Category: Boston:101

Smash & Grab: Broken Windows Cost Us All!

At one of the first crime watch meetings I attended after moving to Boston, a community policing officer told us that some thieves would break you car window to get a single quarter visible in the cup holder.

After a recent rash of broken car windows on our block, a detail police officer, who happened to be on the scene and spoke to the car owners, told me that the only thing stolen from those cars was change. I've been thinking about that ever since.

As I walked by a pile of broken glass later that week, I took a few photos with the thought of submitting one as a cover shot for the Back Bay Sun.

That cover ran this Tuesday with the headline, "Broken Windows." My caption reads, "Shattered auto safety glass is a common sight on the sidewalks of the Back Bay. Last year, more than 700 cases of “larceny from a motor vehicle” were reported in Police District D4. Officials urge drivers not to leave any property in view inside a car including change, clothing, electronics, and bags."

We All Pay

While it seems that the car owners just lost change, they also had their planned day rearranged, followed by the hassle of scheduling window replacement. Everyone who pays auto insurance chipped in to pay for that glass repair. The homeowners where the car was parked had to clean up the mess. Finally, those who walked by were reminded of the crime which can have an impact on a person's sense of security.

This led me to research the crime stats to see if this is really as common as it seems to be when you walk around the streets of Boston. Along the way, I found information on the Boston Police Department's "Don't be a Victim!" campaign that is underway in some neighborhoods with high "Larceny from Motor Vehicle" reports.

Here's a link to the 2015 crime statistics so you can check the neighborhoods where you park.

Related Post:

Broken Bricks Boon to Boston Bandits

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Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino and parking meter and sign courtesy of the Boston Police Department.

February 4, 2016
Ways to Report Pedestrian Dangers & WalkBoston “Ped 101” Advocacy Training
The BostonZest team are walkers. We don't own a car. We use mass transit, if we must, but most of the time we get where we need to be as pedestrians. Naturally, we really notice the failures to ensure pedestrian safety on the part of our city and state authorities. We try to be advocates for pedestrians and now we have a few tips for you on how you can join us.

Report Transportation Dangers

The City of Boston has set up a mapping system where you can report safety issues in the transportation system. We have already used this to mark intersections where traffic gridlocks, where walk lights don't last long enough, and where walk lights are missing.

You can also consult this map to find places where you might want to exercise a bit more caution as you travel. (You might also take a look at this map that shows where accidents have already been reported by police.) Both are part of the city's Vision Zero program.

If your concern needs a more immediate correction, use the 311 system by calling 311 on your phone, reporting the problem on the 311 phone app, sending a tweet to @BOS311, or reporting through the website.

WalkBoston Pedestrian Advocacy Training Programs

To learn more about how you can become a better defender of pedestrians, consider attending one of the Ped101 training sessions.

WalkBoston says:

"This session is helpful if you're interested in learning about:
- walkability, urbanism & the associated lingo (what's a "tight turning radius"?),
- making neighborhoods safer for people walking & running,
- how you can advocate for change in your own community."
Take advantage of this opportunity to stand up for those who walk around the city.

Additional Reading: Make Walking THE Priority where you will find a link to a thoughtful piece on the mistaken priority system used by our transportation planners and a much better priority approach.

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
Artwork: courtesy of the City of Boston and WalkBoston

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January 29, 2016
Interesting Tidbits About the Boston Common Frog Pond

Another day, another Twitter question to answer. This one came from Adam Gaffin over at Universal Hub. He asked if the proper name for the pond on the Boston Common was "Frog Pond" or "The Frog Pond." I went to the city's web page on the facility that uses "Boston Common Frog Pond," and to the group that manages it which refers to "The Boston Common Frog Pond."

Then I wondered about what term was used historically to name this spot. As you can see, this postcard (circa 1901-1907) from the Boston Public Library's print collection says, Frog Pond.

Leslie Jones titled this photo (circa 1918 – 1920) Frog Pond Boston Common. (Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

This 1900 postcard from the New York Public Library's Collection uses The Frog Pond, Boston Common.

