The Beantown Bloggery

In case you were or will be walking past Boston Common anytime soon, there's some yellow tape up closing off a section from Park Street Station to the visitors center. That's because police shot someone there yesterday.

Just out of curiousity, does this make you feel more safe to know that cops are on patrol, or less safe that they're drawing firearms and firing in a public place while the park is relatively crowded?

Holy Cow! I used to take clients to this place all the time. I had a few folks that insisted on bringing lobsters back with them every time they came to Boston. We'd always swing by James Hook prior to heading to the airport.

My condolences to the Hook family.

Click (here) for a link to the BBJ article.

Click (here) for a link to the James Hook website.

Update 6/3/08
Article on the current status of James Hook. They plan on rebuilding and in the meantime are working out of borrowed space thanks to other lobster wholesalers in the area (here).

Lynn residents may want to keep an eye out for Bruce Willis. We're told the cast and crew of "The Surrogates" are setting up shop today at LynnArts Community Arts Center on Exchange Street. Willis, the star of the sci-fi thriller, has kept a very low profile during the film shoot. Unlike virtually every other Hollywood actor now working in Boston, Demi Moore's ex isn't routinely photographed at Celtics or Sox games.

Not routinely at Celtics games? But he must go at least occasionally (here).

Click (here) for the blurb.

Also, reader gjblass reported the following in his comment:

Bruce, will be filming in Lynn tomorrow May 30, off of Union Street, on Willow. I live in the building where they are filming.

So there's a couple of locations for you guys to check out in Lynn.

Wow, this article was a shocker. It's on the front page of the Globe today. Louis Boston - that really upscale store on Newbury that has it's own parking and such - is not going to renew their lease when expires in 2010.

According to the owner, Newbury isn't trendy enough anymore. She wants something edgier and different. She says that everything on Newbury Street now is similar and that there isn't anything new anymore. Bold words. Sort of true I guess, but still - it's kind of a slap in the face to Newbury.

It also looks like she wants more space because she said she wants to add a spa and a bakery to the mix. According to the Globe she's considering "the waterfront or another neighborhood."

What do you guys think? Seaport District? Downtown Crossing (after it's done being gentrified)?

The other big shocker was imbedded in one sentence in the middle of the article. "The restaurant, Boston Public, abruptly closed this week because of financial problems, according to chef Pino Maffeo."

Boston Public closed?!? I only went once about a year ago (here) but I thought the place was pretty nice. That's a shame.

Anyhoo, click (here) to read the article.

This is great news for constant travelers like me. I'm at Logan at least two to three times a month. And sometimes when I get back during rush hour, the line at the cash toll booth is miles long.

Starting June 2, Boston taxi drivers traveling through the Boston Harbor Tunnels to and from Logan Airport will be forced to use Fast Lane transponders at toll plazas or risk receiving citations, as part of effort announced Thursday by state transportation officials to ease traffic and provide smoother rides for customers.

I wonder if this will have any financial impact on customers. It's already pretty expensive to get to the airport after all the tunnel fees. But I'm usually in a hurry going to and from the airport, so it'll be worth it if the cabs can take the fast lane.

Click (here) to read the article in the Metro.

I think we were all probably expecting this. I just walked past the Mandarin Oriental the other day on my way to the new Apple store (here) and it looks pretty close, but definitely not ready for a July opening like it was originally scheduled.


Part of it was probably due to the four alarm fire that broke out a couple months ago (here).

So, they've rescheduled the grand opening for October.

Is it just me or does the artist rendering from over a year ago look nicer than the real thing?

The town of Shrewsbury is auctioning off a decommissioned 1982 firetruck with a funtional 75 foot ladder. And before you get too excited:

All sirens and lights are functional, but not legal for use by private buyers.

As of right now, there have been 22 bids and the current high bid is $3,390.02 - sounds like a quite the bargain to me. I'm racking my brains to figure out two things.

1. What kind of lawful shenanigans could me and my friends get into with an old fire truck. I'm guessing probably not much.

2. Where in the world would you park this thing?

There was an article in the Globe a little while ago about local Boston slang. There are definitely a few that I've learned since moving here and a lot that I still haven't heard of. Words that I learned: jimmies, frappe, packie, wicked.

Here's one question, though, that maybe you could help me with. According to the Globe, "the most telling, of course, is the Boston accent, the one with the 25-letter alphabet." Which letter is missing?

