Category: Resources

What’s Open on July 4th, 2013 in Boston, Parking, Trash & MBTA Schedules

Here's a rundown of what's Open & Closed in Boston on Monday, July 4th, 2013 and changes to MBTA schedules. Plus parking, street sweeping, trash, recycling and other useful links.

This is an old post. Here's a link is the 2015 resource page for July 4th:

What's Open on July 4th, 2015 in Boston, Parking, Trash & MBTA Schedules

We publish these reminders before a holiday to help you make your plans, and we update the information as more official word is released. Follow us on Twitter to be notified of updates or save this page for future reference.

We suspect that there will be new security measures that will change the way many of us have taken part in the July 4th celebrations. We will continue to update this post with links to new notices as they become available.

Update on Security Measures & Road Closures.

IMPORTANT PARKING UPDATE 07.03.13: Here is a link to the City of Boston Street Closures and parking restrictions. Move your cars now!

There are two places to go for the latest on Security Measures and Road Closures.

The state's page on the topic where you can download pdfs of the information.

The official Boston's July 4th site's Event Information Page.

Photo: John Schinker used under this creative commons license. Here's a link to his wonderful July 4th photostream!

Restaurants, bars: Open

Update 07/01/13: From Eater Boston a great list of specific restaurants that are open or closed on July 4th. Thanks to Eater Boston editor, Rachael Leah Blumenthal for putting this together for all of us.

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: 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. Some international markets are open. Also, some banks may open certain branch offices– often those inside supermarkets. Check with your own financial institution for details.

Photo: John Schinker used under this creative commons license.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. There will be some temporary parking restrictions and some street closures in the areas surrounding the Charles River Esplanade on July 4th. We'll add updates as they are published.

Towed Cars: The City says, "If you believe your vehicle was towed in Boston, then call either the Boston Police Tow Line at 617-343-4629 or the Boston Tow Lot at 617-635-3900 to locate the vehicle, or search the online towing database by license plate" at the City's Towed Car page. Update: the city says the tow lot will be open on July 4th.

Here's a screengrab from www.cityofboston.gov. Click for a larger pop-up view.

Street Sweeping: The City says, "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 617-635-4500 for exact details."

Boston Trash: from the City Site:

"Thursday July 4, 2013, Delay trash and recycling collection a day only if you live in South Boston, Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, or West Roxbury AND your trash and recycling is normally collected on Thursday or Friday.

*If you live in Jamaica Plain and your trash is picked up 2 times per week, do not delay."

Here are some of our related posts about July 4th, the Charles RIver, and the Esplanade

    How to Get to the Esplanade from Boston ( see the new access points at the links above)

    Once Grand, Now Unnoticed

    Charles River Clean Up Boat Update

MBTA Schedule Changes- They say, "Fares will be free after 9:30 p.m."

The MBTA website has July 4th schedule information posted on their events page through the holiday. Follow us on Twitter to be notified of updates. "Fares will be free after 9:30 p.m."

Subways and the Silver line will "…operate a Sunday schedule with rush-hour levels of service beginning at 2 p.m. to accommodate holiday ridership and will operate extended late-night hours as Fourth of July is on a Saturday.

Details for the Commuter Rail will run on a Saturday schedule. The last trains to leave Boston are on the MBTA Events Page and in the download below.

Buses and trackless trolleys will run on a Sunday schedule. This means some buses will not operate.

You can download a pdf copy of the schedule details here:

Download MBTA July 4th

MBTA tips for those attending the Esplande Concert and Fireworks:

Customers are urged to take public transportation to and from Fourth of July events and advised to check T-Alerts for the most up-to-date service information during the holiday.

As a reminder, bicycles are not allowed on any subway lines for the entire day on the Fourth of July. Bicycles are also prohibited on inbound Commuter Rail trains from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as well as on outbound trains after 4 p.m.

Beginning at 2 p.m., subway service on all lines will operate at rush-hour levels to accommodate increased holiday ridership. Fares will be free after 9:30 p.m.

Customers should also note that all MBTA parking garages and the Wellington Station lot will be pay-on-entry and cash-only on the Fourth of July in order to ensure all customers exit in a timely manner. Due to heavy parking demand, some MBTA parking garages and lots may fill more quickly than normal. Customers planning to park in an MBTA garage or lot should plan accordingly.

