Category: City Life

Will There Be a Boston Restaurant Shakeout?

How many restaurants can the Boston area support before we have a serious shakeout that might result in some old favorites being lost in the deluge of new places?

Eater Boston has compiled The Colossal 2014 Restaurant Openings Guide. At the time this post was composed, the list included more than 40 more restaurants with scheduled opening dates in 2014.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal is doing yeoman work keeping it up to date. She has also included all those rumored openings that don't have dates attached.

Over on Chowhound's Boston board, members keep track of openings and closings setting up a new converstion each month. They often mourn the loss of a favorite place.

Problems Finding Talented Staff

In this Boston Magazine piece, Chef Will Gilson admited he's having trouble finding top quality workers to staff his kitchen. “It becomes this race against other restaurants, and you try to figure out how to get good people in,” he said.

Converstations among food lovers seem to indicate that the quality of the front of the house staff in some places is also declining as competition for top waitstaff, bartenders, and managers increases.

You Decide Which Restaurants Will Survive

Each of us will have a vote in deciding which restaurants will be here next year and the year after that.

I have my list of restaurants that I will be supporting with my dining dollars over the next year. I may occasionally try a new place – often from an owner, chef, or team that I already know. But, I will encourage my friends to meet me at the places I want to be around after the deluge of new spots divides dining dollars into smaller pots for all.

I’m sure a few restaurants that you love have slipped out of your regular dining out rotation. If you would hate to see any of those old favorites disappear, make a point of going there for a fresh reminder of how good they are.

We make decisions each day about who will or will not remain in business by spending our dollars. Please, make those decisions a bit more consciously over the next year.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

April 24, 2014
Will There Be a Boston Restaurant Shakeout?

How many restaurants can the Boston area support before we have a serious shakeout that might result in some old favorites being lost in the deluge of new places?

Eater Boston has compiled The Colossal 2014 Restaurant Openings Guide. At the time this post was composed, the list included more than 40 more restaurants with scheduled opening dates in 2014.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal is doing yeoman work keeping it up to date. She has also included all those rumored openings that don't have dates attached.

Over on Chowhound's Boston board, members keep track of openings and closings setting up a new converstion each month. They often mourn the loss of a favorite place.

Problems Finding Talented Staff

In this Boston Magazine piece, Chef Will Gilson admited he's having trouble finding top quality workers to staff his kitchen. “It becomes this race against other restaurants, and you try to figure out how to get good people in,” he said.

Converstations among food lovers seem to indicate that the quality of the front of the house staff in some places is also declining as competition for top waitstaff, bartenders, and managers increases.

You Decide Which Restaurants Will Survive

Each of us will have a vote in deciding which restaurants will be here next year and the year after that.

I have my list of restaurants that I will be supporting with my dining dollars over the next year. I may occasionally try a new place – often from an owner, chef, or team that I already know. But, I will encourage my friends to meet me at the places I want to be around after the deluge of new spots divides dining dollars into smaller pots for all.

I’m sure a few restaurants that you love have slipped out of your regular dining out rotation. If you would hate to see any of those old favorites disappear, make a point of going there for a fresh reminder of how good they are.

We make decisions each day about who will or will not remain in business by spending our dollars. Please, make those decisions a bit more consciously over the next year.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

April 24, 2014
Below the Boylston Bleachers

Last week, as we were walking under the Boston Marathon bleachers on Boylston Street, Ed took this photo full of great angles and colors.

Did you know that the origin of the word bleachers is from bleached?

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: © 2014 Ed Cherubino

Related articles

The Commonwealth Requires…

Isis Winged Belly Dancer in the Public Garden

April 21, 2014
Below the Boylston Bleachers

Last week, as we were walking under the Boston Marathon bleachers on Boylston Street, Ed took this photo full of great angles and colors.

Did you know that the origin of the word bleachers is from bleached?