Jimmies. Regular coffee. Elastic. Bubbler. Tonic. Dungarees. Carriages. Gonzo. Packie. Parlor. Rotary. Bang a U-ey. Hosey. Wicked. There are hundreds of local terms. Some are going strong. Some have even gone national. Some aren't ours alone. And some are fading fast. Almost no one says "scoop" or "score" anymore.

Click (here) to read the article and also watch a video that a couple of the Globe staff put together.

This tip off couldn't have have come at a better time. I just walked past No 9 Park last night and was thinking to myself that I really need to get in there sometime. I love one of Barbara Lynch's other restaurants - B&G Oysters. I went there almost weekly when I lived in the South End. Shoutout to Tara @ B&G who who was always awesome whenever I went.

Anyhoo, this just in from one of the Blogger Readers:
no.9 park with its infamous gnocchis is finally going to start taking reservations for their cafe section of the restaurant, which has the prix fixe menu. reservations will start next monday. the maitre d' is Joe Witherell - call/email him for reservations 617.742.9991 or jwitherell@no9park.com. no more waiting in line for their truffled gnocchi with maine lobsters!

First off, apologies to Joe - you're probably going to be inundated with calls and emails now. And secondly - truffled gnocci with lobster?!? Wow, I know where I'm eating dinner the next time I go out.

Well, maybe the next, next time - cause up next on the docket is KO Prime tomorrow. Yum.

Summer's on it's way and that means hot dogs. And burgers. And clambakes. And more miles on the treadmill. agh. Coming up this Sunday 6/1 (can you believe June is already here?) is the 19th Annual Hot Dog Safari.

For those of you that didn't go last year (here), you can redeem yourself this year. This year's Safari will take place from 9am to 4pm at Suffolk Downs.

The Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and children 6 and under are free. What do you get? All the hot dogs, sausages and ice cream sundaes you can eat, featuring a large variety of hot dog vendors.

Tickets are available beginning May 1, 2008 at Sovereign Bank. They are available now at Kelly's Roast Beef, Halfway Cafe (all five locations), Kowloon, and Fuddruckers.

Click (here) to go to the Hot Dog Safari website for details. And bust out the sweat pants, there's going to be a hot dog eating contest.

Women everywhere I'm sure are waiting anxiously for this weekend for the opening of the movie version of Sex and the City.

Well, Vox Populi is capitalizing on that fact and they're throwing a Pre-Screening party on Friday May 30th. The evnet including cocktails, gift bags, and a fashion show. Lisa Roach from Kiss 108 will be the host for the evening. (Just a brief aside, I don't listen to the radio, so I went on the Kiss 108 website and couldn't find anyone named Lisa Roach on there)

Proceeds from the event will go to benefit Dress for Success a non profit that works to "promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life (here)."

To the guys out there - I'm guessing that there will be lots of ladies at Vox on Friday. Just a guess.

The front cover of the Business section of the Globe today has an article about how the owner of the Harvard Bookstore is putting it up for sale. That place is an institution. Why is he selling? "...because I've been doing it for 46 years and it's time to move on to something new in my life."

Makes sense to me. Time to retire and enjoy life. He is committed though to sell to someone that will continue on with the bookstore. Here's a little history on the Harvard Bookstore:

His father, Mark Kramer, founded the store on what is now John F. Kennedy Street, mainly to sell used books, later expanding into academic books - not textbooks - but intellectual works that would be assigned by college professors. Later the store moved to its present location on Massachusetts Avenue at Plympton Street. Frank Kramer later expanded it into a general bookstore. In recent years, as other bookstores have failed, Harvard Book Store has become a destination for tourists visiting Harvard Square and the university.

I've purchased a number of books from the Harvard Book Store over the years - it's a great place. Good luck to Mr. Kramer. I hope things go well for you and that you enjoy your retirement once the store is sold.

You may remember the Dancing on the Charles events from last year. Well, they're back and the DOTC events kick off this Saturday, May 31. Relish the warm weather, because as we all know - it doesn't last nearly long enough.

Ok, picture this… You’re dancing outside and another summer sunset is in full effect. Look around and the crowd is a sea of smiling faces. Cold beer in hand, you’re feeling the vibe as the DJ’s start to turn the party out for a night of dance music under the stars. Welcome to our idea of paradise; we call it Dancing On The Charles, a deliberate reaction to the people’s desire for a return to grassroots nightlife. Big sound system, great DJs, electronic music, BBQ, dancing outdoors and affordable prices.

