Log in




Yahd sale roundup: 7/17 – 7/18

July 17th, 2010 by


Because of the July 4th holiday and last week’s biblical rain, it’s been a bit quiet on the yard sale front, but Bradford is keeping the yard sale dream alive this weekend with an epic yard sale that’s raging all weekend long.

26 ELMWOOD AVE Saturday and Sunday 9:00am – 4:00pm: Huge 3 family yard sale with many items, including great push mower for the small yard, clothes,  household items, stemware, and kids toys.

I also noticed a sign on Salem St. pointing to a yard sale at 46 Harding Ave. but there were no posted hours and the street looked pretty quiet. So, while I can’t officially endorse that one, if you’re checking out Elmwood this weekend, it might be worth a swing by just in case!

Know of any sales we’re missing out on? If you have a hot tip on a cool yard sale, email us and we’ll be sure to update this post.

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/gms/1846771127.html

Coming Soon: Hot Dogs!

July 13th, 2010 by

While driving down Winter Street yesterday, I noticed this sign announcing a new business to Haverhill:

Winter Street

Hopefully the Dawg House will offer a veggie-version of the noble tube steak but I won’t hold it against them if they don’t.

I didn’t see an estimated opening date – but the building looks like it needs some work so I reckon it will be a while before you’ll be able to get yourself a footlong.

This location has been featured on the blog before and it is in easy walking distance from the ‘loft district,’ as well. It’s great to see this area being developed and to see new establishments popping up around the city.

We are always on the look out for new business in Haverhill – so don’t forget to send us tips on anything you see. Also, if you or anyone you know is involved with Dawg House – let us know – we’d love to find out more.

Downtown fill in the blank…with a Trader Joe’s?

July 12th, 2010 by

Is 61 Locke St. ready for a "unique foods grocery store?"

Over the weekend, one of my earlier downtown fill-in-the-blank posts received a comment so exciting, that hit so close to home, I nearly fell out of my chair. Says Patrick:

“I think we should start a campaign to bring in a Trader Joe’s. It would answer the need for “necessities” near the lofts/train station with a really hip and affordable business.

The location is barely 1.5 miles from exit 50 of I-495, with only one traffic light (Lafayette Sq). The route looks good, except the rusty train bridge by the Haffner’s. The town just paved the giant parking lot.

Trader Joe’s has a much smaller footprint than a full-sized super market. I think 61 Locke St is a perfect place for the ONLY Trader Joe’s within 20 miles (Tyngsborough I think is closer than their Danvers store.)

The food at TJs is really AFFORDABLE, in addition to be healthy. They make a lot of pre-packaged, non-frozen prepared food, which is great for the urban life style of loft-dwellers.

What do you think of this idea?”

Well, I don’t know about you guys- but I, for one, LOVE this idea. Not that I don’t enjoy getting more for my dollar, but I would really enjoy some food shopping variety, as well as easier access to Pirate’s Booty. And it seems I wasn’t the only one getting all revved up by Patrick’s ideas. New reader/commenter Momma D piped in with support and conspiracy theories!

“I have been craving this type of discussion…why not reach out to Forest City who owns Hamel for their support…it would be a huge plus for them…not sure if there is truth to it, but I heard that the Demoulas/Market Basket owners were in bed with city government…thus that is what we are stuck with…granted the Downtown Market Basket can be quite entertaining.”

High on civic discourse (if not a bit of sunstroke) this weekend I tramped down to Locke St.  to investigate Patrick’s claim that the parking lot next to the train bridge had been paved. Sure enough, it has, but I’ll have to admit, I’m a bit skeptical that this will do the trick, parking wise. It’s a few blocks away from Locke St. and who’s going to be the poor sap who has to wrangle all the shopping carts down Essex?

Then, I got really excited, remembering that the former Radio Market was a tiny island in a great big sea of parking…that is now part of the Hamel Mill Lofts. Bummer!

Overflow parking for Hamel Mill Lofts

And on the other side of the street there’s a huge lot that’s part of the Cordovan. Rats! Still, there could be some sort of compromise between the loft developers and Trader Joe’s if things ever got that far.

Which leads me to ask: what do you think of having a Trader Joe’s down in the loft district?

