"Miles on the MBTA" is our Friday Link as we welcome new residents to Boston and try to remind others of the great resources we have to make life better in Boston.
Miles is covering miles and miles of MBTA (and other area mass transit) routes and reviewing the routes and the stations.
Over on Reddit Boston, there are a lot of questions about the best ways to commute. Those readers should take a look at what Miles has compiled.
Add Miles on the MBTA to your daily reading list, follow him on Twitter or Facebook, and get to know more about getting around Boston carfree!
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino Screenshot from Miles on the MBTA
"Miles on the MBTA" is our Friday Link as we welcome new residents to Boston and try to remind others of the great resources we have to make life better in Boston.
Miles is covering miles and miles of MBTA (and other area mass transit) routes and reviewing the routes and the stations.
Over on Reddit Boston, there are a lot of questions about the best ways to commute. Those readers should take a look at what Miles has compiled.
Add Miles on the MBTA to your daily reading list, follow him on Twitter or Facebook, and get to know more about getting around Boston carfree!
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino Screenshot from Miles on the MBTA
Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2017. We'll also keep up with parking information, trash schedules, and changes to MBTA schedules. This is now a permanent page that we'll update from year-to-year.
All information is updated as of 08/30/17
Rather than an end to summer, we call Labor Day the beginning of the golden days of summer that last well beyond the Autumnal Equinox (September 22nd is this year's date.)
We feature these reminders well before a holiday (especially big ones like this) to give you a nudge to finalize your holiday plans. Follow along on Twitter (@bostonzest) or bookmark this page to check back. We'll update as information comes to us.
Restaurants, Bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open
Supermarkets: Open
Liquor stores: Open
Retail stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners wish to open.
City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and thePostal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
Financial Services: In general, as the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open.And, check with your bank, they might have some offices open.
The city press release advises,"The student move-in process at Boston’s colleges and universities will significantly impact local streets and parking."
"Students and their families are asked to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth transition. Drivers are asked to allow for extra time and to pay extra attention to all posted signs."
Street Sweeping:The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."
Boston Trash Collection:
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information.
Subway, Commuter Rail, Buses, and The Ride will operate on a Sunday schedule.
The Hingham and Hull boats will operate on a Sunday schedule.
The Charlestown boat will operate on a Weekend schedule.
For additional, specific information on routes, schedules, and fares, please contact the MBTA at (617) 222-3200, TTY 617-222-5146, or visit www.mbta.com.
If information like this from BostonZest is helpful to you, support us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from one of the Amazon ads on our site or by Clicking here to go to the Amazon home page.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2017. We'll also keep up with parking information, trash schedules, and changes to MBTA schedules. This is now a permanent page that we'll update from year-to-year.
All information is updated as of 08/30/17
Rather than an end to summer, we call Labor Day the beginning of the golden days of summer that last well beyond the Autumnal Equinox (September 22nd is this year's date.)
We feature these reminders well before a holiday (especially big ones like this) to give you a nudge to finalize your holiday plans. Follow along on Twitter (@bostonzest) or bookmark this page to check back. We'll update as information comes to us.
Restaurants, Bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open
Supermarkets: Open
Liquor stores: Open
Retail stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners wish to open.
City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and thePostal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
Financial Services: In general, as the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open.And, check with your bank, they might have some offices open.
The city press release advises,"The student move-in process at Boston’s colleges and universities will significantly impact local streets and parking."
"Students and their families are asked to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth transition. Drivers are asked to allow for extra time and to pay extra attention to all posted signs."
Street Sweeping:The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."
Boston Trash Collection:
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information.
Subway, Commuter Rail, Buses, and The Ride will operate on a Sunday schedule.
The Hingham and Hull boats will operate on a Sunday schedule.
The Charlestown boat will operate on a Weekend schedule.
For additional, specific information on routes, schedules, and fares, please contact the MBTA at (617) 222-3200, TTY 617-222-5146, or visit www.mbta.com.
If information like this from BostonZest is helpful to you, support us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from one of the Amazon ads on our site or by Clicking here to go to the Amazon home page.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Here's Poppy with her bright red emergency bag ready to go out the door. It's also her pre-packed travel bag with everything she needs, except food and water, when we travel. (We have an emergency backpack that has a supply of food and water for all of us.)
