SPENDING SMART
From helpful and amusing to cranky, travel websites offer a plethora of luxury hotel reviews
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | January 31, 2010
Want to find out if the luxury hotel you booked for your vacation is as pristine as it looks in pictures? Listen to the people who have stayed there.
Travel websites have brought word-of-mouth into the digital age, featuring a plethora of helpful, amusing, and sometimes cranky reviews written by travelers.
The reviews detail everything from leaky sinks to smiling bellhops, and many rank hotels and restaurants by popularity.
The Globe perused some of the review websites of the big-name online travel agencies, Yahoo Travel; Expedia’s TripAdvisor; Kayak’s TravelPost; Travelocity’s IgoUgo; and Orbitz’s Away.com. The Globe also took a look at Oyster Hotel Reviews, which launched in June and bills itself as the only site with reviews written by trained journalists.
These user-generated reviews on travel websites have a different function than the hotel and restaurant reviews from AAA and Forbes Travel Guide (formerly known as Mobil Travel Guide), well-known ratings agencies that send paid staff to rate properties based on strict criteria. They only write up recommended spots (from budget motels to luxury resorts), but don’t offer warnings about flea-bag motels that a user-driven review site might. (AAA does allow readers to add their own reviews to its professional write-ups online, however.)
Each of the travel review sites the Globe looked at offer something slightly different. If you want to get a lot of opinions from one group of travelers, TripAdvisor is your site. Prefer to compare hotel reviews from different sites? Try the aggregated offerings of TravelPost. Expert opinions are mixed with user reviews on Away.com. And if you trust the word of a sole journalist (ahem), Oyster is the way to go. But travelers beware: Opinions on the sites can vary widely from review to review. As with most customer comments, there isn’t much middle ground; people who contribute are often either very happy or very unhappy with their experiences, denoted by star ratings, numbers, even smiley faces.
“It tends to be very polarized,’’ said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com, a travel deal site based in Charlestown that is owned by TripAdvisor, which is part of Expedia.
TRIPADVISOR
tripadvisor.com
Pros: Lots of reviews. Virtual tour option features 360-degree views from rooftops and lobbies. Information about each reviewer, including where they’re from and what their “travel style’’ is gives their posts a personal touch (user Rsalveti likes to “splurge occasionally,’’ while Gubster is more of a “middle of the road’’ gal). Site automatically generates a “best fare’’ from the city you’re in to the city you’re traveling to.
Cons: No guarantee that reviewers have actually stayed at the places they’re reviewing. Links to official hotel websites are only included for the hotels that have paid to have them added.
Final word: With 30 million traveler opinions and 16 posts added every minute - not to mention a plethora of categories - TripAdvisor, based in Newton, is the granddaddy of travel review websites.
TRAVEL POST
travelpost.com
Pros: Aggregates hotel reviews and information from thousands of sites, giving readers a wide array of opinions. Interesting categories: haunted hotels, rooftop pools, treehouse accommodations (including the Vertical Horizons bed and breakfast in southern Oregon, which has cottages up in the trees). A 360-degree street view video lets you see the sights surrounding the hotel.
Cons: The amount of reviewed hotels may be smaller than it appears. Of the 456 New York hotels on the site, dozens of them are unreviewed and yet are still ranked by popularity, largely based on the number of clicks each property receives, according to Kayak. Final word: A simple way to navigate hotels for people who like to see smiley and frowny faces indicating the tone of the reviews.
OYSTER HOTEL REVIEWS
oyster.com
Pros: Reviews are done by paid journalists, not random travelers waxing poetic about the smell of the lobby. “Photo fakeout’’ section shows glossy and sometimes doctored publicity photos alongside Oyster’s much more realistic ones. A two-month calendar shows daily room rates so you can easily see the cheapest time to go. The site’s Hotel Humor blog features amusing tidbits, such as creative Do Not Disturb signs (our favorite: Fuhgettaboudit, from Le Parker Meridien in New York). And Oyster has a level of detail the other sites don’t have: For instance, it breaks down 82 Las Vegas hotels into 17 categories, including best celebrity sites, and describes amenities down to the brand of toiletries in the bathroom and the size of the TV.
Cons: Reviews are extensive, but there’s only one per hotel. It’s a relatively new site, and so far only has 847 hotels in 13 destinations. (Five to seven more are scheduled to launch this year, said spokeswoman Kellie Pelletier, starting with Orlando in February.)
Final word: The wisdom of the masses does not prevail here, but each extensive review has more useful information than 50 amateur reviews combined.
