January 19, 2016

Featured Stories

In The News

This Week's Featured Event

Arts, Entertainment & Events

Meetings & Notices

Announcements

Deals & Promos

City Services

Construction & Utility Work Updates

BID Ambassador Services & Links

In The News

Eater: Avana Sushi Debuts Its New (Bigger) Location in Downtown 1/14/16

Globe: Boston Calling's Spring Lineup Brings Eclectic, Global Array of Stars 1/14/16

Zagat: Why Is Yvonne's Called Yvonne's? 1/11/16

Vanyaland: Listen to a Crisp Audio Recording of David Bowie's 2002 Show at the Orpheum 1/11/16

Globe: Putnam Investments Moving Headquarters to 100 Franklin St. 1/11/16

BostonChef.com: The Merchant's Mayflower Highlighted as Winter Warming Drink 1/11/16

Voice of Downtown Boston: Interview with Sarah Vazirani, Co-Owner of BRICK Boston 1/11/16

This Week's Featured Event

Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' at Paramount Center Starting Jan. 20th

In Filter Theatre's version of "Twelfth Night," created in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company will be performed at the Paramount Center from Jan. 20th to 30th.

Through ArtsEmerson, all bets are off and all rules upended when Shakespeare's beloved, gender-bending love triangle meets the wild spirit of Filter Theatre. Be prepared for an evening of joyful mayhem that will make you laugh and warm your heart. Click here for tickets and more info.

Arts, Entertainment & Events

Special Tasting of Donelan Wines at Gordon's Fine Wines on Jan. 20th

Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors (39 Temple Place) will be welcoming Joe Donelan and Joe Nielson of Donelan Family Wines on Wednesday, Jan. 20th from 5 to 8 pm for a special tasting.

Five different wines all rated higher than 90 will be available to taste and purchase. Donelan produces terroir-driven wines of the utmost quality, comprised primarily of Rhone varietals from vines planted in exceptional, cool climate sites.

Premiere of 'Boston's North End: An Italian American Story' at

Modern Theatre on Jan. 20th

Suffolk University, in partnership with the North End Historical Society, will host the premiere screening of the documentary film "Boston's North End: An Italian American Story" at 7 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 20th at the Modern Theatre.

Flight of the Angel at 2015's Fisherman Feast (Photo from NorthEndWaterfront.com)

A Q-and-A session will immediately follow the film. For more information, please contact the North End Historical Society at northendhs@gmail.com.

Four Shen Yun Performances at the Boston Opera House

Enjoy a Shen Yun performance that features classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West and animated backdrops to create an amazing performance. There will be four Shen Yun performances at the Boston Opera House from January 22nd through the 24th.

The performance takes you through ancient legends and modern heroic tales while taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Click here for tickets, showtimes and more info.

Eliades Ochoa and Barbarito Torres of Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club at Orpheum Theater on Jan. 23rd

Eliades Ochoa and Barbarito Torres of the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club will perform at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday, Jan. 23rd at 7:30 pm. Click here for tickets.

'Shakespeare in Music' at

King's Chapel on Jan. 24th

Observe the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's
death with a program of his words set to music
by Vaughan Williams, Frank Martin, Jaakko
M�ntyj�rvi and three sonnets written for the
occasion by Graham Gordon Ramsay at King's Chapel on Sunday, Jan. 24th.

This event is being performed by the King's Chapel Choir & Soloists at 5 pm. Tickets are $10 for students/seniors and $15 for general admission and can be purchased here.

From the Living to the Telling: An Evening with Two Bestselling Memoirists Old South Meeting House on Jan. 28th

Critically acclaimed authors Alysia Abbott and Howard Axelrod will share how writers sift through memories and shape them in stories at From the Living to the Telling: An Evening with Two Bestselling Memoirists on Thursday, Jan. 28th. This free program and reception will be at the Old South Meeting House at 6 pm, with a reception at 5:30 pm.

Come hear these two authors talk about their experiences, both living them and re-telling them decades later. This event is free and open to the public, pre-registration is requested and can be done by clicking here. This event is co-presented by the Old South Meeting House and the Boston Literary District, and co-sponsored by GrubStreet, Boston Public Library, Boston Athenaeum, Boston Book Festival, Emerson College, Suffolk University and The Drum Literary Magazine.

Ice Skating at

Boston Common Frog Pond

The skating rink at the Boston Common Frog Pond is open for people of all ages to enjoy skating. Don't forget there are also season and lunch passes.

The schedule is as follows: Mon. 10 am to 3:45 pm; Tue. to Thurs. 10 am to 9 pm; Fri/Sat 10 am to 10 pm; Sun. 10 am to 9 pm.

Admission price is based on skater's height: 58-inches and over: $6; Under 58-inches: free. Rentals & Services: Skates for adult men/women is $12, $6 for kids. Click here for more info.

Enjoy Freedom Trail

Historic Holiday Strolls

Enjoy one of Boston's best traditions -- the Freedom Trail Foundation's Historic Holiday Stroll.

These merry 90-minute tours are led by Dickensian costumed guides leaving from Faneuil Hall Thursdays through Sundays at 3:30 pm. The stroll is complete with a tour of holiday lights and Christmas trees along the Freedom Trail, a visit to the Omni Parker House for signature refreshments. Guests receive discounts off museum store purchases at several Freedom Trail sites. Tickets are $29 for adults, $19 for children, and reservations are required 24 hours in advance. All Freedom Trail tours are available as private family or group tours. For reservations and more info please call 617-357-8300.