The Improper Bostonian had a short article recently about some of the new restaurants that are in development. The first they mentioned was Stoddard's (opened by the owners of Ivy) - this one is old news, I blogged about it in early April (here).

Next up, renovations are going on at the Greenhouse Coffee Shop (which was one of the only reasons I used to go Harvard Square) the space is being leased by the folks that run Miracle of Science (near MIT) and according to rumors they are planning something "unlike anything they have have on their plate."

And lastly, it's being said that the owners of Bukowski's Tavern are in plans to open twho new restaurants: once next to Bukowski's in Cambridge and one in the South End.

I'm interested to see what these new restaurants are, cause you know me - I love food.

Just a month ago, word was that Kate Hudson was still hanging out with Owen Wilson (here) and (here). Now, the Globe (as well as Perez Hilton) are reporting that Kate Hudson is dating Lance Armstrong. The Globe takes it one step further and speculates that they may have met up during their time in Boston.

I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. I forgot how nice it is to have a three day weekend and do no work. I haven't had one in a while. I end up working on most of the "smaller" national holidays because even if one client happens to be taking that day off, another one is working - so I end up working.

Anyhoo, the gf and I went to Rockport, MA this past Saturday and had a great time as usual (we discovered the place last summer). It was our second trip and we had just as good a time as the first. We kayaked in the ocean, had some great seafood, walked around the little touristy shops - overall a great day.

The highlight was definitely the lobster. We go to a place called Roy Moore Lobster. It's hard to describe - it's not really a restaurant, it's more of a wholesale place that has about 6-8 tiny tables (last year they were wooden crates, but i guess this year they upgraded) out back on their deck. They'll cook a lobster for you and you can eat out back. Prices are up from last year, but still a pretty good deal. A 1.33lb lobster was $15. Larger lobsters were $10.99 a lb. They also have stuffed clams, fishcakes, clam chowder, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, shrimp cocktail - all for a pretty reasonable price.

I think I gained about 4 lbs over this weekend. Ugh - back on the diet and back on the treadmill.
Click (here) to read some other reviews of Roy Moore on Yelp.

Ok, forget Neil Gaiman (here) since the event is sold out, I just remembered something even better going on tonight. Armin Van Buuren is going to be here tonight at The Estate (thank you Ed Kane).

For those of you that are at least somewhat familiar with Trance music, AVB is one of the top guys. It's him and DJ Tiesto that take up the majority of the space on my ipod.

AVB just came out with a new CD called Imagine in the past month or so. It's a great album, I recommend you pick it up if you're a fan. My favorite song is Track 10 - Fine Without You.

Click (here) to buy tickets.

This is courtesy of Boston Magazine. They have an article this month (May Issue) entitled: "On the Prowl with the Cougar Hunters." I had never heard the term 'cougar' before until the episode of How I Met Your Mother where Barney hooks up with Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman....

Apparently, it's a burgeoning um .. pasttime/occupation. Here are some of the most notable quotes from the article:

"The women here are looking for one of two types: old and rich or young and handsome," he says, taking an order for a cosmo. "And if it's just a one-night thing, they'll take young and handsome every time."

A couple other places mentioned in the article were: Azure and City Bar at the Lenox Hotel and the Bristol at the Four Seasons.

Click (here) to read the article for yourself. It's kinda like reading a trashy novel. Trashy but entertaining.

Click (here) to go to urbancougar.com which the article references over and over again.

I'm blogging early about this event because it sells out every year. My friends went to the most recent one, the April Beer Summit (here), and ended up selling their extra tickets for a substantial profit. I think tickets were $35 and my friend sold his extra one to a really desperate guy on craigslist for $130. Forget stocks, invest in beer fest tickets. Just kidding ... or am I?

Join us in Boston on June 20 & 21, 2008 for one of the East Coast's largest celebrations of American craft beer, featuring: 75 American brewers, ~300 craft beers, guest speakers, and more!

June 20, 2008 = 6-9:30pm (Friday)
June 21, 2008 = 1-4:30pm (Saturday)
June 21, 2008 = 6-9:30pm (Saturday)

If you haven't heard of Neil Gaiman, you've probably heard of or seen his work. He's probably one of the most prolific and best comic book writers around. He also writes books and has worked on a few movies.