Be sure to check out all of Patrick’s insightful comments and let us know! Anyone have any information or expertise that might help further the cause? I’ve got a serious hankering for some aged white cheddar puffed corn product!

Asking the tough questions: Is Haverhill uncool?

July 11th, 2010 by

If you are unfamiliar with Yahoo! Answers, then let me explain.

It is where all the world’s greatest minds gather to discuss religion, politics, science, and other facets of civilzation.

This morning, this gem of an inquiry popped up in my Google Alerts:

I wouldn't even dignify this with a response

I’m pretty sure I can come up with a least a handful of places less cool than Haverhill (Plaistow, anyone?).

Can the home of Tom Bergeron, Miskatanic U., and the Black Diamonds really be “uncool?”

I don’t think so.

Downtown bakery gets a little less Enchanted, hopefully a little more OPEN.

July 2nd, 2010 by

Enchanted Bake Shoppe: Closedde for Renovationsse

Allow me to be blunt here, folks. The Enchanted Bake Shoppe was one of those downtown businesses that always left me frustrated. I’d heard some really intriguing things about it, (namely tales of how they won the GREAT CUPCAKE WAR OF 2009) yet the countless times I passed by with hopes of snagging an after meal (or even afternoon) treat I was left disappointed by a dark interior and empty looking display case.

When this sort of thing happens to me,  I start honing in on tiny nit-picky details, like how much I hate places that add extra letters to words in order to sound more magical….*cough* shoppe *cough* (This is what happens when you deprive a girl of a cupcake, people.)

Despite all this, I was more than a bit shocked to see the windows covered in paper. I hunched down and took a peek to see what was going on inside…

A peak beneath the paper

Now, having never been inside the place while it was still Enchanted, I can’t say for certain, but it looks like the walls have been painted, and is that a new floor? Regardless, it’s looking pretty sharp in there.

Having learned my lesson from 12 hours ago when I was prematurely fretting about having a Subway downtown, (no permits have been pulled so it’s not official) this time I checked in with Assistant City Clerk Rick Barber FIRST to see if he had any insight into what’s going on at 108 Washington. And he did! After renovations the bakery will reopen under new ownership and a new name.

Best of all, the word on the street (my new nickname for Rick- what do you think?) is that so far, the new owners are planning on keeping later hours to cater to the after dinner dessert seekers like me! Awesome!

IMPORTANT BUSINESS IDEA: I would like to propose some sort of arrangement between this new bakery and England’s Microcreamery where if you buy a slice of cake you can run across the street and have a scoop of ice cream plopped on top. Genius, right?

I know some of you really loved Enchanted Bake Shoppe, so before you mourn the demise of what was (by all accounts other than me) a really great business with tasty confections, chin up! Enchanted Bake Shoppe is still around and happy to take your order…it’s just moved to a less retail-oriented space. I found this explanation on their Web site:

We opened our storefront in downtown Haverhill in September of 2007. After enjoying much success there, our lease came due and proprietor Kristen Eastman felt that a change was necessary and therefor the business will be moved in May 2010 to a non-retail commercial kitchen space. Despite enjoying the daily banter with regulars, we feel that our work will be better focused on custom work and projects that can reach further than our storefront. Our focus will continue to be on quality, attention to detail and creativity. We pride ourselves on creating confections that make your guests say “WOW”. We invite you to try our products and see for yourself what everyone is talking about!

Sounds like a win-win for downtown Haverhill and dessert lovers everywhere!

Downtown fill in the blank: 38 Washington…and an update!

July 1st, 2010 by

A couple months ago, I told you about a really cute storefront available at 15 Washington St. Well, this evening I was taking a stroll downtown and noticed signs of a new business taking shape!

At first I was really excited. (There may have even been a little jumping up and down- I will neither confirm nor deny.) But, then I noticed there was something peculiar about the paper in the windows.

A sandwich wrappered 15 Washington St.

I ran across the street to get a good look up close and sure enough…

Fresh and fit, maybe. But not quite what I was hoping for.

Um, wasn’t anyone listening to me when I said, and I quote myself here:

So, I’m thinking maybe another food-centric business at this location isn’t such a hot idea.