Save storage space with these collapsible coolers. They're perfect for small city homes. We have an older version of the Arctic Zone 30 model, and it's amazing at keeping things chilled! We not only use it for picnics but grab it to go grocery shopping.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: By John Schinker used under this creative commons license. Here's a link to his wonderful July 4th photostream!

June 18, 2013
Edible Boston Summer 2013 Issue Is Our Friday Link

Be on the lookout for the Summer 2013 issue of Edible Boston with this fresh seasonal cover of shrimp from SKy8 Shrimp Farm.

Farmers' Market Listings by County

This issue contains listings of the summer farmers' markets by county. I know I'll be clipping and posting those pages on my refrigerator to check when I'm going to be in a specific neighborhood or town. I love visiting all the different markets in our area.

How do you support a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

May I suggest that you let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine and grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. Also, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 7, 2013
Edible Boston Summer 2013 Issue Is Our Friday Link

Be on the lookout for the Summer 2013 issue of Edible Boston with this fresh seasonal cover of shrimp from SKy8 Shrimp Farm.

Farmers' Market Listings by County

This issue contains listings of the summer farmers' markets by county. I know I'll be clipping and posting those pages on my refrigerator to check when I'm going to be in a specific neighborhood or town. I love visiting all the different markets in our area.

How do you support a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

May I suggest that you let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine and grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. Also, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 7, 2013
Edible Boston Summer 2013 Issue Is Our Friday Link

Be on the lookout for the Summer 2013 issue of Edible Boston with this fresh seasonal cover of shrimp from SKy8 Shrimp Farm.

Farmers' Market Listings by County

This issue contains listings of the summer farmers' markets by county. I know I'll be clipping and posting those pages on my refrigerator to check when I'm going to be in a specific neighborhood or town. I love visiting all the different markets in our area.

How do you support a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

May I suggest that you let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine and grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. Also, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 7, 2013
Fenway Victory Gardens Spring Scenes

Many a walk takes us through this main path of the Fenway Victory Gardens that runs parallel to Boylston Street. But, once in a while, we like to spend time exploring the rest of this historic complex of gardens and gardening support areas.

Update: We read on thier Facebook Page that they are having: "OPEN GARDENS is Saturday June 1st (11am to 3pm)" What's more they have posted their 2013 Calendar of events.

They have a great history page on their site explaining that, "The Fenway Victory Gardens are the nation’s only remaining, continuously operating WWII Victory Gardens." This garden was founded in 1942.

(Click on any image for a larger view.)

This is a community and we've always found the "resident gardeners" friendly and open to answering questions for visitors. If you visit their Facebook group, you'll find the same sharing attitude among the members.

The gardens can feel like a world apart. You can easily forget that they are so close to the heart of Boston.

With a well-established group like this one, you see evidence of shared equipment and resources, including well-organized composting locations.

They even have their own bee hives, a teaching garden, and an accessible garden designed to be enjoyed by persons with disabilities.

Each garden plot has its own personality and it's the details that make this a great location for a photowalk.

Each week the scene changes, new plants come into bloom, and the path you walked a week ago is renewed. It's a place to visit often, walk through slowly, and enjoy with your favorite people. We also highly recommend that any gardener visiting Boston add this place to their trip agenda.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Graduation or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 28, 2013
Fenway Victory Gardens Spring Scenes

Many a walk takes us through this main path of the Fenway Victory Gardens that runs parallel to Boylston Street. But, once in a while, we like to spend time exploring the rest of this historic complex of gardens and gardening support areas.

Update: We read on thier Facebook Page that they are having: "OPEN GARDENS is Saturday June 1st (11am to 3pm)" What's more they have posted their 2013 Calendar of events.

They have a great history page on their site explaining that, "The Fenway Victory Gardens are the nation’s only remaining, continuously operating WWII Victory Gardens." This garden was founded in 1942.

(Click on any image for a larger view.)

This is a community and we've always found the "resident gardeners" friendly and open to answering questions for visitors. If you visit their Facebook group, you'll find the same sharing attitude among the members.

The gardens can feel like a world apart. You can easily forget that they are so close to the heart of Boston.

With a well-established group like this one, you see evidence of shared equipment and resources, including well-organized composting locations.

They even have their own bee hives, a teaching garden, and an accessible garden designed to be enjoyed by persons with disabilities.

Each garden plot has its own personality and it's the details that make this a great location for a photowalk.

