You may have walked by the statue of Alexander Hamilton on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall dozens of times. Did you ever wonder who the three men are in the bas-relief profile on the base?
Here are a few tidbits you may not know about this statue of Alexander Hamilton.
This sculpture has been located between Arlington and Berkeley Streets on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall since 1865.
It's one of the few surviving works by Dr. William Rimmer, whose father claimed to be Louis XVII, heir to the French throne.
In the book, A Guide to Public Art in Greater Boston, Marty Carlock says Rimmer's interest in anatomy led him to a career in medicine which he practiced for a few years. Rimmer became a full-time sculptor at age forty-five.
This is the only sculpture carved from stone on the Mall. Since Rimmer was self-taught, he used his own technique to create it. According to Public Art Boston, this technique makes the sculpture "particularly fragile and difficult to maintain."
The Friends of the Public Garden have taken on the responsibility for restoring and then providing annual maintenance of the artwork in The Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
You may have walked by the statue of Alexander Hamilton on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall dozens of times. Did you ever wonder who the three men are in the bas-relief profile on the base?
Here are a few tidbits you may not know about this statue of Alexander Hamilton.
This sculpture has been located between Arlington and Berkeley Streets on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall since 1865.
It's one of the few surviving works by Dr. William Rimmer, whose father claimed to be Louis XVII, heir to the French throne.
In the book, A Guide to Public Art in Greater Boston, Marty Carlock says Rimmer's interest in anatomy led him to a career in medicine which he practiced for a few years. Rimmer became a full-time sculptor at age forty-five.
This is the only sculpture carved from stone on the Mall. Since Rimmer was self-taught, he used his own technique to create it. According to Public Art Boston, this technique makes the sculpture "particularly fragile and difficult to maintain."
The Friends of the Public Garden have taken on the responsibility for restoring and then providing annual maintenance of the artwork in The Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Presidents' Day and the MBTA schedule changes, plus information on Boston trash pick-up and parking information for February 20, 2017.
We publish these resource pages early to assist you in planning your holidays. We'll keep updates coming as new information is published. Follow us on Twitter to learn about updates.
Restaurants, bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open Supermarkets: Open
Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Liquor stores: Open if the owners choose
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 States closed. Some international markets are open. In recent years, we've noticed some banks keep some branches open at unexpected times so check with your own bank.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Boston Trash and Recycling:
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
MBTA Schedule for Presidents' Day, February 20, 2017, is not published as of this writing. Here's what happened last year to help you with planning.
Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Presidents' Day and the MBTA schedule changes, plus information on Boston trash pick-up and parking information for February 20, 2017.
We publish these resource pages early to assist you in planning your holidays. We'll keep updates coming as new information is published. Follow us on Twitter to learn about updates.
Restaurants, bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open Supermarkets: Open
Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Liquor stores: Open if the owners choose
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 States closed. Some international markets are open. In recent years, we've noticed some banks keep some branches open at unexpected times so check with your own bank.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Boston Trash and Recycling:
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
MBTA Schedule for Presidents' Day, February 20, 2017, is not published as of this writing. Here's what happened last year to help you with planning.
This weekend, as I jumped over puddles on poorly drained corners and climbed over unshoveled snowbanks on others, I spotted this fashionista slowly falling back to the rear of her large group as they moved en mass down Boylston Street. Let's hope she doesn't have to walk on any of the less maintained residential streets of the city.
"Fashion as King is sometimes a very stupid ruler." E. T. Bell
About Photo Tales & Quotes: 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. Photo Tales & Quotes 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!
This weekend, as I jumped over puddles on poorly drained corners and climbed over unshoveled snowbanks on others, I spotted this fashionista slowly falling back to the rear of her large group as they moved en mass down Boylston Street. Let's hope she doesn't have to walk on any of the less maintained residential streets of the city.
"Fashion as King is sometimes a very stupid ruler." E. T. Bell
About Photo Tales & Quotes: 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. Photo Tales & Quotes 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!
Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)
Here is something you need to put on the to-do list of your human servants.
GET YOUR 2017 DOG LICENSE
In Boston it's so simple even a human can do it. I nagged a bit when I spotted the envelope from Inspectional Services in the mail pile, sat Penny down at her computer, and I already have an official 2017 dog tag from the city.
