Tag: Boston

Scarier by the Day, Halloween Decor at 130 Commonwealth Avenue: Today In Boston!

Each day a bit more Halloween fright has been added to this front yard at 130 Commonwealth Avenue.

"But I love Halloween, and I love that feeling: the cold air, the spooky dangers lurking around the corner." Evan Peters

About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

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: © 2016 Penny Cherubino

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October 29, 2016
Veterans Day: What’s Open or Closed in Boston Plus MBTA, Trash & Parking Info for 2017

Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston on Veterans Day, information on Boston trash collection, parking meters, and MBTA schedules. This resource page has been updated for this year, Saturday, November 11, 2017.

* PLEASE NOTE the City Says: "Friday, November 10 - Veterans Day
City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect. BCYF Community Centers are closed. Boston Public Libraries are open, but will close on Saturday, November 11."

(Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library) Photo created: 1877 – 1900 (approximate)

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, "On Sundays, City holidays, and observed holiday dates, you can park for free, but all other parking regulations are still enforced."

Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

Boston Trash Collection:

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.

MBTA Veterans Day 2017 Schedule has not been published: It may be that, with the new improved website, the holiday summary updates the MBTA has made available in the past will no longer be done.

This year November 11th falls on a Saturday. We can guess few things about the schedule. From the printed schedules we were able to access on the new site, it looks like the Subways will run on a Saturday schedule.

We checked a number of Bus schedules and those that included holiday information were running on a Saturday Schedule.

Commuter Rail schedules do not include any mention of Veterans Day and refer you to the website which does not have any Veterans Day information.

Ferry schedules do not mention Veterans Day.

The Ride information no longer mentions holidays.

For additional information on routes, schedules, fares, and more, the MBTA says, "Please call (617) 222-3200 for support, or for our Deaf or Hard of Hearing: customers TTY (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 12:00 p.m., 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."

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Used under creative commons license

October 28, 2016
Veterans Day: What’s Open or Closed in Boston Plus MBTA, Trash & Parking Info for 2017

Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston on Veterans Day, information on Boston trash collection, parking meters, and MBTA schedules. This resource page has been updated for this year, Saturday, November 11, 2017.

* PLEASE NOTE the City Says: "Friday, November 10 - Veterans Day
City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect. BCYF Community Centers are closed. Boston Public Libraries are open, but will close on Saturday, November 11."

(Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library) Photo created: 1877 – 1900 (approximate)

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, "On Sundays, City holidays, and observed holiday dates, you can park for free, but all other parking regulations are still enforced."

Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

Boston Trash Collection:

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.

MBTA Veterans Day 2017 Schedule has not been published: It may be that, with the new improved website, the holiday summary updates the MBTA has made available in the past will no longer be done.

This year November 11th falls on a Saturday. We can guess few things about the schedule. From the printed schedules we were able to access on the new site, it looks like the Subways will run on a Saturday schedule.

We checked a number of Bus schedules and those that included holiday information were running on a Saturday Schedule.

Commuter Rail schedules do not include any mention of Veterans Day and refer you to the website which does not have any Veterans Day information.

Ferry schedules do not mention Veterans Day.

The Ride information no longer mentions holidays.

For additional information on routes, schedules, fares, and more, the MBTA says, "Please call (617) 222-3200 for support, or for our Deaf or Hard of Hearing: customers TTY (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 12:00 p.m., 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."

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Used under creative commons license

October 28, 2016
Halloween Humor at 5 Commonwealth Avenue: Today In Boston!

Over the next few days, we're going to point out some of the great Halloween decorations in our area. Today's spotlight is just steps from the Public Garden at 5 Commonwealth Avenue.

"Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative." Judy Gold

About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

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: © 2016 Penny Cherubino

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October 27, 2016
Halloween Humor at 5 Commonwealth Avenue: Today In Boston!

Over the next few days, we're going to point out some of the great Halloween decorations in our area. Today's spotlight is just steps from the Public Garden at 5 Commonwealth Avenue.

"Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative." Judy Gold

About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

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: © 2016 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Roses for Sarmiento

Sunday Is Leif Erikson Day, Discover his Boston Statue!

Routes for Visiting Runners – Boston Marathon Weekend

October 27, 2016
WBUR’s Magic Pill Podcast Has Me Out Walking Every Morning …

Since September 1st, I have been up and out for a walk every morning and have achieved my Fitbit goals every day. (When Ed pops in here to edit this post, he can confirm my record!) (Confirmed! And, although Poppy & I like to sleep in, we're beginning to feel pressured to join her.)

