bostonzest

Tag: Mass Ave

  • What’s Open in Boston on Patriots’ Day 2012

    UPDATE: This is an old post. Here's a link for: What's Open in Boston on Patriots' Day – Monday, April 18, 2016 + Parking, Trash & MBTA Schedule Changes

    Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Patriots' Day, and the MBTA schedules for – Monday, April 16, 2012.

    DSC_2939 - Version 42011-04-06-general-john-glover-statue-boston-© 2011 Penny Cherubino2011-04-06-john-glover-statue-commonwealth-avenue-mall-patriot-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    On three occasions, General John Glover and his “amphibious” regiment of Marblehead fishermen saved the American Revolution.    

    Patriot's Day is a Massachusetts State Holiday Only.

    Open:
    Restaurants, Bars, Convenience Stores, Supermarkets, Retail Stores, Liquor Stores

    Financial Services: Banks may open if they wish. All markets are open. 

    Federal Offices and Facilities are open: This includes the Postal Service.

     

    Closed:
    Massachusetts City, Town, State Operations: This includes Schools, Libraries. Only emergency services are available. 

     

    Boston Parking

     

    One of the most common questions we get is about street sweeping on Patriots' Day.

     Here's the page from the city website with the answer. It 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."

     

    Reminder:

    City of Boston via ‏  @NotifyBoston says "STREET CLEANING: Overnight sweeping Sunday-Monday morning still in effect. NO MONDAY regular posted sweeping."

     

    You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. Many streets will be cleared of parked cars to accommodate the Boston Marathon and Patriots' Day activities.

     

    Be sure to check your car in the days leading up to the marathon to be sure it is not in a tow-away zone for the event. Here's how you can sign up for parking alerts and tow alerts.

     

    Changes to Boston Street Sweeping Schedules 2012

     

    Parking and No-Tow alerts

     

    Here's our latest post with tips for local parking on this holiday–

    Parking Your Car for Boston Marathon Weekend (2012)



    Boston Trash Collection (the city says)

    "Patriots Day
    Monday, April 16 | 7am – Saturday, April 21, 2012 | 5pm

    Delay trash and recycling pickup 1 day only if you live in Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain*, Mattapan, Roslindale, or West Roxbury.

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

    http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/RecyclingandSanitation/holiday.asp

    MBTA information after the BostonZest Amazon Selection of the Day. 

     

    If this information helps you, reward us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from BostonZest. Here are the latest versions of the cameras we'll use to photograph the Boston Marathon plus our favorite camera bag. Click over to the video on the Tamrac Velocity series of camera bags, and you'll see why we love it.

     

     

    2012 MBTA Marathon Monday Schedule – Updated 4/6/2012

    Tips:

    Buy your fares in advance with a Charlie Card or Charlie Ticket to avoid waiting in line on Monday.  

    "Copley Station will be closed all day … access to the Green Line at Hynes Convention Center or Arlington Station."

    Due to crowds, they don't allow bikes on the subway on Patriots Day.

    Marathon Monday

    Blue, Orange, Red, Green, and Mattapan Line service will run on "regular weekday schedule with extra service before and after the marathon."

    Commuter rail trains will operate on their "regular weekday schedule."

    "Buses and trackless trolleys will operate on a Saturday schedule."

    Commuter Boats will operate on "regular weekday service."

    "THE RIDE will operate on a modified weekday schedule."

    Bus routes that impact the marathon course will be rerouted at times. 

    Complete details on all changes are here: Official MBTA Information for Marathon Monday 2012

    Official Boston Marathon information.
    www.bostonmarathon.org

     

    Related Posts:

    Tracking a Boston Marathon Runner 2012

     

    Routes for Visiting Runners 2012

     

    How to Get to the Esplanade from Boston

    Views from Hereford Street 2009

    Do you have enough memory for all the photos you'll want to shoot of the spring blooms? Do you need a new camera for the season or a gift? Begin your shopping by Click right here to check the prices at Amazon on great items like Transcend SDHC Flash Memory Cards and the our favorite cameras the Canon G12 Digital Camera and the Nikon D300s & NIKKOR 18-200mm Lens.

