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August 31, 2015
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Featured Stories
Arts, Entertainment & Events
Announcements
Meetings & Notices
Deals & Promos
Construction & Utility Work Updates
BID Ambassador Services & Links
City Services
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This Week's Featured Event
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Boston Charter Day on September 7th: Bells Ringing, Free Admission &
Food and The Founders Tour
The Partnership of Historic Bostons commemorates the naming in 1630 of our Boston for Boston, Lincolnshire, England with a series of events each year. The festivities start on Boston Charter Day - September 7th.
Bells at King's Chapel (58 Tremont St.), Park Street Church (1 Park St.) and the Old South Meeting House (310 Washington St.) will ring at 4:30 pm or 1630 (military time) on Monday, September 7th. National Park Rangers will be on hand to explain to the public why the bells are ringing. Admission will be free to the Old South Meeting house on September 7th for all Massachusetts residents.
This year's events have a "Food and Drink of Early Boston" theme. A new tour, "Food and the Founders," focuses on the sites related to this topic, and will leave from Readers Park/Irish Famine Memorial (School and Washington streets) after the bells finish ringing. Click here to sign up for this free tour. The tour will end at the Founders Memorial in the Boston Common (seen above) for a wreath laying to honor Boston's founders. Suffolk University history professor Robert Allison is scheduled to speak. |
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Arts, Entertainment & Events
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Free Conversation Practice from Watching 'Les Luthiers' at Boston Area Spanish Exchange on September 2nd
The Boston Area Spanish Exchange (41 Winter St. 4th Floor) is hosting a free conservation practice by watching "Les Lutheiers" on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd from 6 to 7 pm.
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Make a Bracelet and Take It Home in 15 Minutes! 15-Minute Pop-Up Classes in Downtown Crossing Every Week
The Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) is teaming up with the BID for a series of 15-minute crash courses every Tuesday during lunch hour in Downtown Crossing outside of Macy's (One Summer St.). On Tuesday, September 1st, come learn from instructor Amanda Poggenburg How to Make a Bracelet and Take It Home for only $10.
Each class will be no more than 15 minutes in length, and only $5 or $10 (the extra $5 covers necessary class materials). Participants will receive a coupon for the amount they paid toward a future BCAE class.
Each of the following 15-minute classes will run on its scheduled date starting at 11:30 am, noon, 12:30 pm and 1 pm.
The following is the class schedule and prices: 9/1 - Make it & Take It: Bracelets | $10
9/8 - Writing Flash Fiction | $5
9/15 - Learn to Do Magic | $10
9/22 - How to Draw a Square | $10
9/29 - Improv Workshop | $5
10/6 - iPhone Photography | $5
The classes will take place in a covered tent. Click here for tickets and more info. Stay up-to-date and join the conversation using #BCAEDTX. |
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Await Rescue Performing at Boston Calling Block Party in Dewey Square Park - September 3rd
This week's Boston Calling Block Party in Dewey Square (Congress and Summer streets) on Thursday, September 3rd features live music by Await Rescue. The block party is from 5 to 8 pm.Thursday night block parties will be in Dewey Square through the end of September. All block parties are free and you must be 21 to attend. Beer and wine is available for purchase. Along with lawn seating there is also free corn hole for everyone to play. |
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Carlos V. Ramos and
Boris Popovich Performing at
125 Summer Street on Sept. 2nd & 4th
The BID's 125 Summer Street Soloists Series is every Wednesday and Friday from noon to 2 pm through September. All performances are free and open to the public.
Carlos V. Ramos, pictured, will perform on Wednesday, September 2nd and Boris Popovich (see featured story above) will perform on Friday, September 4th. There is public seating at the location, so take your lunch outside and enjoy the music!
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Hsin Hou Sun and Holly McGarry at 133 Federal St.: Free Performances on
Mondays and Thursdays
The BID's 133 Federal St. music series is free and open to the public on Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 2 pm.
Hsin Hou Sun, pictured, is scheduled to perform on September 3rd. Holly McGarry is scheduled to perform on September 7th.
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Holly McGarry and Boris Popovich at Walgreens Plaza on September 4th & 5th
Holly McGarry, pictured, will be performing live on Friday, September 4th and Boris Popovich (see feature story above) will be performing Saturday, September 5th at Walgreens Plaza (School and Washington streets) this summer. These are BID-sponsored performances.
McGarry will perform from noon to 1:30 pm on Friday, and Popovich will perform noon to 2 pm on Saturday. These performance are free and open to the public. |
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Sign-Up For A 7-Week Seminar of Great Female Singers of the 1940s and 1950s
A series of seven weekly talks about great female singers of the 1940s and 1950s is being offered at the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common (10 Avery St.) starting September 21st.
David Maister, a former Harvard Business School professor, who was an international management consultant for more than 25 years before retiring, will be leading the seminar. He has more than 300,000 pieces of music in his personal collection.
