Business

New Cafe in Watertown Square Serves Coffee from Local Roasters, A Variety of Teas and House Made Baked Goods

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Coffee and tea lovers have a new option in Watertown, O’Some Cafe, where you can also grab a freshly baked treat. Owner Ricci Cheng has turned a former vape shop into a cafe right in Watertown Square (100 Main St.) across from the Fire Station. O’Some Cafe opened in mid-August. Before that, Cheng worked at Cupcake City in Reading for about five years. She moved the the United States from Hong Kong a dozen years ago.

Real Estate

Watertown Has Dozens of Open Houses to Visit This Weekend

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Check out the open houses in town this weekend. $929,900 – 278 Westminster Unit 0, Condo – 2/3 Family, 1,744 Living Area Sq. Ft., 6 Room, 3 Bedroom, 2 Full & 1 Half Bathroom, Open House: Saturday 12-2

$575,000 – 29 Sawin St., Single Family – Detached Bungalow, 900 Living Area Sq. Ft., 4 Room, 2 Bedroom, 1 Full Bathroom, Open Houses: Friday 1:30-3 Saturday 1-2:30 Sunday 1-2:30

$728,000 – 123 Worcester St., Single Family – Detached Colonial, 1,234 Living Area Sq. Ft., 6 Room, 3 Bedroom, 1 Full & 1 Half Bathroom, Open Houses: Friday 5:30-7 Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 11:30-1

$749,000 – 26 Royal Unit 2, Condo – Duplex, 1,815 Living Area Sq.

Business

Small Businesses in Watertown Can Apply for Microenterprise Grants

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Small businesses in Watertown can still apply for Microenterprise Funds, including those that have received grants in the past. Businesses with up to five employees can qualify. The Town of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

Businesses who have already received a Microenterprise grant are eligible to re-apply until they have reached the individual maximum grant amount of $25,000. Businesses that have not yet applied and meet the criteria set forth in the grant can apply now for up to $25,000. Criteria for businesses to apply for the grant: 

– Businesses that opened prior to October 1, 2019 are eligible- 2020 tax returns may be used to fit the LMI requirements. 

– You can apply for grants of up to $25,000 for microenterprise businesses (defined as a commercial enterprise that has 5 or fewer employees). 

– If you have previously been awarded this grant you may apply again but the total amount of funding may not exceed $25,000.

Around Town

Local Dance Studio Survives the Challenges of the Pandemic, Uncertainty About Home at Watertown Mall

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The Watertown Mall recently changed owners when Watertown Mall Associates Limited Partnership sold it for $130 million to Alexandria Real Estate Equities on April 21. Business owners in the mall spent much of the early summer wondering what the new changes would mean for them, including Maria Zullo, owner of Miss Maria’s School of Dance. Miss Maria’s School of Dance (MMDS) was founded 10 years ago in Watertown and has grown into a thriving local business. The studio was originally located on Waverley Avenue in the current location of Suzyn Day Spa, and has since moved three times, growing larger with each move. 

The first location had a single dance room, and after two years, MMSD expanded into a three dance room location on Main Street. In its eighth year of business, Zullo was able to secure a lease at the Watertown Mall in the location where the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) used to be.

Real Estate

Three Watertown Properties Were Sold This Week

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This week’s Watertown home sales includes a single-family home, a condo, and a townhouse. $915,000 – 152-154 Cypress St. Unit 1, Condo – Townhouse, 2,420 Living Area Sq. Ft. (Includes Finished Basement), 9 Room, 3 Bedroom, 3 Full & 1 Half Bathroom

$422,000 – 99 Pleasant St.

Real Estate

Thirty Open Houses to Check Out This Weekend Around Watertown

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Watertown home seekers have a wealth of choices this week. $499,000 – 53 Aldrich Road Unit A, Condo – Low-Rise, 744 Living Area Sq. Ft., 4 Room, 2 Bedroom, 1 Full Bathroom, Open House: Saturday 11-12

$1,299,900 – 23 Everett Ave., Single Family – Detached Colonial, 2,719 Living Area Sq. Ft., 7 Room, 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bathroom, Open Houses: Saturday 1-3 Sunday 1-3

$925,000 – 24-26 Wilson Ave., Multi-family Home – 2 Family, 2,463 Living Area Sq. Ft., 2 Units, 12 Total Rooms, 4 Total Bedrooms, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 11:30-1

$525,000 – 13 Circuit Lane Unit 13, Condo – Townhouse, 1,474 Living Area Sq.

Arsenal Yards

Star of ‘Bar Rescue’ Opening Restaurant in Watertown’s Arsenal Yards

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The following announcement was provided by Taffer’s Tavern and Arsenal Yards:

Taffer’s Tavern, the innovative new full service tavern concept founded and developed by leading hospitality expert and star of Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer, announced today its first Boston area restaurant is headed to Arsenal Yards, the thriving new neighborhood located along the Charles River in Watertown, Massachusetts, just miles from the heart of Boston. The Arsenal Yards team selected Taffer’s Tavern to complement its curated dining experiences, boutique shops, entertainment offerings, 300 contemporary residences, state of the art life science space, 146-room hotel, and more. “We are very excited to welcome Taffer’s Tavern to our unique lineup of restaurant, retail and entertainment offerings here at Arsenal Yards,” said Gary Robinson, Vice President, Leasing at Wilder, developer of Arsenal Yards. “It is one of many new additions to the Arsenal Yards neighborhood, and we know our local community will love Jon Taffer’s vision for bringing a top quality experience to casual dining. This opening will help us further our goal of creating one-of-a-kind experiences for our residents, visitors and guests.”

This marks the first of several Taffer’s Tavern restaurants operated by experienced franchise operators and Boston area natives Marc Magerman and Peter Weber of 8G Hospitality Associates, LLC.

Real Estate

Four Homes Sold in Watertown This Week

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A single-family house, two condos and a townhouse were sold this week in Watertown. $406,000 – 107 Spring Street Unit 2-1, Condo – Mid-Rise, 721 Living Area Sq. Ft., 4 Room, 2 Bedroom, 1 Full Bathroom

$880,000 – 232 Westminster Ave. Unit 232, Condo – Townhouse, 2,196 Living Area Sq. Ft., 6 Room, 3 Bedroom, 2 Full & 1 Half Bathroom

$660,000 – 6 Summer St.