Category Archives: Boston

Gay For Good Boston chapter

Posted on January 2, 2012 | 4 comments

With the holidays now behind us and 2012 full of potential, I wanted to tell you about a local chapter of a national organization called Gay for Good (G4G). Originally started in L.A. in 2008, there are now chapters in Boston, Chicago, Orange County, Pittsburgh, San Diego and San Francisco.

G4G organizes monthly volunteering opportunities that allows men and women the chance to give back to their local community and meet people.  To find out more about these opportunities you only need to register on their website gayforgood.org or you can check them out on facebook, Gay For Good Boston.

With many of us making resolutions to get more involved, give back and or meet more people I wanted to let you know about this great group.  Some of the volunteering opportunities the Boston chapter arranged in 2011 included: Rosie’s Place, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and Community Servings, Franklin Park Zoo, Greater Boston Food Bank, Cradles to Crayons and Toys for Joys.  Below are photos from 2011 activities, which typically occur on weekends. After volunteering many often go out, adding a nice social aspect to the organization that allows you to further meet the members of this group.

 

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Posted in Boston, Gay, Philanthropy

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Night view of downtown Boston

Posted on December 21, 2011 | 4 comments

Last night Sergio took our friend Rodrigo to the top of The Custom House to show him downtown Boston at night.  From the top of this iconic building, one can get beautiful views of Boston harbor, Faneuil Hall Market, the North End and parts of downtown Boston. Here are a few photos that they snapped.

Faneuil Hall Market Place

An historic meeting hall off to the left of this picture and not visible is where the marketplace got its name.  The middle arcade with the dome is filled with stall after stall of food shops and the arcades above and below house retail & restaurant with the upper floors reserved for office space.  This is Boston’s version of Chicago’s Navy Pier or S.F.’s Fisherman’s Wharf.  Its where tourists come to visit and young 20-somethings get obnoxiously drunk on weekends.

Christopher Columbus Park / North End

The lower left of the picture is part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway which replaced Boston’s elevated highway. The upper left of the photo shows the North End (Boston’s Little Italy); where my grandmother grew up and my brother currently lives. The A-frame building to the right is the start of Long Wharf (where I catch the high speed ferry to Provincetown). Lastly, the blue lights are actually covering an extended arch that runs through the North End’s popular Christopher Columbus park and overlooks Boston Harbor.

Bunker Hill Monument 

North of the North End in Charlestown is the Bunker Hill Monument.  The obelisk which you can walk up was built in the 1800s to commemorate the first major conflict between British and Patriot forces which took place in 1775 and was where rebelling colonists were ordered “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”. A short walk from here (but not visible) is The U.S.S. Constitution (a.k.a. Old Ironsides) – the oldest commissioned ship in the world.

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Posted in Architecture, Boston

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Toys for Joys (T4J) Party in Boston

Posted on December 12, 2011 | 1 comment

This past Saturday was the annual Toys for Joys (a.k.a. T4J) event in Boston. T4J is a non-profit event/organization dedicated to providing toys and gifts for underprivileged children during the holiday season.  It happens to be one of the best holiday parties I attend and this year’s program didn’t disappoint.

It’s hard to say how many men attend this event which is overwhelmingly (although not exclusively) gay, but I would guess close to a thousand guys attend.  The program is either a perfect place to start your evening or as a second stop on what is always a popular night (the 2nd Saturday of December).

There was no way I could collect enough pictures from the event and many of my photographs unfortunately did not come out as I had hoped (mental note, vodka + BosGuy = crappy pictures). However here is a sampling of some of the gracious attendees who paused to pose for me and my trusty companion Sergio.

I have not seen any reports on how many gifts or attendees visited the event this past weekend, but you can learn more about the program by visiting their site, toysforjoys.org.

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Posted in Boston, Christmas, Philanthropy

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MBTA is asked to bring back late night service

Posted on December 6, 2011 | 1 comment

Once upon a time the MBTA made a halfhearted attempt to provide a limited late night transit service on weekends called the “Night Owl”, but the popular program was axed as a cost cutting measure some 6-years ago.