Thanks to WBUR and their inspiring podcast, The Magic PilI, I have reconnected with and have been motivated to increase my fitness by one of my favorite doctors, Eddie Phillips, MD.

When he was my sports medicine doc at MGH, I remember Doctor Phillips showing me the exact stretch he is demonstrating in the photo above. Sadly, for me, Dr. Phillips has moved on. He has founded and directs the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, www.instituteoflifestylemedicine.org.

As a former patient, I can say that what you hear on the WBUR Podcast is the same advice and attitude he had with me as a private patient.

He doesn't tell you what to do, he'll tell you what you can do. He will have you thinking about small, achievable, specific goals and milestones, not big scary, "I'll never really do that …" objectives.

His partner in this program is Carey Goldberg, editor of WBUR's CommonHealth blog. She is a well-respected journalist and adds warm, personal interviews and background research to each episode.

I waited to write about this until I was sure I was well on my way to being a continuing success story as a person following Doctor Phillips' philosophy that exercise is a Magic Pill that most of us can use to live a healthier life.

Here is a link to the Podcast Pilot. It's a great introduction and I hope it will lead you to take one episode daily (your daily dose of get-up-and-go) for the next twenty-one days and see if you, like me, find yourself still on the move two months from now.

I hope WBUR will add more episodes of this inspiring program. Anytime I feel that I'm about to slip off my training routine, I'll go back and listen to the 21 existing episodes again. But I would love to have this team offer some sort of Magic Pill continuing education and inspiration.

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: Courtesy of WBUR, Magic Pill

October 21, 2016
WBUR’s Magic Pill Podcast Has Me Out Walking Every Morning …

Since September 1st, I have been up and out for a walk every morning and have achieved my Fitbit goals every day. (When Ed pops in here to edit this post, he can confirm my record!) (Confirmed! And, although Poppy & I like to sleep in, we're beginning to feel pressured to join her.)

Thanks to WBUR and their inspiring podcast, The Magic PilI, I have reconnected with and have been motivated to increase my fitness by one of my favorite doctors, Eddie Phillips, MD.

When he was my sports medicine doc at MGH, I remember Doctor Phillips showing me the exact stretch he is demonstrating in the photo above. Sadly, for me, Dr. Phillips has moved on. He has founded and directs the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, www.instituteoflifestylemedicine.org.

As a former patient, I can say that what you hear on the WBUR Podcast is the same advice and attitude he had with me as a private patient.

He doesn't tell you what to do, he'll tell you what you can do. He will have you thinking about small, achievable, specific goals and milestones, not big scary, "I'll never really do that …" objectives.

His partner in this program is Carey Goldberg, editor of WBUR's CommonHealth blog. She is a well-respected journalist and adds warm, personal interviews and background research to each episode.

I waited to write about this until I was sure I was well on my way to being a continuing success story as a person following Doctor Phillips' philosophy that exercise is a Magic Pill that most of us can use to live a healthier life.

Here is a link to the Podcast Pilot. It's a great introduction and I hope it will lead you to take one episode daily (your daily dose of get-up-and-go) for the next twenty-one days and see if you, like me, find yourself still on the move two months from now.

I hope WBUR will add more episodes of this inspiring program. Anytime I feel that I'm about to slip off my training routine, I'll go back and listen to the 21 existing episodes again. But I would love to have this team offer some sort of Magic Pill continuing education and inspiration.

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: Courtesy of WBUR, Magic Pill

October 21, 2016
Piattini for Pasta, Pizza, Panini, and a Pretty Patio!

As you may have noticed, we've been featuring restaurants, like Piattini Wine Cafe on Newbury Street, that have earned their place in our rotation and yours.

Update: In October a two-alarm fire that began in an art gallery above Piattini caused damage to the restaurant.

Fans, like us, are hoping for the restaurant to be up and running soon. You can check in with Piattini's site or follow them on social media. We'll help spread the word when they big reopening happens.

Piattini's scampi with sautéed shrimp, garlic, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and white wine over linguini is one of Penny's favorite menu items.

Penny's pal Linda introduced her to Piattini years ago. While this little Back Bay gem has expanded over the years, they have not compromised on the quality of the food and the warmth of the service.

For a recent lunch, Ed chose a daily special of chicken piccata over angel hair pasta.

We mentioned to a neighbor that we were going to Piattini for lunch and she broke into a smile and began to tell us how much she enjoys the place. We hear that a lot from those who live in the area. It's good to have a few local places serving good food in a neighborhood overrun with mediocre chain restaurants.

The "Wine Cafe" in the name means that the wine list is well-matched with the food. In fact, we often order one of the house wines like the Pinot Grigio with our meals. This one was a great match for these lighter, warm weather pastas.

