Tag Archives: Boston

An evening at the ballet

Posted on February 17, 2008 | Leave a comment

To celebrate Valentine’s Day which occurred earlier this week, I attended the performance of Boston Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet on Friday night. I thoroughly enjoyed dressing for the ballet, sipping champagne in the beautiful foyer of the Wang / Citi Center before the performance and taking my seat to see what turned out to be one of my favorite visits to the ballet.

This was my first visit to the Boston Ballet in about two years, and I think it was my favorite performance to date. I freely admit that I lack the eye and training that some of my more ‘cultchad‘ friends have, but this was not my first ballet, and I can recognize good choreography, costume / set design and execution when I see it.

This was probably my favorite portrayal of William Shakespeare’s story. I would have never guessed that I would prefer a ballet’s interpretation over a play but the orchestra and elegance of the dancers really made it more romantic and ultimately tragic.

I had two favorite dances – the first occurring in the opening scene of the second act when a troupe of court jesters danced in the middle of town and the second occurring in the third scene of the same number act when nearly a dozen ballerina’s danced before Juliet in her bedroom after she had drank the friar’s potion to fool her family and avoid marrying Paris.

I lack the eloquence of the Boston Globe review which described the production as, “the whole package – elegant dancing, eye-popping pageantry, and vivid storytelling.” However, I could not agree more. I’m excited to return to see another ballet – it is really such a wonderfully special way to spend an evening.

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Rock band Boston has more than a feeling about Huckabee

Posted on February 15, 2008 | Leave a comment

Gay news blog, Towelroad, is reporting that the rock group Boston has ordered Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee to stop using their song while campaigning.

Initially reported on the D-Listed website, the band is quoted as saying, “Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and with all due respect, we would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for. In fact, although I’m impressed you learned my bass guitar part on ‘More Than a Feeling,’ I am an Obama supporter.”

I love it!

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Act Relative to Gun Use No. 2290

Posted on February 7, 2008 | 1 comment

It has been brought to my attention that on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008, an Act Relative to Gun Use No.2290 comes before the Senate and House of Representatives in the General Court in the State House Building, Beacon Street at Park Street, Boston. This Act will be presented to ban the use of Assault Rifles.

Everyone who knows me – knows that I am not a fan of the NRA and believe that the fact we even hold a discussion about defending an individual’s right to own an assault rifle is borderline immoral let alone bad policy. Unfortunately, I can not attend this meeting, but I have sent off an e-mail to Mr. Al Medeiros and I would like to ask you to consider doing the same. Please consider sending the following e-mail to voice your support of the Act Relative to Gun Use No. 2290.

Alves.Medeiros@state.ma.us – (attention: Al Medeiros)

Dear Senators and House of Representatives,

I am writing to you today to ask that you ban all Assault Rifles
according to the Act Relative to Gun Use, No. 2290. I cannot be
present on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, at 1:00 p.m., to speak but am sending this email to register my hope that you will take correct action and vote to ban these weapons in Massachusetts to make it safer for us all.

Thank you.
(your name here)

In the event that you can attend this hearing and would like to show your support for banning all assault rifles according to the Act Relative to Gun Use, No. 2290, you can go to the following address:

Beacon Street at Park Street
Room 1A at 1:00 p.m.
Boston, MA

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Vote for Boston!

Posted on January 21, 2008 | Leave a comment

Boston has been named as one of 68 cities nominated for a place on the new Monopoly board when the first world edition of the classic game goes on sale in the autumn. Hasbro Inc. (maker of the popular board game) is letting people vote among the various cities for a place on the game through the website starting, Tuesday and February 22nd.

The top 20 cities will win a place on the board. Other nominated cities include New York, St. Petersburg, Athens and Tokyo. The 20 cities that receive the most votes will be placed on the board according to where they rank from highest rent to lowest rent properties.

Vote for Boston and spread the word to your friends!

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An interactive guide to Boston

Posted on January 11, 2008 | Leave a comment

Boston.com has added a section to the travel tab on their website that offers visitor a virtual tour of Boston’s downtown neighborhoods. I thought it was pretty cool and hope The Boston Globe continues to develop the section. Aside from travelers, people looking to relocate to the area would find this interesting as would the casual visitor who might be looking to check out a part of town they have heard a lot about but may have never visited. Check out the section if you like by selecting the link I’ve added.

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Posted on January 11, 2008 | Leave a comment


I was running a bit late today and did not have a chance to eat breakfast before leaving for work so I opted to stop by one of my favorite bakeries in Boston to grab a cup of joe and muffin.

I was greeted by a letter posted on the front door from the owners of the cafe informing me that the lease had not been renewed by the landlord and the cafe had closed at the end of December. This place had delicious oversized muffins, rich Italian coffee and yummy sandwiches. I love Starbucks as much as the next guy, but come on this was place was a keeper. I loved the hippy-chicks who worked the counter and the handmade signs throughout the coffee shop. Change happens but suffice it to say – I’m bummed.