Now The Boston Herald is reporting the Restaurant and Business Alliance is pushing to have late night service reinstated.  I’ve been a long-time fan of extending public transportation hours and making the existing system more available.  Thousands of employees work during hours that T service is not available. However, finding a way to pay for this additional service is a legitimate concern.  In the article acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis is quoted as saying its simply too expensive.  I’d like a more novel approach and put the concept out to bid for ideas on how to make this work.  It seems if we can figure out how to fly a man to the Moon, we can pay for late night public transportation – its merely a matter of priorities.

The full article in the Boston Herald can be read here.

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Boston Santa Speedo Run

Posted on December 3, 2011 | 8 comments

The much talked about Boston Santa Speedo Run will take place one week from today.  This fun(ny) 1-mile run through Boston’s trendy Back Bay neighborhood in December earns a lot of laughs for both spectators and runners. It has also become an unofficial tradition of yours truly to go down and watch these crazy runners warm up and run down Boylston Street so be sure to check back late Saturday afternoon after I post my 2011 video of the Santa Speedo Run.  In the interim, check out the video I created from last year’s run.

The 2011 charity benefiting from the funds raised in this years race will be Play Ball foundation.  If you’d like to learn more about this annual run which is now replicated in cities across the US and Canada, you can visit here.

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Posted in Back Bay, Boston

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Frozen Fenway

Posted on December 3, 2011 | 1 comment

The Boston Globe has published the Frozen Fenway calendar which spans 16-days. This year, the calendar includes a free skating day, six college hockey games (notably University of New Hampshire vs University of Maine on January 7th) as well as boys and girls high school hockey games.

Are you a hockey enthusiast or interested in joining the crowds looking to participate in the Mayor’s community skate day scheduled for January 1st?  Check out the full schedule and more details here.

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Posted in Boston, Sports

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Degas and the nude

Posted on November 26, 2011 | 1 comment

The Musee d’Orsay in Paris and The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston have two of the best collections of French painter Edgar Degas. Lucky for Bostonians and those visiting Boston the two museums have collaborated on a show that is here in Boston through early February 2012.  I’ve yet to see the exhibit but it has garnered national attention and been written about extensively.

I love museums but loathe to go to them during our warmer months when it is so pleasant outside.  However, with the holiday season now upon us, the sun setting so ridiculously early and such a celebrated exhibit just blocks from my home, I’m feeling the pull of the MFA.   I was lucky enough to have a tour of the Chihuly exhibit that was at the MFA earlier this year.

This exhibit, Degas and the Nude, could not be more different from Chihuly, and I think I may take a personal day to visit this collection. Taking a weekday off in early December might be the perfect Christmas gift to myself.  The MFA exhibit Degas and the Nude runs from October 9, 2011 – February 5, 2012. If visiting, perhaps you too may enjoy seeing this exhibit.

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Posted in Art & Film, Boston

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Wicked Awesome: 101.7 WFNX Flashback

Posted on November 19, 2011 | 3 comments

Boston radio station 101.7 WFNX will invite many of their past hosts and shows back onto the airwaves to kick off the holiday season. The playlist, production and voices will all take listeners back ten, fifteen, even twenty years into the WFNX archives. The Flashback weekend will kick off this coming Wednesday November 23rd at 7pm and culminates on Sunday, November 27th. Listeners will be treated to live, new shows featuring Morning Guy Tai with Henry Santoro, a live X-Night with host Mike Gioscia, Spin Cycle with Liquid Todd, and on-air shifts featuring Storm Zbel, Kurt St. Thomas, Kat Corbett, Neal Robert, Joanne Doody, Bill Abbate, Duane Bruce, and many more. Growing up, I listened to WFNX religiously.  This radio station is the reason I became obsessed with bands like the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Eco and the Bunnymen, New Order, etc.  I’m so listening to them and thanks to the advent of the internet, if you like that sort of programming you can too online.


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Posted in Boston, Music

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Boston Music Awards

Posted on November 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Check out the Boston Music Awards on Sunday, November 20th at the swanky Liberty Hotel in Beacon Hill. Now in its 24th year, this program is designed to recognize local talent and help encourage the local music industry.

Any musician, producer or industry professional who is a New England native or has lived in the area for a substantial period of time, actively working is eligible for consideration for appropriate BMA’s.  Tickets are still available to attend this event and can be purchased online here.  You can also follow the chatter on Twitter at Twitter.com/BMAs_Boston.

