The last week of July is here and so is the spotty weather as the cooler nights call for the sweater + shorts combo. The good thing is this week's happenings start shifting indoors with everything from drawing clubs to trivia nights to live sets to start the week. The headliners lean on a Thursday night in Harvard Square with the museum's monthly night outing and mixology classes at the Kendall Hotel. And if you're still searching for a third space (shoutout to Pavement by Porter Sq), Close Friends has a social series in Central waiting for you the moment you close your computer for the day.
Stories ‘Round The Squares
State House lawmakers voted to put $30 million toward ending sewage overflows into Alewife Brook, the hardest-hit waterway in the Mystic River watershed · The Harvard Crimson
Thursday's special meeting on public safety ended with no vote on reinstating ShotSpotter after Councillor Ayah Al-Zubi invoked her charter right, delaying a proposal from Councillors E. Denise Simmons and Tim Flaherty to bring the technology back for 90 days · Cambridge Day
Business Insider crowned Toscanini's the most iconic ice cream shop in Massachusetts, 45 years after the original opened in Central Square · MassLive
Science Club for Girls had local girls designing, building and launching their own rockets this week as part of its summer rocketry program · WHDH
The Justice Department opened a civil rights review into whether Harvard's China-funded financial aid shuts out American students. Harvard says it follows disclosure law and doesn't discriminate in awarding aid · WBUR
Somerville firefighters responded to a fire suppression incident at the Speedway station on McGrath Highway Friday afternoon. No injuries were reported · The Somerville Times
Mosquitoes collected in Somerville tested positive for West Nile virus, moving the city's risk level to moderate. No human cases have been reported statewide this season · City of Somerville
Mayor Jake Wilson says the Somerville Theatre needs to be part of Davis Square's future as the Hobbs Building sits on the market for $12 million with multiple offers already in · Cambridge Day
Wood Partners is the last bidder standing for the city-owned four acres at 90 Washington Street, upping its plan to 418 apartments pending City Council and Redevelopment Authority sign-off · Bisnow
The City Council takes public comment Monday at 6:30 p.m. at a virtual hearing on police body-worn cameras, with a $231,635 state grant that expires Aug. 31 hanging in the balance · City of Somerville
Events
Spotlight Of The Week
Harvard Art Museum at Night @ Harvard Art Museum, Cambridge - Harvard’s monthly museum outing is back and just in time for a cooler than usual Thursday night. The museum stays open till 9 with an open courtyard, DJs, and hands-on activities beyond the open galleries
Monday July 27th
Cambridge Plays Yoga with Malaika @ Greene-Rose Heritage Park, Cambridge - Roll out a mat at Greene-Rose Heritage Park for a free guided flow. Yoga with Malaika runs the class Monday nights all summer as part of the Cambridge Plays series | FREE • 6:30-7:30PM
Titletown Trivia: The Office @ The Hollows, Somerville - Know every Dundie winner and awkward Michael Scott moment? Titletown runs an Office-themed trivia night at The Hollows, free to play with prizes for the top teams | FREE • 7PM
Tuesday July 28th
Tuesday Rooftop Tunes @ Urban Park (Kendall Center), Cambridge - Head up to the rooftop garden atop Kendall Center Green Garage for weekly live music sets from Berklee College of Music students. No registration needed, come for the rooftop, stay for the vibes | FREE • 5-7PM
PaintWell: Creative Wellness Watercolor @ Athenaeum St, Cambridge - Bring nothing but yourself to a free outdoor watercolor session. PaintWell pairs painting with mindfulness for a low-key hour meant to help you unwind after work | FREE • 5:30PM
Finger Health for Climbers @ Bouldering Project, Somerville - Climbers wreck their fingers more than almost any other body part. This Bouldering Project workshop covers how to warm up, manage training volume, and pick grips to keep yours intact | $35 for non-members • 6:30-7:30PM
Tuesday Drawing Club @ Boston Figurative Art Center, Somerville - Somerville's figure art center turns Tuesday into a drawing night with a live model, music, and snacks. The founder demos first and takes questions one-on-one after | $30 • 7-9:30PM
Wednesday July 29th
Live Music at Lunch: Ella McDonald @ Kendall Square Roof Garden, Cambridge - Got a free hour of lunch around Kendall? Club Passim runs a summer outpost on the Kendall Roof Garden, and the Wednesday slot belongs to Somerville indie artist Ella McDonald | FREE • 12-1PM
Close Friends Happy Hour Series @ Brick & Mortar, Cambridge - Looking for an after-work third space? Recess launches Close Friends, a new happy hour series at Brick & Mortar with cocktails, food, and vinyl spinning while you meet new people also looking to hang out and wind down | FREE • 4-7PM
Writing Workshop @ Cafe Zing, Cambridge - Ninety minutes at Cafe Zing writing on the spot from prompts, aimed at fantasy, fairy tale, myth, and sci-fi writers but open to whatever genre you work in | FREE • 5:30-7PM
Camberville Tune Teachin' Session @ Allston St, Cambridge - Six songwriters, six tunes, one room learning all of them. Camberville Folk's monthly teach-in is a hands-on song swap for people who write their own folk music | FREE • 6:30PM