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Victoria’s Diner

Posted on December 23, 2007 | Leave a comment

Victoria’s Diner is one of my favorite places to grab breakfast on the weekend.

Recently this diner in a doublewide was remodeled, menu revised and hours extended (open now 24-hours on the weekends). The waitstaff told me that a male couple who recently bought the diner were responsible for the changes. Aside from the change in decor in the front room (which still is a bit off in my opinion), there must have been a change in the kitchen as well because everything being served looks far fresher and has much more taste.

Because the new owners have not changed the affordable prices and large portions Victoria’s regulars can still be seen lining up in the cramped foyer of the diner waiting for a seat every weekend. Lines tend to get a bit long by 10:30am but everyone always seems to be quite friendly about the wait. Victoria’s clientele boasts a large cross-section of Bostonians. On any given weekend you are likely to see young, old, gay, straight, latino, black and asian. My favorite patrons are the African-American women who come after church decked-out in their Sunday finest. They add a touch of elegance if not over the top fashion ‘a la roxbury’ which I never was exposed to growing up in the suburbs.

An added bonus previously not mentioned if you happen to be a 30- or 40-something is that the music played during weekend brunches is 80s only. I’m sure for the younger clientele, this retro feel fits in just fine with a dining room in a trailor but for someone like myself who grew up during the 80s it is an unexpected and pleasant touch not overlooked and definitely appreciated; brunch always tastes better listening to the likes of Prince, Madonna, and Cindy Lauper.

How to get to Victoria’s
Victoria’s is located on Mass Avenue on the Dorchester / Roxbury line, at 1024 Massachusetts Avenue. It is easily accessible off of I-93 and as the address indicates, on Mass Ave.

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Winter Blues

Posted on December 19, 2007 | Leave a comment

I returned to Boston approximately 2.5 weeks ago, but the weather has been so awful that my vacation seems like a distant memory. Since returning, I’ve been cold; I’m cold in the morning when I get up to take my shower (the tile in my bathroom floor is so cold that I actually hop into the tub); I’m cold walking to and from my work (not to mention slipping and sliding – I’m sure to fall face first any day now); and I’m cold when I get into my PJs at night which now consist of socks, sweats, and a long sleeve shirt.

All this has proven too much and resulted in a bad case of the winter blues. I can’t wait until I will be warm again – maybe then my stiff neck will finally go away.

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Posted in GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome

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8th Annual Santa Speedo Run

Posted on December 17, 2007 | Leave a comment

Each year hundreds of Bostonians participate in a short road race in nothing but tiny little speedo bathing suits to raise money for charity in something called the Santa Speedo Race. Now if Boston was in a more temperate climate this might be considered quite festive, but anyone who has ever visited Boston in December knows this is not the case. Earlier this week our fair city received a sizeable snowstorm and since that time the mercury has not ventured far above the freezing mark. Despite the frigid temperatures spirits were high (as were some of the runners no doubt — or at least a bit buzzed to be able to brave all the ice and snow), when they took off yesterday in the 8th Annual Santa Speedo Run. If you would like to see pictures from this year’s race visit Edge Boston.

According to the Santa Speedo Run website, the run has raised over $150,000 over the past 7 years for the following charities:
September 11th Children’s Fund
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Children’s AIDS Program at Boston Medical Center
Children’s Hospital Boston
The Ellie Fund
Eliot Community Human Services

No estimates for the number of runners or the amount of money raised for this year’s charity, Women’s Lunch Place,was published initially but you can check the Santa Speedo Run website in a few days and I’m sure the information will be available.

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Moving on Up – Boston Ranked 8th Busiest Travel Destination in U.S. by Orbitz

Posted on December 14, 2007 | Leave a comment

According to a recent survey conducted by Orbitz, Boston jumped two places in their annual ranking when they were named the 8th busiest travel destination in 2007. In 2006, Boston was ranked the 10th most popular place to visit. Orbitz bases rankings on bookings from the website. This leads me to conclude either more people are travelling to Boston or those who liked travelling to Boston in 2007 preferred to use Orbitz. Regardless, I think it gives Boston bragging rights – our little city or big town (depending on your perspective) ranks as the nation’s 24th largest by population so to crack into the Orbitz top ten is impressive.

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Everything they sang was magic…

Posted on November 13, 2007 | Leave a comment


On Sunday, November 11th I went to see the Police on the second leg of their farewell tour. They came to Boston earlier this summer and played Fenway Park, but I was unable to get tickets to that event.

This weekend, I was able to score tickets to see the band as they rocked Boston one last time and it was worth every penny. They played most of their hits and the show was great. If you get the chance to see them on any of their remaining dates, I would definitely recommend seeing them.

