Since 1985, Valerie LaCount has owned Washington Park Florist, formerly Prattville Florist, growing it into a specialty studio focused on customized sympathy tributes. The shop’s hours are a guideline — staff are often out on deliveries or funeral work — so customers are asked to call ahead. LaCount has also spoken about how the New England Flower Exchange’s move to Chelsea made sourcing flowers easier for her business.

When Tito’s Bakery closed in 2020 after four decades on Broadway, it left a gap in Chelsea’s daily routine. Roy Avellaneda, son of founder Vicente “Tito” Avellaneda, had already begun filling it: in December 2016 he opened Pan Y Cafe in historic Cary Square, serving Latin American pastries, coffee, and sandwiches in a space that keeps the neighborhood’s tradition of gathering alive.

Former Chelsea resident Altavius “Five” Andrews filmed about 90% of his short film CALVIN in Chelsea, using spots from Bellingham Square to Mary O’Malley State Park and Broadway. The independent drama follows a young boy grieving his older brother, lost to street violence. It premiered Aug. 30 at Arlington’s Capitol Theatre, with a mini screening tour now in the works.

Plans for downtown Broadway call for a fully signalized Bellingham Square, two-way traffic beside City Hall and back-in parking on Washington Avenue, along with rebuilt sidewalks and bus stops. Ben Cares, the city's director of housing and community development, presented the layout to the Planning Board on September 22.

The city says MassDOT will launch the surface phase of the project in 2027.

Chelsea High School Orchestra students will play side-by-side with Boston Landmarks Orchestra at a free Hispanic Heritage Month concert on Friday, October 2, at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. Christopher Wilkins conducts a program that includes Márquez's Danzón No. 2 and Copland's Danza de Jalisco. Food and refreshments follow the performance.

Registration is required through Eventbrite; doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Governor Maura Healey has filed a bill to suspend the state's 24-cent gas and diesel tax for two months, but it is still a proposal that needs the Legislature's approval. If lawmakers pass it and the governor signs, the suspension would begin seven days later. The plan would require stations to pass savings to drivers and is part of a $2.24 billion closeout budget.

Malden's Dartmouth Street underpass reopened Wednesday, September 23, about a week after concrete fell from the Florence Street bridge onto the road and parked vehicles. No injuries were reported.

Engineers with the firm SGH cleared it after crews removed concrete of concern. Precautionary netting is planned, and the city is targeting spring for permanent repairs.

Cunard Tavern, the East Boston gastropub on Orleans Street, set Sunday, September 27, as its last day after nearly a decade in Jeffries Point. The spot was known for globally inspired dishes and cocktails.

Owner Phil Frattaroli told the Boston Globe that the neighborhood and dining habits have changed, and that he might open a new restaurant in the space in the spring.