Well he's going to be at MIT tonight hosted by the Comparative Media Studies department:

The Julius Schwartz Lecture is an annual event held to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to the culture, creativity and community of comics and popular entertainment. The inaugural lecture will be held on May 23rd, 2008 at 7 PM in Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The event is typically structured as a short lecture presented by the honored speaker, followed by a question-and-answer discussion between the speaker and the head of the Comparative Media Studies program, media scholar Henry Jenkins III. This will be followed by an open question-and-answer session between the lecturer and the audience. The inaugural speaker for the series is New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.

Unfortunately, I found out about this event too late and the lecture is sold out. But maybe there will be some folks at the event scalping tickets for those of you that are interested.

Click (here) to go to Neil Gaimen's site

Click (here) to go to the event site for the CMS department at MIT

Well folks, the contest ended about an hour ago (here) and I've written down all the names on slips of paper, stuck them in a hat, and drawn a winner.


The winner of the SanDisk Sansa 1GB c240 MP3 Player is................

Congratulations to Crystal and thanks to everyone for entering. I will try to hold giveaways more often, as I am able to get my hands on stuff to give away. =D

Yes, you read correctly. That Barbara Walters. The most significant woman to ever work in broadcast journalism returns to her native home of Brookline to sign copies of her fascinating new biography, Audition. She will only sign her new book. The book must be purchased at the Booksmith and be accompanied by your receipt to enter the signing line.

If you haven't heard, there was some scandal involving an affair that Barbara Walters had thirty years ago (here).

The book signing is at 7pm tonight. Click (here) for a link to Brookline Booksmith.

Pretty exciting news for Equinox members or folks that work in the financial district and are looking for a gym. Equinox is opening a second location in Post Office Square.

Equinox Fitness Clubs has leased 40,000 square feet at 225 Franklin St. in Post Office Square, where it will open its second Boston location. The faciliity, slated to open in April 2009, will include cardio and strength training areas, five fitness studios and the proprietary Three-Cycle Training system, as well as a pro-shop, cafe/juice bar and full-service spa.

I visited the original Equinox when it opened in the South End but decided to stick with The Sports Club LA.

For those of you that are looking for a luxury sports club to join (yes it's rather expensive), Equinox just sent out an email about a five day promotion that they're running. $0 initiation fee until May 26th.

Send me an email if you'd like me to forward you the original email from Equinox to take with you when you sign up.

Click (here) to read the article about the 2nd gym opening.

There's been an email chain going around between some of my friends, here's what one of my friends had to say:
I went to this last year (but will be unable to go this year). This is probably the best opportunity to get “real BBQ” up here in yankee country. The price of the food was reasonable and you get to sample a bunch of different BBQ places from around the country. I remember it being a little crowded even on Sunday night. There was even a free ferris wheel! Definitely recommended.

Click (here) to get your tickets. The website says that they're currently doing a two for one promotion.

I had never been to Waterworks. I received a couple of invitations to go last summer, but was out of time both times. Well, Waterworks is no more - say hello to the Marina Bay Beach Club.

The Marina Bay nightspot favored by bronzed bodies and known for its “Buckwild Saturdays” and lingerie shows is bidding to refine its image.

“It’s going to be more of a boating, yacht club, Nantucket-y feel,” spokeswoman Jennifer Harvey said.

Harvey said brothers Ed and Joe Kane, who head up the club, are looking to cater more to young professionals. With that, they hope to attract more corporate parties.

The special guest for the Grand Opening is Brody Jenner. Owner Ed Kane must have this kid on speed dial. If you remember, Brody was here in January at one of Ed Kane's other clubs (here).

What do you guys think? Will they be able to change the image of the club?

Click (here) for the news article about the new club.

TV Network TNT is going to be filming a new pilot in Boston possibly starring Donnie Wahlberg. This New Kid on the Block is staying pretty busy. The series is tentatively named "Morse Code"

It's up in the air whether location shooting will be on the table if it goes to series or even if Wahlberg, who is also an executive producer, will star in it. He hopes to shoot the pilot soon, he said, "because we're going to have to go in for rehearsals for the tour, and once that starts I'm not going to be able to come up for air for a while." If the demands on his time become too heavy, he said, "I'll just get someone else to star in it."