City Services

Construction & Utility Work Updates

MBTA Construction, Millennium Tower, Godfrey Hotel 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.

THANK YOU!

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 info@bostonbid.org.

Downtown Boston BID Weekly News Update

For questions and comments, please contact David Ertischek, newsletter editor, at: dertischek@bostonbid.org

Featured Stories

Three Cocktails To Keep You

Warm This Winter

It's important to stay warm during the winter, so do it while enjoying some tasty cocktails. Here are three suggested warm alcohol-infused cocktails available at area restaurants.

The Merchant (60 Franklin St.) has the Not Toddy featuring bourbon, herbal chai, maple syrup and barrel-aged bitters.

Mast' (45 Province St.) is offering a Swedish hot apple cider garnished with an orange and cinnamon stick.

Barracuda Tavern (15 Bosworth St.) has a delicious looking spiked hot peppermint chocolate that is topped with whipped cream!

The Transformation of Downtown Crossing: A Report from the Downtown Boston BID in the

Boston Business Journal

The Jan. 15th Boston Business Journal featured a special insert "The Transformation of Downtown Crossing: A Report from the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District." Due to the large file size of the report it has been split into three parts: click here to see Part I, click here for Part II and click here for Part III.

This report, focusing on the past several years, offers a snapshot of the advances the Downtown Crossing area has made since the BID's inception. We are delighted with the transformation that has taken place, as the district has been catalyzed by private investment of more than $3.9 billion during the past decade-plus.

The report highlights how businesses such as creative agencies, high-tech firms and more have moved to the Downtown Boston area. There is also a special retail map featuring the businesses in the BID.

Please email Doug Meyer at dmeyer@bostonbid.org if you would like a copy of the special insert.

Webster Bank Opens at 70 Summer St.

Webster Bank has opened 18 Boston area banking centers after taking over Citibank leases of the locations. A new Webster Bank just opened last week at 70 Summer St. joining the Webster Bank Financial Center at 100 Franklin St. within the BID.

Webster Bank offers a full suite of banking products and financial services for individuals, small and middle market businesses, government entities and not-for-profit organizations. Specific information about all products and services is available in the banking centers or by clicking here.

Meetings & Notices

Public Meetings About Future of

MBTA Late-Night Service

The MBTA is inviting people to attend a public meeting to share your comments about the future of late-night service.

There will be a meeting today, Tuesday, Jan. 19th from 5 to 7 pm at the State Transportation Building (10 Park Plaza, 2nd Floor, Conference Rooms 1-3). There will also be a meeting at Cambridge City Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 20th from 6 to 8 pm.

If you are unable to attend a meeting, the MBTA presentation about designing a future late-night service will be available at mbta.com. Comments about MBTA late-night service will be accepted through Feb. 12th and can be emailed latenightservice@mbta.com.

Ending late-night service is one of several actions being considered as part of a broader effort by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to close the T's projected $242 million operating budget deficit for FY17.

Announcements

Office Space at Old City Hall

(45 School St.) for Rent

Office space at Old City Hall (45 School St., 2nd Floor), comprising two offices and secretarial space will be available for rent starting on July 1st.

It is approximately 900 sq. ft., with rent being $3,500 per month (about $46 per sq. ft.). Electricity costs about $90 per month. Desired lease is three years, three months. Contact Michael Lack at at 617-742-2200 or michael@lackcogan.com for more info.

City Launches Pilot of New Boston Website and Wants Your Feedback

The City of Boston launched a pilot version of its new website last week at pilot.boston.gov.

"Over the next several months, we'll be building on the site and we'll be changing it, adding new concepts to it, adding content," said Lauren Lockwood, the city's Chief Digital Officer. "We can learn a lot from people by launching early and iterating often."

During the pilot stage of the website residents are getting a preview of the design and also a new way of organizing information called Topics. During interviews with residents,it was made loud and clear that the old website had plenty of information, but it was so segregated by department that many resources were impossible to discover.

Check out the pilot site and email your comments to

feedback@boston.gov.

Tonight: Boston Home Center Drop-In Counseling Session for

Homebuyers on Jan. 19th

The City's Boston Home Center is offering a Drop-In Counseling Session for Homebuyers on Tuesday, Jan. 19th from 5 to 7 pm at 26 Court St. (Winter Chambers).

If you have completed a Home Buying 101 class and need some guidance, come for a free group counseling session. Click here to register for upcoming home buyer classes. The drop-in counseling session will help identify where you are in the home buying process and evaluate which track best fits your situation. Click here for more info about the Boston Home Center or call 617-635-HOME (4663).

Deals & Promos

Cold Fighting Teas at David's Tea

It's cold and flu season and David's Tea (298 Washington St.) has teas specifically made to fight off those sniffles, sore throats and watery eyes.

David's Tea offers teas such as Bravissimo, Cold Zing, and Mother's Little Helper that will help you fight off those colds. Click here for cold fighting David's Teas.

The Bar Method Downtown's

Sweet Deals to Make You Sweat

The Bar Method Downtown (75 Federal St.) is offering several sweet deals that will make you sweat.

There is a new client $85 special for six weeks of unlimited classes. There is also a $300 deal for new and current clients offering two months of unlimited classes. Click here for more info.

Ten-Thousand Villages

Holiday Clearance Sale

Ten-Thousand Villages (252 Washington St.) is hosting an ongoing holiday clearance sale offering 75% off items from the holiday season. This sale ends on Feb. 29th.

BID Ambassador Services & Links

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 raining or 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 help@bostonbid.org, which is encouraged.

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 info@bostonbid.org for more.