finished. I think they have been conditioned to seek deals, so they’re waiting for steeper discounts,” he added.

Click here for slidehow

By Korsha Wilson

In Harvard Square, sisters are doing it for themselves.

Famed for its namesake university, throngs of clever college kids and left-leaning intellectuals, Harvard Square is also home to eclectic eateries, specialty stores and an abundance of female business owners and entrepreneurs.

Some 60 women now own businesses in Harvard Square, according to Denise Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association. And while the number of women-owned businesses has grown by some 20 percent nationwide during the last decade according to the United States Small Business Association, Jillson suspects more women have set up more shops in Harvard Square.
“It’s because women today have broken the glass ceiling,” she says. “Young women in the Square have a much easier time because women really paved the way and are mentors and great examples of women-owned businesses in the Square.”

Marley Brush, co-owner of one-year-old Crema Café, says the Harvard Square community is more supportive of women-owned businesses than large, national chains.

The area is also fairly liberal and accepting of people doing unusual things, so perhaps historically it’s been easier for women to get leases for retail space,” she adds.

Women have run shops in the Square for years, even when the HSBA was referred to as the Harvard Square Businessmen Association, Jillson points out. And successful stories like those of Frances Cardullo of Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe and Carmen Heller of “A Taste of Culture” appear to have inspired others.

“I’m so brand new to Harvard Square but I think it’s the smallness and the uniqueness of it,” she says. “I like the huge, vast amounts of different people that come in.”

Stephanie Nist, co-owner of Mint Julep, a “shabby-chic” clothing store with locations in Harvard Square and Brookline, considers Harvard Square an ideal location is the number of international customers that travel to the historic area.

“In the Brookline store there are a lot of repeat customers,” she says. “In this location it’s mostly tourists so we don’t get to know them better but it’s also fun.”
Nist, who opened the first Mint Julep store five years ago with childhood friend, Brooke Garber, thinks women who attend colleges and universities in the area are drawn to Harvard Square because it’s a great place to shop.

“It’s an amazing location,” she said. “Actually, I don’t think it’s just Harvard Square. There’s just more opportunities for women now”.

Denise Jillson thinks that the trend will continue and these women will become mentors for the women that follow them.

They have it all. They’re doing business and they’re fulfilling their dreams” she says, “I come here every day and I’m inspired.”

Bostonians are turning to alternative methods of holiday shopping, avoiding crowded malls and department stores in favor of area craft fairs.

Harvard Square’s Holiday Craft Fair is in its 24^th season, featuring craftspeople and customers from all over New England. At the corner of Church Street and Massachusetts Avenue in the basement of the First Parish Unitarian Church, the fair runs for roughly 12 days throughout November and December and sells everything from wind chimes made from old cutlery to handmade soaps.

Leslie Gray is one on the founders, and said shopping at the fair provides a different environment than a traditional shopping mall, or even a small shop.

“Most days people just stream down the stairs, and the place fills up. People are here selling what they make, or are small businesses with a very definite connection to their crafts,” Gray said. “The atmosphere is very upbeat; I often say it’s like a party where you can buy stuff. Though there are ‘regular’ exhibitors, we try to bring in fresh talent every year, and encourage young craftspeople to apply.”

Gray added that despite the current economy, sales have remained high.

“The days have varied, but overall most (vendors) have been happy- I do think some people have the economy in mind, and have either lowered their prices or made things specifically at a lower price point,” Gray said. “Hopefully, the closer we get to Christmas the busier we’ll be.”

Just down the street, Harvard Square’s Cambridge Artists Cooperative (CAC) is a three-level gallery showcasing work by more than 250 artists from all over the United States.

Since 1989 the Co-op has been run entirely by artists, as an outlet for handmade American crafts.

Artist Marcia Dean creates jewelry and quilts for CAC, and has been a Co-op member and contributor since the gallery’s opening. She said the growing popularity of crafts has helped bring customers to the gallery.

“It’s been great for us. (The fair) drives more people to the Square to shop,” Dean said. “Unless an artist is just starting out, prices are pretty uniform; ornaments, rugs and jewelry are popular items, and they run from $12- $2000.”

While these events are popular, artisans are also turning to internet marketing to sell their goods, from self-launched merchandising websites to larger aggregator sites, like the popular craft site Etsy. And other Boston neighborhoods are seeing similar increases in both events and interest.

From the outside, the Old Lincoln School in Brookline certainly doesn’t impose itself onto passerby, especially in the dark, blustery fall evening. Two ushers in black coats wait on the street to show you your way to the back entrance of the school, which is only the beginning of the maze that audience members must stumble through to experience the British “adventure theater” company Punchdrunk’s daring collaboration. This full-immersion experience is a collaboration with Cambridge-based A.R.T.

Winding through dark corridors lit by little flickering lights, you emerge into a swinging 1940s bar, where you are promptly handed a playing card and instructed to kick back and have a drink until that card is called. When summoned, you are instantly swept into Punchdrunk’s world of experimental theater. A cackling host hands out V-for-Vendetta-esque white masks, which audience members must wear at all times in the space, to distinguish themselves from the actors.

“A lot of people are looking for a more visceral theater experience,” says Mikhael Garver, the staff director for the show. “Punchdrunk is definitely the leader of doing that kind of performance internationally. No one does it with the level of depth and clarity than they do.”

Indeed, the production is more than just a performance – it is a sensory explosion. The abandoned school’s high ceilings and linoleum-tiled floors are completely transformed into eerie, elaborate scenes that host directors Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle have made into a living, breathing, largely-silent interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth blended with Hitchcock’s 1940’s psychological thriller Rebecca. Add swarms of white faces floating in the darkness down dimly lit hallways, and the effect is completely surreal.

“The architecture in the school was exactly the kind of look and feel we wanted for the piece,” says Garver of the space. “We wanted a space to bring something to the table, and our design construction team made amazing use of beauty that already existed in this building.”

For city officials, the production is a bottom-line success and a critical one. Faced with the prospect of having to pay for the upkeep of the school after town hall employees moved out of its temporary office space in May, Brookline was relieved to have the theater swoop in and make such revolutionary use of the school.

“For us, it means there are many restaurants in Brookline Village that will be able to keep their lights on this fall because of the added foot traffic,” Kara Brewton, the town’s economic development director, told the Brookline TAB.

- Talia Ralph