The heart of hurricane season is here. If you have companion animals, you need an updated plan because, should a storm or other disaster strike, you are no longer on your own when it comes to finding shelter for your entire family. You have new resources but should be prepared to use them.
On that page it says, "This map depicts the locations of all the neighborhood emergency shelters in the City and allows users to enter in their address to find the closest shelter. Each facility will provide safe, temporary shelter for residentsand their pets."
But, just in case you are wondering, the Red Cross still says, "Most American Red Cross shelters cannot accept pets because of health and safety concerns and other considerations. Service animals that assist people with disabilities are allowed in Red Cross shelters."
Make Your Own Plan & Emergency Kit
You have to make plans for a safe place to go with your animals in case of an emergency. While large-scale disasters come to mind and the city has a system for that, it could also be a water leak or fire in your building.
If you have a friend or relative who will shelter you for a few days, that is ideal. You should also have the phone numbers of a few pet-friendly hotels, both near your home and in the surrounding areas, where you might reserve a room until the immediate danger has passed and those charged with emergency management begin to offer solutions for families with animals.
"Any emergency plan of operations shall include strategies to support the needs of people with household pets and the needs of household pets under their care, including service animals. The local organization for civil defense shall take appropriate steps to educate the public regarding the resources available in the event of an emergency and the importance of emergency preparedness planning."
We recommend that you have a copy of both the law and the city of Boston page with your pet emergency kit. That way, if you should be confronted with someone not familiar with this major change in shelter services, you can show them what the city and state have promised. Below are pdf copies of each page that you can download and print or save to a cloud service, like Dropbox, so that you can retrieve it from your smartphone.
Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.
Here's Poppy with her bright red emergency bag ready to go out the door. It's also her pre-packed travel bag with everything she needs, except food and water, when we travel. (We have an emergency backpack that has a supply of food and water for all of us.)
The heart of hurricane season is here. If you have companion animals, you need an updated plan because, should a storm or other disaster strike, you are no longer on your own when it comes to finding shelter for your entire family. You have new resources but should be prepared to use them.
On that page it says, "This map depicts the locations of all the neighborhood emergency shelters in the City and allows users to enter in their address to find the closest shelter. Each facility will provide safe, temporary shelter for residentsand their pets."
But, just in case you are wondering, the Red Cross still says, "Most American Red Cross shelters cannot accept pets because of health and safety concerns and other considerations. Service animals that assist people with disabilities are allowed in Red Cross shelters."
Make Your Own Plan & Emergency Kit
You have to make plans for a safe place to go with your animals in case of an emergency. While large-scale disasters come to mind and the city has a system for that, it could also be a water leak or fire in your building.
If you have a friend or relative who will shelter you for a few days, that is ideal. You should also have the phone numbers of a few pet-friendly hotels, both near your home and in the surrounding areas, where you might reserve a room until the immediate danger has passed and those charged with emergency management begin to offer solutions for families with animals.
"Any emergency plan of operations shall include strategies to support the needs of people with household pets and the needs of household pets under their care, including service animals. The local organization for civil defense shall take appropriate steps to educate the public regarding the resources available in the event of an emergency and the importance of emergency preparedness planning."
We recommend that you have a copy of both the law and the city of Boston page with your pet emergency kit. That way, if you should be confronted with someone not familiar with this major change in shelter services, you can show them what the city and state have promised. Below are pdf copies of each page that you can download and print or save to a cloud service, like Dropbox, so that you can retrieve it from your smartphone.
Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.
Each day a Massachusetts Air Quality Forecast arrives in my inbox. This service from www.enviroflash.info informs me about air quality for the next day. Green and I'm good to go, yellow means I might curtail or rearrange some of my outdoor activities, orange or red and I'm staying inside as much as possible.
You can also get health information from pollen counts to air quality on some weather sites. I like the health maps on Intellicast to check on the current status when my email alert brings a problem to my attention. Sometimes things change for the better or worse.
Air Now also has a reference page that explains the details of the Air Quality Index, who is included when they alert danger for sensitive groups, and what triggers an air quality emergency that impacts all of us.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino with screenshots from the sites featured.