Interesting Tidbits

Next I turned to books on the topic to see what those editors decided was the correct term. And it was here I began to find interesting bits of history and lore about the Frog Pond. Some are repeated in a few sources and others can't be verified.

In his 1903 "Boston A Guide Book," Edwin M. Bacon writes, “Near by lies the historic “Frog Pond,” so called, as the town wits have it, because it was never known to harbor a frog. The real frog pond was the Horse or Cow Pond, a shallow pool where the cows slaked their thirst or cooled their legs, which lay in the lowlands about the present band stand. The present pond is the survivor of three marshy bogs originally within the Common. It was the scene of the formal introduction of the public water system in 1848, for which celebration James Russell Lowell wrote his Ode on Water.”

We do know that in early days, the Boston Common was used to pasture animals and many sources describe three ponds and four hills on the site. Reports vary as to the source of the Frog Pond's water source. Some say it was spring fed, while others say it was just a muddy puddle at the bottom of Flagstaff Hill where the Soldiers & Sailors Monument now stands.

Postcard from the Boston Public Library Print Department collection.

There are tales of women lighting fires under the great elm that once stood near the Frog Pond to do their laundry on the site. And forbidding smoking by the Frog Pond seems to have a long history. One book notes that in the mid-1800s people could smoke on the Common, only on weekdays and only near the Frog Pond. A later book cites that a law was passed forbidding smoking on the streets or on the Common. And, of course, today smoking is prohibited in all parks in Boston.

In an upcoming post, we'll tell you a bit more about the arrival of municipal water in Boston and the celebrations that took place at the Frog Pond.

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
Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino and as noted in historic images.

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January 28, 2016
Where to Dine Valentine’s Day 2016 – Ideas for Romantic Dining in Boston
Start early if you want to plan a Valentine's Day meal that your loved one will remember.

This year, February 14th falls on a Sunday.

Just as you could last year, you have the opportunity to plan a romantic weekend or one day with your true love and a couple more meals with friends close to your heart. A lovely Sunday brunch at a favorite spot is an option. You can follow that with a quiet dinner at home for two or a gathering of friends who are close to your heart.

Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. And, this year, we noticed more places offering that alternative.

This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus. Also, don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation and a cancellation fee.

If brunch is on your list, we recommend Coppa Enoteca. They say, "Join us for Valentine’s Day at Coppa. We will be offering our regular menu and specials with additional by the glass and by the bottle wine features."

Coppa is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon nibbling and sharing plates of delicious offerings like the meatballs and asparagus above.

When a Valentine's Day Brunch or Dinner Is on the Menu …
- Open Table has a list of restaurants and note if they have a special menu or if their regular menu is available. Fortunately, it looks like more places are going with their regular menu with some additions.
- Boston Chefs has a list with some information at this link.
Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times, so check for details with the places mentioned.

Updates will appear here as we find lists of ideas from reliable resources:

Related BostonZest Posts:

Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

Romance at the Gardner Museum – Valentine's Weekend Destination

Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.) And, now you can also skate at the Boston Harbor Hotel and slip into the bar for a glass of Champagne after that hand-holding exercise.

Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photo: top photo from iStockphoto.com,

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January 22, 2016
Storyville Jazz Club at The Bradford Hotel and a Great Interview with George Wein

The Bradford Hotel was the last location for George Wein's fabled Storyville jazz club. Yesterday we told you about the history of the hotels that have occupied 275 Tremont Street in Boston. Today we'll tell you a bit about the musical legacy of this location.

Vintage drawing of the Bradford Hotel by Jack Frost.

Boasting the largest ballroom in New England, this Theatre District hotel always had music in the air.

Image from The Tichnor Brothers Collection, Boston Public Library

I have to believe that during the years when it was the Elks Hotel, there were a few informal sessions conducted within its walls.

In those days, you advertised which orchestra guests would find in your ballroom.

