The 30-minute drink limit is officially dead. After weeks of backlash, the License Commission scrapped it (plus the last-hour booze cutoff) on July 1st and spent the rest of the month meeting with bar owners before trying again · The Harvard Crimson

The Red Line went dark from Alewife to Park Street for 10 straight days starting July 21st for track and signal upgrades, with free shuttles making every stop in between · City of Cambridge

Cambridge's summer of public drinking zones, to-go cocktails and 3AM last calls wrapped July 31st. Watch parties packed the squares all World Cup long, and as of late July police hadn't logged a single alcohol-related arrest in the zones · Harvard Magazine

Ditching a mattress isn't free anymore. Starting July 20th, residents pay part of the pickup cost while the city covers the rest, a change to a program that's recycled 35,000+ mattresses since 2019 · City of Cambridge

The hardest story of the month: a 32-year-old city Public Works employee was fatally shot near Sennott Park on July 4th, reigniting debate over the city's deactivated ShotSpotter system. Police made a murder arrest just over a week later · NBC Boston

The Armory's next chapter is here: the city announced the inaugural tenants for its first publicly owned arts and culture center, a mix of returning and new artists, organizations, educators and creative businesses · The Somerville Times

Body cams are officially coming to Somerville police: after a marathon special meeting and public hearing, the council voted 7-4 on July 27th to adopt the policy and accept a $231,635 state grant · Patch

Somerville wants to launch the first Municipal Cultural Trust in Massachusetts, a new tool to protect affordable creative space and keep artists from getting priced out. Public input sessions kick off August 5th · Somerville/Medford News Weekly

Six new EV charging stations came online across the city, adding 12 public ports and growing the network from 14 stations to 20, all covered by state funding. Ribbon cutting at Prospect Hill Park on August 6th · City of Somerville

For the second time this year, clothing got caught in a Davis Square station escalator. This time another rider hit the emergency stop and the woman walked away with a minor hand injury, a sign the T's safety push is sinking in · NBC Boston

National Night Out @ Dilboy Stadium, Somerville - Somerville's big summer block party with the police department. Bounce houses, a dunk tank, touch-a-truck, lawn games, local vendors, and free pizza on the field | August 4th

Somerville Art Fair August Art Salon @ Upstairs at Bow, Somerville - A laid back salon-style night where you can peek at original work, chat with the local artists who made it, and take a piece home if something grabs you | August 7th

Volo Summer Bash @ Club Volo at Assembly Row, Somerville - An all-day party at Club Volo with a beach volleyball tournament, a karaoke competition on the big stage, live DJs, tacos, and giveaways. Great for meeting new people | August 8th

Skip the Small Talk Night @ Aeronaut, Somerville - A room full of strangers who all showed up for the same reason, armed with "big talk" prompt cards and enough structure that it never gets awkward. Come with friends or come alone. A nice bonus? Use the code STOOP20 for 20% off your ticket | August 24th · Sponsored

Millennial Speed-Dating @ Aeronaut, Somerville - Drop Hinge for actual conversation, this time in a speed-dating format for monogamous millennials. Free drink included. How could it get better? The code STOOP20 gets you 20% off | August 26th · Sponsored

Wanderville: A Music Fest @ Winter Hill to Remnant Satellite, Somerville-Cambridge - A first-ever roving fest that starts at Winter Hill Brewing and wanders through Somerville into Cambridge with local brews and live music along the way. Catch it all or catch a little | August 29th