Currently the magnolias along Commonwealth Avenue, for example, are lush, full, and offer lovely shade. We enjoy walking under their protection on hot summer days. However many of them the are very much in need of pruning before the next round of winter or early spring storms.
Broken magnolia after a blizzard in 2011.
Back in 2011, arborist Bobby Loree of Boston Tree Company reassured homeowners saying, “The first thing is don’t panic. It may look awful, but magnolias are resilient and grow fast. Many of the magnolias that got broken up badly in the April Fools day storm of about a dozen years ago recovered nicely though they looked hopeless at the time.”
The Trees Have Recovered
And now they need pruning for a few reasons. Trees with dense foliage and branches are more likely to be damaged in hurricanes and northeasters because they resist the wind rather the letting it pass through.
The weight of heavy snow that collects on branches can cause breakage even when the foliage is not out. Should it be a spring storm when the trees are in leaf, it can be much worse. A good pruning can make a world of difference in the outcome.
As a courtesy to pedestrians, trees should be trimmed high enough above the sidewalk so that people can pass under them even when rain and snow lower the branches. Right now you have to be well under 6 foot to walk under some of these trees.
Call a Pro
Take a few minutes to examine your tree canopy. How dense is it? Are there branches rubbing on one another that might cause damage in a wind storm? Would a heavy snow be caught up in your tree with branches breaking from the weight? If so, it's time to call an arborist to evaluate and perhaps prune your trees.
As Boston’s Tree Warden Greg Mosman said back in 2011, “Trees should be cared for by professionals and proper pruning can reduce damage in extreme weather conditions, though no amount of pruning can totally prevent damage.” He advised, "Pruning should be done by a certified arborist."
Currently the magnolias along Commonwealth Avenue, for example, are lush, full, and offer lovely shade. We enjoy walking under their protection on hot summer days. However many of them the are very much in need of pruning before the next round of winter or early spring storms.
Broken magnolia after a blizzard in 2011.
Back in 2011, arborist Bobby Loree of Boston Tree Company reassured homeowners saying, “The first thing is don’t panic. It may look awful, but magnolias are resilient and grow fast. Many of the magnolias that got broken up badly in the April Fools day storm of about a dozen years ago recovered nicely though they looked hopeless at the time.”
The Trees Have Recovered
And now they need pruning for a few reasons. Trees with dense foliage and branches are more likely to be damaged in hurricanes and northeasters because they resist the wind rather the letting it pass through.
The weight of heavy snow that collects on branches can cause breakage even when the foliage is not out. Should it be a spring storm when the trees are in leaf, it can be much worse. A good pruning can make a world of difference in the outcome.
As a courtesy to pedestrians, trees should be trimmed high enough above the sidewalk so that people can pass under them even when rain and snow lower the branches. Right now you have to be well under 6 foot to walk under some of these trees.
Call a Pro
Take a few minutes to examine your tree canopy. How dense is it? Are there branches rubbing on one another that might cause damage in a wind storm? Would a heavy snow be caught up in your tree with branches breaking from the weight? If so, it's time to call an arborist to evaluate and perhaps prune your trees.
As Boston’s Tree Warden Greg Mosman said back in 2011, “Trees should be cared for by professionals and proper pruning can reduce damage in extreme weather conditions, though no amount of pruning can totally prevent damage.” He advised, "Pruning should be done by a certified arborist."
A great question. And the Reddit community came through with great answers. (Also at the link to the question.)
From arepas (above) at Orinoco to soup dumplings at Dumpling Palace, we are thrilled at how many of the group's cultural favorites we have enjoyed and, in some instances, shared with our readers.
Please hop over and read the recommendations and then set out to try a few.
Here are some that we have covered that were mentioned by people from the related ethnic background.
You'll have to wait until August to try Galleria Umberto's pizza. But it's worth the wait until they've had their vacation and for the wait in the fast moving line for your turn. (Read our tip on how to avoid that line at this link.)
Sweet Cheeks was the choice of one self-proclaimed Southern Girl.
So share your background and favorite places for a taste of your past. Who cooks like the best cook in your family? Where do you go to enjoy food memories?
