Category: Boston:101

North Bennet Street School’s “Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship”

The North Bennet Street School is a Boston treasure where students follow their hearts and make their career dreams come true. From May 18th to the 29th, 2015 the school presents, "Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship." (details below)

At this event, you can view dozens of one-of-a-kind objects created by North Bennet Street School students and alumni.

If you've been following along with us for the past decade, you know that this BostonZest team is a big fan of fine craftsmanship. We admit to having a fascination with this magical place and the people who make it so special. Here are a few examples of what to expect.

Title: Spice Cabinet Artist: Chris Anderson, Materials: walnut, holly, black locust, red cedar

Title: Samurai Chain Mail Bracelet Artist: John Gifford, Materials: 18-karat yellow gold

Title: 1580 Gasparo Da Salo (copy) Artist: Julia Felix, Materials: Ebony, Bosnian Maple, European Spruce

Title: The Robin and the Wren, Artist: Becky Koch, Materials: cave paper, goat skin

QUICK FACTS:

Once again, we must thank the information team at NBSS for putting together this great quick facts guide for our readers.

Event title: “Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship”

Where: Windgate Gallery, North Bennet Street School, 150 North Street, Boston MA 02109

When: weekdays, May 18 through May 29, 2015 (closed Tuesday, May 19), and Saturday May 23

Hours: weekdays, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. (Friday, May 29, 8:00am – noon.) Saturday 9:00am – 4:30pm

Admission: Free

Handicap Access: Yes

Reservations: Not required for the main exhibition. Pre-arranged guided tours of the school available, provided reservations are made at least one day in advance.

Parking: Limited street parking (metered) and discounted parking at the Parcel 7 garage –http://www.nbss.edu/about/the-boston-area/visit/index.aspx#

Nearest T stop: Haymarket (Orange, Green lines)

Directions: via Google maps – http://goo.gl/maps/97sY4

More exhibition details: http://www.nbss.edu/about/news/student-and-alumni-exhibit2015/index.aspx
More about NBSS full-time programs and workshops: http://www.nbss.edu

In conjunction with the annual exhibition, a limited number of daily guided tours will be offered beginning Wednesday, May 20th. Tours must be scheduled at least one day in advance. For reservations, contact Chris Jankowski at 617-227-0155, x170 and cjankowski@nbss.edu.

This is a wonderful opportunity to discover this amazing place full of very talented people.

What's on your Artistic shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your arts & craft needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Courtesy of North Bennet Street School

May 15, 2015
What’s That Pretty Blue Flowered Ground Cover?

This was one of the first flowers to make an appearance in local gardens this spring. Every year I admire it, every year someone asks me to name it, and every year I have to look it up and get back to the questioner.

It is a Lithodora. Which one in particular? I don't know, but I have learned it is a perennial shrub (be it a very low growing shrub) and that it is sometimes confused with the annual Lobelia.

According to WiseGEEK,

"The name of this genus is derived from the Greek words lithos and dorea, which translate to 'stone' and 'gift,' respectively. The common name for each species varies. Lithodora oleifolia is called olive-leaved gromwell, while the heavenly blue variety of Lithodora diffusa is called purple gromwell."

I think this plant needs an AKA. I may begin calling it "Early Blue Gift" or "Early Blue Star," since I seem doomed to never remember its proper Latin moniker.

What would you name this plant if you had the power to dub it something more memorable?

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May 14, 2015
What’s That Pretty Blue Flowered Ground Cover?

This was one of the first flowers to make an appearance in local gardens this spring. Every year I admire it, every year someone asks me to name it, and every year I have to look it up and get back to the questioner.

It is a Lithodora. Which one in particular? I don't know, but I have learned it is a perennial shrub (be it a very low growing shrub) and that it is sometimes confused with the annual Lobelia.

According to WiseGEEK,

"The name of this genus is derived from the Greek words lithos and dorea, which translate to 'stone' and 'gift,' respectively. The common name for each species varies. Lithodora oleifolia is called olive-leaved gromwell, while the heavenly blue variety of Lithodora diffusa is called purple gromwell."

I think this plant needs an AKA. I may begin calling it "Early Blue Gift" or "Early Blue Star," since I seem doomed to never remember its proper Latin moniker.

What would you name this plant if you had the power to dub it something more memorable?

Related articles

Changes in Boston Dog Licensing for 2015

The Witch Hazel Thinks It's Spring!

Boston's Number One Taxi

May 14, 2015
Back Bay Hardware Is Moving June 1st

One of the longest standing and most useful stores on Newbury Street, Back Bay Hardware is moving a few doors East on June 1st. The new address will be 221 Newbury Street.

If you're a long time Bostonian, you may still call this store Parks True Value. The company has served the neighborhood since 1943. Even longer term residents may remember it as Parks Paint and Hardware on Huntington Avenue before it moved to Newbury Street in 1979.

