Rave Review of Boston

Now that I've officially been accepted into a top 20 MBA program... I will definitely be moving away from Boston in the next 3-4 months. I'm having all kinds of mixed emotions about the move. Four years ago, when I gathered all my things after graduation in Washington D.C. to move up here , I didn't know that I would fall-in love with the city. Most of my decision to move to Boston after graduating from GW was because  I debated going to Boston University instead of George Washington when I was seventeen and I had a growing curiosity about living out the fantasy of my runner-up school choice. I always saw Beantown as a temporary hub that I would eventually leave for my next great life adventure/career move. Boston has become so much more than that over the past four years. I think it was moving to Southie that changed it for me. My ardor for the city turned from just a general appreciation to a close-knit feeling of belonging. There's something so intimate about Boston that has made me plant myself, crack open a Harpoon, and stay for a couple years. Unlike other cities I've lived in or visited, I've started to feel like I own some of Boston. Like a piece of Boston has somehow become my private possession. Unfortunately moving away, I can't uproot the Pru, Fenway, and local bars and take them with me. Somehow I'll have to find a way to let go of it to make room for my new home in the South.

I'll miss the food trucks in the summer, especially the lobster love and fro-yo trucks. I'll miss the sports bars with the endless amounts of patrons deeply invested in the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox. I'll miss Fenway and the big blaring Citgo sign that shines in your face when you get off the Kenmore T station. I'll miss Faneuil Hall and all the crappy food they sell at Quincy Market. I'll miss the North End and the cannolis and the confusingly narrow streets. I'll miss the local K-8 market that I go to three times a week for fresh meats and gatorades. I'll miss the Seaport and being able to visit restaurants, bars, and museums that look out on the Boston Harbor. I'll miss Marathon Monday and St. Patrick's Day and Fourth of July... holidays that have their own unique traditions living in the Bean. I'll miss my office in the financial district with the big window sill that local pigeons hang out and poop on. I don't know what the pigeons look like in the South but I'm not sure I'll appreciate their company nearly as much.

I'm lucky that I've gotten to move and live in so many places. I've gotten to travel, make new friends, and have enriching experiences. But Boston will always be a special place to me; a place that I will always consider home.

St. Patrick's Day: Mardi Gras for Bostonians

The best day to be in Boston is March 17th especially if it falls on a weekend. When I see pictures of Bourbon street in New Orleans where people are drinking their hand grenades on the streets decked out in colored beads, I think to myself "If you dressed these people in green and put a Guinness in their hand, this would look like Southie on St Patty's day". 

I feel like there's a giant misconception about Southie for people who don't live there. Maybe you've seen "Good Will Hunting" or "The Departed" and think Southie is just a bunch of locals that hang out in taverns and drink Guinness after a long day of blue collar work at the factory. The reality is far removed from this stereotype. In 2013, South Boston is filled with college educated young adults who are relatively athletic, social and, for lack of a better word, genuine yuppies. 

Somehow, though, when St. Patrick's day rolls around all the yuppies becomes locals. Suddenly everyone in Boston has a tweed patchwork flat cap and has a great grandmother whose Irish so therefore they have given themselves the liberty to become a belligerent crazy person for the day. It's a good time. 

Here are the things that I will be participating in on St. Patty's Day weekend:

1.) Going on  The Harpoon Brewery Tour .  I have yet to visit the new Harpoon Beer Hall. I love the chandeliers because it gives the whole room a Medieval ballroom vibe. They are one Iron Throne away from being on the set of Game of Thrones.  I hope the beer comes in a chalice.  

2.) Watching the Southie St. Patty's Day Parade because unless you see someone play a bagpipe it's not officially St. Patrick's Day. I love this below map of the Parade Route and all the bars that fall on it. 

You can buy this pic on a tee-shirt here

3.) Making Irish Soda Bread but without the raisins. Raisins are the treat your grandmother gives you instead of candy. The prune-like texture of the dessicated fruit is just downright unappealing to me. I might put chocolate chips or marshmallows in my soda bread if that interests you.

4.) Running in the Southie 5K because if you're going to drink that much beer you might as well work for it. I'm irresponsible and didn't buy tickets before it sold out so I will be running stag with my other irresponsible friends that also forgot to buy tickets. 

5.) Attending a slew of "Kegs N' Eggs" parties. I was flattered to get invited to so many breakfast and beer parties this year.  I sincerely hope someone makes me some Green Eggs and Ham as that seems like the perfect fit for a St. Patrick's day brunch. I am not Sam I Am and if you put green food coloring on anything this weekend I will probably eat it.

Dr. Seuss must have been Irish

I leave you with a picturesque view of Southie that I pass everyday. I am lucky.  

Top 10 Things I Miss About Summer

This wonky winter weather is starting to turn me into a real Grinch.  Yesterday I came to work in rainy 50 degree weather and returned home with a harsh 30 degree wind whipping in my face.  In all seriousness how am I supposed to dress for this weather? Most days I don't know if it's going to snow, rain, or sleet. Whenever I see the sun outside, I always sprint to get my coat so I can chase the UV rays for the five minutes they are accessible each week in the winter. I, for one, am getting FED UP with the temperature vacillation. One minute it's chilly, next minute it's mind-numbing cold, next minute the sun's out for 3.5 seconds. Just stop.

