Category: City Life

North Bennet Street School Open House in Their New Facility

We've told you about the open houses held at North Bennet Street School in the past. This Boston treasure trove is a place that turns dreams into reality. We have November 14 & 15 marked on our calendars because we can't wait to see the new facility at 150 North Street.

They say:

"Aspiring furniture makers, bookbinders, carpenters, jewelry makers – or those merely curious about the process of making beautiful things by hand – are invited to a special behind-the-scenes look at one of America's oldest schools of craftsmanship during a two-day open house at North Bennet Street School’s new facility at 150 North Street in Boston's historic North End."

We say:

This is a great way to spend some time meeting people who have gone after their dreams. Who knows, a door may open for you and you'll become a student. Or, perhaps you'll decide to explore one of the fine crafts they teach at a workshop or short course.

Or, you may decide to put someone's feet on the path to their dream with a North Bennet Street School gift certificate as a holiday gift.

Everything You Need to Know to Visit

As always, when the school provides us with information for an upcoming event, they think of all the little details that make it easy for our readers to get there and enjoy their visit.

Who: North Bennet Street School

What: Annual Open House and Open Studios

Where: 150 North Street, Boston, MA 02109 (North End, just off the Rose Kennedy Greenway)

When: Friday, November 14, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm; Saturday, November 15, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Cost: FREE

Handicap Access: Yes

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 Open House details: www.nbss.edu/openhouse

More about NBSS full-time programs and workshops: http://www.nbss.edu

Contact: 617-227-0155 and admissions@nbss.edu

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: by Maureen Cotton, Courtesy of North Bennet Street School

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November 14, 2014
November Foliage in the Heart of Boston

This weekend, we took a few fall foliage shots to mark the progress of the leaf peeping season in Boston.

Here's the scene along the Muddy River at Charlesgate East. The former Charlesgate Hotel (designed by artchitect J. Pickering Putnam and built in 1901) provides an exuberant background for the foliage and adds to the refections in the river.

Along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the statues pop against a palette of green and muted color.

When the sun peeks through, it makes a pretty place to walk and notice the changing scene. This one was taken on November 10th.

The canopy of trees still offers a tunnel of shade for walkers. This time of year, shades of color add to the effect.

It has been a less than spectacular foliage season in this area with some trees going from green, to brown, to bare without putting on their annual show of color.

But visitors, who thought they'd miss all color by coming to Boston in mid-November, still have a bit of a treat in store.

Last year was far more colorful as we showed you in the photos used in this earlier post:

What's Happening Around Boston in November 2014

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

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November 13, 2014
The Book “Dirty Old Boston” Is Our Friday Link

Thumbing through our review copy of Dirty Old Boston: Four Decades of a City in Transition, one of the first photos I spotted was one we had used recently right here on BostonZest for our post: Where Is This Lion? Fun with Historic Photos!

If you love our posts that include photography from Boston's rich history, you could fill a rainy afternoon paging through Dirty Old Boston. We used this photo as a clue to one of our Attention to Detail searches were you have to try to remember where you saw an architectural detail.

Dirty Old Boston author Jim Botticelli used it as one example of the faces and places of Boston in the 1950s. His caption:

"All he wants are his two front teeth. Posing with the Stowe Lion on Columbus Avenue. South End, 1950s. Photos by Leslie Jones."

The book is divided by decades from the 1940s to the 1980s and is full of the people, places, events, and changes that left their mark on each era.

Here's Part of the Publisher's Description

"Rich and compelling, Dirty Old Boston chronicles the people, streets, and buildings from the postwar years to 1987. From ball games to dive bars, and amidst an ever-changing skyline, Dirty Old Boston captures some of the city’s most dramatic and tumultuous events including the wholesale razing of neighborhoods, Boston’s busing crisis, and the continual fight for affordable housing.

Photographs—assembled from family albums, student projects, institutional archives, and professional collections—reveal Boston as seen from the streets. What emerges is a narrative of a city tearing down and rebuilding, protesting and celebrating, fading and thriving. Illuminating Boston’s singular tenacity and spirit, Dirty Old Boston presents our proud moments and doesn’t shy away from our growing pains. Raw and beautiful, this book is an important and evocative tribute to the city and its people."

The Hancock Tower is shown under construction on one page and after (photo above) with the caption,"Slabs of plywood already plague I.M. Pei's design. Back Bay, 1973. Courtesy National Archives"

A Book to Share

My copy already has page after page tagged with Post-it flags marking sections I want to share with others. In fact, there are so many photos that I want to share with my friend Linda Cox, that I'm going to have to plan a long coffee hour just to talk about them. We both love historic photos.

Sharing the fun of exploring this book with others who love this city and learning from some of the people who have lived here through these decades will be half the fun of having it. It contains many photos from private collections that even a historic photo geek like me has never had the opportunity to view.

Some pages will hit emotional hot buttons. I found myself running my finger across the photo of Max Kaiserman at his newsstand in Copley Square where I used to buy my morning papers. It's that kind of book – one that will bring back memories for some and show others what was here before they were.

