Scene North End Celebrates Faces of Neighborhood

When Scene North End is re-launched July 22, with a new look and focus, the magazine will honor the “Faces of the North End” with an edition that celebrates the neighborhood’s residents and their spirit and perseverance over the past four months.

“It’s our new re-launch after the virus struck, and we’re very proud of the ‘Faces of the North End’ in this first issue after the pandemic,” said Frank Depasquale, the magazine’s publisher, as well as president of Depasquale Ventures, whose North End establishments include Assaggio, AquaPazza, Mare Oyster Bar, Trattoria il Panino, Quattro, Bricco Ristorante & Enoteca, Bricco Salumeria + Pasta Shop and Bricco Salumeria Panneteria. “We’d like to show everyone how the North End set an example for the rest of the country on how we do things, listen to the rules and regulations, follow the laws of the land and make sure all our staff and customers stay safe. The North End is the greatest neighborhood in the country, and this puts us in the league where everyone should follow our example.”

The magazine’s cover will stretch across three pages (including the inside flaps) to show the faces of 198 North End residents, business owners and people who work in the neighborhood, while the cover story will be an interview with Father Michael Della Pena, the new pastor of St. Leonard’s Church, who will discuss growing up in the North End, as well as how his faith has helped get him through these difficult times.

“The publisher’s letter is entitled ‘Faces of the North End,’ and in it, the theme is Frank saying thank you and giving a pat on the back to all the people who live and work in this part of Boston for surviving and getting through the pandemic,” said Terri Stanley, editor-in-chief of the new Scene North End. “The North End is very important to Frank, and he wants to talk about the perseverance of the people in this neighborhood. It’s kind of a love letter to the neighborhood.”

Prior to Depasquale recruiting Stanley, whom he has known for around 30 years, to work at the magazine, she served as executive editor of Boston Common magazine for more than three years before launching the Emmy-award winning TV show “Style Boston,” which debuted on NECN in the fall of 1990 before moving to WCVB-TV (Channel 5) and finishing up its run on WBZ-TV (Channel 4) in 2013.

“Frank brought me on a couple of months ago to re-launch and re-vamp the magazine and move forward with a new Scene North End, with new writers and expanded coverage that is connected very specifically to Italy and the Italians, such as travel, fashion and food,” Stanley said.

Working alongside Stanley at the helm of the new Scene North End is its editor-at-large, Carol Beggy, who along with Mark Shanahan, previously served as a Names columnist for The Boston Globe.

“The neighborhood’s connection to Italy is going to be very obvious in upcoming issues, but we’ll cover other events and stories around Boston as well,” Stanley said. In the meantime, Scene North End will be updating its presence on social media, as well as its website at scenenorthend.com.