I really miss summer. I know this is not a unique epithet. We all miss summer. In the words of one of my best friends "Winter's only fun for like the day you go skiing and that's it." Truth. If skiing didn't exist no one would live in Wyoming. What the hell would people do out there?

Top 10 Things I Miss About Summer:

1.) Leaving my house with wet hair. Before I take a shower in the winter, I debate how much time I'll have before leaving the house. If the answer is anything less than an hour then I'm probably not taking a shower because I don't want icicles growing on my head.

2.) Rolling my windows down. I'm choking on musty heat fumes and dust from my heater. I need some fresh air. Sometimes I feel like the dogs in the window on the streets of South Boston waiting for their owners to come home and walk them. I am that dog from November-March. It's so sad. I just need to stick my head of the window on a warm sunny day.

3.) Outdoor concerts. There's nothing like attending an outdoor concert on a huge field of greenery. I can get bad ADD at indoor concerts. Outside there's so much more room for wandering, exploring, and practicing cartwheels.

4.) Flippy Floppies.   I need to be where these sandals are right now. There's so much freedom in flip-flops. In a half-second you can kick them off and be barefoot.  There is nothing veiling you from the earth beneath your feet but a thin rubber layer. It's poetic. Like Moses in the desert. I think it's the way we were all meant to ambulate.

5.) Ice Cream. I want to be able to eat something cold without running to fetch my fleece blanket and wool socks. Hot chocolate is just no substitute for ice cream or froyo.

6.) Biking. I am tired of enclosed transportation. Me and my bicycle would like to travel out in the open again. It's athletic. I'm turning into a motorized vehicle blob from taking buses and trains and cars everywhere. I need to stretch my legs and build muscle again.

7.) Sundresses. I enjoy the galvanization of frolicking from place to place pant-less. Also dresses are a complete outfit. There is so much less thought put into dressing oneself. Step 1: Put on dress; Step 2: Grab flippy-floppies and go.

8.) Barbecuing. Hot dogs and wings are just better off the grill. There's something social about bbq'ing where it brings people together like a thanksgiving dinner. The agenda on a Sunday afternoon could be sitting around the barbecue with a deck of cards. It's a beautiful thing.

9.) Iced Coffee. The ever non-winning battle I have with my hot coffee to stay hot in the winter is tedious and exhausting. Iced Coffee is easier to drink and consume.

10.) Friends. I really miss hanging out with my friends. In reality people are more lazy in the winter. Winter is when we hibernate. We are more productive at work, but less productive at our hobbies and our social lives. The reason so many great colleges and Ivy League schools set up shop in New England is because of this meteorology productivity factor.  Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton and Columbia are up here for a reason. You think if Harvard was in Miami, it would be the best college America? Doubt it. Everyone would be at the beach, not inside their dorm rooms inventing Facebook.   

Likewise, this problem extends beyond college and seeps into adult-life. It's so much more likely that if I call my girlfriends for an impromptu after work drink that they'll come if the date is July 15th and not February 15th. It's just a fact of life.

Tour Tuesdays: Mural Tour of Brookline

I'd like to start a segment where I give you tours of awesome cultural stuff in interesting places every Tuesday starting today because ... well it's Tuesday and "Tours" and "Tuesdays" sounds nice together. 

What many of you don't know about me is that I used to live in Brookline. I've only been a Southie girl for a measly 6 months now. I lived in kosher eating, Shabbat celebrating, bagel making Brookline for two years. As I revisited my old stomping grounds on Saturday, I was struck by how many murals donned the walls. After passing mural after mural after mural, I did what any normal blogger would do.... gave my coffee and bagel to my girlfriend and ran around deliriously taking pictures of each wall with my Iphone 4s.

Mural #1:

This mural is my favorite, probably because it's a big mess of different ideas rolled up into one big mural. There are a lot of artists, musicians, and free spirits painted on this wall. They are all about to be doused with a gigantic wave and then burned by the scorching sun... but besides that this mural is pretty sweet looking. Everything about this piece make me want to go to Yoga and start playing the harp.

Mural #2: 

This mural was painted in 2007 to celebrate Zaftig's 10th anniversary. It depicts all of Brookline's favorite local spots: the booksmith, the toy store, the Coolidge corner theater, ... the cars parked sideways on the road (which is not something you can actually get away with in Brookline). My favorite part about this painting is the fat lady flying through the air with her fresh kugal cakes.  I'm also curious why it says that Zaftig's was establish in "5757". Isn't 5757 in fact 3,745 years in the future? If that is the case, then this is the future of Jewish deli food folks. Get it before the fat lady eats your kugal. 

Pic one: "Fat ladies can fly"

Pic two: Again with the "5757"

Mural #3: 

This mural was commissioned to show off the Brookline neighborhood that JFK grew up in. JFK is seen coming out of Devotion school with a bunch of children. There are so many different races and religions in this painting that it has a very "Sesame Street" feel. I also want to know what the revolutionary war hero is doing charging into a street full of children two centuries in the future. 