     
    Details:
    Writer: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

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  • Holiday Pops 2011– Where to Dine and Park!

    Readers and friends who have tickets for one of the Boston Pops Holiday Concerts are already asking, "Where can we dine around  Symphony Hall?" And, once the conversation is open, it's followed by, "Where can we park?"

    Please add your favorite spots for dining and parking around this area in the comments below. And, if you try one of our suggestions, let us know how it worked for you.

    HolidayPops2011-12-02Photo courtesy of Boston Pops (Photo Credit: Stu Rosner

    Here's our primer for a great visit to the BSO or Boston Pops at Symphony Hall.

    We say, make dining and parking a joint decision. Our first suggestion is always to leave the car at home or at a park & ride and take the MBTA to the concert. 

    But, if you must have a car at hand, the Prudential Center is our favorite parking place to recommend in the city. It has its own exit off the Mass Pike. It's connected to mass transit, has taxis available at the doors, and there's a great choice of dining options within the complex. And, best of all, Google estimates that Symphony Hall is a 6-minute walk down Huntington Avenue. (map)

    Prudential Options

    For wonderful food and great service at a reasonable price, we send friends to Sel de la Terre on Boylston Street for pre-concert dining. If you're driving, simply enter any Prudential parking area or use the restaurant's valet parking service. 

    You could even return for dessert and post-concert conversation and then have the valet bring the car around. Please, call the restaurant to confirm the details, especially if you're reading this months from now.

    If a splurge is on the menu, L'Espalier is right next door and shares that valet service. If a mini-splurge is more in line with your budget, reserve a seat in their Salon for a glass of wine and a bite before the concert, or dessert and a cheese course after. Both restaurants are accessible from inside the Prudential Center via the Mandarin Hotel.

     

    Newbury Street

     

    Park at the Pru and dine on Newbury Street. After dinner you can even walk to Symphony by reentering the Prudential Center and making part of your walk to the concert through their climate controlled corridors.

     

    Since we walk all over the city, we would consider a few of the restaurants on Newbury close to symphony. La Voile is a great choice for French Bistro food. 

     

    And, we love to stop into Tapeo for a few tapas at the bar or a table full of choices to share with a group of friends.

    Another Great Choice is Brasserie JO

    We also recommend that concert goers consider a Boston gem that's often overlooked– Brasserie JO at The Colonnade Hotel. This place always comes through with French flair, great service, and a good meal. It's also a short walk on that same map, because it's across from the Prudential Center. 

    Ethnic Options for less formal dining. 
     

    If you want an ethnic meal or a quick bite before the show, we have a few favorites to recommend.

    • Moby Dick – our friend Francine Crawford pointed us to this little gem. It's one of her favorite pre-concert spots.
    • Pho Basil on Massachusetts Avenue does Thai and Vietnamese food and pleases us with both cuisines. Here's a post on some of the dishes we really enjoy at Pho Basil.
    • Lucy Ethiopian Cafe is across the street from Symphony and is fun and delicious. But, give this choice a bit more time. The pace of this cafe's warm hospitality and made-to-order food is a bit slower than many places. They also have wonderful coffee and a selection of desserts for after the show.
    • India Samraat on Massachusetts Avenue between Commonwealth and Marlborough is a bit further away but still within walking distance, especially if you park near Newbury Street. This is a restaurant we enjoy sharing with friends. 
    • Chili Duck, right across Boylston from the Pru, is a hidden gem and another great spot if you're meeting the gang.

    Other resources and opinions:

    "Where to dine for Symphony?" is a question routinely asked of the crew over on Chowhound's Boston board. Here are a couple of recent conversations with some options that we haven't tried yet.

     

    Here are maps to help you find more options.

    Other parking around Symphony Hall


    Other restaurants around Symphony Hall

     

    If this type of information is helpful to you, consider saying thank you by starting your next Amazon shopping trip from here. They have the things you want including Boston Pops music and a full line of MP3 Downloads. 


            

    Details:
    Symphony Hall
    301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4557 (map)
    (617) 266-2378

    www.bso.org‎

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo: Courtesy of the Boston Pops (Photo Credit: Stu Rosner)