On March 2, the Newton City Council approved rezoning 148 California Street from Manufacturing to Business Use 2, a change that supporters said would ease leasing for businesses, while opponents warned it could undermine planning for the California Street corridor. The parcel contains about half of a shopping center that straddles…
Posts published in “Business”
Rose Advanced Skin Care (d/b/a Advanced Beauty Lab) in Newtonville is one of 48 small businesses in Massachusetts to win a MassDevelopment Biz-M-Power Grant in the 2025 cycle. This award was for $50,000 toward the cost of a laser hair-removal system, which was delivered in January. MassDevelopment had intended to…
Dozens of residents braved a New England snowstorm February 7 to enjoy a Chestnut Hill dessert crawl benefitting the Newton Food Pantry. They walked a route spanning The Street shopping center, sheltering from the snow in sweetly-scented stores along the way. Standing inside the crawl’s last stop, The Half Cookie,…
Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT or Claude are everywhere, accessible to businesses of all sizes. In Newton, a growing number of entrepreneurs, consultants, and organizations are discovering that access is the easy part. The harder question is how to leverage AI in ways that actually change how people work,…
Immediately upon walking into the Newtonville UPS Store, you’ll be sure to receive a smile and a friendly greeting from Tom Wolf. A core member of the Newton community for decades, Wolf — who has run this UPS Store for the last 33 years — is beloved by customers and coworkers alike.…
The inauguration of Newton’s new Mayor, City Council, and School Committee took place at noon on January 1. See this year’s gallery at https://photos.figcitynews.com/2026/2026-City-of-Newton-Inauguration/n-PHstRm. Photos by Jack Prior.
The Fig City News restaurant directory has grown from 147 entries in May 2023 to 160 today — a net gain of 13 restaurants. That gain is the result of at least seven closures and roughly 21 new additions over the past two and a half years. Closures and their…
As confirmed in the December 16 Zoom meeting of the Board of License Commissioners, several Newton establishments will lose their licenses to serve alcohol at the end of December because they failed to apply for renewals on time or satisfactorily complete their applications. As a result, their licenses will expire…
Newton Centre’s Holiday Shop & Stroll event drew shoppers, strollers, carolers, and good cheer to the sidewalks and warm shops and restaurants encircling Newton Centre Plaza. Teams from Newton Police and Fire Departments welcomed Touch-a-Truck fans who braved the cooler-than-chill weather. See this year’s gallery at https://photos.figcitynews.com/2025/2025-Newton-Centre-Holiday-Shop-and-Stroll/n-rbMw5C. Photos by Jack…
As snowflakes swirl in the air and temperatures drop below freezing, you might be tempted to curl up with a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa this December. While staying warm, though, you’d be missing out on a magical, memorable event: the Newton Centre Holiday Shop and Stroll from…