Each week the scene changes, new plants come into bloom, and the path you walked a week ago is renewed. It's a place to visit often, walk through slowly, and enjoy with your favorite people. We also highly recommend that any gardener visiting Boston add this place to their trip agenda.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Graduation or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 28, 2013
Fenway Victory Gardens Spring Scenes

Many a walk takes us through this main path of the Fenway Victory Gardens that runs parallel to Boylston Street. But, once in a while, we like to spend time exploring the rest of this historic complex of gardens and gardening support areas.

Update: We read on thier Facebook Page that they are having: "OPEN GARDENS is Saturday June 1st (11am to 3pm)" What's more they have posted their 2013 Calendar of events.

They have a great history page on their site explaining that, "The Fenway Victory Gardens are the nation’s only remaining, continuously operating WWII Victory Gardens." This garden was founded in 1942.

(Click on any image for a larger view.)

This is a community and we've always found the "resident gardeners" friendly and open to answering questions for visitors. If you visit their Facebook group, you'll find the same sharing attitude among the members.

The gardens can feel like a world apart. You can easily forget that they are so close to the heart of Boston.

With a well-established group like this one, you see evidence of shared equipment and resources, including well-organized composting locations.

They even have their own bee hives, a teaching garden, and an accessible garden designed to be enjoyed by persons with disabilities.

Each garden plot has its own personality and it's the details that make this a great location for a photowalk.

Each week the scene changes, new plants come into bloom, and the path you walked a week ago is renewed. It's a place to visit often, walk through slowly, and enjoy with your favorite people. We also highly recommend that any gardener visiting Boston add this place to their trip agenda.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Graduation or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 28, 2013
What’s Open in Boston on Memorial Day 2013
UPDATE: Here's a link to our latest post on "What's Open and Closed on Memorial Day in Boston + MBTA Schedules, Parking, Trash & More"

Here's a run-down of what's open and what's closed in Boston and the MBTA schedules for Memorial Day – Monday, May 27, 2013. We have the information you need on parking, street cleaning, trash, and other happenings this weekend.

Include a visit to the swans at the Boston Public Garden over the weekend!

Restaurants, bars: Open

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose

Liquor stores: Closed (See this page from the Secretary of State)

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 State closed. Some international markets are open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. The Tow Lot is CLOSED Saturday 5/25 1PM – Tuesday 5/28 7AM.

Street Sweeping: The city site says: "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 617-635-4500 for exact details."

Update from the Boston Transportation Department 05.24.13 : There are two traffic advisories in effect for this weekend
- The Boston Strong One Run will take place on Saturday, May 25th.
- The Run to Remember Road Race will take place on Sunday, May 26th.
- Click here for details on the street closings and routes for these events.
More information after this ad

Save storage space with these collapsible coolers. Perfect for small city homes. We have an older version of the Arctic Zone 30 model, and it's amazing at keeping things chilled. We not only use it for picnics, but also grab it to go grocery shopping.

Boston Trash Collection: The announcement from Public Works states:

"Monday May 27, 2013

No Delay of trash or recycling collection in Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, Fenway, Leather District, Mission Hill, North End, Roxbury, South Boston, and the South End

Delay trash and recycling collection a day only if you live in Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, or West Roxbury."

MBTA Schedule Changes

While it is live, here's a link to the MBTA's Memorial Day Schedule. And, you can download the same information here: Download MBTA Memorial Day
- Subways will operate on a Sunday schedule
- Buses will run on a Sunday schedule with some exceptions shown on the link or download above
- Hingham & Qunicy Ferries will operate on a weekday schedule
- Charlestown Ferry will run on a weekend schedule
- Commuter Rail will run on a Sunday Schedule with no service for Fairmount, Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Needham lines
- Those who use THE RIDE should call the service directly about Memorial Day.
* 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 log onto the MBTA’s website www.mbta.com.

Bonus: Free Memorial Day Community Weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo:© 2013 Ed Cherubino

MFA screenshot from their site.
May 24, 2013
What’s Open in Boston on Memorial Day 2013
UPDATE: Here's a link to our latest post on "What's Open and Closed on Memorial Day in Boston + MBTA Schedules, Parking, Trash & More"

Here's a run-down of what's open and what's closed in Boston and the MBTA schedules for Memorial Day – Monday, May 27, 2013. We have the information you need on parking, street cleaning, trash, and other happenings this weekend.

