Dear Crema-Lovers,

Greetings from Rome. OurHarvardSquare is here to soak in some sun and get some perspective. We've been chatting with merchants, from small clothing stores and mom & pop restaurants to  Roman denizens. Vacant storefronts seems much less an epidemic here. We have talked with them about the rent crisis in Harvard Square, and our rent numbers have shocked them. How has Rome avoided the rent escalation/store eviction plague that has struck US cities, most recently Cambridge, MA? 

We spoke with a men's shop selling Italian woolens and handmade patterns right by the Pantheon, in Piazza della Rotonda. The shop is owned now by the founder's son, and one of 4 nephews work in the shop. When we told them that rent in Harvard Square for an equivalent size would be around 6,000 euros/month. His eyebrows nearly jumped off his face--there's no way he would be able to make rent in our climate. 

We then continued across the piazza, where there was a charming "INTERNATIONAL NEWS PAPERS" kiosk. We can only imagine that back in the 1960s when Out of Town News was founded by Sheldon Cohen, he had been inspired perhaps by the international news kiosks in Rome. Check out our video of the venerable Roman News Kiosk.

Sadly Asana Partners' leases are up for renewal this March 2018. We are bracing ourselves for the fall of many other beloved small businesses. 

When will we start fighting back against this plague taking over our businesses? How many other merchants and their livelihoods, jobs, dreams will go under? Can we adequately respond before it's too late?  

A solemn abbraccio,

OurHarvardSQ