The Boston Bloggery

M.I.A.

2009-10-03T04:03:00.000-04:00

Wondering what happened to this city girl? Well, you'll have to check out my new blog to find out.

Adventures in Arkansas (And Other Mostly Southern Places)

Mirabella

2009-08-24T00:14:00.006-04:00

For a couple of years now I have heard about a pool in the North End. Being typically sketched out by public pools especially those in the heart of Boston, I never quite worked up the nerve to check this one out...

until today.

I have a new love and it's name is the Mirabella Pool! It's not crowded - even on the weekend and it has 3 seperate areas, a kiddie pool, a large shallow pool and smaller deeper pool which helps keep screaming kids in their own area. And here's the best part, membership is only $15 for the entire summer and if your friend is a member you can get an individual visit for a whopping $3. Why did I not start coming here 5 years ago?

If You've Got $5, I've Got The Footlong

2009-08-13T02:21:00.009-04:00

Okay, you got me. I don't have any subway sandwiches, but if you've got $12, then I have 3 delicious drinks for you to choose from. They are overpriced, ultra girly and since they all three go down the hatch waaaay too easily, they taste even better when someone else pays for them. Boys, hold onto those wallets! As I'm wrapping up my last days here in Boston, I'm savoring a few of these drinks along the way because even though they're pricey, they are worth every penny.

The Dancing Bear Martini - $12
Charlesmark Hotel - Copley Square

Here's the official description of the drink:

Inspired by the Grateful Dead and garnished with a rainbow skewer of Gummy Bears, this drink is a long, strange sip, indeed, a mix of Svedka Citrus, pomegranate liqueur, limoncello, and a splash of fruit juice.

All I have to say is forget olives and pass the gummy bears please! Also, the bartenders are nice and will give you extra gummy bears and not kick you out when you set things on fire... but that's another story all together. Also, the bathroom has a shower - useful information, I know.

Raspberry Mojito - $12
Dillon's - Back Bay

How, how, how do I not have picture of this glorious drink? The raspberry mojito is my go to summertime drink. Picture a refreshing traditional minty mojito, now add fresh muddled raspberries, an overpriced bar tab and there you go. Actually, I'd really prefer the Raspberry Mojito from The News - they adorned the drink with a rock candy swizzle stick. Are we seeing a theme here in my beverage choices? Sadly though, The News is no longer with us. R.I.P. rock candy and free ladies night dinner.

6B Martini - $9
6B Lounge - Beacon Hill

Last on the list is the 6B:

A fruit-based concoction of peach, apple and Kurant vodkas, enhanced with fresh pineapple juice, white peach juice, and mango fruit.

Named after the bar, I guess I'm not the only one who thinks this drink is fantastic. 6B is a perfect place to start your night. There's never a crowd and, at a mere $9 a pop, you can afford to try out a few of their tasty 'tinis.

Wait... am I in Southie or South Boston and is West Roxbury part of Roxbury?

2009-08-05T01:07:00.017-04:00

Check out the awesome neighborhood map I just bought!

You can find it, along with several other color options, at orkposters.com for a mere $22 - $27. And if Boston isn't your one true city love you can also get a neighborhood map of Brooklyn, Chicago, The Great Lakes, L.A., Manhattan, NYC, Philly, Portland, San Fran, Seattle, Toronto, and D.C. Now if I could just get them to make some Southern City Maps. Yes, there are cities in the South. They also make a heart print that is both artsy and educational.... and awesome!

The heart print is sold exclusively online but if the Boston map is what you're after you can buy locally from Grand in Union Square, Somerville or Ward Maps in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Glitter InThe Air

2009-08-03T01:09:00.003-04:00

Usually I find Pink really annoying, but every once in a while she reminds me that she's actually a good singer. Now if we could just get them to play this on the radio instead of that horrific "So What" song.

Sweet Disposition

2009-07-28T01:43:00.006-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I loved the music in "500 Days of Summer" Especially this song. I'm slightly obsessed. Enjoy!

MV.AR.OK.LA.CHI.BOS.

2009-07-28T00:21:00.006-04:00

Okay so when I said "I'm available by appointment only during the month of July" I apparently wasn't kidding.

So far this month I have...watched fire works on Martha's Vineyard, fished on the Little Red River in Arkansas, seen my bff from Oklahoma preggers for the first time, played stump trivia in Boston under the team name "If you've got $5 I've got the footlong", saved a man's life before boarding a plane to LA (true story), I ate Ethiopian food in LA, turned 27 - yikes, spent 14 hours of one day at the beach, watched "500 days of summer" - great movie with great music and even better clothes, visited the ledge at the former Sears Tower, had a surprise catch up session over a beer with a friend I shared awkward teenage years with but who now has a beautiful wife, ate Chicago style Pizza for the first time ever - delicious, thanked the Lord above that I did not have to save anyone else's life on the flight back and for the grand finale........went out in Faneuil Hall twice this past weekend.

