Tremont Street is an old street that begins at Government Center and runs through Boston’s South End neighborhood. In recent years, the city has committed to making more bike lanes to make this safer and to encourage alternatives to driving.
The redesign, which was approved in 2021, and can be seen below, converted a very busy section of Tremont Street which runs through the heart of the South End from two lanes in each direction with on- street meter parking to one lane in each direction with on-street meter parking and bike lanes along with new / improved crosswalks for pedestrians.
The resulting construction has led to many complaints from people, which is to be expected. Change never goes unnoticed in Boston and rarely is praised but I’m a big fan of this redesign and wanted to share why. My reasons may not resonate with you or you may agree – it doesn’t really matter. I’m writing this more to explain my point of view than to change anyone’s mind or heart.
Why I’m a HUGE fan of the Tremont Street redesign in the South End.
REASON 1: It’s About The Pedestrians Not The Cars This section of the neighborhood is chock-full of pedestrians walking up, down, and across this street at all times and crossing 4 lanes of traffic with so many drivers showing so little regard for pedestrians is not safe and in recent years there have been tragic accidents that could have been averted (in my opinion) if one needn’t cross so many lanes of traffic.
REASON 2: City of Boston expects 4X More Cyclists on Boston’s Roads by 2030 Cyclists, mopeds, and other forms of transportation are on the rise but our city streets have not been designed to safely accommodate them. Transforming the streets may cause headaches for some drivers but the safety issues will only get worse without these changes.
REASON 3: Fewer Cars On The Streets I’m sure this will infuriate many but giving more of the streets over to pedestrians and cyclists is necessary and there are alternate forms of transportation to the car that are available. While the MBTA is currently a shit show, more demand and more focus on public transportation will result in pressure to fix it, which in turn should help reduce the volume of cars on our roads.
REASON 4: Aesthetics I think the South End is a beautiful neighborhood and Tremont Street which runs through the heart of the neighborhood is far more visually appealing with a single lane running in each direction. I get that some may disagree but the streetscape becomes more visible and visually quaint which is the word I hear many people use when describing the South End.
REASON 5: Drivers Can Use Washington Street and Columbus Avenue Just two blocks to the South and North of Tremont Street – running mostly parallel through the heart of the South End are two larger streets that cars can use. While it is true that traffic volumes have increased on those streets. In the case of Washington Street, one lane is dedicated to buses, which drivers largely ignore – only further reinforcing my initial point regarding safety. If traffic on Tremont is truly that awful, either turn left or right, drive two blocks to Washington or Columbus, and you’ll get to your destination much faster.
Perhaps you disagree but like I said, I’m not here to persuade anyone – just stating my feelings.
Posted in South End
I’ve posted this previously but it makes for such a great Christmas photo for this weekly post. Hope you’re doing well and if you celebrate the holiday, that you’re starting to get into the spirit.
It can be difficult to buy a Christmas gift for someone who you feel already has everything they need or can buy whatever they may want or need. That is why Sergio and I more often than not, give the gift of a shared experience. A fun suggestion for that hard-to-buy friend or special someone would be to purchase tickets to a local show from one of Boston’s area production companies.
Below I’ve shared links to several (not all) Boston theater companies’ productions for early next year. Catching a show can make for a fun night out and give you something to look forward to in January after the holiday season has passed.
BONUS: When you purchase tickets to a show you don’t have to worry about any shipping delays from places like Amazon which have lately been missing their delivery windows.
American Repertory Theater (ART) || Real Women Have Curves runs through January 21, 2024
Summer 1987, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. After eighteen years under the roof of her immigrant parents, Ana is ready to spread her wings. Is it worth sacrificing the dreams of her family, who have sacrificed everything for her? See this empowering new musical that explores life’s unexpected curves.
Central Square Theater || Machine Learning runs January 25 – February 25, 2024
Artificial Intelligence is here. There’s no turning back. “Arnold” (named after the Terminator) is a nursing application created by wunderkind computer scientist Jorge to provide personalized treatment to Gabriel, his estranged and ailing father. As Arnold’s learning increases and Gabriel’s health deteriorates, Jorge must confront his responsibility as a son and accountability as a creator.