By 1960, George Wein had moved his Storyville jazz club to the Bradford Hotel for one last year of great jazz performances in Boston before dedicating his full-time attention to the Newport Jazz Festival that he had founded in 1954. The Duke Ellington Orchestra played an opening, one-week engagement on September 12, 1960.

To learn more about this club and George Wein's memories of jazz in Boston, I suggest you read this wonderful three-part interview over on JazzWax.com by Marc Myers.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Additional suggested reading on the topic would be The Boston Jazz Chronicles by Richard Vacca.

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!

<br />

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Images as credited under each

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January 15, 2016
Storyville Jazz Club at The Bradford Hotel and a Great Interview with George Wein

The Bradford Hotel was the last location for George Wein's fabled Storyville jazz club. Yesterday we told you about the history of the hotels that have occupied 275 Tremont Street in Boston. Today we'll tell you a bit about the musical legacy of this location.

Vintage drawing of the Bradford Hotel by Jack Frost.

Boasting the largest ballroom in New England, this Theatre District hotel always had music in the air.

Image from The Tichnor Brothers Collection, Boston Public Library

I have to believe that during the years when it was the Elks Hotel, there were a few informal sessions conducted within its walls.

In those days, you advertised which orchestra guests would find in your ballroom.

By 1960, George Wein had moved his Storyville jazz club to the Bradford Hotel for one last year of great jazz performances in Boston before dedicating his full-time attention to the Newport Jazz Festival that he had founded in 1954. The Duke Ellington Orchestra played an opening, one-week engagement on September 12, 1960.

To learn more about this club and George Wein's memories of jazz in Boston, I suggest you read this wonderful three-part interview over on JazzWax.com by Marc Myers.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Additional suggested reading on the topic would be The Boston Jazz Chronicles by Richard Vacca.

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!

<br />

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Images as credited under each

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January 15, 2016
The Bradford Hotel, Elks Hotel, Tremont House – Answering a Twitter Question

Today's history post about the hotels that have stood at 275 Tremont Street in Boston came about because of a question directed at Adam Gaffin of Universal Hub over on Twitter.

I took a quick look at some old maps superimposed on today's google view and saw that the building was once the Hotel Bradford.

(image from a private collection)

(Image from The Tichnor Brothers Collection Boston Public Library)

Originally it was the Elks Hotel, designed by the architectural firm of McLaughlin & Burr and dedicated in 1926. It was in the heart of Boston's Theatre District because it served as the headquarters of the Boston Lodge 10 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. This organization began as a fraternal group for the entertainers who would be working in this area.

(image from a private collection)

While I did not find any images or postcards, the Bradford Hotel became Tremont House and then was converted to a Courtyard by Marriott. You can see that today in this Google Streetview.

Katie responded with a nice thank you and brought the subject of music into my quest. Yes, Katie, this building did have an important place in the world of music, but it was jazz rather than opera. I'll tell you about that tomorrow with a link to a great three part interview that provided confirmation and a primary source for what I found mentioned elsewhere. (Here's the link to that part of the story!)

Update 01/15/16: The folks over at Back Bay Houses contributed the image of this postcard to add to our post.

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
Images: as credited under each one.

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January 14, 2016
The Bradford Hotel, Elks Hotel, Tremont House – Answering a Twitter Question

Today's history post about the hotels that have stood at 275 Tremont Street in Boston came about because of a question directed at Adam Gaffin of Universal Hub over on Twitter.

I took a quick look at some old maps superimposed on today's google view and saw that the building was once the Hotel Bradford.

(image from a private collection)

(Image from The Tichnor Brothers Collection Boston Public Library)

Originally it was the Elks Hotel, designed by the architectural firm of McLaughlin & Burr and dedicated in 1926. It was in the heart of Boston's Theatre District because it served as the headquarters of the Boston Lodge 10 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. This organization began as a fraternal group for the entertainers who would be working in this area.

(image from a private collection)

While I did not find any images or postcards, the Bradford Hotel became Tremont House and then was converted to a Courtyard by Marriott. You can see that today in this Google Streetview.

