365 Things to Do in Boston - New Tips Daily

The Bustonian calls themselves Boston's original party bus company. They have a fleet of 6 buses perfect for any of your event needs. Whether it is a birthday party, reunion, Bachelor or Bachelorette Party, work holiday party, New Year's Eve or any other occasion, just get on the bus......Featuring internal lightshows, state-of-the-art sound systems, plenty of room for dancing and even a dance pole, the ride IS the party. The Bustonian has established great relationships with the top bars and nightclubs in Boston, so passengers can enjoy benefits of VIP treatment like no cover charges or long lines at participating Bustonian bars and clubs in Boston. So, if you are planning your next event, keep it simple and keep it safe, with no one behind the wheel, but your trusty Bustonian driver.....

The Boston Pops Holiday Show is in full swing until 12/24. Be part of the traditional Pops sing-a-long, and enjoy a visit from jolly old St. Nick! Great for couples and families. Conveniently located at Boston Symphony Hall at 301 Mass Ave. on the Green line (E-line) in the heart of the Symphony/Fenway neighborhood. Get your tickets today and enjoy this wonderful performance. 

The development of Boston's new frontier is in full swing, and any city dweller needs to go see what is happening there. I say this not just for current enjoyment, but also for when you start getting old (like me) and in 10 years when you go back, you can bore your children with stories of a land transformed. With 1,500 housing units on the immediate horizon and countless other projects in the planning phases, this is Boston's hottest neighborhood. There are already plenty of great dining and nightlife attractions in this emerging area, not to mention great events at both the World Trade Center and the Boston Convention Center . Some of the best spots to grab a bite or a cocktail are:

Legal Harborside- great food and amazing outdoor space

LTK- Legal's Test Kitchen is a great casual, but delicious place to eat.

Del Frisco's- This high end steakhouse is the real deal

Morton's- An old stand by that never disappoints.

Empire- Cutting edge Asian cuisine with a hip and trendy scene brough to us by Big Night Entertainment. 

Jerry Remy's Seaport- Great sports bar with solid pub grub. 

Those suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg (it is gonna get cold down there in the coming months) so bundle up and head on down and see what the buzz is all about.....

Go see some potential future stars, and enjoy a fun family night with the Boston Children's Theatre (BCT). This Holiday Season they are performing the Velveteen Rabbit. The show is being performed at the Benjamin Franklin Institute at 41 Berkeley St. in the South End on 12/22 and 12/23 at 2pm. The BCT aims to promote personal and artistic growth to our youth.

Satisfy your sweet tooth, especially over the Holidays, and before any New Year's resolutions, with Boston Chocolate Tours. They have 4 tours spread thorughout the city (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End adn The Cupcake Crawl) that last about 2.5 hours. They cover the history of chocolate, how luxury chocolate is created, and of course where to get this decadence in our city. Tour groups are limited to 14, so this is a great way to spend a day with a large group of friends, or mayeb just you and a significant other.

The Polar Express has come to the Cape Cod Railroad. With trains leaving from Hyannis, Buzzard's Bay, and Sandwich and heading all the way up to The North Pole, this is a can't miss attraction for families during the holiday season. Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas and there is hot chocolate, Santa, caroling, and gifts for all. Not gonna lie, The Cape Cod Railroad is really stepping up their game between this polar express and the newly announced service coming this Summer from Boston to the Cape. 

As the Winter doldrums begin to set in, and the air becomes frigid (yes, I'm being a poetic realtor right now), there are many a night where our City's good citizens would rather just enjoy a night on the couch. So, why not do so and still enjoy all that Boston has to offer....on film.......

These are not reviews (though all are welcome to comment), just some great Boston based films.....

 

Good Will Hunting- This movie just celebrated its 15th Anniversary (which makes me feel a tad old, as that was my senior year of high school) and launched Ben Affleck and Matt Damon into Hollywood prominence. 

The Departed- This film is loosely depicted on Boston's most notorious gangster: Whitey Bulger

The Town- A great look at the blue collar culture of old school Charlestown.....

Mystic River- An awesome Dennis Lehane adapted book that focuses on South Boston....

Gone Baby Gone- See above, less the Southie......

Well, if you are like me, and the older you get, the more you get hosed in terms of gifts over the holidays, reading (or writing) this post may be tough to swallow. I mean, I get more generous by the year, buying nieces and nephews electric mini cooper cars, my mother expensive perfume, my brother a flat screen TV, et al...The best gift I got last year was cardboard red sox drink coasters....oh and matching paper napkins.....Thanks, mom. 

That being said, I have fought and defeated my inner Scrooge, and I will once again be getting my family, who does not love me, a plethora of gifts. Where does one do this in and around Boston, you ask? I would check out these fine destinations to complete your holiday shopping:

The Prudential Center and Copley Place are excellent venues to spend your hard earned money and they are right in teh heart of Back Bay, as is Newbury Street of course.

The Cambridgeside Galleria is also a great place, and has excellent shops and dining options. 

If you want to venture outside of the city check out:

The Natick Mall and The Wrentham Village Premium Outlets are great options that are under a half hour and hour drive respetcively. 

My advice is get on your sleigh and get this done, as XMAS will be here before you know it...

 

 

 As a man who is occasionally referred to as "stocky", "portly" and "chubby" (for the record I prefer "seductively chunky"), I enjoy a good burger now and again. Good thing I live in Kenmore Sq., as our Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood is loaded with great burger places. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, and I am by no means proclaiming this a Top 5, but the following establishtments all serve some very solid burgers:

Uburger and Tasty Burger are both solid establishments for a quick take out burger that still has exceptional quality. Both are great and the debate over which is better constantly rages on.

Aububon Circle makes another excellent burger. It is a bit more of a nouveau higher end burger, but very tasty, and by no means "foo foo".....

Boston Burger Company is a relatively new player (there has been 1 in Davis Sq. for awhile) in the nieghbohood. The have some creative burgers, including the Mac Attack (4 cheese mac and cheese and bacon). That is just a teaser, and the burgers are bigger (and accordingly pricier) than Uburger  and Tasty Burger . 

The Lower Depths is the last featured burger. It is very good, and they have about 1 zillion beers to choose from to wash it down. 

Overall, the moral of this blog is that if you live in Kenmore, or are in the neighborhood, you will have no trouble finding a great burger....and odds are you may find me there too...in my elastic waste band warm up pants.....

 

Check out Brookline's Green Dog Program website and learn all about this amazing program for your dog(s). There are 14 parks throughout Brookline with designated off leash hours. Brookline Ave (fully fenced in) and Amory Park (aesthetically gorgeous) are mine and Dexter's 2 favorites. Easy parking at Amory makes that place #1 in my green book, and works well for Boston based participants like myself. I think the program is an excellent value at $50 and $100 annually for residents and non-residents, respectively. Boston definitely lacks in the dog park department. So take advantage of this amazing program in neighboring Brookline and go make some great new friends, both human and animal....