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: © 2014 Ed Cherubino

Related articles

The Commonwealth Requires…

Isis Winged Belly Dancer in the Public Garden

April 21, 2014
Below the Boylston Bleachers

Last week, as we were walking under the Boston Marathon bleachers on Boylston Street, Ed took this photo full of great angles and colors.

Did you know that the origin of the word bleachers is from bleached?

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: © 2014 Ed Cherubino

Related articles

The Commonwealth Requires…

Isis Winged Belly Dancer in the Public Garden

April 21, 2014
Parking Your Car for Boston Marathon Weekend 2014

UPDATE: PARKING YOUR CAR FOR BOSTON MARATHON WEEKEND 2015

Now's the time to plan where you'll park for Marathon weekend, so your car doesn't end up on a flatbed! And, be warned, the city does tow every car left in the way of the racers. So, this weekend, when you move your car for street sweeping, think ahead.

If you normally park on the streets along the route of the weekend races, you may want to begin looking for spaces off-the-route. If you can do without your car for a few days, consider stashing it in a safe spot before everyone else has the same idea. And, remember, the bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue have eliminated more than 70 spaces, so finding on-street parking will be more difficult than ever.

Here's a Google map that locates public parking facilities using the Boston Marathon Finish Line as the central point.

And, if you'll need your car on Monday, you should make sure it's on the side of the Marathon route where you can reach it and get to your planned destination.

Here are some transportation restrictions & parking tips for Boston Marathon volunteers from the B.A.A. Site.

Saturday, April 19, 2014 – The B.A.A. 5K, Invitational Miles, and Relay Challenge

Again, this year, there are weekend races prior to Monday's marathon.

Thousands of runners are expected to compete in the 5K (3.1 mile) race two days prior to 118th Boston Marathon. This race is scheduled to start at 8 AM by the Boston Common and cover a route through parts of the Back Bay ending back at the Common. Here's a link to the B.A.A. 5K course map.

Plus, there are the Invitational Mile races that will also be held on Saturday, April 19, 2014. For details, including streets impacted by this event, go to B.A.A. Invitational Mile 2014.

And, the B.A.A. Relay Challenge is also scheduled on Saturday (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM).

For the full press release with more details, Click Here.

Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Marathon Monday, April 21, 2014

Parking restrictions for the Marathon often begin on Boylston Street five or six-days before the event. From this point, until the last runners are safely across the finish line, you'll see more and more "No Parking/No Stopping" signs popping-up along the marathon route and some adjacent streets.

Remember, many streets in the Copley Square area will be impacted by the marathon. The best advice is to park your vehicle and walk and/or take public transportation.

From the city's site: Download City of Boston Traffic and Parking Advisory Boston Marathon (2014) for complete details.

The City of Boston is also updating a box of information on this page.

Related Posts & Helpful Links:

What's Open in Boston on Patriots' Day 2014 (Marathon Monday)

Parking and No-Tow alerts

Tracking a Boston Marathon Runner 2014

Routes for Visiting Runners

Views from Hereford Street 2009

How to Get to the Esplanade from Boston

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: Ed Cherubino

Photo: © 2014 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.

Related articles

Lost Boston: Bicycle Club at 152 Newbury Street

Runners Already Preparing For Boston Marathon

Ryan Hall explains withdrawal from Boston Marathon

Team BMC for the Boston Marathon: Help Support Our Mission!

April 17, 2014
Parking Your Car for Boston Marathon Weekend 2014

UPDATE: PARKING YOUR CAR FOR BOSTON MARATHON WEEKEND 2015

Now's the time to plan where you'll park for Marathon weekend, so your car doesn't end up on a flatbed! And, be warned, the city does tow every car left in the way of the racers. So, this weekend, when you move your car for street sweeping, think ahead.

If you normally park on the streets along the route of the weekend races, you may want to begin looking for spaces off-the-route. If you can do without your car for a few days, consider stashing it in a safe spot before everyone else has the same idea. And, remember, the bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue have eliminated more than 70 spaces, so finding on-street parking will be more difficult than ever.