The two-hour talks, held on Mondays from 7 to 9 pm, will cover such performers as Ella Fitzgerald, the Andrew Sisters, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland and Doris Day. By watching live performance videos and reviewing biographical and historical information, Maister will examine the performers' works and lives, as well as the culture of their times. Participants will also receive an email every day introducing a new singer from the period, so more than 80 singers are discussed during the seven weeks.
The cost of the series is $30. Please contact David Maister at [email protected] with questions or to sign up. |
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Impact Advisory Group for Proposed Development at 171 Tremont St. on
September 9th
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is hosting an Impact Advisory Group meeting on Wednesday, September 9th from 6:30 to 8 pm. This meeting is open to the public and being held at City Hall, 9th Floor, BRA Board Room.
The proposed project is to replace an existing building with a new boutique luxury residential condominium building. Contact Lance Campbell of the BRA with questions at 617-918-4311 or [email protected].
Please note that the purpose of this meeting is different than that of a traditional community meeting. As part of the development review process, the Impact Advisory Group (IAG) members work closely with BRA staff to identify the impacts of a project and recommend appropriate community benefits to offset those impacts. IAG meetings prioritize discussion between the project proponent (i.e. the developer) and IAG members. If time remains at the end of the meeting, BRA staff will open the floor to other community members in attendance. Although anyone is welcome to attend IAG meetings and listen to the discussion, traditional community meetings, which occur after the IAG has met, are the more appropriate forum for the broader public to provide feedback about a project. |
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Construction & Utility Work Updates
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Primark Almost Ready for Move Into Burnham Building and More
Downtown Boston is continually transforming, with new buildings rising, as well as transportation projects taking place underground and at street level. Looking for the latest updates on developments, construction, sidewalk closings, and more? Click here.  |
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BID Ambassador Services & Links
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BID Ambassadors Provide Walking Escorts
and Directions 24 Hours a Day in Downtown
The Downtown Boston BID Ambassadors provide hospitality services seven days a week, nearly 24 hours a day, creating a welcoming environment for everyone. BID Ambassadors provide walking escorts all day or night - they'll even tote an umbrella if it's snowing!
Please call 617-261-0066 to arrange an escort or for other BID Ambassador services. Please call 20 to 30 minutes prior to desired escort. You can also email [email protected], which is encouraged.
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Additional BID Ambassador Services
- Friendly, welcoming downtown presence: helping visitors with directions, notifying fire and police personnel of incident, etc.
- Making sure handicapped ramps are not obstructed and storm drain openings are not clogged.
- Cleaning and powerwashing in Downtown Boston during warm weather.
- Landscaping, watering flowers during warm weather.
- Remove litter and graffiti
- Contact [email protected] for more.
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Millennium Tower Crane is the Tallest Structure Ever in Boston!
The crane at Millennium Tower is now the tallest structure ever in Boston's history!
The crane is now 885 feet tall to the tip of the boom and 697 feet to the turntable of the crane. It took more than 34 hours this past weekend to add several more levels to the crane, which is now at its tallest in order to finish Millennium Tower. Millennium Tower will be celebrating its topping-off in mid-September and will be open to residents in 2016.
A licensed Local #4 Crane Operator and Oiler is the only qualified person who can operate the crane. Click here to see a video showing how a crane jump is performed. |
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Flutist Boris Popovich Back
Performing After Car Accident
The BID is extremely happy to welcome back flutist Boris Popovich, who almost lost his life in May when a tree fell onto his vehicle while he was driving in Weston.
"It hit my head and broke my neck. The firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life (to get me out of the car) and to cut the tree because it was lying atop the car," said Popovich. "I was in the hospital for several days. They fused my neck and I have screws and titanium plates in my neck. My head was cut and the nerve that goes through my right arm was damaged."
Sadly, not only did the accident adversely affect Popovich's health, it also forced him to cancel a tour to play in Hong Kong and China.
But Popovich remains upbeat, saying he is working his way back into good physical health and playing shape. "I play baroque. I like to play experimental - Indian and fusion."
Popovich will be performing on Friday, September 4th at 125 Summer St. from noon to 2 pm, and at Walgreens Plaza (School and Washington streets) on Saturday, September 5th from noon to 2 pm. Both of these performances are free and open to the public. Popovich's CDs will be available for purchase.
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Primark Grand Opening on
September 10th in Burnham Building
Fashion retailer Primark will open its doors at 11 am to the public on September 10th in the Burnham Building (10 Summer St.). This is the Irish retail company's first store in North America.
Primark is known for its fast fashion and everyday low prices. The store is occupying the first, second, third and fourth floors of the historic Burnham Building.
Grand opening festivities start at 9:30 am on September 10th, with a ribbon cutting at 10:50 am - and then the store is open for shopping!
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Thank you Downtown Kids for a Summer of Singing on Saturdays!
The BID would like to thank the Downtown Kids singing troupe for their splendid and spectacular singing soirees on Saturdays this summer. Every Saturday from 12:30 to 3 pm the group performed pop hits in Downtown Crossing.
The Downtown Kids is comprised of nine individuals who make up the traveling troupe Sweet Harmony. The singers are from the Greater Boston area and include: Mikayla Sabatino, 21; Lissette Velez-Cross, 19; Tana Domingos, 18; Sarah Molloy, 18; Borana Ramizi, 16; Nick McNeil, 20; Kristina Paul, 17; Julia Shapiro, 17; and Khayli Petigny, 14.
