Eight years ago, the sprawling campus of the old Boston Specialty and Rehabilitation Hospital was largely dormant and - in places -crumbling. The shuttered Foley building - the old hospital's battleship building - was a foreboding presence along River Street.

Today, after an investment of more than $80 million in construction costs, the 27 acre campus is buzzing with new homes, streetscapes and amenities.  Read more

A recent photo of the ancient Trolley 5164 as it sat in a yard near Mattapan Station. It has served various Boston transit companies and agencies since 1907. Photo courtesy The Lone Rider

Identified only as car 5164, it was never well known. It was only one among an order of 100 identical Type 3 passenger cars when it first arrived, shiny and new, from the St. Louis Car Company in 1907.  Read more

Now that designs for the Four Corners Station are near complete, the MBTA has scheduled meetings for the remaining three planned stations along the commuter rail's Fairmount Line. Thirty percent design meetings for the Talbot Station (July 10, 6:30 p.m., 193 Talbot Ave.), Blue Hill Avenue Station (Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m., 5 Mildred Ave.) and Newmarket Station (Aug. 7, 6:30 p.m., 550 Dudley St.) will collect community input on the designs, which can occasionally inform alterations to them.  Read more

Recreational tree climber Andrew Joslin high above the Gladeside Urban Wild in a red oak tree. Photo by Pete Stidman

It isn't always necessary to hop in a car and drive for hours to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. And with gas prices on the rise, many are looking to commune with nature close to home. One of the rare activities in this category, so far at least, is recreational tree climbing.  Read more