Ready Set Get Excited

In Watertown, Shayna Seymour discovers there is room for both mom and pop shops and big box stores, many moving in to the massive, mixed-use development, Arsenal Yards.

1/9/202 NEEDHAM, Mass. —Eight miles west of Boston, Watertown is having a moment. The city now has a major project in the works: Arsenal Yards.

Arsenal Yards is bringing in a hotel, 300 residences, lab space, a grocery store, a movie theater, fitness boutiques and so much more. Despite ongoing construction, there are a few retailers and restaurants open now.

Watertown is home to the second-largest Armenian population in the country. Many people frequent traditional shops and bakeries in search of a Mediterranean experience.

Sarkis and Missak Ourfalian own Massis Bakery. Customers come from all over to buy hard-to-find specialties like the choreg, an Armenian sweet bread; cheese boreg, a buttery puff pastry filled with cheese; and lamejun, a kind of Armenian pizza – a thin piece of dough typically topped with minced meat, veggies, onions, tomatoes, parsley and a whole lot of herbs.

Watertown is also home to Demian Enders and Mike DiGregorio. The two friends decided it was time for a career change and opened Cigar and Lounge – which is exactly what it sounds like. While the craft beer industry has been buzzing as of late, Enders says the craft cigar movement has been growing strong for a while.

Also in Watertown, one of the region’s longest-running theaters: New Repertory Theater. Its production of “HAIR” opens Jan. 26.

ARTICLE SOURCE: WCVB Channel 5
Click here for the full article.