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

It is June in Boston and another academic year comes to an end.

Commencing
With more than 250,000 college students as neighbors, Bostonians know what to expect -- family vans double parked outside Back Bay and Fenway dorms; massive white tents on campus lawns; restaurants filled with families and their college-grad host. The payoff for all this “inconvenience”? Seeing our graduates suddenly adult in their flowing regalia, walking with purpose toward their big event and their future.

Insider’s Tip
You can avoid commencement crowds at local restaurants by staying away from mid-price chains and special-occasion spots, such as Cheesecake Factory and Durgin Park. Try one of our stylish neighborhood destinations, such as Caffe Umbra in the South End and Les Zygomates in the Leather District – and literally get a taste of real Boston.

Juliet Swan, mother-to-be
Juliet, one of the Boston Public Garden’s star white swans, is nesting at the edge of the lagoon, in anticipation of the arrival of a new gosling. She and Romeo returned to the Public Garden last month to the usual annual fanfare, a mini-parade from the Make Way for Ducklings statues to the lagoon.

Insider’s Tip
The Boston Public Garden is an elegant, groomed botanical garden designed in the 1830’s in the French Empire style. Its swan boats,formal flower beds and enchanting pedestrian foot bridge over the lagoon draw tourists and residents alike. Unfortunately Keep Off the Grass signs set a formal tone. But if you stick to the edges of the park and don’t try to haul in a cooler or toss your Frisbee, you enjoy a respite on the lawn.

Over at the Other Garden
It is with great sadness to report that the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the NBA playoffs. Sadder still to admit their defeat occurred in the first round and at the hand of Larry Bird’s Indiana Pacers. Things are quiet now in the home of the Parquet Floor.

Insiders Tip
If you find yourself “over at the Gahden” (perhaps to see the New England Sports Museum?) don’t waste your time looking for a place to eat or shop nearby. The Garden is in the Bulfinch Triangle, a corner of Boston so dreary it isn’t even hip – yet. But it IS close to lots of great areas: The North End and Quincy Market are a 10-minute walk away. The Charlestown Navy Yard (and U.S.S. Constitution) is 15 minutes away. If you take the route through the new Paul Revere Park, you can walk along the Charles River locks and get a fabulous view of the Zakim Bridge virtually to yourself, as the locks are so hidden even residents don’t know about it.

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