Every so often on our Facebook page we post #tbt (Throwback Thursday) photos of Acushnet Avenue from the 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s, or ‘70s. Nostalgia is a popular emotion and so are the posts. Each inevitably sees a comment or two along these lines:
“Why does The Ave look so much better then?” “The good old days!” and also, “Why doesn’t the city do something about The Ave!?”
The truth is this: the city doesn’t run shoe stores or restaurants. In America, commercial enterprises are powered by individual initiative, not the state. People run shoe stores, restaurants and small businesses of all kinds. And after so many years when we as a society went to shop at the mall and then online, it often wasn’t economically feasible for too many people to maintain a business on The Ave or in countless other similar commercial areas throughout the country.
But something eventually changed and a new breed of entrepreneur discovered the forgotten urban cores of places like The Ave and assigned them new value in a new era. Very often, these people came from immigrant communities. On The Ave, the Portuguese community formed the backbone of the street for many years and still has a huge impact.
Then, the Hispanic and Central American community entered the picture and flipped the lights back on, too. That’s why today, even though there’s still a distance to travel, there are far less empty storefronts on Acushnet Avenue than there would be otherwise.
How sad, then, that the people bringing renewed life to The Ave and ensuring the North End of New Bedford continues to burn bright are the very people taking it on the chin these days.
In the wake of ICE activity on The Ave and throughout the City of New Bedford last week, The New Bedford Light reported in a story entitled, “‘It’s a desert:’ A quiet day of anxiety in New Bedford” that treasured addresses on The Ave such as Restaurante y Tortilleria Guatemalteco at 1282 Acushnet Avenue and Taquería La Raza at 1216 Acushnet Avenue saw a catastrophic drop in business. So much so that Mayor Jon Mitchell visited La Raza and, in a video posted to The Light’s social media, urged residents to support the businesses during this difficult time.
He acknowledged, however, that “the city does not have ‘a large pot of money’ with which it can help local businesses, but he said he has been in conversation with area advocates and business owners to see what possibilities for support there may be.”
In the meantime, there’s a clear path from civic violence to civic virtue: people with money in their pockets to spend can choose to allocate some of those resources to the picturesque storefronts which will, hopefully, one day populate social media on #tbt Thursdays.
In other words, it’s time to Love The Ave.
A visit from the Governor
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey visited the Community Economic Development Center (CEDC) in North End, New Bedford at 235 N. Front Street on Monday, September 28. The CEDC writes, “Thank you to Governor Maura Healey for visiting CEDC this morning, and more importantly, for meeting with New Bedford families affected by recent ICE sweeps in our city. What people have been experiencing on our streets is unjust and un-American. Which is why CEDC will keep showing up for our neighbors, helping immigrant families find the support they need, and defending the legal rights of our community members.” CEDC photo
Sabor y Ritmo: The Ave celebrates together
A much happier moment in time occurred on The Ave on Saturday, Sept. 19. That was the date of this year’s Sabor y Ritmo Love The Ave Block Party.
The Block Party is well on its way to becoming a Love The Ave Partnership signature event. First held two years ago, and then postponed last year due to security concerns (see above), the 2026 edition featured some familiar elements but new energy.
Acushnet Avenue food and merchandise vendors set up shop for the afternoon and evening in the municipal parking lot across from St. Anthony of Padua Church. They were joined by music and entertainment and soon enough there was dancing in the street.
Take a look for yourself in the photoset below. All images by illuminatus MEDIA
Fuel Your Creative Vision: New Bedford Creative Opens Grants for 2027
Love The Ave Partners New Bedford Creative have officially opened applications for its 2027 grant cycle, calling on local artists, non-profits, community groups, and small businesses to submit bold ideas that will shape the city’s vibrant cultural landscape. Applications are open through Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM at newbedfordcreative.org.
Naturally, we want as many North End residents as possible to apply! If you need any ideas for public art projects, feel free to email us at LoveTheAveNewB@gmail.com.
Through two flagship programs—Art is Everywhere! and Wicked Cool Places—the initiative provides critical funding to enliven neighborhoods, drive local economic growth, and foster community pride across New Bedford. General grant awards range from $3,000 to $10,000 to cover materials, operations, staffing, and project expenses.
The Art is Everywhere! program supports arts-based solutions to local community issues, while Wicked Cool Places funds projects that build vibrant, welcoming public spaces across the city. Eligible applicants include local individuals, non-profits, neighborhood groups, and small businesses operating within the city of New Bedford.
The 2027 grant cycle introduces a streamlined application experience using the new Good Grants portal, along with a new dedicated micro-grant tier offering up to $2,500 exclusively for individuals – artists, cultural practitioners, or community members. Individuals can apply for these micro-grants or seek funding through the main $3,000 to $10,000 general grant tier.
To help applicants navigate the process, New Bedford Creative has a tutorial “Get Funded: 2027 New Bedford Creative Grant Programs,” available on-demand via the New Bedford Creative YouTube channel.
These grant programs are made possible through the City of New Bedford’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism Fund, with additional support from Bristol County Savings Bank, the Leonard & Hilda Kaplan Charitable Foundation, and Mass Cultural Council.
To review guidelines and apply before the October 20 deadline, visit www.newbedfordcreative.org.
Living the Old House dream
An under-appreciated facet of living in a city with a past is the enormous amount of historic architecture that makes up its commercial areas as well as its housing stock. This isn’t just the grand mansions of Hawthorn Street, but the turn-of-the-century two families and three-deckers which define neighborhoods like the North End in New Bedford.
In order to fully appreciate your own architecture and the special needs living in an older home requires, Waterfront Area Historic League, W.H.A.L.E., has a special series beginning in October that may be of interest to you. It starts with simple question, “What’s it really like to live in an old house?”
Find out this fall and join WHALE for Living the Old House Dream, a free series featuring the stories and firsthand experiences of the people who own, care for, and love New Bedford’s older and historic homes.
Hear about the reasons they fell in love with an old house, the surprises they’ve uncovered, the lessons they’ve learned, and what it really takes to live in a home with history.
Whether you’re a longtime historic homeowner, thinking about buying an old house, or simply love New Bedford’s architecture, come for the stories and stay for the community of fellow old-house lovers on these dates: October 14; November 4; and November 18.
The series will be presented in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center Auditorium. Doors open at 5:00 PM and the program runs from 5:30–6:30 PM. Best of all – it is free to attend!
W.H.A.L.E. is currently involved with two magnificent projects on The Ave: The restoration and reimagining of both the Strand and Capitol Theatres.
Music & Film special event
See Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments on a big screen at historic St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford on Sunday, November 1 at 5:00 p.m. – with accompaniment by International improvisational artist Peter Krasinski on St. Anthony’s world-famous Casavant Pipe Organ. $20 to attend; children with their parents are free.
St. Anthony of Padua Church
1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, MA
The Love The Ave Partnership brings together municipal entities, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, and small businesses working collaboratively to strengthen Acushnet Avenue and the surrounding North End of New Bedford.