The Huntington || Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight runs January 20 – March 3, 2024
“You’ve tried everything. Yoga. Acupuncture. Therapy. You floated in salt water in the pitch black dark. You juiced, you cleansed, you journaled, you cut, you volunteered. You ate only RINDS for three days and nights. You reached out, you looked within. You have tried. And yet here you are.” So begins a new play by Olivier Award-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach. Jim Ortlieb delivers a tour-de-force performance as a man desperate for connection, bent by isolation, and deeply in love with the audience itself.
Lyric Stage Company || Trouble in Mind runs January 12 – February 4, 2024
It’s 1955, and after enduring indignities and lost opportunities, Wiletta Mayer, a seasoned Black actress, is finally making her Broadway debut. Written by a white playwright, her star vehicle is the allegedly progressive “Chaos in Belleville,” which turns out to be anything but. Leading a cast of both younger and experienced actors, Wiletta challenges not only the soft racism of her white director but also the veiled prejudice that limits her aspirations and success. With warmth, humor, and sharp insight, this moving backstage look at identity and stereotypes cracks open searing truths about the American theater that remain heartbreakingly contemporary.
SpeakEasy Stage || A Case For The Existence of God runs January 26 – February 17, 2024
Inside an Idaho office cubicle, a mortgage broker (Keith) and a yogurt plant worker (Ryan) unexpectedly bring each other into their fragile worlds that revolve around their infant daughters. Ryan, white and divorced, wants to buy a plot of land that his family once owned in the hopes of making a stable life for his daughter. Keith, a Black, gay mortgage broker, wants to help Ryan, but is also dealing with challenges to his plans to adopt his foster child. With humor, empathy, and deep compassion, playwright Samuel D. Hunter commingles these two lives in a beautiful story that is both intimate and epic at the same time.
Please share a caption of your own for this week’s photograph. Hopefully, the caption I’ve shared below will inspire you to leave a funny caption in the comment section. If you don’t see it immediately don’t worry, I’ll approve it for readers to enjoy.
Peek-a-Boo
Anyone have a clue who this incredibly satisfying piece of mancandy is?
Posted in Gay
Tagged beard, BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, gorgeous, handsome, hunk, Mancandy Monday
Way back in September Ryan Landry and The Gold Dust Orphans announced that their annual holiday musical would be The Rocky Horror Menorah. I encouraged everyone to get tickets to the production, which runs through December 23rd.
Last night a group of about 15 of us went to see the demented musical and Landry and his cast didn’t disappoint. While there is no doubt that Landry is a creative genius, my enjoyment of his production is directly related to the pop culture movies, shows, etc. he spoofs, and I’ve always loved The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The costumes and musical numbers are hilarious and the cast has brilliant comedic timing and can read the audience so well. I don’t know if any tickets remain for this last week, but if you’ve yet to see this show – get your tickets now!
Below is an impromptu intermission photo Sergio snapped of nearly all who joined us last night. For the record, those smiles were on everyone’s face all night long and not just for the photograph.
Reposting this photo which I first shared in July 2022. Mike and Lando are couple who live in Santiago Chile, and it appears Lando is having a little fun photographing Mike while he is still sleeping in bed.
Posted in Gay
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, handsome, hunk, man in bed, Mike and Lando, naked, Scruffy Sunday
Have a great morning. Thanks for stopping by.
Unsure if this is a real person or AI generated based on the tumbler address associated with the photo but still thought it a worthy photo to share. Much thanks to Fearsome Beard blog for initially sharing this photo last month on his blog.
Posted in Gay
Tagged beard, BosGuy, Boston Guy, Furry Friday, hairy chest, handsome, naked
Don’t Terry & Me look so happy? I wonder what their story is. When do you think this photograph was taken?
Please share a caption of your own for this week’s photograph or feel free to complete the quote I started below.
And then he said….
Leave your caption or the continuation of the quote as a comment. If you don’t see it immediately don’t worry, I’ll approve comments later today for readers to enjoy.
BosGuy 