Or how about when I suggested:

…a cool vintage clothing store like Modern Millie in Salem and Newburyport. Or maybe some sort of home decor/gadget shop where I could run to and grab a nice gift in a pinch. Wine shop? Yarn store? Another coffee shop? Art house movie theatre? (not sure how big that second room is) Why, the possibilities are endless!

I have to admit, I’m kinda happy to see a fast food place I actually like popping up a little bit closer to home. But, I’d still have preferred to see an actual shopping district develop on the main drag. And, now I worry what impact this development might have on local sandwich shop, Heather’s. I’m just saying, it better not get in between me and my macaroni salad, or there will be hell to pay.

Okay, so let’s try this again…

No whammies no whammies...

Now available for lease is 38 Washington St. It comes complete with gorgeous flower boxes, a brick wall for extra interior pizazz, and plenty of space to open something that is NOT A RESTAURANT OR HAIR SALON PLEASE.

Annnnnnnnnnnd GO!

Checkered Flag Indoor Karting: The need for speed.

June 30th, 2010 by

If you look close enough, you’ll find there are some pretty amazing things hiding within the otherwise nondescript warehouse spaces around Ward Hill. Case in point: the 23,000 square feet of speedway at Checkered Flag Indoor Karting, 239 Neck Road in Ward Hill West.

While I have yet to slip behind the wheel myself, I’ve heard great things about this place, including that the facility is super nice, the owners are friendly, and it’s got a pretty sweet arcade in the front room. But so far, the closest I’ve come to getting my race on is being sent some totally embarrassing photos of  a bunch of my guy friends in the requisite head socks. (not a good look, by the way)

Luckily, this past weekend Flickr member Bertron8 and his friends felt the need for speed, and he was kind enough to let me showcase these really cool shots he took that capture all the action:

"The obligatory we-are-not-responsible-if-you-die form. Read and sign."

"The karts were 15hp with electric motors. Pit lane was lined with charging plates for the karts to park on when not in-use."

"Helmets of various colors and sizes for everyone."

"4-point harnesses in each kart to keep you in place."

"Ben shoots for the apex."

"5 racers come down the straight."

"The fastest laps of the day were tracked on this track-side board."

Looks pretty awesome, huh? If you’re inclined to put the pedal to the metal, Checkered Flag is open 7 days a week (a Haverhill miracle!) all summer long.

You know, all these sweet snaps got me to thinking- who do you think would win in a race: me, Chris or Eisme?  Winner gets crowned King or Queen of Haverhill Fever. Place your bets now, because I say we make this happen!

Haverhill Brewery: Hoptimus Prime

June 29th, 2010 by

Sure, you’ve enjoyed a pint out on the Tap’s deck on a hot summer day, or secretly swigged directly from that growler you keep stowed in your fridge when nobody’s looking. But, have you ever wondered how exactly our delicious hometown brew came to be?

Well, wonder no more, fearless readers! Recently, I found myself with a thirst for knowledge (not to mention beer), so I  headed straight to the Tap Brewpub where Haverhill Brewery’s charming (albeit sweaty) head brewer, Jon Curtis took a time out from the sweltering brew house to show me around the brewery.  He explained the entire process, from barley to bottle, and we caught it all on camera. Take a look:

Ever the perfectionist, I made sure we did plenty of takes of the beer tasting scene. I wanted to be sure we got it juuuuust right! (I have to say, sometimes being a blogger really pays off.)

Thanks to Haverhill Brewery’s head brewer Jon Curtis for showing us around the brewery while indulging my Laverne & Shirley fantasies, and as always thanks to the Firg for shooting and editing all the footage.

(Incidentally, you can follow Jon on Twitter, where right now he promises to brew another batch of delicious Berliner Weisse if he gets @ replies requesting it from 15 people. So get following and start tweeting- Mommy needs her medicine!)

Meet the Black Diamonds

June 28th, 2010 by

A couple weeks ago I stumbled upon an article in the Globe spotlighting a pre-teen rock band from Haverhill named the Black Diamonds.

Clearly, these dudes were cool and since The Feeve is all about focusing on what is cool in this city – I just had to find out more.

The band at the beach

HF: Who is in the band and just how old are you guys?

AJ: Henry McIntire on our lead guitar (10), Nick Calnan on drums (12), Wolfgang Burger on Bass (8), and I sing lead vocals (12).

HF: How did you guys get started? What’s the story behind the band?