Current owner Lex Stevens joined Parks True Value in 1995. He purchased the business in 2004 and renamed it Back Bay Hardware in 2010.

Another memory for long time customers is long time employee and everybody's pal Eric Chudnoff. We wrote about him back in 2008. For those who miss him, here's that post:

We All Rely On The Hardware Guy-Eric Chudnoff.

If you cringe, as we do, whenever you hear the words "moving day," just think about moving the thousands and thousands of items they've managed to pack into that small shop. Be a good neighbor. Stop in and buy a few things so Lex won't have to move them.

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
Photography: © 2015 Ed Cherubino

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May 12, 2015
Back Bay Hardware Is Moving June 1st

One of the longest standing and most useful stores on Newbury Street, Back Bay Hardware is moving a few doors East on June 1st. The new address will be 221 Newbury Street.

If you're a long time Bostonian, you may still call this store Parks True Value. The company has served the neighborhood since 1943. Even longer term residents may remember it as Parks Paint and Hardware on Huntington Avenue before it moved to Newbury Street in 1979.

Current owner Lex Stevens joined Parks True Value in 1995. He purchased the business in 2004 and renamed it Back Bay Hardware in 2010.

Another memory for long time customers is long time employee and everybody's pal Eric Chudnoff. We wrote about him back in 2008. For those who miss him, here's that post:

We All Rely On The Hardware Guy-Eric Chudnoff.

If you cringe, as we do, whenever you hear the words "moving day," just think about moving the thousands and thousands of items they've managed to pack into that small shop. Be a good neighbor. Stop in and buy a few things so Lex won't have to move them.

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
Photography: © 2015 Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Changes in Boston Dog Licensing for 2015

Petie Prances & Kicks Up His Heels with the Joy of Spring

The Witch Hazel Thinks It's Spring!

Roses for Sarmiento

May 12, 2015
Steamers Leaving for Bass Point and Nahant from Lincoln Wharf

Once upon a time, you could enjoy a quick getaway from Boston by water. In 1899, you could catch a steamer from Lincoln Wharf and sail to coastal destinations for a day or longer. (This photo courtesy of Boston Landmarks Commission image collection, Collection 5210.004, City of Boston Archives.)

Here's another look from above. (This photo courtesy of Boston Landmarks Commission image collection, Collection 5210.004, City of Boston Archives.)

Here's an illustration of the Steamboat Massachusetts, one of the vessels that once served this route. Circa 1820, it ran "… from Boston to Beverly touching each way at Nahant, Marblehead and Salem for passenger and light freight." (That was according to the book, "Some Account of Steam Navigation in New England" by Francis Boardman Crowninshield Bradlee.)

Wouldn't it be nice …

If mass transit in Boston included lots of waterborne options in season.

I couldn't find how long the trip took, back then, but it certainly must have been a more pleasant voyage than we would have today on mass transit. Today, you would have to make your way to North Station to catch the Newburyport line and then connect with a bus to reach Nahant. Google estimates an hour and a quarter. I think that would be under the most perfect conditions. And, that's on a weekday. Weekends would be another matter.

While we can't go to Nahant by ferry, we can go to Salem. The Boston Harbor Cruises Fast Ferry to Salem begins service again on May 21st. (This photo by massmatt. Here's his photostream on Flickr.)

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: Photo credits as noted and used under this creative commons license.

May 11, 2015
Steamers Leaving for Bass Point and Nahant from Lincoln Wharf

Once upon a time, you could enjoy a quick getaway from Boston by water. In 1899, you could catch a steamer from Lincoln Wharf and sail to coastal destinations for a day or longer. (This photo courtesy of Boston Landmarks Commission image collection, Collection 5210.004, City of Boston Archives.)

Here's another look from above. (This photo courtesy of Boston Landmarks Commission image collection, Collection 5210.004, City of Boston Archives.)

Here's an illustration of the Steamboat Massachusetts, one of the vessels that once served this route. Circa 1820, it ran "… from Boston to Beverly touching each way at Nahant, Marblehead and Salem for passenger and light freight." (That was according to the book, "Some Account of Steam Navigation in New England" by Francis Boardman Crowninshield Bradlee.)

Wouldn't it be nice …

If mass transit in Boston included lots of waterborne options in season.

I couldn't find how long the trip took, back then, but it certainly must have been a more pleasant voyage than we would have today on mass transit. Today, you would have to make your way to North Station to catch the Newburyport line and then connect with a bus to reach Nahant. Google estimates an hour and a quarter. I think that would be under the most perfect conditions. And, that's on a weekday. Weekends would be another matter.

While we can't go to Nahant by ferry, we can go to Salem. The Boston Harbor Cruises Fast Ferry to Salem begins service again on May 21st. (This photo by massmatt. Here's his photostream on Flickr.)

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: Photo credits as noted and used under this creative commons license.

