There is far more to the new Norman B. Leventhal Map Center than the physical space that just opened at the Boston Public Library (BPL) in Copley Square. The new facility does make this significant collection of maps far more accessible to library visitors fascinated with maps, atlases, and globes. However, a behind the...
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Attention to Detail
Last Week’s Answer The bow window in last week’s clue is on 228 Beacon Street, built in 1863. This French Academic style building is here today because a developer’s 1969 plan– to tear down seven buildings from 222 to 234 Beacon Street and replace them with a 32-story, 96-apartment high-rise with a 100 car...
Enjoying the Head of the Charles
Do your weekend plans include joining the 300,000 spectators who will line the riverbanks for the Head of the Charles Regatta? It is fun to watch the athletes in action and enjoy the colorful aspects of the event. Here’s a bit of information about the race and the sport of rowing. History Crew or...
Ready for Halloween?
In a city with a quarter of a million students, Halloween takes on a life of its own. Costumes for adults and the places that supply them are crowded, and options run out as the big date grows near. Knowing where to find the right outfit for “Beacon Hill with a Boo!,” a “Halloween...
Winterizing Historic Windows
Drafty windows don’t have to be a part of living in a historic home, and replacement windows are not necessarily the best long-term solution. Maintaining and rebuilding the original windows can be a great value both financially and environmentally. Historic Guidelines The Back Bay Architectural Commission (BBAC) Guidelines for the Residential District state, “Original...
Artisit at Work
Rob Mahoney of Alchemy Gardens was creating an autumn look for 359 Beacon Street. You can spot his signature style in window boxes and stairway floral displays around the neighborhood.
Four Benches Carved in Stone
This summer, the four stone benches on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall have been given much needed attention. All were cleaned and sealed to protect them from the elements. And, the bench dedicated to Civil War Veterans at the entrance to the Mall at Arlington Street has been restored and rededicated. Civil War Bench Erected...
Lois Harvey’s Back Bay
In 1993, Lois Harvey was living in Harvard Square and began to crave a more adult environment. Her search for a new home brought her to the Back Bay. “I had never spent very much time in Back Bay, even though I was only a subway stop or two away. But, I just fell...
Talkin’ Trash: Seven Things You Should Know
Trash is a topic that every elected official and neighborhood association in the city hears a lot about. Many of the calls that come into the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay (NABB) office have to do with trash in one form or another. The city’s website (www.cityofboston.gov) has a wealth of information on...
Boylston Street over the Years
Boylston Street has always stood apart from other streets in the Back Bay. Over the years, it has evolved into a major artery for commercial development and crosstown traffic. “Boylston Street had from its beginnings a different visual character from the rest of the district because with the exception of really a handful of...