On a cooler day, we paired this meatball panini with a Chianti from the wine specials list.

A Nero D'Avola from the regular wine list was perfect with the Piattini bolognese with homemade fusilli.

This time of year, we often opt for a seat on the patio when there is an open table.

Well-tended flower boxes serve as buffers from the busy street. They change their look throughout the seasons. The combination of sunken patio, sheltering umbrellas, and tall greenery makes these some of our favorite sidewalk dining seats.

And we are not alone. We arrived early but before we finished lunch, every seat on the two-sided patio was filled. One table of four was having a great time passing dishes and sharing laughs and food as if at the home of an Italian Nonna.

This is the perfect patio season, so add Piattini to your seasonal bucket list!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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September 28, 2016
Piattini for Pasta, Pizza, Panini, and a Pretty Patio!

As you may have noticed, we've been featuring restaurants, like Piattini Wine Cafe on Newbury Street, that have earned their place in our rotation and yours.

Update: In October a two-alarm fire that began in an art gallery above Piattini caused damage to the restaurant.

Fans, like us, are hoping for the restaurant to be up and running soon. You can check in with Piattini's site or follow them on social media. We'll help spread the word when they big reopening happens.

Piattini's scampi with sautéed shrimp, garlic, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and white wine over linguini is one of Penny's favorite menu items.

Penny's pal Linda introduced her to Piattini years ago. While this little Back Bay gem has expanded over the years, they have not compromised on the quality of the food and the warmth of the service.

For a recent lunch, Ed chose a daily special of chicken piccata over angel hair pasta.

We mentioned to a neighbor that we were going to Piattini for lunch and she broke into a smile and began to tell us how much she enjoys the place. We hear that a lot from those who live in the area. It's good to have a few local places serving good food in a neighborhood overrun with mediocre chain restaurants.

The "Wine Cafe" in the name means that the wine list is well-matched with the food. In fact, we often order one of the house wines like the Pinot Grigio with our meals. This one was a great match for these lighter, warm weather pastas.

On a cooler day, we paired this meatball panini with a Chianti from the wine specials list.

A Nero D'Avola from the regular wine list was perfect with the Piattini bolognese with homemade fusilli.

This time of year, we often opt for a seat on the patio when there is an open table.

Well-tended flower boxes serve as buffers from the busy street. They change their look throughout the seasons. The combination of sunken patio, sheltering umbrellas, and tall greenery makes these some of our favorite sidewalk dining seats.

And we are not alone. We arrived early but before we finished lunch, every seat on the two-sided patio was filled. One table of four was having a great time passing dishes and sharing laughs and food as if at the home of an Italian Nonna.

This is the perfect patio season, so add Piattini to your seasonal bucket list!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Shake Shack on Newbury Street

September 28, 2016
Turn to Universal Hub When You What to Know What’s Happening in Boston

Here's one of my top tips for newcomers to Boston. If you want news that really matters to your life in Boston, you need to know about Universal Hub.

It's usually the first site I visit each morning. And, when I want to know what's going on: why traffic is stopped on Storrow Drive or why I'm hearing helicopters or non-stop sirens, I call up Adam Gaffin's @universalhub timeline on Twitter.

Stories are updated not only by Adam, but also by commenters, photographers who contribute to the Universal Hub photo pool on Flickr, and by members of the UH community who send additional information to the site via twitter.

What's more, much of this hard work is done with a good dose of fun whenever possible. Adam has turned headline writing into a pun art. Some of the world's greatest punsters have been known to participate in a string of punny comments that will have you moaning in that good way that only bad puns can create.

Mainstream Media Failure

Local TV news has lost me as a viewer because more and more of these programs have become promotional vehicles for the station, the network, or a sports team. They may present stories, but they are from who knows where, about things that have no impact on your life. Why? Because they have video and because they are really about entertainment rather than news.

Instead of a half hour of news, you get seven minutes of local news, endless sports and political blather, and lots of hype. They just take the feed from the network to fill the time. If I want local news, I have to turn to sites like UH.

Support Universal Hub

As with many other sites, Universal Hub is supported by advertising, affiliate programs, and contributions.

Last year Adam added a link that asks readers,

"Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) donation."

You'll find the place to click by scrolling down in the right-hand sidebar. (Or, if you are a long time user, click here and make that contribution now.) The next time you get a great, timely, local answer to your question, "What's going on right now in Boston?" click the link and drop a few coins in the UH tip jar.

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
Screengrabs from Universalhub.com

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September 16, 2016