The series, co-executive-produced by "Law & Order" vet Walon Green and Wahlberg's "Boomtown" director Jon Avnet, will follow a war hero who returns to Boston to work as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

"This Side of The Truth" Stars: Rob Lowe & Tina Fey

"This Side of the Truth" writer/director Ricky Gervais kept his cast on its toes in Andover yesterday as filming continued on the comedy, which stars Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. Comic Louis C.K., a Newton native who's also working on the film, made a return trip to the Comedy Connection on Sunday and Monday nights to do a little standup

Text From The Boston Globe (here)
Images from The Gloucester Daily Times (here)



Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

If allergies haven't caused you to lose your sense of taste (like mine have) you might be interested in swinging by Baskin Robbins with this coupon to get yourself a buy one get one free deal on a couple of soft serve cones.

Print it out and head over to get yourself some soft serve for you and a friend. Or heck, they're only 3oz cones - eat them both yourself.

Click (here) for a link to the coupon on the Baskin Robbins website.

I thought that title might get your attention. Mayor Menino is in Vegas this week for the International Council of Shopping Centers Convention and has been meeting with a bunch of retailers that hopefully will be coming to Boston soon.

Possibilities include: Steve and Barry's. Ulta, Another Morton's, Another Wagamama, and last but certainly not least - Pinkberry.

Menino also met with Pinkberry, a California-based frozen yogurt franchise, that is eyeing potential locations in the Back Bay, Downtown Crossing, and Fenway areas.

The article is a good read. I recommend you check it out because along with mentioning the retailers, the article also mentions prospective locations for the retailers. It's fun to know what might be coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

It's that time of year again. Although it didn't reach us last year until June (here), the red tide has spread from Maine to Massachusetts rendering some of my favorite foods toxic.

Red tide has spread from central Maine to Gloucester, making it unsafe to harvest soft-shell clams or mussels from those coastal waters and potentially signaling the onset of a business-damaging season, state officials say.

The single-celled algae carries toxins that concentrate over time in shellfish, making them poisonous, even lethal. Red tide often occurs in late spring and summer, when the algae grow rapidly. Crabs, lobsters, fish, and shrimp are not affected.

Such bad timing too, because I'm planning on doing a day trip out to Gloucester or Rockport this upcoming weekend to get some seafood and do some kayaking (hopefully the weather warms up a bit). That's ok though, we'll just have to avoid the clams and mussels and eat a whole lot more lobster. Yum.

Click (here) to read the Globe article.

My allergies usually aren't that bad. They flare up for about a week whenever the seasons change, but that's usually it. It hasn't been the case this spring. I wouldn't say that they're terrible, but they're definitely worse than usual.

So as I was walking to work today, and my nose got stuffier and stuffier, I realized that maybe not everyone knows where they can get cheap allergy meds. The answer is: Costco.

When the allergies first started hitting, I went to CVS and paid $15 for twelve 12 hour Zyrtec pills. The other weekend while I was at Costco, I decided to see if they had anything available there. They had Zyrtec as well for a substantial savings, but then they also had a generic Kirkland brand called Aller-Tec (same active ingredient as Zyrtec) for wayyyyyy less. I paid $16 for three hundred 24 hour pills. I'm set for the rest of the year.

Click (here) for a link to more info on the Aller-Tec and then swing by a Costco if you're interested.

PS. Just a word of warning, the allergy meds make me really drowsy. So if you've got a job involving driving or heavy machinery or something dangerous - you might want to test them out over a weekend before actually using them.

Apparently, Mel Gibson is looking to cast Britney Spears in his new movie. I was a big fan of hers in the past before she you know, kinda went crazy, and would love if she were to come to Boston. I enjoyed seeing her on those two recent episodes of How I Met Your Mother, and think that if she's trying to start over and turn over a new leaf, then good for her.

Is Boston ready for Britney Spears? Mel Gibson is helping Spears resuscitate her career, and word is he wants to cast the pop star in his next film, "Edge of Darkness," which is due to shoot in Boston later this summer. Britney is currently vacationing with Gibson and his wife, Robyn, at the "Braveheart" actor's surfside ranch in Costa Rica. Based on a 1985 miniseries, "Edge of Darkness" follows a police investigator whose activist daughter is killed in mysterious circumstances. It's being produced by Graham King and written by William Monahan, who last worked together on "The Departed."

