Business

Business

Building Community Momentum: The future of Maplewood Square

May 9, 2024 Joy Pearson 2

By Joy Pearson Plans have begun to make improvements to the historic Maplewood business district in Malden. A Maplewood Square Committee of Ward 5 and Ward 6 residents has been following up on the research done in spring 2023 by the ‘Initiative on Cities,’ a capstone project for Master’s students of the Boston University Metropolitan College in City Planning and Urban Affairs. Maplewood Square is 1.5 miles east of Malden Center down Salem Street. Its name dates back to 1853 when Joshua Webster who, as surveyor, connected the Saugus railroad line to the Boston and Maine railroad.  In the mid-nineteenth century, Webster sought to establish a community in the area including 200 maple trees.  And so it was done.  Businesses grew; changes occurred.  Ten years ago, the old Saugus railroad was transformed and made into a bike and pedestrian path that crosses Maplewood Street.  Since then, the path has been part of the Northern Strand Bike Path through the Bike to the Sea organization.  It is well-used by locals and by New England bicyclists. Then and now, […]

Business

Rain, Snow, or Shine: outdoors serves as classroom for local preschool

August 24, 2023 Jamie Perkins 1

By Jamie Perkins “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær.”  This common Norwegian saying translates to “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Malden preschoolers and their families learn to embrace this perspective at the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network’s (BOPN) Malden/Melrose location.  BOPN is the brainchild of three local educators: Sarah Besse, Shela Sinelien, and Sara Murray. Masters-level educators with experience in public and private schools, Montessori education, and special education, the three founders opened BOPN’s first program in 2019 at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.  They’ve since opened three additional sites, including one at Pine Banks Park, a 107.5-acre park on the Malden/Melrose line. The Pine Banks Park location began in September 2022 and offers a half-day, mixed-age program for preschool and Pre-K-aged children.  As stated by their website, BOPN provides “mixed-age, nature-immersive programs designed to teach resilience, persistence, and problem-solving.” Programming runs throughout the year, including during the summer.  According to Besse, the program emphasizes a play-based curriculum that strengthens children’s social-emotional skills. “The research shows that children […]

Business

Plans for new behavioral health facility move forward

June 21, 2023 Shannon Garrido 0

Shannon A. Garrido It’s been over two decades since Hallmark Health officially closed Malden Hospital, effectively leaving residents on the Medford line to deal with the vacant property. After years of failed plans aiming to finally develop the former hospital, Tufts Medicine and Acadia Healthcare Company announced on June 30, 2022 that they are planning a behavioral health facility on the site. The joint venture is set to build a 144-bed inpatient facility that will address the critical need for accessible behavioral health services for patients of all ages in the Greater Boston area. Amanda Linehan, city council representative for Ward 3, where the site is located, explains that the residents are keen on developing the site as well as preserving part of the land.  “When I was going door to door asking folks what ‘would you like to see there?’ It was a mixture of preservation,” says Linehan. “[Others] would say, ‘it was great having a community hospital there, I wish we could have some type of health care or public health use.” Mayor […]

Business

Pho99 was the last great Malden dynasty

April 26, 2023 Bryan Liu 1

By Bryan Liu The tablecloth is a faded floral—the kind that was initially made to look vintage and over time actually became vintage. The menu is laid out in print: CHEF SPECIALTIES, APPETIZERS, FRESH SPRING ROLLS, BEEF NOODLE SOUP—there are 16 pages in total arranged to fit the tabletop. The whole affair is topped with a thick glass table-protector that gets wiped down after every meal. The table is wood. Not that it’s obvious—but after 22 years, the flowers still bloom. Three lucky cats sit on the counter with gold paint over their ceramic bodies—their paws wave back and forth in unison as if they’re stuck in salute. Each one is clutching a gold coin. The newscast is on but nobody really cares enough to look away from their food. The talking head is drowned out by low-key restaurant-esque jazz music and ambient dining room chatter. It smells delicious.  This is a memory. One for the books—a page for Malden’s collective unconscious.  Wynn Tran ran Pho99 for over two decades, and before that he didn’t […]

Business

Malden Gaming District: A center for immersion, fun, and escape

April 12, 2023 Jack Drees 1

By Jack Drees Want to play a game? Malden has you covered. Within the confines of Malden’s Gaming District, gamers and hobbyists alike are treated to a variety of concepts that allow people to enter another reality. From technology-infused experiences to role-playing games to athletics, it is game on, all the time. Gaming is often viewed as an escape to another world. Some of these escapes involve immersive experiences that put you in the eyes of your character. Boda Borg offers the video game experience, only without the video. No consoles. No controllers. No save files. At Boda Borg, you are the protagonist. The gaming experience chain traces its start back to Torpshammar, Sweden. Today, that is one of the country’s seven locations. Worldwide, Boda Borg has ten locations in four countries, including Ireland and Switzerland. This also includes its only United States location, Malden’s Pleasant St establishment known as Boda Borg Boston, which opened in 2015. With its strong community feel and thriving restaurant scene, Malden was “just the right kind of location,” said […]

