Grecian Yearning Restaurant ablaze

Goodbye Grecian Yearning

Grecian Yearning after the fire. Photo by Jake Wolman (photo used under Creative Commons).

There are a large number of fire and rescue vehicles on Harvard Ave between Brighton Ave and Comm Ave in Allston. Ladder trucks are extended near the Wonder Bar and Soul Fire barbecue restaurant and police have closed off that block. I have no other details yet, as I typed this on the B line from my cellphone.

Update: LiveJournal members are saying that it was the Grecian Yearning Restaurant at 174 Harvard Ave that had a large fire.

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Live submitting?

By Kaz | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 6:52pm

Adam, what's your opinion on a story like this one where something pretty big and interesting seems to be happening but the submitter, like myself in this case, was on the scene and not at a computer? Are you interested in these sorts of sparse detail, potentially immediate breaking stories or would you rather wait until there's a link and some definition of what went on before it's posted?

I say go for it

By adamg | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 7:09pm

If it's breaking, let's break it here. You can always edit your original post or add to it with comments (my own preference is to edit the original post if it's within, oh, 30 minutes or so, then add new info in comments for folks who might not think to look at the original post a second time).

And thanks!

Okay, cool

By Kaz | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 7:21pm

Just 2 questions then:

It seems like the "read more" break comes at the first white space usually. I just added an "update" with a link to people discussing the actual location of the fire and it wanted to force that text off of the main page (but I think that's critical to be read without needing to jump to the separate page. Is there any code I can insert between paragraphs to get a small separation but to tell the site not to make it into a breakable whitespace? Know what I mean?

Second question is how you insert the Google Map Street View images that I've seen you use before to indicate the original scene of a fire. The iframe cut'n'paste from Google Maps doesn't render here (fair enough). Where those just screenshots hosted elsewhere or where you using something fancier than the online editor that I have access to? Just curious, I was going to throw in a pic of the Grecian Diner in the story text to fill it out a bit more.

Breaker, breaker

By Kaz | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 7:34pm

Ok, just saw your edit to the story that manually determines where the break will go. Thanks.

Aw, not the Grecian Yearning!

By adamg | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 7:19pm

Best greasy spoon ever! Here's hoping they have insurance.

Eeriely prophetic

By Kaz | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 7:29pm

The Loaded Gun blog recently named the Diner a "hotspot" because of its upcoming appearance in "The Lonely Maiden" starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, and William H. Macy.

OH NO!!

By jennie (not verified) | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 8:25pm

I LOVE the Grecian! I was just there two hungover Saturdays ago. They are such nice people and such a great spot for a cheap yummy breakfast. That picture looks pretty awful - I hope they have the funds to rebuild.
I heard from someone earlier that there was a fire but couldn't find anything online- but just got off the T (around 8pm) there and saw Harvard blocked off.
What a shame - I hope they come back.

Doesn't look good

By adamg | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 8:24pm

Photo.

Photos from Grecian Yearning fire

By anon (not verified) | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 8:31pm

More photos

I got a picture

By Mulieribus (not verified) | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 8:41pm

Looks completely gutted. Sad.

update

By pom (not verified) | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 10:36pm

The poster takes back the "gutted":

Hanmaru may rise from the ashes as it's only taken severe cosmetic damage. I hope so. More people need to try those amazing stews.

ah, chowhound...

Firefighters lowered into the basement on ropes

By adamg | Tue, 06/10/2008 - 10:46pm

The Herald has details: Fire knocked down the fire in about 15 minutes, but the place was still gutted and three firefighters were taken to the hospital with heat exhaustion.

No of us were lowered by

By pasty oaks (not verified) | Wed, 06/11/2008 - 12:53pm

No of us were lowered by ropes. The Korean joint should be back shortly unless they use this as time to make improvements. Majority of the fire knoked down in 15 mins. Biggest problem, the basement was divided into unconnected sections and used to be a bowling alley. The fire had a good foothold there.

Hm...

By Kaz | Wed, 06/11/2008 - 12:59pm

No offense to those that love the Grecian, but can we get the bowling alley back?

Old bowling alleys

By adamg | Wed, 06/11/2008 - 1:19pm

I bet every neighborhood has one. Supposedly, there are the remnants of one in Roslindale (above the Greek bakery in the Square?), and the basement of the West Roxbury post office was supposed to be designed to allow a bowling alley (well, so not an old one so much as a potential old one).

Somerville Theatre used to have a bowling alley in its basement

By Ron Newman | Wed, 06/11/2008 - 1:26pm

The basement now contains two small cinema theatres, and the Somerville branch of the Museum of Bad Art.

Another Allston bowling alley

By Allstonian | Wed, 06/11/2008 - 2:18pm

I believe there was another bowling alley on Brighton Avenue, in the downstairs space below what's now the Fun Food Snackery.

Still more photos

By adamg | Wed, 06/11/2008 - 10:15am

Here.

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