Globe Corner Blogs

Unidentified Flowering Tree--photo by Llalan

After over three months of riding home on sweltering subways tucked under a stranger’s sweaty armpit, elbowing my way over simmering sidewalks between armies of tourists in mirrored sunglasses, and sticking to La Brea-like tar while waiting for egregiously late buses,  I needed a break. Hailing from the corn fields of the Midwest, I wither away under the glare of glass skyscrapers and blinking neon.  Without a car, the choices seemed limited. I could go to Boston Common and pretend not to notice the necking teenagers and muttering homeless. I could wedge myself between sunbathers on the Charles River bank and laugh at the runners. Or I could sit in the mini front garden of a Beacon Hill home when I thought no one would be home.

Fortunately I found there was a better way to get my seasonal dose of Vitamin Green: Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. At the end of the Orange subway line lays 14 acres of dignified oaks, poky spruces, ancient bonsai, wispy silk trees, and everything else in between that I couldn’t identify. The paved paths that wind through the Arboretum are not only a great place to identify plants, but also an ideal people- and dog-watching spot (by which I mean rambunctious children with training wheels and puppies who can’t believe so many trees exist in the world). Continue Reading »

Boston BikeMap by Rubel BikeMaps

Each day I bike a very modest distance to work: a straight shot down Mt. Auburn Street – no turns and few stops. Thanks to recently installed city bike racks, nine times out of ten I can “park” directly outside the store’s door, and there’s even a bike lane on our block to ease my transition from street to sidewalk. In short, no fuss, no muss.

So, while I admittedly do not have use for a bike map on a daily basis, I still find Boston’s BikeMap, published by Rubel BikeMaps, to be a useful and remarkably well researched guide to biking in and around Boston (i.e. Brookline, Watertown, Somerville, Lexington, and more).

Here’s a brief list of features I’ve found to be particularly handy:

- All area bike shops are starred in red on the map and then indexed with addresses and phone numbers.

- Contour lines based on USGS topographic maps show hilly areas (aka, areas to avoid when already tired).

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Lake Rescue, Vermont--photo by Jess

For better or worse, I’ve spent a good hunk of time touring the New England region in the past couple months. I’ve taken the train to coastal Connecticut, the commuter rail to the North Shore of Boston, the train to New York City, and I’ve driven to southern Vermont, northern New Jersey, and Hartford, Conn. For lack of more exotic travel dispatches, here is some advice on traveling not-so-far from home:

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The Islands of Boston Harbor by Edward Rowe Snow

The day was Sunday, and my parents were on their way. They have visited me many times in Boston, but before there was always a school event already planned for us.  What was I to do this time?  Where would I take them?  The idea of going to the Museum of Dirt again popped into my head, but then I realized I needed an appointment.  This was my dilemma.  Whenever my parents come to Boston we have to go do something. Why, you might ask?  Because I live in a disgusting house with eight other people, and I know that they don’t even want to come in. This is why I need an event for them at all times when they come to visit.

The Boston Harbor Cruise was the event of the day.  I had never been, and neither had my family.  Since it was such a gorgeous day and we all enjoy boating, it seemed like the proper choice.  So off we went on this historic cruise: a cruise of islands, forts, sewage treatment plants, and abandoned buildings.

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Tour Eiffel at Midnight--photo by Jess

While your ears may still be ringing from fireworks and your belly may still be full from binge-eating (and perhaps drinking) BBQs, Independence Day celebrations are yet to be finished! Yes, July 4th has passed. But July 13th is fast approaching. If you find yourself forgetting the significance of this date, you need not worry for two reasons:
1) This date celebrates the anniversary of Bastille Day, the French (yes, French) National Holiday which commemorates their own fight for independence.
2) Bastille Day is actually July 14th. However, remembering July 13th is most likely far more relevant to your life as it’s the date of the Bastille Day in Harvard Square day-to-night block party sponsored by the Harvard Square Business Association.