License
Because I already had all my information in the system, the city sent a reminder to my staff. But, this year, it arrived early in February instead of late March or April. Good work dog license crew.
My new tag arrived in a week!
Just like you have to make sure your chauffeur has a valid driver's license, you have to be sure one of your human staff members gets you a Boston dog license. (If Boston is your main residence and you are more than six months old.)
Please don't come running up to me on one of those long, thin, dangerous strings with a pulley. I'm a bit shy and I don't trust those things. You'll make me stamp my little paw down!
Boston's leash law is clearly stated on the city’s site, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” City ordinance calls for a leash of 10-feet or less. That makes most retractable leashes technically illegal in Boston. If a person tries to attach one to you, g-r-o-w-l at them.
One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with you, your retainers, if asked, must be able to show that they are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags to your leash.
Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supplies if you are stopped after your business is done, but the walk isn’t.
Sir Felix is one of my special knights. He prefers a leather leash or halter when he escorts me around the pond.
Dog Parks
I must admit, I'm not much of a dog park dog. I prefer a nice chat on a park bench or a picnic lunch under a shady tree.
But, for those who like to romp, the legal exceptions to the leash law are: the “official off-leash hours” on the Boston Common, and inside the fences at dog parks like Peter’s Park in the South End, DeFilippo Park in the North End, and Ronan Park in Dorchester.
Emergency Services
The one bit of guidance you must be sure your humans note is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “… every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” My people have their number on all our cell phones in case of an emergency. And it can't hurt to have your chauffeur practice a drive to the location so he or she will know where you are going during a stressful time. You don't want to be giving the driver directions if you have an upset tummy.
Questions?
If you have questions about living in Boston, have your people send them to my people and I'll try to dig out answers. (I do love to dig.) Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.
Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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!
Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)
Here is something you need to put on the to-do list of your human servants.
GET YOUR 2017 DOG LICENSE
In Boston it's so simple even a human can do it. I nagged a bit when I spotted the envelope from Inspectional Services in the mail pile, sat Penny down at her computer, and I already have an official 2017 dog tag from the city.
License
Because I already had all my information in the system, the city sent a reminder to my staff. But, this year, it arrived early in February instead of late March or April. Good work dog license crew.
My new tag arrived in a week!
Just like you have to make sure your chauffeur has a valid driver's license, you have to be sure one of your human staff members gets you a Boston dog license. (If Boston is your main residence and you are more than six months old.)
Please don't come running up to me on one of those long, thin, dangerous strings with a pulley. I'm a bit shy and I don't trust those things. You'll make me stamp my little paw down!
Boston's leash law is clearly stated on the city’s site, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” City ordinance calls for a leash of 10-feet or less. That makes most retractable leashes technically illegal in Boston. If a person tries to attach one to you, g-r-o-w-l at them.
One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with you, your retainers, if asked, must be able to show that they are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags to your leash.
Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supplies if you are stopped after your business is done, but the walk isn’t.
Sir Felix is one of my special knights. He prefers a leather leash or halter when he escorts me around the pond.
Dog Parks
I must admit, I'm not much of a dog park dog. I prefer a nice chat on a park bench or a picnic lunch under a shady tree.
But, for those who like to romp, the legal exceptions to the leash law are: the “official off-leash hours” on the Boston Common, and inside the fences at dog parks like Peter’s Park in the South End, DeFilippo Park in the North End, and Ronan Park in Dorchester.
Emergency Services
The one bit of guidance you must be sure your humans note is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “… every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” My people have their number on all our cell phones in case of an emergency. And it can't hurt to have your chauffeur practice a drive to the location so he or she will know where you are going during a stressful time. You don't want to be giving the driver directions if you have an upset tummy.
Questions?
If you have questions about living in Boston, have your people send them to my people and I'll try to dig out answers. (I do love to dig.) Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.
Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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!
In real estate, location, location, location is everything. This cozy city nest is nestled between the Back Bay and Beacon Hill with 360-degree views of the Boston Public Garden.
The owner will let it go for peanuts.
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!
In real estate, location, location, location is everything. This cozy city nest is nestled between the Back Bay and Beacon Hill with 360-degree views of the Boston Public Garden.
The owner will let it go for peanuts.
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!
. 
to your leash.