Here's a Google map that locates public parking facilities using the Boston Marathon Finish Line as the central point.

And, if you'll need your car on Monday, you should make sure it's on the side of the Marathon route where you can reach it and get to your planned destination.

Here are some transportation restrictions & parking tips for Boston Marathon volunteers from the B.A.A. Site.

Saturday, April 19, 2014 – The B.A.A. 5K, Invitational Miles, and Relay Challenge

Again, this year, there are weekend races prior to Monday's marathon.

Thousands of runners are expected to compete in the 5K (3.1 mile) race two days prior to 118th Boston Marathon. This race is scheduled to start at 8 AM by the Boston Common and cover a route through parts of the Back Bay ending back at the Common. Here's a link to the B.A.A. 5K course map.

Plus, there are the Invitational Mile races that will also be held on Saturday, April 19, 2014. For details, including streets impacted by this event, go to B.A.A. Invitational Mile 2014.

And, the B.A.A. Relay Challenge is also scheduled on Saturday (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM).

For the full press release with more details, Click Here.

Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Marathon Monday, April 21, 2014

Parking restrictions for the Marathon often begin on Boylston Street five or six-days before the event. From this point, until the last runners are safely across the finish line, you'll see more and more "No Parking/No Stopping" signs popping-up along the marathon route and some adjacent streets.

Remember, many streets in the Copley Square area will be impacted by the marathon. The best advice is to park your vehicle and walk and/or take public transportation.

From the city's site: Download City of Boston Traffic and Parking Advisory Boston Marathon (2014) for complete details.

The City of Boston is also updating a box of information on this page.

Related Posts & Helpful Links:

What's Open in Boston on Patriots' Day 2014 (Marathon Monday)

Parking and No-Tow alerts

Tracking a Boston Marathon Runner 2014

Routes for Visiting Runners

Views from Hereford Street 2009

How to Get to the Esplanade from Boston

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: Ed Cherubino

Photo: © 2014 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.

Related articles

Lost Boston: Bicycle Club at 152 Newbury Street

Runners Already Preparing For Boston Marathon

Ryan Hall explains withdrawal from Boston Marathon

Team BMC for the Boston Marathon: Help Support Our Mission!

April 17, 2014
Parking Your Car for Boston Marathon Weekend 2014

UPDATE: PARKING YOUR CAR FOR BOSTON MARATHON WEEKEND 2015

Now's the time to plan where you'll park for Marathon weekend, so your car doesn't end up on a flatbed! And, be warned, the city does tow every car left in the way of the racers. So, this weekend, when you move your car for street sweeping, think ahead.

If you normally park on the streets along the route of the weekend races, you may want to begin looking for spaces off-the-route. If you can do without your car for a few days, consider stashing it in a safe spot before everyone else has the same idea. And, remember, the bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue have eliminated more than 70 spaces, so finding on-street parking will be more difficult than ever.

Here's a Google map that locates public parking facilities using the Boston Marathon Finish Line as the central point.

And, if you'll need your car on Monday, you should make sure it's on the side of the Marathon route where you can reach it and get to your planned destination.

Here are some transportation restrictions & parking tips for Boston Marathon volunteers from the B.A.A. Site.

Saturday, April 19, 2014 – The B.A.A. 5K, Invitational Miles, and Relay Challenge

Again, this year, there are weekend races prior to Monday's marathon.

Thousands of runners are expected to compete in the 5K (3.1 mile) race two days prior to 118th Boston Marathon. This race is scheduled to start at 8 AM by the Boston Common and cover a route through parts of the Back Bay ending back at the Common. Here's a link to the B.A.A. 5K course map.

Plus, there are the Invitational Mile races that will also be held on Saturday, April 19, 2014. For details, including streets impacted by this event, go to B.A.A. Invitational Mile 2014.

And, the B.A.A. Relay Challenge is also scheduled on Saturday (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM).