24 Bay State Rd #4, Cambridge | 3 bed, 2.5 bath | 1,273 sq ft | $1,200,000 | condo

17 Otis St #105, Cambridge | 2 bed, 2 bath | 1,095 sq ft | $1,075,000 | condo

391 Concord Ave #1, Cambridge | 2 bed, 1 bath | 1,058 sq ft | $899,999 | condo

169 Monsignor O'Brien Hwy #715, Cambridge | 2 bed, 2 bath | 903 sq ft | $849,000 | condo

1 Davenport St #8, Cambridge | 2 bed, 1 bath | 896 sq ft | $825,000 | condo

61 Preston Rd, Somerville | 5 bed, 2.5 bath | 2,857 sq ft | $1,599,900 | single family

197 Washington St #210, Somerville | 2 bed, 2 bath | 1,181 sq ft | $1,093,000 | condo

39 Ash Ave, Somerville | 2 bed, 1.5 bath | 1,301 sq ft | $859,000 | single family

Cambridge

The month was dominated by fallout from the July 4th killing of a 32-year-old Public Works employee near Sennott Park. More than 100 residents packed a July 8th community meeting to ask whether the ShotSpotter system the council unplugged six weeks earlier would have gotten help there faster; acting Commissioner Pauline Wells conceded it might have. Police made a murder arrest July 13th, and expect ShotSpotter back on the council's fall agenda. The housing fight rolled on too: the Ordinance Committee advanced a scaled-back North Mass Ave zoning plan while letting much of the parallel Cambridge Street proposal drift toward expiration, and heard a 13-resident petition the Housing Authority warned would have shrunk one completed affordable project from 62 units to 26. And after scrapping the 30-minute drink rule on July 1st, the License Commission spent the month in listening mode with bar and restaurant owners, with revised rules expected later this year.

Somerville

After years of stops and starts, body cams are actually happening. The council voted 7-4 at a marathon July 27th special meeting to adopt SPD's body-worn camera policy and accept a $231,635 state grant that expires August 31st. The road there was rocky even by Somerville standards: the Finance Committee rejected the grant July 7th, the full council punted it back to committee July 9th, and an 89-resident petition forced the public hearing, where debate centered on the roughly $500,000 a year the program will cost to run. City Hall also went all in on the arts, naming the Armory's inaugural tenants as the city's first publicly owned arts and culture center ("This is a big step forward for the Armory and for Somerville's arts community," said Mayor Jake Wilson) and pitching the first Municipal Cultural Trust in Massachusetts to protect affordable creative space, with public meetings starting August 5th. Also on the docket: a new union deal raising pay for school custodians, a Board of Elections vacancy reserved for a registered Republican, and the September 1st primary creeping closer, with Councilor Matt McLaughlin's State Senate campaign making a video pitch to Matt Damon for an endorsement.

Nova | Female | 9mos - A Frenchie mix puppy with a gentle soul and a face that does half the work for her. She's a little shy when you first meet, but treats fast-track the friendship, and once she decides you're in, the full puppy personality comes out: chasing balls, bouncing around the yard, learning anything for a snack. She loves other dogs and takes real comfort in having canine friends around. The catch: she's likely not a fit for kids under 8, and like any growing puppy she's still working on her housetraining, so she needs a family with some patience and a treat pouch.

Nova is with Broken Tail Rescue, and if a match makes sense you can meet her in person at the Cambridge PetSmart. Fill out the adoption application first and the team will take it from there.

Take On Nova

Great news btw, Theo, our last furry friend from July's edition, was finally adopted. Nice job everyone. Let's see if we can get our guy Blitz from June's edition a new home too.

Vida just moved into a former Dunkin' in Kendall Square, trading Boston Kreme for baos, custard buns, and iced matchas whisked the traditional way with real fruit (blueberry, mango, and strawberry, to be exact). Hot and iced coffee, hojicha, and savory brunch sandwiches round out the menu at the bright new indie spot.

Kendall's also getting a lot more lunch options at once: Wonder, the multi-restaurant food hall concept, officially opened at 319 Main St., part of a planned 16-location push across Massachusetts.

Salt + Stone is back at Assembly Row. The Somerville spot reopened July 10th with a redesigned space after a February kitchen fire shut it down, and the seafood towers, wood-fired pizzas, and spicy lobster rigatoni came back with it.

Bragging rights for Somerville: The Daily Meal named Vinal Bakery home of the best breakfast sandwich in Massachusetts, singling out The Miss Maple. If you know, you know. If you don't, get in line (literally).

Somerville's next opening has a name you won't forget: Liars, a new restaurant headed for Teele Square from the team behind an award-winning wine bar nearby. Details are still trickling out, but consider us curious.

Change is coming to Dear Annie. The Cambridge wine bar (whose owner Lauren Friel led the egg-timer revolt against the 30-minute drink rule) served its final regular dinner July 31st and will reopen in September focused on private events and bespoke wine experiences.

And one more empty storefront in Harvard Square: the IHOP at 16 Eliot St. has closed, with the franchisee pointing pancake loyalists to the Brighton location instead. It caps a rough year of turnover on that side of the Square.