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

This in from one of our beloved Bloggery Readers:

Just letting you know Mike Vallely (pro-skateboarder) was also on set filming with kevin james both in the burlington mall AND in the shouth shore plaza (I working on it as a PA!) you can also find a funny improv skit they did at the mall.

See below for the video on Youtube.

This year’s festival takes place May 24 at the Hatch Shell and features Cake. Cracker, the BoDeans and the English Beat will also perform at the event. Music on the Boston Music Stage starts at 11am and acts will be selected through an online competition on OurStage.com. The winning band in that competition will also open the show on the Hatch Stage. The Kids Planet Stage will start at 11am and feature Ellis Paul performing music from his new kids CD. In addition to the music, Earthfest will feature a host of family-friendly activities and showcase a host of environmentally friendly products and non-profit organizations.

Everyone remembers Cake right? They sang that song "The Distance" that was wildly popular while I was in highschool. I've got my fingers crossed for nice weather this upcoming weekend (to make up for all this rain we've been having lately) - and there's nothing better than an outdoor concert to enjoy a spring evening.

Click (here) to check out the official Earthfest website.

PS. Cake is on the docket to perform from 4:45pm - 6:00 pm.

Finale is about to open their fifth location in the Boston area - adding to its current ones ones in the Park Plaza, Harvard Square, Natick Mall, and Coolidge Corner. Who would have thought dessert would be such big business.

I used to go a lot more often when my friend Erika worked there. But now she's gone and I'm trying to lose weight. It's a double whammy against desserts for me.

The newest, and fifth restaurant, will be located at Salem and Cross streets, on a portion of the former Martignetti's liquor store site. Facing the Rose Kennedy Greenway, it will occupy 2,400 square feet and employ 35 to 40 people. The company expects to spend about $500,000 to outfit the new location.

I'm curious to see how this new location will do. Whenever I'm in the North End for dinner, I like to go to Mike's or Modern Pastry for dessert or maybe grab some gelato. There's a lot of dessert in that area. But then again, it's also a big tourist destination - so maybe a big sit down dessert place like Finale would do well.

Last month, Craigie Street Bistrot was the only U.S. restaurant named top 10 best restaurants in the world for carnivores by Food & Wine magazine May 2008 issue (here).

Then, just recently announced that they'll be leaving their "cozy" space in the Harvard Square area and moving into bigger digs down the street in Central Square.

Cambridge, MA April 28, 2008 … Tony Maws, chef/proprietor, Craigie Street Bistrot announces his agreement to purchase La Groceria Restaurant, Cambridge. Pending City and State approval of the Liquor License transfer, Maws will relocate his nationally-recognized Craigie Street Bistrot to the larger 853 Main Street, Cambridge location.

For those of you that haven't been and want to be able to do a before/after comparison of the restaurant (same thing I recommended folks do at L'espalier before it moves to the Mandarin Oriental) you've got a couple of months to go check it out.

Maws is hoping for a September opening for the new restaurant.

Click (here) to read Craigie Street's own blog entry on the topic.

Bolt Bus
A New Discount Bus Service Between Boston & NYC
Click (here) for Review of My First Bolt Bus Experience

Click (here) for a list of other ways to get to NYC

If I was going to be in town tonight, I'd definitely go check this event out - maybe not participate - but at least see what was going on.

A silent rave is going to be held in Boston Common at the northwest corner (near intersection of Beacon St & Charles St). The event will be held from 7:19pm-11:19pm. Here's some more information I found from a craigslist listing for the event:

A Silent Rave, or Mobile Club, or Silent Disco, is a simple concept. Hundreds, hopefully thousands, of people from any background of life turn up in a public place at a pre-arranged time, turn on their Walkmans, CD players, and iPods and dance freely to whatever music they choose to listen to!

I think that's a pretty interesting concept. And hey, it's free entertainment on a Friday night. If anyone ends up going, would you mind sending me some pics? I'll post them here.

Click (here) to read the rest of the craigslist listing.

A little bit of Vegas makes its way to Connecticut this weekend. The new MGM Grand at Foxwoods opens on Saturday 5/17/08. Gamblers rejoice!

Click (here) for an article in the Patriot Ledger about Ed

Click (here) for a link to the MGM Grand

Click (here) for a link to Shrine to see their current line up of visiting celebs including Carmen Electra.