For the full press release with more details, Click Here.

Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Marathon Monday, April 21, 2014

Parking restrictions for the Marathon often begin on Boylston Street five or six-days before the event. From this point, until the last runners are safely across the finish line, you'll see more and more "No Parking/No Stopping" signs popping-up along the marathon route and some adjacent streets.

Remember, many streets in the Copley Square area will be impacted by the marathon. The best advice is to park your vehicle and walk and/or take public transportation.

From the city's site: Download City of Boston Traffic and Parking Advisory Boston Marathon (2014) for complete details.

The City of Boston is also updating a box of information on this page.

Related Posts & Helpful Links:

What's Open in Boston on Patriots' Day 2014 (Marathon Monday)

Parking and No-Tow alerts

Tracking a Boston Marathon Runner 2014

Routes for Visiting Runners

Views from Hereford Street 2009

How to Get to the Esplanade from Boston

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: Ed Cherubino

Photo: © 2014 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.

Related articles

Lost Boston: Bicycle Club at 152 Newbury Street

Runners Already Preparing For Boston Marathon

Ryan Hall explains withdrawal from Boston Marathon

Team BMC for the Boston Marathon: Help Support Our Mission!

April 17, 2014
Saluting Public Safety Dogs

During the next couple of weeks, we will see more of the area's public safety dogs in action. We'd like to dedicate this week's Sunday Dog feature to all of these canines and their human partners.

This beauty is one of the officers of the Massachusetts State Police Force in a photo from their Facebook Page. While at ease in this photo, these dogs are very serious when they are on the job.

Tips for Interacting with Public Safety Dogs

First and foremost, understand that this is not a pet and that the dog and the handler may have important tasks to perform. Even if it looks like they are just standing around, don’t distract them.

Should the handler acknowledge you, don’t approach without specific permission.

Never approach a K-9 team from the rear. Make a wide circle around them, stay calm and relaxed, and don’t make any quick movements. These dogs are protective of their partners.

You should not touch or offer a treat to a working K-9 without specific permission from his or her teammate.

Always follow the handler’s instructions. These teams are there to protect you and others and to keep the situation under control. They may have information that you lack, so show respect and do as the officer asks.

These teams will be on duty trying to keep Boston safe during this busy spring event season. Let's hope no one makes more work for them.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of Massachusetts State Police

Related articles

Top 10 Dog Park Tips for Keeping Your Dog Safe & Happy

Time to Make Sure Your Dog Is Licensed and Counted

2/3rd's Of People Surveyed Take Their Dog with Them In the Car on Trips

April 13, 2014
Saluting Public Safety Dogs

During the next couple of weeks, we will see more of the area's public safety dogs in action. We'd like to dedicate this week's Sunday Dog feature to all of these canines and their human partners.

This beauty is one of the officers of the Massachusetts State Police Force in a photo from their Facebook Page. While at ease in this photo, these dogs are very serious when they are on the job.

Tips for Interacting with Public Safety Dogs

First and foremost, understand that this is not a pet and that the dog and the handler may have important tasks to perform. Even if it looks like they are just standing around, don’t distract them.

Should the handler acknowledge you, don’t approach without specific permission.

Never approach a K-9 team from the rear. Make a wide circle around them, stay calm and relaxed, and don’t make any quick movements. These dogs are protective of their partners.

You should not touch or offer a treat to a working K-9 without specific permission from his or her teammate.

Always follow the handler’s instructions. These teams are there to protect you and others and to keep the situation under control. They may have information that you lack, so show respect and do as the officer asks.

These teams will be on duty trying to keep Boston safe during this busy spring event season. Let's hope no one makes more work for them.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of Massachusetts State Police

Related articles

Top 10 Dog Park Tips for Keeping Your Dog Safe & Happy

Time to Make Sure Your Dog Is Licensed and Counted

2/3rd's Of People Surveyed Take Their Dog with Them In the Car on Trips

April 13, 2014