Dirty Old Boston: Four Decades of a City in Transition will also make a wonderful holiday gift for any fan of this city and its history.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of Union Park Press and Dirty Old Boston: Four Decades of a City in Transition.

November 7, 2014
Veterans Day 2014 What’s Open or Closed in Boston Plus MBTA, Trash & Parking Info

UPDATE: Veterans Day 2015 What's Open or Closed in Boston Plus MBTA, Trash & Parking Info

Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston on Veterans Day, information on Boston trash collection, parking meters, and MBTA schedules for Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

(Civil war vets inspect huge German captured gun on Boston Common. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Circa 1927)

This year, November 11th falls on a Tuesday. If you are one of the people who has the day off, you might want to take an extra day and have a four day weekend.

We publish these reminders before each holiday to help you make the most of your time off!

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 most Banks closed. But, we are noticing that some banks are keeping some branches open so check with your own institution.

Stock market: Open, as are international markets.

Boston Parking: The City says, "City of Boston parking meters are free on Sundays and legal holidays and no time limit is enforced. All other parking regulations, including rush hour restrictions at meters, remain in effect."

Street Sweeping: 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 Collection: The City says:

Veterans Day: Tuesday, November 11, 6am – Sunday, November 16, 2014, 5pm

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

Allston/Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, West Roxbury and Hyde Park, delayed a day

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

The MBTA has posted its Veterans Day Schedule and, as in the past, the system is operating on a weekday schedule: Complete Details Here.

For additional information on routes, schedules, and fares, "please call the MBTA Customer Service Center at 617-222-3200 or 1-800-392-6100 (hearing impaired TDD 617-222-5146)" or contact them at www.mbta.com.

And, if you have to work: Holiday Pay Information For Retail Establishments from the Secretary of State.

"Retail establishments which operate on New Year's Day, Columbus Day after 12 noon, or on November 11th after 1:00 p.m. are required to pay their employees time and one-half regardless of the number of employees on their payroll."

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: (Civil War vets inspect huge German captured gun on Boston Common. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Circa 1927) used under creative commons license

November 3, 2014
Plan a Fall Photowalk with Your Sunday Dog & Your Dog Pals

The radiant colors of fall in Boston call us outdoors. If you are lucky enough to have a dog to walk, you can spend hours wandering the streets and parks.

Your pup will sniff the fallen leaves and you can pull out a phone or camera to record memories of your time together.

Pick a Destination

We walk the Commonwealth Avenue Mall daily and never cease to be rewarded with gorgeous sights as the seasons pass. Slow down, look around, and you can find beauty in many corners of our city. All that green that sets us apart from cities with more pavement and concrete will blaze into color in the weeks ahead.

Call a few dog walking pals and you can quickly organize a day of fun for your whole gang. Suggest that everyone bring cameras or use their phones to take and share some photos of the day.

My favorite photos of me with my Westie Maggie Mae were taken by a friend when we were out on a walk together. She caught a candid shot of me holding Maggie with big smiles on both our faces, printed it, tucked it into an album, and gave it to me for my birthday. I had it framed and it is on display on my bookshelf. Now that Maggie is gone, it’s a precious memory of a happy day with her.

Photowalks Are Fun

It’s not about who has the best camera or who knows how to choose all the manual settings. It’s about collecting views, visions, and vistas. It’s about recording happy moments, shared laughs, and memories.

If ten people walk through the Public Garden and take ten photos of people sitting enjoying the scene with their dogs, those photos will all be different and will tell ten stories from ten perspectives.

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

October 26, 2014
Thanksgiving 2014 Dining Out in Boston
UPDATE: Reserve Now for Thanksgiving 2015 Dining Out in Boston

It's time to make Thanksgiving dinner reservations, especially if you want to enjoy your holiday meal at one of the Boston area's great restaurants on Thursday, November 27, 2014.

Most places have special menus and sometimes set seatings for major holidays. Many will require a deposit or credit card number to place a reservation.

We publish these holiday reservation reminders early so that our readers can get a head start and grab a reservation at a worthy spot. We'll keep adding updates as more places announce their intention to open and menus.

Which Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Thanksgiving?

Hotel restaurants are normally open on all holidays. In Boston, this means some excellent choices including:
- Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Hotel
- L'Espalier at the Mandarin Hotel
- Rialto at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge
- Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Boston
- Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
- Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
- Dante at the Royal Sonesta Hotel across the River in Cambridge.
Master Lists of Boston Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving.

The reservation site Open Table is maintaining a list of restaurants with Thanksgiving menus. Listings include a price and information on offerings beyond traditional holiday fare. Remember, there are many more restaurants open that day. Put a time and number of guests into the system to see exactly what is available.

Here are a few that we can recommend from the long Open Table list.
- La Voile on Newbury Street always plans a special meal for the neighbors who love this small French charmer.
- Bistro du Midi always serves a wonderful meal. And, if you want lighter fare, their Café will be open at 11 a.m.
Open Table even includes some places outside the city if you're meeting up with family and friends who live in the suburbs. And, they can help you find a place to enjoy the holiday meal if you'll be away for the long weekend.