Full Moon Yoga & Soundscape @ Museum of Modern Renaissance, Somerville - Take a yoga class inside a museum painted floor to ceiling. Sixty minutes of all-levels flow, then fifteen in savasana under crystal singing bowls and percussion | $40 • 7-8:30PM
The Stoop’s Pick
Close Friends Happy Hour Series @ Brick & Mortar, Cambridge - Third Spaces are on the rise and Recess is taking initiative with a soft-opening called Close Friends, a new after-work series pitched at people who want to meet people after work, running three hours at Brick & Mortar with cocktails and vinyl
Thursday July 30th
Mixology 101 @ The Black Sheep Inside The Kendall Hotel, Cambridge - Want a fun night in Kendall? Learn to build a cocktail from the person who does it for a living. The Black Sheep at the Kendall Hotel runs a weekly hands-on class where you learn the technique and make your own. Call ahead to register | $55 • 5-6PM
Harvard Art Museum at Night @ Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge - Harvard Art Museum's monthly night showing is here with 50+ galleries to browse, live DJs, art making activities and late night bites. This month's theme of Celtic History returns due to popular demand with dedicated tours | FREE • 5-9PM
The Spades Room @ Upstairs at Bow, Somerville - Ready to finally learn Spades? Spadez101 hosts a night at Bow Market where beginners and regulars share tables | $15 • 6-9PM
One Night Art School @ Prospect St, Somerville - Wanted to go to art school but ended up in law school? The Somerville Arts Engine runs a free one-night pop-up above Union Square where you rotate through live drawing, pottery, collage, and more | FREE • 6-10PM
Dance + Meet IRL Singles Event @ ZuZu at the Middle East, Cambridge - Touch Grass turns into just Dance + Meet IRL as the dating series takes a social turn at Zuzu in the Middle East. Wear red if you're looking, green if you're there as someone's wing person | FREE • 9PM-Late
Weekend Sneak Peek
Boston Social x Volo Pickleball @ Club Volo, Somerville - Boston Social takes over Club Volo at Assembly Row for the day with unlimited pickleball from 3 to 6, a free drink, massages, B12 shots, a putting green, and an embroidery station
La Piscina @ Rebel Rebel, Somerville - Rebel Rebel is throwing a Bow Market pool party, and yes, the pools are small and inflatable. Natural wine, frosé pops, and jello shots pour while Bow Market vendors grill and serve all afternoon
Around The Corner
Volo Summer Bash @ Club Volo Assemby Row, Somerville - Volo's yearly player appreciation party packs three things into one afternoon: a beach volleyball classic, a live-hosted karaoke competition, and a DJ dance set. It's Volo's thank-you to the social sports leagues that fill its seasons
The Cambridge Classic Bouldering Comp @ Central Rock Gym, Cambridge - One of New England's biggest bouldering competition takes over Central Rock for a full Saturday, sessions running morning into afternoon. Open finals at 5:30 are the part spectators can walk into
Stoop Selects
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Crime & Safety
A by-the-numbers look at the week of July 13 – 19. Because Somerville reports arrests once a week, both cities cover the same seven-day window.
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Cambridge had not posted daily logs for July 17 – 19 as of press time, so the chart covers the four days published.
Across the four days posted, Cambridge logged 78 incidents and 13 arrests, just under 20 incidents a day, down from about 26 a day last week.
Notable
A Monday morning bomb threat sent the Explosive Ordnance Unit to a Pearl St facility, where the building was inspected and nothing hazardous was found. Then late Thursday, police logged an unarmed robbery at a White St business after an unknown suspect was seen physically assaulting an employee and leaving with about $30 in merchandise.
The pattern that stood out this week was on the roads: drivers were cited in three separate crashes that left cyclists and a pedestrian with minor injuries in barely a day, a cyclist doored on Massachusetts Ave, two cyclists struck by a turning vehicle on Hampshire St, and a pedestrian hit near Mt Auburn St. The bike theft streak rolled on too, with a dozen bikes, e-bikes, and parts taken from racks, porches, and backyards, while fraud and scam losses topped $32,000, led by an $18,000 social media con. Shoplifting stayed busy with four arrests, including one person arrested at the same Mt Auburn St store two days in a row.
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Somerville logged 5 arrests on the week, four of them in a single day.
Notable
After months of resident complaints about open drug use and dealing around Davis Square, including Statue Park, Seven Hills Park, and the West Branch Library, a plainclothes detail Wednesday night ended with two men arrested at a 7-Eleven with drugs in plain view on the lottery table. Both face drug possession and conspiracy charges, and one also had an outstanding MBTA Transit Police warrant.
Somerville's log excludes arrests involving juveniles, domestic violence, and sexual assault, as required by state law.
Sources: Cambridge Police daily log and Somerville Police weekly arrest log.
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