Wolfgang: Nancy ran into Henry at the school, he was leaving his sister’s dance class.  Henry was the first who wanted to do the band.  Nick was already taking lessons on drums for a couple of months and he wanted in.  We found AJ at the school Christmas party – his sister was performing on guitar and he jumped up to the mic in between acts – I (Nancy) said he is the one, rock school frontman.  We could not find a bass player, so we got our son, who just turned 7 a bass and in 2 months the band started.

HF: Who are some of your musical influences?

AJ: Um… I try to be my own person with my own voice, but if it’s an acoustical version of another artist’s song I have to mimic the way the sing it, it’s their song.

Henry: The Who (mostly Pete Townsend) and John Denver.

Wolfgang: Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Guns n’ Roses.

Nick: Disturbed, Ozzy, and Metallica.

HF: Tell us the truth – you’re just in it for the girls, aren’t you?

AJ: No, actually I have always loved to sing and I’ve always wanted to go somewhere with it, so joining this band was no argument at all.

Henry: No, no way.

Wolfgang: Also, noooooo.

Nick: No. I just like to play.

Black Diamonds

HF: What message would you have for other kids that just want to rock out but might get frustrated that their instrument is too hard to learn?

AJ: Make sure the instrument is for you, in 4th grade I played the flute, but It just wasn’t my thing (probably because I couldn’t sing to it). Now I’m learning to play piano and keyboard. If it’s not your thing, figure out how much breath control an instrument takes, and if you really like and instrument that takes more than you’ve got, train yourself to be that level.

Henry: Just practice and learn music that you like.  Keep the instrument in their hands.

Wolfgang: A good teacher makes all the difference, make sure you learn the basics but tell them what you like so they keep it fun

Nick: It’s not easy, you just have to keep on trying and eventually it starts to come together.

HF: What type of songs do you guys play? Do you guys play only originals? Only covers?

AJ: I’m writing songs every other day now so we’re deciding no more covers (with the exception of like 3) and to start off with our many originals. But currently we have 10 covers and 1 original in our playlist

HF: Who would win in a fight – Zack or Cody?

Henry: Zack

Nick: Cody

Wolfgang: Zack

AJ: It depends on the argument. I like to see both sides through the person’s eyes first and try to find out why they would want this rather than what someone else wants, but I have friends who are twins and they fight a lot.

Which one is Zack?

HF: What are some of your favorite places in Haverhill to go?

AJ: DeAngelis School of Music and Arts tops my list and I’m sure food stores are in there somewhere – but there are so many awesome places in Haverhill that would tie for second – I just can’t choose.

Henry: Kidsfests to play at.

Wolfgang: Chunky’s.

Nick: The stadium.

HF: Do you guys get to practice and jam more now that school is out?

Wolfgang: Lots going on in the summer, we leave for Berlin, Germany in just over 3 weeks, everyone has camping and vacations planned too so maybe even less practicing.

HF: What are your hopes for the future? Sold out stadiums? Platinum albums?

AJ: Just to have Bagel, watch TV, and sing a ton until my next gig. I’m still your normal, humble, average pre-teen until I hit the stage

Henry: Both, making music and performing.  I just want to play guitar, get better at it and have FUN!!!

Wolfgang: Doing the shows is fun, keep going as long as it stays that way.  Being famous and making money wouldn’t be so bad :).

Nick: Both. I would like to be as famous as my influences.

The rock star lifestyle

I was so inspired by these young rockers that I’m sitting here listening to Hatebreed instead of my usual Gordon Lightfoot and Hall & Oates.

Be sure to ‘like’ the Black Diamonds on Facebook and be on the lookout for upcoming concert dates. And if you happen to be in Germany – you’re in luck! – the crew is heading out there later this summer for some shows.

More for your dollar.

June 27th, 2010 by

I spotted this monstertruckosity outside the Westgate Plaza Market Basket and was totally impressed. I guess one thing you can do with all the money you save buying food from Market Basket is keep a ginormous gas tank full!

I was curious who might be piloting this beast (I know I for one would require a ladder to get in the driver’s seat), but I decided to high tail it out of there before they got in, started up, and began rolling over the regular sizes cars in the parking lot.

Strangely, something about this whole scene makes me want to start chanting “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”