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Posted in Boston, Music

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Boston area bargain shoppers rejoice

Posted on November 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Boston Globe has an article in today’s business section about a significant mixed use development in Somerville to rejuvenate Assembly Row.  Plans for this ‘mixed use neighborhood’ include condos, a hotel, a new IKEA, a new orange line metro station and more than 30 retail outlet stores. Typically outlet stores are not found so close to a downtown location, and this would be the closest concentration of outlets in Boston just a few miles from the heart of Boston.

According to the Globe article, Federal Realty has begun building roads and other infrastructure at the 45-acre site. They plan to begin construction on the first buildings early next year: a pair of apartment blocks with 450 units and street-level stores, being developed by AvalonBay Communities Inc.

You can read the full article on the Boston Globe here.

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dBar Harvest Tea Dance

Posted on November 13, 2011 | 1 comment

As expected, the dbar Tea Dance on Sunday, November 13th attracted a large and friendly crowd.  It was a gorgeous fall evening and many people preferred to cocktail in the open air of dBar’s patio, but it was a bit too chilly for me to spend much time there since I opted to only wear a t-shirt.

“Gay Jim” from KISS 108 FM helped keep everyone in good spirits with one dance song after another and the bar staff seemed to be pouring drinks at the speed of light limiting the amount of time you had to wait.

Thank you dBar for another great Tea Dance.

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Posted in Boston, Gay

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The Real Housewives of South Boston (NSFW)

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 3 comments

Many of you may have seen this already.  When it first came out I refrained from posting it, but I have to admit the more I watched it the more it made me laugh so I capitulated.

The stereotypes and accents in this video are spot on. 

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Posted in Boston

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Occupy Boston

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 1 comment

The Boston Globe has compiled a 2-minute video of Occupy Boston that I’ve included. Occupy Boston started as a sympathy or copy cat movement inspired by the protests in NYC called Occupy Wall Street.

The movement has garnered much attention locally and has been trending on Twitter for the past several days.   Like all forms of civil disobedience now, the group relies upon and heavily uses social media including Twitter and facebook as well as maintaining a website, occupyboston.com.  Local politicians like Boston’s Mayor have expressed sympathy for the protesters, acknowledging their frustrations while asking them to be respectful of the public space they are occupying.

Is Occupy Wall Street and the nearly dozen other copy cat protests in most major cities of the US the Left’s response to the Tea Party which energized the political Right? Time will tell but I’m glad that this movement is taking hold because its forcing a dialog that should continue.

Check out Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream response to these protests called Those who occupy: We stand with you I’d love to see more follow in the steps of B&J. 

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Posted in Boston, Poltics

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Many LGBT patients feel alienated by their health providers

Posted on October 11, 2011 | 4 comments

Massachusetts is a more progressive part of the US and a relatively safe haven for the LGBT community so I was surprised to read The Boston Globe article on Monday, LGBT patients search for healing; an excellent article which features the Fenway Health Clinic.

Researchers say that LGBT people are more likely to experience a variety of health problems…The reason is largely that they don’t seek health care for fear of being stigmatized in the doctor’s office.

The article is illuminating because living here it is easy to assume such problems don’t exist.  It also made me wonder if a place like MA which is welcoming to the LGBT community can still be frightening then what are the implications for those living in more isolated and intolerant places?

Despite the seriousness of the subject, I suppose I’m quite proud that The Boston Globe committed resources to report this story and it made me wish more mainstream media would follow suit.

What are your thoughts?

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Posted in Boston, Gay

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Boston shines

Posted on October 10, 2011 | 1 comment

September in Boston was absolutely gorgeous and it seems as if October must be a bit jealous trying to out shine what September delivered.  The city reached the mid-80s for the third day in a row, and the beautiful weather comes  on the heels of more than a week of warm weather and sunny days leading up to the Columbus Day weekend.   The unseasonably warm weather will end starting tomorrow if we are to believe the forecast so make the most of this absolutely gorgeous day.  Al fresco dining tonight anyone?

UPDATE: It was so damn gawjus I succumbed and went for a run along the esplanade.  4.5 miles in <40 minutes – not great but not half bad for an old fart like myself.

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Posted in Boston, Fitness

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