Katie responded with a nice thank you and brought the subject of music into my quest. Yes, Katie, this building did have an important place in the world of music, but it was jazz rather than opera. I'll tell you about that tomorrow with a link to a great three part interview that provided confirmation and a primary source for what I found mentioned elsewhere. (Here's the link to that part of the story!)

Update 01/15/16: The folks over at Back Bay Houses contributed the image of this postcard to add to our post.

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
Images: as credited under each one.

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January 14, 2016
What’s Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2016 in Boston Plus Trash, Parking & MBTA Schedule Changes
Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston, plus Boston trash collection, parking, and MBTA schedules for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18, 2016. We try to publish this information ahead of the holiday so you can make your plans.

Free at Last sculpture, by Sergio Castillo is located on Marsh Plaza, Boston University (Photo by Peter H. Dreyer from the Boston City Archives )
- Restaurants, Bars: Open
- Convenience Stores: Open
- Supermarkets: Open
- Retail Stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners choose
- Liquor Stores: Open
- City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
- Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the Stock Markets in the United States closed. International markets are open.
- Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Free Open House at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

If you're looking for something to do on this holiday, the MFA has a full schedule of special events and invites the community to visit for free that day.

Boston Trash and Recycling:

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.

Street Cleaning: The city says, "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 311 for exact details."

MBTA Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 18, 2016:

For a few days before and after the holiday, the MBTA Schedule is posted at this link.

Here's a quick overview of what is planned for 2016:
- Subway: Blue, Orange, Red, Green lines and Mattapan Trolley will operate on a Saturday schedule and there will not be late-night service.
- The Silver line will operate on a weekday schedule.
- Buses and Trackless Trolleys will operate on a Saturday schedule with a list of routes posted here that will not operate.
- Commuter rail trains will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
- Boat service – Hingham, Hull, and Charlestown – will operate on regular weekday schedules.
- The RIDE will operate on a Saturday schedule.
For more information about MBTA services, routes, schedules, and fares, please call the T’s Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, (TTY 617-222-5146), or go to www.mbta.com

Keeping warm is on the top of everyone's agenda. Amazon has excellent underlayers to keep you toasty.

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography:(Photo by Peter H. Dreyer from the Boston City Archives )used under creative commons license Some rights reserved

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January 8, 2016
What’s Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2016 in Boston Plus Trash, Parking & MBTA Schedule Changes
Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston, plus Boston trash collection, parking, and MBTA schedules for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18, 2016. We try to publish this information ahead of the holiday so you can make your plans.

Free at Last sculpture, by Sergio Castillo is located on Marsh Plaza, Boston University (Photo by Peter H. Dreyer from the Boston City Archives )
- Restaurants, Bars: Open
- Convenience Stores: Open
- Supermarkets: Open
- Retail Stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners choose
- Liquor Stores: Open
- City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
- Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the Stock Markets in the United States closed. International markets are open.
- Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Free Open House at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

If you're looking for something to do on this holiday, the MFA has a full schedule of special events and invites the community to visit for free that day.

Boston Trash and Recycling:

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.

Street Cleaning: The city says, "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 311 for exact details."

MBTA Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 18, 2016:

For a few days before and after the holiday, the MBTA Schedule is posted at this link.

Here's a quick overview of what is planned for 2016:
- Subway: Blue, Orange, Red, Green lines and Mattapan Trolley will operate on a Saturday schedule and there will not be late-night service.
- The Silver line will operate on a weekday schedule.
- Buses and Trackless Trolleys will operate on a Saturday schedule with a list of routes posted here that will not operate.
- Commuter rail trains will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
- Boat service – Hingham, Hull, and Charlestown – will operate on regular weekday schedules.
- The RIDE will operate on a Saturday schedule.
For more information about MBTA services, routes, schedules, and fares, please call the T’s Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, (TTY 617-222-5146), or go to www.mbta.com

Keeping warm is on the top of everyone's agenda. Amazon has excellent underlayers to keep you toasty.

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography:(Photo by Peter H. Dreyer from the Boston City Archives )used under creative commons license Some rights reserved

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January 8, 2016