Bostonchefs.com has some information on its members' offerings. For example, here are a few options we'd consider if we were looking for a great menu:
- Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square will be open all day starting with breakfast and will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 1-8 p.m.
- L'Espalier in the Back Bay will showcase the harvest from Chef McClelland's Apple Street Farm and will offer a three course prix fixe menu or, for a special holiday treat, a degustation menu.
- Harvest in Harvard Square, Cambridge
- Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center in the Back Bay comes with a view!
- One recommendation for a lower cost option with good food would be Petit Robert in Boston.
Interesting Twist!

Fairsted Kitchen is offering a pre-ordered, family style Thanksgiving dinner that is in keeping with their shared big plate menu. It seems like a good deal for a family or a bunch of friends who want to share a holiday meal.

A Few Places with Their Regular Menus Available

Many restaurants in Boston's Chinatown will be open. You can check with the Twitter account @bostonchinatown for more details.

Some chains restaurants will also offer their regular menus.

Davio's in Boston and Chestnut Hill

Capital Grille Boston, Chestnut Hill, and Burlington

We'll post updates in this space as other Boston resources post their lists and choices.
- Update 11.12.14 Here is a wonderful summary of what is open and where there are some available reservations from Eater Boston. Great job as always by Rachel Leah Blumenthal.
- Update 11.04.14 the crew over at the Boston Chowhound Board have a Thanksgiving Conversation underway at this link.
- Update 11.04.14 Boston Magazine has posted their list of "30+ Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving Dinner in Boston."
- Update 10.30.14 The crew over on the Boston Trip Advisor Board are answering the question, "Where to eat Thanksgiving in Boston."
- Last year, over on the Boston Chowhound Board the hounds came up with Durgin Park as the perfect solution for a group of trainees who found themselves in Boston over the holiday. (Bad Website warning: the Durgin Park site has cheesy music and you have to click events to get to the holiday offering.)
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: istockphoto.com

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October 24, 2014
Where Is This Lion? Fun with Historic Photos!
This lion lives on a fairly busy street in Boston. Do you know where you'll find him?

Photo credit and links are below.

Photo credit and links are below.

Clues:
1. Over the years this building was used for a lodging house, church, undertaker, stores, day nursery, and apartments.
2. In 1943, repairs were made to the buidling after a fire.
3. Today, the building houses seven condominium units.
4. Leslie Jones took these photos.
5. It's in the South End.
Update: 10/25/14: We received a review copy of Dirty Old Boston: Four Decades of a City in Transition by Jim Botticelli, a great new book from Union Park Press and found the second photo on page 37. If you love these historic photos posts, you will love this book.

Here's a photo of the lion, today:

Are you ready for an answer?

This lion lives at 511 Columbus Avenue at the corner of Greenwich Park.

Here are the historic photos with their titles.

Both are: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection, and are used under this creative commons license.

"South End kids pose on stone lion"

"African-American boy with Stowe lion"

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino
October 23, 2014
Exceptional Street Sweeping: Applause! Applause!

Yesterday, we spotted this gentleman from Public Works out ahead of the street sweeper on Marlborough Street.

He was sweeping the leaves away from the curb to enable the machine to do a better job at collecting them.

He coordinated his work with the driver of the street sweeper.

He also took a moment, now and then, to clear a sidewalk of leaves in front of buildings where the residents had not taken advantage of the street sweeping schedule to push their leaves to the curb.

As you can see in the photo above, this resulted in a great job! A big thank you to someone who obviously takes pride in his work.

If this is the new way of clearing leaves, we hope not to see a mess linger into the winter like we did last year. (See our post: The Case for Year-Round Street Sweeping.)

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

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October 21, 2014
A Sunset Sail on the Charles

This crew from MIT enjoyed the last hour of light shining on the river and through their red sail.

There are a couple more Monday Night sailing events (October 20th & 27th, 2014) out of the MIT sailing pavilion. It's fun to watch these skilled sailors compete from either the Boston or Cambridge shore.

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

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October 20, 2014
Then and Now: Back Street Was Once the Shoreline of the Charles

In the days before political manipulations created the dreadful Storrow Drive, Back Street was the shoreline of the Charles River. Here's a photo from the City of Boston Archives taken 107 years ago, on this day, in 1907.

Here's the scene in a photo I took last week.

Below is a map of what the area looked like a few years later, after a new dam created the Charles River basin and the mud from the dredging of the river was used to create a parkland beyond Back Street.

As you can see, what we call the Charles River Esplanade was identified as the Charles River Embankment.

This is an idealized postcard depiction of the embankment parkland. You could walk from your home on Beacon Street right into the park.

Next came the parkway along the river for pleasure drives. It was called a driveway back in the day and as you can see, you could pull over and enjoy the river scenes.

Then, in the 1950s, the ugly scar called Storrow Drive became a barrier between Bostonians and their riverside park.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino with this link provided to historic photo from the Boston City Archives. The postcards are from a private collection.

October 17, 2014