If you missed my post earlier this week, Bride Wars was in The Alley @ The Estate doing some work for a couple of days (here). Curious to know what they were filming? I found this blurb in the Globe yesterday:

We hear "Bride Wars" stars Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway have spent the last two days reshooting a bachelorette party scene. Director Gary Winick and his crews took over a couple of Boylston Place nightclubs to film a bit where Hathaway jumps on a male stripper's back after spotting him dancing with Hudson.

Also, I spotted the Bride Wars sign yesterday at the corner of Arlington and Boylston pointing south on Arlington. The sign is still up today, but unfortunately I don't have any time to go and check out where the set is.

Just a little hint for those of you are in the market for a new bag or backpack. Here's a way to save some money if you have the patience and willingness to do some surveys.

Back in February I blogged about a survey site called E-Rewards that I've been using where you earn points that can be exchanged for discounts. The first discount I used was to trade points in for $15 off at Borders and I got Ben Mezrich's "Rigged" for sixty cents (here). Well apparently that particular exchange is only allowed once a year, so I've moved on to my next goal - Ebags.com

I've purchased some luggage from them on a couple of occasions and have found them to be a pretty reliable etailer. Whenever I buy something, I prefer to buy it online nowadays because I can read all the customer reviews prior to purchasing.

E-rewards has different levels of discounts that you can earn at Ebags. $25 off a $75 purchase ; $50 off $125; or $100 off $275. Technically in terms of percent off, $50 off $125 is the best discount.

I recently saved up $50 points on e-rewards, which my gf is going to use for a purse that she saw at Nordstroms (but will be a much better deal at Ebags since she can get $50 off using the discount) and will use the next $50 that I save up to get myself a new laptop bag.

Be aware though, it takes a long, long time to save up points on E-rewards. But if you have the time and you're not in a hurry, it's worth the discount.

I just added Ebags.com as an affiliate advertiser to this site and so they're offering a special discount where you can get $20 Off When You Spend Over $100 at eBags.com


Only one discount at a time though, so unfortunately you won't be able to do the E-rewards thing in addition to the discount above. I just tested the link above to doublecheck and your discount should show up in your shopping cart when you check out. Happy Shopping!

So Cirque Du Soleil comes through Boston every year or two with their traveling show. I've seen my fair share of shows over the past several years: Quidam (my favorite), Dralion, Corteo ... now they're going to be coming to Boston in September with their new show Kooza.

Just in the past few weeks, I've seen some posters around the city advertising student discount tickets for the show for $31.

You read the title and thought to yourself, "the only person I know with the name Topanga is that chick from Boy Meets World." Well, you're right. And she's going to be at McFadden's tonight as they celebrate 90's night.

EVERYONE brings back the 80's at least once a year...instead of doing the same old thing, McFadden's decided it was time to bring back the 90's!

Thursday, May 15th, 2008 - 9:00 pm - 2:00 am

This party will be full of "remember that" paraphernalia...and what McFadden's theme party would be complete without a "remember them" host...your favorite female 90's TV personality, Topanga from "Boy Meets World" will be signing autographs and slinging drinks! Dress the part and receive VIP access

What do you think constitutes the 90's look? The 80's and 90's sort of blend together to me I just consider the both decades "childhood." Is it time to break out the hypercolor t-shirts and Girbauds?

Anyway, for those of you that go, tell Topanga hi for me.

I actually just went to Excelsior for the first time a few months ago during Restaurant Week after having walked past it hundreds of times. I have to say, it's pretty classy in there. Well today, Excelsior turns 5 and they're celebrating tonight.

Thursday May 15th at 10 p.m. Celebrate 5 years at Excelsior. DJ Eric Bettencourt spins until 2am while we sip on classic Excelsior cocktails that made us famous for $5! Complimentary passed hors d'eouvres from Chef Eric Brennan.

Classic Excelsior Cocktails for $5
Champagne L'Hereu de Raventos i Blanc, Reserva Brut Cava, NV
Executive Blues Smirnoff Vodka, Mathilde Pear, Blueberry Puree, Fresh Lime
Timeless Modern Makers Mark, Maraschino, Bitters, Splash of Grenadine, Fresh Citrus
Southern Drawl Maker's Mark muddled with fresh Lemon and Mint
Bajito Bacardi Rum muddled with fresh Lime, Mint and Basil

Not sure if I'm going to be able to make it, I'm going to the Kanye West concert tonight (I'm pretty psyched) but depending on how late it goes and how bad traffic is coming back from the Tweeter Center, I might be able to make the second half of the party.