Heralded as the region’s largest Bastille Day celebration, the joyous day will include live music, a traditional waiters race (no, I’m not exactly sure what that entails…), activities for children, and a en-plein-air beer garden. So check out more details on the event’s official website, mark your calender for this Sunday, and stop by the store to enjoy a 15% discount on all France-related items! Quelle coincidence! All our books and maps of France will be on sale for the rest of July, so you can even catch the end of the Tour de France before you race in.

101 Baseball Places by Josh Pahigian

In less than two weeks the Boys of Summer will have reached the halfway point of the season. That’s right — you have only about 5,000 more games til the season is over. Or so it may seem to a (seriously un-American) non-enthusiast. But for the rest of us, especially those of us who grew up with and continue to root for one of the worst baseball clubs in the league, it is a time of renewed hope and enthusiasm: hope that we will not continue to mire in last place; enthusiasm at the outside chance of wearing our jerseys and hats well into September or even in the snow.

By now you may have guessed that, although living in Boston, I am actually a fan of the beleaguered Cleveland Indians, my hometown team. When I was young, before they took a wild whiff at greatness in the early 90s, my family and I often took a quick trip up to “The Big City” and bought tickets minutes before the game started.
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Okay, so some people blog about things of greater consequence — vacations or…beer — but unfortunately I lead a relatively boring life, so here are some of the places in Boston to get that ultimate cheap street food: the humble burrito. This is more for the newcomer or visitor to Boston than a resident, so I will not be listing any of the national chains (eat local folks). A further note, if you’re from the West Coast or elsewhere you may have the idea that Mexican food on the East Coast is terrible, which might or might not be true, you’re just going to have to deal either way. Also be warned, these are my picks, no one else’s.

1) El Pelon: El Pelon Taqueria, 92 Peterborough St. (between Jersey and Kilmarnock Sts.), in the Fenway is one of my all-time favorite burrito places outside of the West Coast or Southwest. Nothing is better on a summer afternoon than hitting up El Pelon before heading over to Fenway Park to watch the Sox. Lines can be long, especially on game days, but they move fast, and if you move faster you can snag a seat. Very good salsa and fresh ingredients. I’ve been told the fish tacos are very good, and they’re on my list for next time. Pelon has the added benefit of being significantly cheaper (and more filling) than anything comparable you’ll find inside the Park or on the nearby Yawkey Way, so you have more cash for beer and peanuts.

2) Anna’s Taqueria: Anna’s, at various locations throughout the city, is right behind Fenway Park on the list of places I consider my church.

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The Good Beer Guide to New England by Andy Crouch

Last Friday night I traveled across the U.S. and back. I went straight from work to Delaware. Then I headed down to North Carolina, skipped across to Colorado, then California, up to Oregon, to Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, and surely a few others I’ve forgotten before finishing in Baltimore, Maryland.

Well, okay — I actually spent the evening in a cavernous underground room in Boston at the American Craft Beer Fest. (Boston is so fortunate to be the home of BeerAdvocate!) With 75 brewers and over 300 kinds of beer, I easily taste-tested my way across the country and back. The place was packed: there were beer connoisseurs of every level, but also a few gaggles of plaid-shorted boys who probably would have been satisfied with red plastic cups of Natty Lite. I wore my “Beer Geek” T-shirt just to be sure my postion was clear. But most importantly, the intense three and a half hours of beer tasting inspired me to plan a trip to each and every microbrewery and brewpub in New England. And I’ll certainly be bringing along Andy Crouch’s book that outlines the history and personality of each brewery along with recommendations for beer, food, how to get a tour, and how to take the beer with you. Hm, on second thought maybe I’ll just bring Mr. Crouch, himself, along.

I have been a Boston resident now for almost four years. I like to think that I know the city fairly well, and have seen a decent portion of what there is to see. This was true for the most part until the other night.

It was towards the end of the evening when I was working when I happened across a particular book in our Boston section. The Museums of Boston it is called, and boy did it throw me for a loop. I have been missing out completely! …Did you know that there is a Museum of Dirt, and a Museum of Bad Art? Continue Reading »

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending my graduation.  Naturally my family came to Boston to visit and celebrate.  One of the festivities of the weekend was going to see the famous Globe Corner Bookstore, which they have only been hearing and dreaming about.  Continue Reading »