Little Birch Street
We’re just a few short days from Thanksgiving and I’ve already toasted the pecans for my stuffing. I’ll be heading down to Brooklyn on Thursday morning to share a feast with my sister, her family and a few friends once I wrap up a couple of sales transactions here.
While you’re buzzing about Roslindale and Jamaica Plain preparing your home for the holidays, stop by one of your favorite local businesses to pick up some unique goods to prepare a dish or decorate the table. I write about shopping locally whenever possible, and getting ready for a day of feasting surrounded by family and friends presents the perfect opportunity.
For pre-Thanksgiving shopping, stop by Birch Street House and Garden. They have a tremendous selection of goods from serving pieces and napkins to gifts for the host. Elizabeth Swanson, proprietor, has a knack for selecting items from all around the globe and blending them seamlessly with work by local artists. Just around the corner, turn your attention to original textile designs and other rare beauties at Joanne Rossman — Purveyor of the Unnecessary and Irresistible. Joanne, along with Fornax, the Village Market and 18 Birch (the forerunner of Birch House and Garden), took a gamble about 10 years ago and hung her shingle on what’s known as Little Birch Street. You can meet her closer-up in the Rozzie Video on page one of my website.
Solera Wine has just opened in their new expanded quarters on Little Birch — they had been around the corner on Corinth for many years, and a growing clientele has enabled them to inhabit bigger, brighter space, with the same great access to the courtyard they share with Birch Street Bistro Bistro, Boston Cheese Cellar, Village Sushi, and Sarida crafts cooperative.
Birch St. Bistro Courtyard
For the heart of the matter — the food for your Thanksgiving table — in my book, nothing beats Allandale Farm for fresh turkeys, local apples, cranberries and squash. For other veggies and miscellaneous groceries, Bob’s Pita Bakery, Roslindale Fish Market, and the Village Market have never failed to provide what I need, regardless of how last-minute my quest or how rare the item. And of course, for crusty, chewy bread that’s the best thing to ever happen to butter, since 1997 the afore-mentioned Fornax Bread Bakery is your only choice for holiday carbs — their pastry and pies are second to none as well.
While many will be enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday here in Roslindale, I’m looking forward to my mini-vacation to New York. You’ll most likely find me waddling over to Prospect Park after the meal (my sister and I both love to cook until the table creaks!). While out of town, I hope to visit the newly re-opened exhibits at the New-York Historical Society, where my sister is the Rights Coordinator. (This isn’t a social justice position — she’s the one who helps put exhibits together by finding and negotiating all the separate pieces!)
On the real estate front, my fabulous clients are rolling with the punches and being very aggressive with the pricing of their properties – it’s so great to work as partners in this unpredictable market. As New England winter approaches, sellers who really want to sell now must bite that proverbial pricing bullet. I predict a fairly active winter as interest rates remain low. And I don’t need to remind you that it’s a fabulous time to re-finance — I’m finally getting paperwork in to my mortgage buddy and have locked in at more than a point lower than my already-low rate!
I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving surrounded by your favorite people. While I may be geographically away from Roslindale Thanksgiving weekend, I’m always available to my clients! Real estate happens 365 days a year and I’m only a phone call or email away for those who are eager to sell their home or buy a home before the December holidays.
So, shop off all the calories on Small Business Saturday, but show up in style for Thanksgiving Day by shopping locally right now, and always!
Linda Burnett
Jamaica Plain/Roslindale Real Estate Maven
Keller-Williams Boston-Metro Real Estate
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