"The Downtown Crossing crowd is always energetic and enthusiastic," said Ramizi. "Downtown Crossing is one of our most intimate gigs and we love being able to see each audience member up close."
The group started in the summer of 2013 with just five members. It has since grown its repertoire to include pop hits spanning from the 1950s to the current day. The group started at the Riverside Theatre Works in Hyde Park, which was founded by the group's director, Marietta Phinney. |
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Macy's Shop For A Cause Fashion Show Benefited March of Dimes
Macy's hosted a fashion show in Downtown Crossing to promote its 10th Annual Shop For A Cause fundraiser on Friday, August 28th. Several models strutted while donning some of the trendiest clothing and accessories available at Macy's.
Shoppers were able to request savings passes for August 28th for the fundraiser and 100% of the proceeds went to the March of Dimes. |
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Get Home Safe! Luxe Mobile App Launches Drive Home Service in Boston
Last week the BID newsletter featured the Luxe smartphone app, which offers an on-demand valet service practically wherever you want it in downtown Boston. This week Luxe launched a new service - offering customers a valet to drive them home safely in their own vehicle after an evening out!
Luxe, a BID member, recently relocated to 295 Devonshire St.
"According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) studies, someone is killed by a drunk driver every 53 minutes (in the US). In Massachusetts alone, 36% of all traffic deaths are caused by drunk driving," said Lauren Sheerr, Luxe's Boston GM. "Luxe wants to provide a solution. By allowing our valets to drive you home in your own vehicle, we are making the streets of Boston safer for everyone."
This service is fully covered by Luxe's $5-million insurance policy for valets, drivers and cars. Users can choose the Drive Home option via the app's additional service menu for $25 plus an additional $3 per mile (12-mile radius cap along the I-95 belt), and must do so up to one hour before closing.
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Franklin Street Partial Closure Until July 2016
By order of the Boston Transportation Department, a one-block section of Franklin Street between Washington and Hawley streets is closed temporarily to vehicle traffic until July 2016.
Millennium Partners and Suffolk Construction will be reconstructing the roadway surface, MBTA station and Shoppers Park during this time. The MBTA entrance/exit on Franklin Street is closed through the duration of the project.
The north sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians throughout the duration of the road closure.
Vehicles and bicyclists will be required to detour during the duration of the closure. There will be signage erected at specific locations to facilitate the road closure.
The detour from Hawley Street at Franklin Street will be as follows: The suggested detour route is right on Hawley Street, left on Milk Street, right on Washington Street, left on Court Street, left on Tremont Street.
Please contact Rich Michaels of Suffolk Construction with questions at 781-915-4569 or [email protected] or Tracey Ganiatsos of the Boston Transportation Department at [email protected].
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Deadline to Submit Absentee Ballot Application is September 4th
The deadline to submit a completed absentee ballot application is September 4th, 2015 by 5 pm. Applications may be obtained by calling the City of Boston Election Department at 617-635-3767 or are available online by clicking here.
Absentee voters are required to fill out a new application each calendar year. For students who are registered to vote in Boston and are attending school elsewhere, the City encourages them to use absentee ballots to participate in the preliminary municipal election and November's general election.
This year there will be preliminary elections only in Boston City Council Districts 4 and 7 on Tuesday, September 8th. |
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What Do You Create? Participate in City of Boston's Cultural Plan Survey
Add your voice to the City of Boston's cultural plan by taking the Boston Creates survey here.
Boston Creates is a community-wide effort to harness the creativity of Bostonians and to build a shared vision for arts and culture. |
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Boston Ballet Season Tickets on Sale Starting September 1st
Tickets for the Boston Ballet's 2015-2016 season go on sale September 1st. Click here for subscription info and tickets.
The 2015-2016 season includes: The Nutcracker; Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler; Onegin; Kaleidoscope; Mirrors; and Swan Lake. |
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Celebrate Sam LaGrassa's 47th Anniversary with 47% Off on September 14th
Sam LaGrassa's (44 Province St.) is celebrating its 47th anniversary on Monday, September 14th with 47% off for customers.
There will also be in-store giveaways including: free lunch for a year, six sandwiches shipped anywhere across the country, 30 free sandwich cards, and a free catered lunch for up to 50 people. Sam LaGrassa's will be open 11 am to 3:30 pm. |
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Receive 15% Off Your Food Purchase at Central Bistro with Your Theater Ticket
Before heading to the theater you can enjoy a delicious and discounted meal at Central Bistro (34 Summer St.). Present your ticket stub and you'll receive 15% off your food purchase.
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BID Internships Available
The Downtown Boston BID is seeking qualified, enthusiastic interns to assist with the following projects: - Office administration and customer service
- Policy research and analysis
- Data collection, input and management
Please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. |
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Downtown Boston BID Weekly News Update
For questions and comments, please contact David Ertischek, newsletter editor, at: [email protected] |
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