It’s the most wonderful time of the year in the B&T newsroom: The Warren Group’s annual holiday party was last week, and we’re celebrating all the gifts of the season.
Shoutout to the State House News Service for another fabulous subscriber gift, and thanks to all the reps and companies who have sent us coffee mugs this year. No seriously, thank you, we break a lot of coffee mugs.
In addition to last week’s letter to the editor encouraging readers to donate to their communities via the CITC (deadline is Dec. 31, you still have time!), last week’s issue also featured the annual philanthropy recognition section. A roundup of charitable endeavors from our readers and contributors, it is a way to acknowledge all the good works performed in our communities throughout the year, not just in the holiday season.
And the holiday season is now in full swing; we’ve had a snowstorm and a cold snap, Hanukah is behind us and by the time you read this, it will be Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Then it’s just a few short days until New Year’s Eve, and another year will be history.
In some ways 2017 was unremarkable: Deals were arranged and money was made; properties changed hands; banks loaned money and took in deposits. The Seaport continued to boom, towers sprouting overnight like mushrooms in the dark. Home prices rose and rose and rose and there’s no end in sight. Despite all the talk of inventory shortage, record numbers of single-family homes were bought and sold this year as well. Scott Van Voorhis’ annual turkey column hit a nerve and readers responded.
There were some unusual occurrences and developments; in May former auctioneer Daniel Flynn III was sentenced to four years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme, the final chapter in a story Banker & Tradesman had been following for more than four years. Also in May, a career criminal was caught and charged with 18 counts of larceny (the No. 4 most read story in 2017). And of course Amazon’s quest for its HQ2 sent Boston (and the rest of the country) into quite a tizzy, though we won’t know the results of the bid any time soon.
But the most read story of the year on the B&T website illustrates a year that’s been pretty par for the course, and also pretty great: Steve Adam’s “Sweetheart Deal As Developers Buy NECCO’s Revere Headquarters” took the top spot this year.
Hopefully next year is as good as this one was, and all the noise from Washington doesn’t disrupt the Bay State’s economic recovery too much. Who knows – maybe Amazon will pick Boston after all, and we’ll finally build some more housing so the people who currently live here – and those who want to live here – will be able to find a decently affordable apartment or home.
Happy holiday season, readers. Let’s enjoy it for now, and worry about 2018 when it comes.