Pic 1: "1775 meets 1963"

My favorite part of this mural, of course, is the young awkward Jewish couple tying the knot. I also love the old man selling tomatoes (or apples) (OR red bouncy balls). 

Pic 2: "Shalom"

Mural #4: 

This mural is on the wall adjacent Kupel's Bagel place. First thing you should do before going to look at this mural is buy a bagel... but not on Saturday, because it's Shabbat. In Brookline, you have to know your Jewish holidays and traditions because it's taken seriously in Brookline. You cannot get your kugal/bagels/lox/challah/matzah ball soup on Saturdays.  

I digress; this mural depicts the inside of a butcher shop back in what I can only assume was the "Leave it to Beaver" 1950s. I love the Hebrew type face under the name of the the butchery and the clearly political message "Combined Jewish Appeal" on the far left corner. 

Secretly political butcher

I dedicate this blog to Kay who held my Starbucks and watched me run in the street for 45 minutes on Saturday morning. Toda, as they say in Hebrew (thank you).  

Places You Can Go to Be a Boston Hipster

The other weekend my girlfriends were visiting me in Boston; while out for drinks I ordered a Brooklyn Lager and my friend proceeded to call me a hipster. Granted, I was wearing a plaid shirt and had just bought a screen print tank top from H&M, but the whole experience made me go into a bit of a self-reflection on what really defines a hipster hang-out.

Here is my list of places you can go in Boston if you want to be a hipster.

1.) The Other Side Cafe: This location is full of waiters in urban outfitters tees donning black plastic framed glasses. Other Side has reasonably priced food with a lot of vegan options for our healthy hipsters. You'll find a chalkboard behind the bar that lists the specials, beer types, and random graffiti drawings.  Also the first beer listed on draft is Narragansett, which is the hipster kool aid. Though it would be cooler if served in a can.

Wave your hipster flag high

2.) Model Cafe: Model is always swarmed with a 20-something urban population on the weekends. Skull decor hangs proudly around the liquor bottles behind the bar while you sip your PBR to the sounds of an old school jukebox. Model is located in the back parts of Allston (aka the Brooklyn of Boston) and they also have a Myspace page instead of a website.

Love your motorcycle boots

3.) Almost any bar in Central Square: Bars like Cantab Lounge, People's Republik, Middle East, and Zu,Zu! are all located in Central Square and all equally awesome in their dive bar ambiance.

Middle East and Zu,Zu! have a consistent indie band loving, beer can drinking crowd.
Cantab can attract different crowds depending on the live band of the night, but the downstairs cellar always attracts jam band loving youngsters and their pitchers of cheap booze.
People's Republik has a slavic feel and reminds me of a bar called Fidel in Saint Petersburg (a Russian hipster joint).  Urban youngsters can come to People's Republik to discuss Che while playing darts.

Acceptable attire for all the above bars is skinny jeans, converse sneakers, and a ripped Beatles tee shirt.

2 for one hipster block

4.) Silhouette Lounge: Tall boys of Naragansett for $2.20? Yes, please. Silohuette's red walls and skull decor attract a more goth hipster (the "gipster" if you will) plus tons of non-hipster locals. There is a pool table hounded with pool sharks (some with their own pool stick), a dart board littered with surly punks, a quaint smoking area in the back. Oh and they serve free popcorn for all! 

Bum a self-rolled cigarette?

You might be asking about my credibility as your hipster expert. But as you can see, my taste for plaid, Narragansett and live music lead me down the hipster road more often than you would think.

Plus ...

There's a little hipster in all of us

Don't I blend?

Blessed in City-Life

I don't care what anyone says about New York City and how wonderful it is. I love living in sports enthralled, beer drinking, Brady worshiping Boston. I don't care that no one talks to me when the patriots are on T.V. I don't care that people wear hooded sweatshirts to bars. I don't care that I'm in the biggest college city on the planet. In fact, I relish the educating stimulus I get from watching Bruins fans use five syllable words to analyze hockey games. On a daily basis, I get to experience the love, camaraderie, and bromance that is the heart of New England... Boston.

Here's some pics I took from Saturday in the middle of spring in the dead of winter, on a day with a whopping 50 degrees temperature. For any of you new to Boston, that's tanning weather for us up here.

Full moon over the Common

A little Boston greenery in Copley Plaza

Hancock Building

...and for my foodies...

PIZZA!

Pizza with fried deliciousness

A special shout-out goes to Fig in Beacon Hill for putting all this yummy calamari on their pizza with some arugula and hot peppers. The other half you'll notice is portabella mushrooms with truffle sauce. After a long day of walking around Newbury and downtown, shopping to my hearts desires, I was pretty hungry. Luckily, Boston is full of awesome eateries that don't have a long wait and don't cost an arm/leg/kidney to have Saturday night dinner at (what's that NYC?). 

This pizza was enough for me and two girlfriends, and it was extremely reasonably priced at $19 for the whole pizza. For any of you that dare complain about Boston's high-prices, I dare you to live in D.C. or NYC for a year; then we can talk pricey vs. kidney selling-pricey.