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Party, Party, Party…

Posted on November 10, 2007 | Leave a comment

On Wednesday, November 7th Emporio Armani hosted a party to celebrate the opening of their new store in the Copley Mall, Boston. The store is a definite step down from the space previously occupied on Newbury Street but you would not know it from the smiling crowd which jammed themselves into the store. The event, co-sponsored by Boston Common Magazine, included a DJ, plenty of passed champagne and pretty pink drinks along with two bars. I was pleased to see the former GM for Emporio Armani, Boston – Mary Nobile-King – now the current boutique director for Chanel-Boston. Former co-workers, fashionistas and others made Mary seem like a local celebrity so I was touched when she came over to say hello and find out how I was doing. The store’s party exceeded my expectations even if the actual storefront is a bit of a disappointment.

The following night, Thursday, November 8th, I attended the opening of DScale which according to the website is a “new and provocative luxury furnishing atelier”. However you want to describe it, I want to thank Dennis Duffy, Duffy Design Group, for opening such a beautiful store on Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End neighborhood.

The opening party was absolutely packed on Thursday night. Passed hors d’oeuvres, white wine and champagne provided by Rocca (a restaurant designed by Dennis’design firm) helped make the party a feast for both the eyes and taste buds. Dennis has raised the bar with the opening of DScale and it will be the envy of retailers in the neighborhood.

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Trick or Treat

Posted on October 31, 2007 | Leave a comment


Boston is expected to be fairly mild today with temperatures in the low 60s, so I plan on skipping the gym after work to walk around the South End to see all the kids in the neighborhood (of which there are many) decked out in their costumes. When the weather cooperates (and it has plenty in the recent past), Halloween in Boston can be a real treat.

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Posted in Halloween

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Gone Baby Gone

Posted on October 17, 2007 | 1 comment

In my post, Celebrities, I mentioned how there has been a rash of movies being filmed in my hometown lately. A score of hollywood A-listers can be watched filming in some of Boston’s swankier neighborhoods (BackBay, SouthEnd, Beacon Hill, etc…), but I neglected to mention what I hope will be a wonderful film that is already generating buzz called, Gone Baby Gone.

This week, Ben Affleck’s new film, Gone Baby Gone, opened in Boston. Ben who has been out of the spotlight for a while is back in a new role as director. This being his directorial debut, I’m more than a little curious to see it. The story is based on the novel of the same name by local author Dennis Lehane. This is the same best selling author who wrote Mystic River — notice a trend?

While I have yet to see the film, initial reviews for Ben, his brother Casey who stars in the film and the rest of the cast seem to be mostly positive. This film, like last year’s detective flick, The Departed, was filmed in some of this city’s grittier neighborhoods Southie and Dorchester. If you happen to see the film, please shoot me an e-mail and let me know your thoughts.

About Gone Baby Gone (As provided by Dennis Lehane’s website):
The tough neighborhood of Dorchester, MA is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don’t want the case. But after pleas from the child’s aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl-lost.

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Celebrities

Posted on October 10, 2007 | 1 comment

Celebrities in Boston

In my humble opinion, Boston is more of a large town rather than a big city. However, because it played such a prominent role in American history, politics and culture (especially in the 20th century), the city’s image to those who have never visited is larger than life. Needless to say, Boston does not appear on many celebs radar screens unless they are born here and have family still in the area (e.g. Jay Leno, Matt Damon, Ben and Casey Affleck, Bridgette Moynihan, etc…) As a matter of fact in all my time living in Boston I’ve seen far more musicians than actors.

However, lately Boston has had more than its share of celebrity sightings. Indeed, by L.A. or NYC standards, our sightings would be considered ‘cute’ or ‘quaint’, but as compared to the recent past, there seeems to be a rash of A-list celebrities walking about town and filming here.

In the last month Kate Hudson, Alec Baldwin, Jason Biggs, and Dane Cook were in town filming scenes from their upcoming film, “Bachelor 2”.

Jada Pinkett-Smith, Annette Bening, Debra Messing Candice Bergen and Meg Ryan have all been spotted ordering their double chai lattes at local Starbucks and popping into one of the many boutiques that line Newbury Street (Boston’s version of Rodeo Ave) while filming “The Women”.

And two personal favorites, Steve Martin and Andy Garcia have been all over the BackBay filming “Pink Panther 2”.

The reason for the increased filming is two-fold, a recent tax credit given to film makers that makes it quite affordable as compared to other locations and the weak American Dollar which makes filming in Europe and other parts of the world even more cost-prohibitive. Hence filming movies like Pink Panther 2 – which is suppose to take place in Paris.

The local paper, The Boston Globe, provides a nice collection of photos from many of the celebrities listed above. To view these you can link to Celebrities in Boston.

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