Include a visit to the swans at the Boston Public Garden over the weekend!

Restaurants, bars: Open

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose

Liquor stores: Closed (See this page from the Secretary of State)

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 State closed. Some international markets are open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. The Tow Lot is CLOSED Saturday 5/25 1PM – Tuesday 5/28 7AM.

Street Sweeping: The city site says: "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 617-635-4500 for exact details."

Update from the Boston Transportation Department 05.24.13 : There are two traffic advisories in effect for this weekend
- The Boston Strong One Run will take place on Saturday, May 25th.
- The Run to Remember Road Race will take place on Sunday, May 26th.
- Click here for details on the street closings and routes for these events.
More information after this ad

Save storage space with these collapsible coolers. Perfect for small city homes. We have an older version of the Arctic Zone 30 model, and it's amazing at keeping things chilled. We not only use it for picnics, but also grab it to go grocery shopping.

Boston Trash Collection: The announcement from Public Works states:

"Monday May 27, 2013

No Delay of trash or recycling collection in Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, Fenway, Leather District, Mission Hill, North End, Roxbury, South Boston, and the South End

Delay trash and recycling collection a day only if you live in Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, or West Roxbury."

MBTA Schedule Changes

While it is live, here's a link to the MBTA's Memorial Day Schedule. And, you can download the same information here: Download MBTA Memorial Day
- Subways will operate on a Sunday schedule
- Buses will run on a Sunday schedule with some exceptions shown on the link or download above
- Hingham & Qunicy Ferries will operate on a weekday schedule
- Charlestown Ferry will run on a weekend schedule
- Commuter Rail will run on a Sunday Schedule with no service for Fairmount, Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Needham lines
- Those who use THE RIDE should call the service directly about Memorial Day.
* 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 log onto the MBTA’s website www.mbta.com.

Bonus: Free Memorial Day Community Weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo:© 2013 Ed Cherubino

MFA screenshot from their site.
May 24, 2013
What’s Open in Boston on Memorial Day 2013
UPDATE: Here's a link to our latest post on "What's Open and Closed on Memorial Day in Boston + MBTA Schedules, Parking, Trash & More"

Here's a run-down of what's open and what's closed in Boston and the MBTA schedules for Memorial Day – Monday, May 27, 2013. We have the information you need on parking, street cleaning, trash, and other happenings this weekend.

Include a visit to the swans at the Boston Public Garden over the weekend!

Restaurants, bars: Open

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose

Liquor stores: Closed (See this page from the Secretary of State)

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 State closed. Some international markets are open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. The Tow Lot is CLOSED Saturday 5/25 1PM – Tuesday 5/28 7AM.

Street Sweeping: The city site says: "Daytime street sweeping is suspended on city holidays, but nighttime sweeping schedules remain in effect. Constituents are advised to call 617-635-4500 for exact details."

Update from the Boston Transportation Department 05.24.13 : There are two traffic advisories in effect for this weekend
- The Boston Strong One Run will take place on Saturday, May 25th.
- The Run to Remember Road Race will take place on Sunday, May 26th.
- Click here for details on the street closings and routes for these events.
More information after this ad

Save storage space with these collapsible coolers. Perfect for small city homes. We have an older version of the Arctic Zone 30 model, and it's amazing at keeping things chilled. We not only use it for picnics, but also grab it to go grocery shopping.

Boston Trash Collection: The announcement from Public Works states:

"Monday May 27, 2013

No Delay of trash or recycling collection in Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, Fenway, Leather District, Mission Hill, North End, Roxbury, South Boston, and the South End

Delay trash and recycling collection a day only if you live in Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, or West Roxbury."

MBTA Schedule Changes

While it is live, here's a link to the MBTA's Memorial Day Schedule. And, you can download the same information here: Download MBTA Memorial Day
- Subways will operate on a Sunday schedule
- Buses will run on a Sunday schedule with some exceptions shown on the link or download above
- Hingham & Qunicy Ferries will operate on a weekday schedule
- Charlestown Ferry will run on a weekend schedule
- Commuter Rail will run on a Sunday Schedule with no service for Fairmount, Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Needham lines
- Those who use THE RIDE should call the service directly about Memorial Day.
* 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 log onto the MBTA’s website www.mbta.com.

Bonus: Free Memorial Day Community Weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo:© 2013 Ed Cherubino

MFA screenshot from their site.
May 24, 2013