Arts

Sneaker-ism: how a local bodega is leaving their footprint on Malden

March 10, 2023 Bryan Liu 2

By Bryan Liu MAPLEWOOD SQUARE—past the doors of a rather unassuming storefront, a red Supreme ping pong table half-filled with sneakers stands at the center of the room. When it isn’t being used for play, it makes for a pretty good countertop. One side of the store are rows of shelves packed with neatly arranged pairs of shoes: Jordans, Forces, Dunks, Maxes, Breds—there’s also a giant glass case of collectible Be@rbrick figurines in the corner about the size of a refrigerator. Racks of designer clothes surround the interior to make for easy browsing. It’s undeniable: the drip is wall-to-wall. This is LaaTiendaa: a community-oriented local fashion collective emphasizing real merchandise and authentic individuals. Their name comes from the Spanish word “la tienda” which literally translates to “the store”—but for owners Gabriel Toribio and Jezmani Kraus, LaaTiendaa is more than just a store: it’s culture.  “Sneaker-ism” first kicked off when people realized their shoes could define a generation—the advent of iconic shoes like the Adidas Samba and Nike’s Air Jordan inspired countless sneakerheads to turn their […]

Arts

Mystic Valley Salon’s Spencer Woturski Offers an LGBTQIA+ Friendly Haircut Experience

October 28, 2022 Jack Drees 0

By Jack Drees There is a new “Hair Therapist” in town, and his name is Spencer Woturski. He is the owner of Mystic Valley Salon, a spot for coiffures and caring. Located at the 888 Eastern Avenue shopping plaza, Mystic Valley Salon offers familiar beauty salon services. However, it also focuses on providing services to and creating a safe spot for the LGBTQIA+ community. Woturski regards Mystic Valley Salon as a “Safe Space.” A Safe Space is when a “business or entity is accepting to different varieties of people and their lifestyles. And we do not impose judgment to some of the things people are looking to do or change themselves,” says Woturski, himself a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to making customers feel great in regard to their hair on the outside, he wants customers of various backgrounds to feel pleased on the inside. The shop contains pride-themed material to symbolize the intention of visually welcoming everyone. Mystic Valley Salon opened in May 2022, to provide eco-friendly hair treatments, ranging from haircuts […]

Business

Community Spotlight: Moroccans bring business, women’s outreach, and culture to Malden

July 7, 2022 Martha Bezzat 1

By Saliha Bayrak and Martha Bezzat As a group represented in the census, the exact number of people of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent is difficult to pinpoint in any given city. However, with specialty markets, restaurants, and more, they have an undeniable and active presence In Malden. The Malden Islamic Center, which “strongly believes in the importance of establishing good, strong and positive relationships with our community,” is one resource for followers of the MENA community’s predominant religion, Islam. The center and mosque offer five daily prayer services, as well as Friday and Eid prayer services “to accommodate the large Muslim community living in Malden and the surrounding areas.” One particularly large group from the MENA community, Moroccans, run businesses and organizations in Malden and, through them, share their expertise, values, and culture. Many Malden residents who originate from Morocco make an impact in their community through women’s outreach, special services, and cultural experiences. Souad Akib, Founder of American Association for Arab Women (AAAW) The idea for American Association for Arab Women […]

Business

Coffee for a Community: Choices abound in Malden Center

April 8, 2022 Nikita Sampath 1

By Nikita Sampath In Malden, there is a cup of coffee for everybody. The city’s downtown has five spots to grab a cuppa joe, all within a short walk of one another. Each spot tells a story about the people who live here. Tous Le Jour Right across from the Malden Station on Commercial Street is Tous le Jour, a spot that offers French-style bread and pastry with Asian inspired flavors. It’s the only place in Malden where you can get a kimchee-filled croquette and a taro latte. Owner Dennis Diao was a longtime resident of Malden when he first came to the United States from China for a program at Northeastern University. Despite moving away from the city, he chose to open a branch of Tous le Jour in the J Malden luxury apartment complex in June, 2021. “Malden is a city with potential. Everybody who lives in J Malden and everyone who takes the T is a customer,” he says. Tous le Jour allows for customers to grab a quick bite or spend extended […]