Boston Bits ~ Insiders’ Tips -- our monthly journal of things Bostonian, to give Boston Your Way site visitors a sense of our city.

Shakespeare under the stars
If the 4th of July belongs to the Boston Pops and the Esplanade, then the end of July belongs to the Bard and the Boston Common. This year the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company will present Taming of the Screw from July 22 to August 13. Admission is free. Bring a chair or blanket and get there early. For special summer sightseeing in Boston, theatre on the Common is a great bet.

Insider’s Tip
If you want to pick up a picnic dinner for blanket dining, don’t give in to the lure of Fast Food Nation. It may seem like McDonalds or Burger King are your only choices near the Common. But you do have two good alternatives: Lamberts, on the corner of Tremont and Temple Place, sells sandwiches to order and has a great selection of fresh produce. De Luca, just in from the corner of Beacon and Charles streets, has an array of gourmet dishes to take-out.
http://www.freeshakespeare.org

Pops go the Concert -- from the Esplanade
Word is going around that the recent 4th of July Pops Concert on the Esplanade was the last. Next year it is moving to the other waterfront, along the Boston Harbor front. But just where, who knows? Official reason for the move is the massive Storrow Drive reconstruction, due to begin next spring. Another good reason ought to be the trees. Cute little specimens in the 1970’s, when the concerts’ appeal took off, the trees along the banks of the Charles thirty years on have grown into an imposing canopy, making it tough to find unobstructed views of the fireworks show. It was practically a show in itself this year watching people trying to scope clear viewing points.

Beach in Boston
Off the beaten track, but worth finding on your tour of Boston, is Beach Street. Named for its location on the city’s original shoreline before South Cove was filled in and Atlantic Avenue, laid down, Beach Street today is Chinatown’s main street. The Dragon Gate pagoda at the foot of the street welcomes visitors. There is more to see, smell and eat on Beach Street’s few blocks and cross streets than anywhere else in the city. Life here is casual and energetic; the dining, authentic Asian. For instance, at The Chinatown Eatery on the corner of Beach and Harrison Avenue, you can try real-fruit lychee shakes at the Juice Bar on the second floor. Rainbow Restaurant at 60 Beach Street is basic but serves great roasted duck and ribs.

Insiders’ Tip
Chinatown Restaurants are known for being Boston’s late-night dining destinations. Just off Beach are Peach Farm, on Tyler Street, and Chau Chow City on Essex Street. Both are open until 3 a.m., well after other kitchens in the city have closed.

Ben Affleck’s Boston debut
Cambridge native Ben Affleck, is trying his hand at directing, and on home territory. Seen around town shooting scenes from his new film, Gone Baby Gone, he has delighted fans with his gracious hometown charm. Some shootings took place in Southie, within blocks of the tavern scenes from Good Will Hunting, the breakout movie for Affleck and his high-school pal Matt Damon. Gone Baby Gone also stars Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson and Affleck’s brother, Casey.

SoWa
What is SoWa? Just the hottest neighborhood in Boston today. South of Washington Street, the forgotten industrial fringe of the South End, loft-style luxury condos are arising from derelict vacant lots. And deserted warehouses are being converted into art galleries, fitness clubs and intensely trendy restaurants. Officially designated an Arts District, the area still is in transition, requiring new residents to co-exist with long-timers, such as the Pine Street Inn homeless shelter, local day-labor centers, pawn shops, and artists’ work/live spaces. Each month, something of the old disappears and something new arrives. Several happening arts events help charge the transformation: The Harrison galleries’ First Fridays openings, the spring/fall SoWa Art Walks and the Summer Sunday Open Market on Harrison Ave. All showcase cutting-edge work of aspiring artists and craftspeople.
http://southendopenmarket.com
http://www.sowaartwalk.com/about.htm

back to archives