Maybe I was exhausted from all the traveling, or maybe I felt bad for being so MIA that I thought I'd just keep the peace, but my friends, I do not like Faneuil Hall. Faneuil Hall is filled with people from out of town who will wait in a long line, pay a cover charge and then spill beer on you in an empty, yes mostly empty bar whilst a bad cover band is playing and about 3 bachelorette parties are keeping you from ever ordering a drink.

Generally I'm a "it's not where you are but who you're with kind of girl," but in Faneuil Hall I always use the power of persuasion to get my way. And now, out of the kindness of my heart, and also because I'm moving and don't care if the secret's out, I'm going to let you in on my hidden gem of a non-suckie Faneuil Hall bar.

That's Durty Nelly's my friends, an Irish Pub at it's finest which means no line, no cover, and most importanly no Faneuil hall-esque patrons. This weekend we even witnessed people getting kicked out for trying to use the bathroom without ordering anything and for being drunk. Now that's what I'm talking about Faneuil Hall!

Durty Nelly's is in the middle of Haymarket which I find awesome, but in case that part scares you a bit, use the back door on the street behind bell in hand. Below is a picture from the night I first discovered this hidden gem. Hells yeah I purchased a t-shirt! Okay, so mainly is was to hit the $10 bar tab minimum but still, I wear it proudly.

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

2009-07-01T01:28:00.006-04:00

Finally! Those ghastly empty store fronts on Shawmut will soon be filled with South End fabulousness.

First up is the restaurant location where The Dish used to be. Everyone in the neighborhood has been mourning the loss of that quaint local spot that had great comfort food and an even better patio. But, don't get too sad Bostonians. Word on the street is chef Ken Oringer of Clio, KO Prime, La Verdad, Uni and my personal favorite Toro, will soon be opening an enotecca in the space. Coppa, an Italian style wine bar will serve small plates, pizzas and pastas. And with an opening date set for late August, it looks like we'll get some use out of that patio afterall.

And across the street...

Over the past week or so, some mysterious, well designed signs appeared in the space that formerly housed Shawmut Place Dry Cleaning and Tailoring (which moved just down the street earlier this year.) Flock is set to open this fall. And if you're wondering what Flock is, you're not alone. After some intense googling I landed upon the website for Alpahbet Arm Design who designed their logo. Here's what they had to say about Flock:

"Flock is an upscale boutique opening soon in Boston's South End. "Feminine, earthy, light and elegant" were some of the words that the Flock team used to describe their new brand."

So I'm diggin the logo, I'm diggin the element of surprise, but come on flock team! Give us a little sneak peak as to what's in store :)

My Addiction

2009-06-24T00:51:00.005-04:00

In college I drank. Like a lot.

My problem was not with Natty Lite, Amaretto Sours or Trash Can Punch. My problem was with coffee. Now, in order to tell you the rest of the story, I need to make a little confession. I, Julie Caroline Edwards, was in a sorority. Are we still friends? Whew. Okay, moving on. Adding to my addiction was that in attempt to get out of a house full of crazy loud sorority girls I would take myself to the local coffee shop, The Third Place, just about every night to work on whatever fashion project was late or to study for whichever test needed to be crammed for. Pretty soon I started to love that little coffee shop. The friendly staff, the regulars, the music, the coffee - they were all things I started to depend on. So at the ripe old age of 20 I found myself drinking coffee in the morning, coffee to stay awake through class then coffee, coffee and more coffee while at The Third Place.

5 years after retiring my spot at The Third Place, I've pretty much kicked the coffee habit, but every time I pass a local coffee shop the little bit of addict that's left in me takes over. Sometimes I'm not even in the mood for coffee but I find myself going in anyway. I had one of these "relapses" about a year ago at In House Cafe in Allston. Now I'm not really a cappuccino fan but by some divine intervention I ordered one that day and if you are to remember anything about this blog, remember this. In House Cafe serves the best cappuccino in Boston. Not just Allston, no they serve the best cappuccino in all of Boston. Sugar? yes. Cinnamon? Duh. But the best part about In House is that the owner has super trained all his employees so I've been able to enjoy that glorious cappuccino anytime I've stopped in. Gotta love consistency. Seriously though, if you find yourself in Allston stop by In House Cafe at 194 Harvard and get yourself a cappuccino... and get me one too.

Walk Score

2009-06-18T01:24:00.007-04:00

For those of you who have asked "Julie, do you think you'll ever move back home?" Let me introduce you to my new favorite webtool - walkscore.com

Here's a map of where I live now. Just so you know this does not give you the go ahead to stalk me... well, other than online ;)

Aint she a beaut?! I scored 95 out of 100 points - a walker's paradise. In my neighborhood you only have to walk about .02 miles to find a plethora restaurants, libraries, bars, boutiques, grocery stores and the list goes on. Okay now let's take a look at good ol' Fort Smith, Arkansas.

