New Edgerly Plaza
The Transportation Department has installed a new pedestrian plaza on the road in front of Whole Foods in East Fenway. The plaza serves people of all ages, providing an opportunity to relax, dine outdoors and have fun.
Check out our upcoming events below. Thoughts? Fill out our five-minute survey.
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Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, July 15 (10 - 11:30 a.m.) - City Hall on the Go truck: We will bring City Hall services to residents and offer guidance on how to navigate city resources.
Wednesday, July 23 (2 - 4 p.m.): NEU Community Heat Break: Cool treats, fun activities and helpful tips and resources for staying cool and healthy this summer!
To be confirmed: Line dancing! We will soon announce a line dancing event to have fun at the Plaza and connect with your neighbors!
To be confirmed: Plaza Market Space
Recent Events:
May 5: We held a free bike repair workshop at the Plaza from 4 - 6 p.m.
Share your ideas
Interested in seeing or hosting other events at the Plaza? Email us at newedgerly@boston.gov or fill out our online survey.
Open House
On Monday, June 2, we held an open house at the plaza at 6 p.m. Residents talked to the Streets Cabinet team about things that are working well at the plaza and things that could be improved, as well as ideas they have for activation, programming and even design (e.g., furniture, art).
Arts at the Plaza
Market Mosaic transforms New Edgerly Plaza into a site of collective play through a participatory tile installation. In a series of weekends throughout May 2025, visitors of all ages and backgrounds—families, students, commuters, and shoppers—rearranged colorful ceramic tiles into ever-changing mosaics. Designed for intuitive interaction, the project requires no prior art experience: tactile, modular pieces invite spontaneous collaboration, turning the plaza into a site of collective co-creation. The project was designed by members of SMFA Digital Fabrication Club and Clay Club.
In addition to the Market Mosaic, the SMFA team brought Mancala boards for the community to play a new game.
Photo credit: SMFA Digital Fabrication Club and Clay Club.
Music Series
Thanks to a generous Berklee Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant, we supported the Fenway Civic Association in bringing Spring activation to the New Edgerly Plaza in April and May. There were music, arts, community and fun. All events took place on Sundays at 1:00 p.m. The confirmed scheduled was also posted on the Fenway Civic Association's Instagram page @fenwaycivic. A big thank you to ReprezentU LLC for taking such wonderful photos.
- Sunday, April 6: ZUMIX youth performers (photos)
- Sunday, April 20: Sweetums (photos)
- Sunday, April 27: Jazz group from New England Conservatory
- Sunday, May 4: Flag Day (the rain did not stop the fun! See the photos)
- Sunday, May 11: Jazz group from New England Conservatory (photos)
- Sunday, May 18: The 3 UmiZumis and Luci Martin (from ZUMIX)
Plaza Launch
Upon completion, the City in partnership with community groups and local institutions hosted a launch event on November 1 of 2024, which included line dancing, live music, activities for kids, snacks, drinks, and lots of fun.
Why the Plaza
Improving the public realm was identified as a top priority by the community engagement process of Go Boston 2030, the citywide mobility plan completed in 2017. Since then, the City has been working to identify spots around the City where we can create new spaces for pedestrians.
In 2021, we originally heard from the community about the idea for creating a new pedestrian plaza in front of Whole Foods in Fenway. In 2022, Councilor Bok's office counted 51 vehicles and 413 people walking here in a 45-minute period. In 2024, the City performed automated traffic records (ATR counts) and counted 500 vehicles in a 24-hr window (almost the same as the number of pedestrians within just one hour!). Despite having over four times as many pedestrians as vehicles, this space was primarily dedicated to cars.
In response, we piloted several successful one-day closures of the block over several years during Fenway Porchfest. Community residents and groups expressed interest in improving safety for all road users and in activating the space during all seasons.
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