If I had to pick though, it'd have to be either the Timeless Modern or the Southern Drawl - I'm a huge fan of bourbon.

Click (here) for a link to Excelsior

Over this past Christmas, I became an Apple customer. I got myself a new ipod nano and also an iphone. Now, while I'm in the process of needing to purchase a new laptop, and several of my friends are trying to convince me to get a Mac - which I'm iffy about but am willing to consider.

Things will become much easier to consider starting tomorrow, Thursday 5/15, when the new Back Bay Apple store opens. Normally, I'd have to drive over to Cambridgeside and pay $1.99 for my hour of parking just to check things out at the store. Now I'll be able to walk there to the Back Bay store and loiter as long as I want - much more convenient.

The much debated, highly anticipated, three-story glass facade building at 815 Boylston St. will open to the public on Thursday evening, making it Apple's largest retail venture in the United States. The Back Bay shop will feature oodles of gadgets, including 64 iPod music and video players, 104 Mac laptops and computers, and a third floor dedicated entirely to service that can accommodate 100 customers receiving one-on-one training at the same time.

Click (here) to read the Globe article.

Can you believe it's almost been a year since the Beantown Bloggery launched? My first post was made on May 22, 2007. The year has gone by pretty quickly. And in celebration of my blog's first birthday, I am going to hold a giveaway contest for you guys.

Here's the rules. From now until May 22, 2008 anyone is free to enter the contest. All you have to do is subscribe to my blog either through email or RSS using the widget on the upper right hand corner of the blog and then send me an email with the subject "Happy Birthday" and your name in the body of the email.

At 12:00 noon EST on May 22, 2008 (8 days from now) the contest will end and I will put everyone's name in a hat (I have a Stetson) and pick 1 winner. I will then email the winner and ask for his/her address so I can mail them the prize.

What's the prize? A brand new SanDisk Sansa 1GB c240 MP3 Player (here).

Good luck everyone!



Want to Enter the Contest?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

The Rock and Blues Cruise of '07 took place just a few months after I had launched the Beantown Bloggery (here). Now, it's coming back for their 4th season (and my 2nd). Looks like they have another great line up this year.

June 4 - The Radiators
June 7 - WERS Welcomes The Ryan Montbleau Band
June 27 - Rustic Overtones
June 28 - A night of A Capella with Hyannis Sound & Firedrill
July 11 - Ernie and The Automatics
July 25 - deSol
July 26 - Booty Vortex w/Evan Michael
August 8 - Entrain
August 15 - WERS welcomes Ellis Paul and Band
August 23 - Beatlejuice

I missed out last year, but you can be sure that I'll be going to at least a couple of the cruises this year. An evening boat ride, a couple of drinks, and a band called Booty Vortex ... how could it not be fun? I'm also kind of curious to hear Ernie & the Automatics. If you're not aware, Ernie is the CEO of Boch Enterprises. I hear their car commercials all the time on the radio, I wonder how their blues music is.

Click (here) to get your tickets and also details on how to get to Long Wharf.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

I snapped a couple of shots on the way home from work yesterday, it looks like Bride Wars was shooting in the Alley (most likely at The Estate) last night. There were trucks parked all alongside Boylston in the surrounding area.

For those of you that are curious to check it out, the trucks and signs were still all set up this morning as I walked to work.

Sign on Boylston St Pointing into the Alley

BW Sign pointing into The Estate

Who needs Perez Hilton, when all I really need is the "Names" section of the Boston Globe. Here's the latest rumor involving the quarterback and the supermodel:

We're not buying those rumors of wedding bells, but something's up with Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. We're told the Pats QB and his Brazilian beauty are planning a big - and we mean big - party at the supermodel's surfside Costa Rican compound next month. Word is both Brady and Bundchen's families will be there. Hmm.

Who's got a theory on what they could be celebrating if it's not a wedding? Next month would be June ... which is a month too early for Gisele's birthday (July 20th). What other type of celebration would call for flying in both sets of families?

Click (here) for the Globe Blurb and scroll down.