8 points people. And in my opinion they should have deducted points for that little coffe cup on the map. Want to take a guess at what that fine establishment is? Oh yes my friends, that fine establishment is the waffle house. So in short, no. I won't be moving back to the fort anytime soon. But, take a look at my next town.

*Sorry if some of you Bostonians haven't heard yet, but I'm most likely moving myself to..............

wait for it...........

Charleston, South Carolina!

And you better believe I'll be clicking on all those tiny coffe cups and shopping carts on my walkscore to find all my new favorite places. In case you're wondering, Charleston also scored a walker's paradise rating. Want to find your walk score?

***There are still a few spaces left on the tour guide accompanied trip to Fort Smith, AR this July. Please respond asap as spaces are sure to fill up!

Out and About

2009-06-13T14:14:00.018-04:00

Here are some pictures I've snapped around town recently. Yes, Boston is a frigid place to live during the winter but when it's nice out, man is it nice. There's just something about the flowers, the restaurant patios and fenway that make it worth living in Boston even if it means surviving those dreaded cold months.

A Flag proudly displayed on a South End Brownstone

Tulips in Bloom

One of my favorite Spring Doors

Flowers in the Public Garden

Catherdral of the Holy Cross

Custom House Clock Tower

More Cathedral of the Holy Cross

Bleeding Heart Flowers

It's Raining Men

2009-06-12T21:47:00.012-04:00

Unless you live waaaay outside the city, you've probably noticed it's pride week here in Boston.

Last night, I gathered up the girls and off we went to the Pride Concert performed by the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. Did I mention this concert was totally 80's? Oh yes, there was Madonna, there was George Michael, there was Mrs. Tina Turner, classic Michael Jackson and the B-52's. And we're not just talking singing here, we're talking full choir choreographed dance moves in pure 80's fashion. I won't spoil the show for you since there are still tickets available for Sunday night, but below is a clip of what you can expect. Sorry in advace for the real player video, it's the only version I could find, but definitely worth watching!

Click here to see a sneak peak video!

If singing and dancing isn't you thing, then check out the rest of the Pride Week for block parties, parades and other fun events.

Boston Cheap Eats and Other Free Things

2009-03-08T20:11:00.043-04:00

It's no secret that the economy has hit a rough patch. To top it off, Boston has recently been named America's 9th most expensive city to live in by Forbes.com. But never fear! Hidden within Boston are free ladies night dinners, half price appetizers, even free museum passes. So next time you're feeling down about the economy, get out there and celebrate it instead. Savor the savings!

Dine Smart

Located in the heart of Faneuil Hall, Red Sky is a trendy lounge style restaurant that features a fusion of French, Asian, Italian, and American fare. What I like the most about Red Sky is their deals. Stop in for lunch where a mere $6 gets you soup/salad and a sandwich or get half price appetizers everyday from 4pm-6pm. Or how about a FREE dinner? Red Sky offers a ladies night, free 3 course dinner with $10 drink purchase every Wednesday night.

For other smart savings try 50 cent tapas from MASA in the South End, or get a free large pizza when you purchase a pitcher of beer at Crossroads in Boston's Back Bay. Enjoy fashion, art music and enoteca at Via Matta's F.A.M.E event held the first Wednesday of every month. Did I mention complimentary appetizers and cocktails are served?

Downtown Crossing also has its fair share of dining deals. Sidebar on Bromfield street is best known for their afterwork crowd drawn there by the 10 cent wings and $2 beers. You may think of nightlife when you think of Felt in Downtown Crossing, but what you should think of is their $5 sandwich and fries deal.

If you're in the Brighton/Allston area, you're not left out! Get a free entree from Brighton Beer Garden when the Celtics or Bruins win not to mention their $2.50 Tuesdays and all you can eat wings. Down the road at the White Horse Tavern in Allston get $3 burger and fries daily and $6 steak tips weekly.

Art Smart

Love art and wish you had a seaon pass? You don't have to dish ou the dough for one! Brose exhibits at Target Free Thursday nights at the ICA, Boston's Contemporary Art Museum from 5pm - 9pm on Thursday nights. Families get in free the last Saturday of the month. Currently on display are works from the legendary Shephard Fairey, one of today's most influential street artists most recently known for his iconic portrait of Barack Obama as seen throughout his presidential campaign.

If you're in the Cambridge area, visit the Harvard Art Museums including the Fogg Art Museum, the Busch-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum for free Saturday mornings from 10 am - noon or the MIT Museum with free admission Sundays 10 am - noon. The Harvard Mus eum of Natural History and the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology are also free Wednesdays afternoons, 3-5 pm, and on Sundays 9 am-11 am.