May 11, 2015
Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015
Pull out your calendars and mark the dates when you can go and see our Boston area farmers market friends at their summer spots. Our Friday Link today is will take you to your favorite markets.
Here are the opening dates for some of our favorite markets. The links are to maps of the locations.
- Copley Square: May 12th (Tuesdays and Fridays)
- Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA): May 13th (Wednesdays)
- Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): May16th (Saturdays)
- Union Square, Somerville: May 16th (Saturdays)
- Central Square, Cambridge: May 18th (Mondays)
- South Station/Dewey Square: May 19th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- Davis Square, Somerville: May 20th (Wednesdays)
- Cambridge/Charles Square: May 24th (Sundays), June 5th (Fridays)
- Boston Public Market on the Greenway: May 27th (Mondays and Wednesdays)
- Cambridgeport: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Kendall Square (500 Kendall Street): June 4th (Thursdays)
- Roslindale: June 6th (Saturdays) Back in Adams Park this year.
- Egleston Jamaica Plain: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Harvard University Farmers Market: Cambridge: June 9th (Tuesdays)
- Brookline/Coolidge Corner: June 18th (Thursdays)
- Allston/Harvard Farmers Market: (N. Harvard St & Western Ave) June 19th (Fridays)
- Allston Village, 500 Cambridge St: June 20th (Saturdays)
- The year-round Boston Public Market will be opening in July.
If you have confirmed dates for your favorite farmers market, please tell us in a comment or send us an email and we'll add it as an update to this post.

We use and highly recommend a Rolser Shopping Trolley for your farmers market visits. It stands on its own and can haul your purchases over city sidewalks without a problem.

See our review of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes. It's full of chefs, farmers, and food producers you know, and we highly recommend it. Remember, always click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino
May 8, 2015
Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015
Pull out your calendars and mark the dates when you can go and see our Boston area farmers market friends at their summer spots. Our Friday Link today is will take you to your favorite markets.
Here are the opening dates for some of our favorite markets. The links are to maps of the locations.
- Copley Square: May 12th (Tuesdays and Fridays)
- Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA): May 13th (Wednesdays)
- Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): May16th (Saturdays)
- Union Square, Somerville: May 16th (Saturdays)
- Central Square, Cambridge: May 18th (Mondays)
- South Station/Dewey Square: May 19th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- Davis Square, Somerville: May 20th (Wednesdays)
- Cambridge/Charles Square: May 24th (Sundays), June 5th (Fridays)
- Boston Public Market on the Greenway: May 27th (Mondays and Wednesdays)
- Cambridgeport: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Kendall Square (500 Kendall Street): June 4th (Thursdays)
- Roslindale: June 6th (Saturdays) Back in Adams Park this year.
- Egleston Jamaica Plain: June 6th (Saturdays)
- Harvard University Farmers Market: Cambridge: June 9th (Tuesdays)
- Brookline/Coolidge Corner: June 18th (Thursdays)
- Allston/Harvard Farmers Market: (N. Harvard St & Western Ave) June 19th (Fridays)
- Allston Village, 500 Cambridge St: June 20th (Saturdays)
- The year-round Boston Public Market will be opening in July.
If you have confirmed dates for your favorite farmers market, please tell us in a comment or send us an email and we'll add it as an update to this post.

We use and highly recommend a Rolser Shopping Trolley for your farmers market visits. It stands on its own and can haul your purchases over city sidewalks without a problem.

See our review of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes. It's full of chefs, farmers, and food producers you know, and we highly recommend it. Remember, always click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino
May 8, 2015
Patio & Picnic Season Means More Dining Out Options

As the temperatures rise, our dining options increase. We love dining on the patio at a select group of area restaurants and we are dedicated to picnics in parks, on a bench, on an oceanside deck, or high above the city on our roof deck.

We admit we prefer picnics that include a glass of great wine. Even simple fare, some bread, cheese, olives and fruit seem elegant with a splash of bubbly.

One of our favorite patios is the one at Coppa in the South End. It's where we can be sure that the food will be as wonderful as the lovely days that draw us to outdoor dining. That's Coppa's "Ricotta gnocchi with nasturtium butter-cacio e pepe," in the photo above.

We'll often pick up a picnic to go from a place like Bacco's Wine + Cheese and try to find a spot in the Public Garden away from the noise where we can relax and nibble an hour away. There, the sparkle has to be sparkling water but that's okay with us.

We're hoping to win a table on the patio at the new Tatte Bakery & Café on Charles Street one of these days. So far, we've had to order our food to go and make our way back to the Garden to dine.

We'll often make a stop at Thinking Cup on Newbury for breakfast while we're out walking. They make great breakfast sandwiches.

While our selection of patios for dining is narrow, Eater Boston has put together a much more comprehensive map of options. Here's a link to their piece: These Patios Are Officially Open for the Season. They have pointed out a few places we've been meaning to try and the possibility of sitting outside will move them up on our list.

Happy Spring, get out and enjoy an al fresco meal at one of your favorite places.

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
Photography: © 2012-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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