YAHOO TRAVEL
travel.yahoo.com
Pros: Guide-book-y overviews provide interesting tidbits: Travel Channel videos add life, and interactive city maps show hotel and restaurant locations with nearby attractions. When you search by city, you can see the temperature. Eighty-five degrees in Barbados? Sign us up.
Cons: It’s such an extensive site that depending on what you click, pages pop up in different configurations; it’s easy to get lost when you start clicking with abandon. There’s no guarantee that reviewers have visited these properties. And some of the reviews aren’t all that fresh - the most recent Lenox Hotel post was from 2007. A Yahoo spokeswoman pointed out that the reviews are voluntary and the site doesn’t push its users to supply a steady stream of content.
Final word: If you want to research an entire city, and find quirky insights into their inhabitants, this is the place. For instance, did you know “Dubliners party with a panache verging on the reckless’’?
IGOUGO
igougo.com
Pros: The only site of the bunch to have night-life reviews, including 40 hot spots in Rio de Janeiro. Journals, stories, and community blogs provide travel tips and personal stories from travelers about individual trips to events such as the World Buskers Festival in New Zealand.
Cons: Relies on user photos, which means many reviewed destinations don’t have any photos. Search function is maddening - entering “San Francisco hotels’’ on the home page produces a jumble of disorganized information; enter “San Francisco’’ and then click on hotels, though, and a lovely, easy-to-use list pops up. IgoUgo did not return calls seeking comment.
Final word: With annual writing and photo awards and a hall of fame for its most dedicated members, IgoUgo is perfect for people looking more for a travel community than a long list of reviews.
AWAY.COM
away.com
Pros: Expert opinions abound, with Frommer’s reviews posted above the consumer reviews. Readers can post questions for away.com staffers to answer, and a list of experts provide travel guides to beach vacations, family getaways, ski destinations, and more. Site includes links to feature articles from various travel publications.
Cons: Many reviews aren’t up to date - the latest consumer review last week when the Globe checked was for the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Fla., is from 2006. Site doesn’t rank hotels by popularity. Searching for a specific city can take a lot of clicks, or lead to an uninviting list of Google links.
Final word: The bevy of professional travel writers onboard, complete with bios and photos, gives Away.com an emphasis on expert recommendations over user reviews.
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Siraj Cafe in South End to offer dinner; hopes to offset losses from flood
Siraj Café hoping new dinner option will push floodwater under the bridge
by Brandon Simes
Managing Editor
Wednesday Jan 27, 2010
South End News
Victims of water main break looking to expand their base
When a water main broke in the early morning of Saturday, Jan. 9, on the corner of West Concord Street and Shawmut Avenue, the devastation was dramatic. Damage to basement units was substantial, leaving some residents without a place to stay and forcing them to guest rooms, spare couches, and hotels. Siraj Café, a Greek and Indian fusion restaurant that has sat at 472 Shawmut Avenue for five years, also took on its fair share of water.
More than two and a half feet seeped into the restaurant’s basement, closing the eatery for a dozen days. After clearing all debris, owners/spouses Sophia Potsidis and Rabi Islam say they’re out approximately $37,000-a figure that doesn’t include lost revenue from having to close the restaurant for nearly two weeks. As is often the case, they expect to recoup far less than the total value of the damage from their insurance company, in this case just about 40 percent.
"Sunday morning I reopened the store. ... I was shocked by what happened. And then they [City officials] said, ’You cannot go in there because it’s not safe.’ They turned off the gas, electric, and everything. I went there, there were two and a half feet of water in the basement," said Islam.
Union Park Street native Potsidis and Islam, who met while they both were studying at Northeastern University, have combined their lives to form a powerful combination. With inimitable flavors and a unique mixture of two distinct foods, Siraj offers the best of not two, but three cuisines: Greek, Indian, and their fusion.
"That’s our specialty. If you go to an Indian place, you just get only spicy shish kebab. If people don’t like the spicy one they can get the Greek side, which is not as spicy," explained Islam.
The restaurant itself is a visible union of the couple’s heritage. Islam and Potsidis brought in an interior designer to help meld their Indian and Greek cultures, combining Greek columns with Indian arches and colors.
The menu boasts crowd-pleasers such as spicy vegetable samosas for $5.99, the Taste of Bangladesh, a specialty sandwich made up of Tandoori chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, and a spicy diablo spread for $6.99 that comes with a side of fries or a small soup, and assorted Greek and Indian dinner dishes, usually for $11.99.
"It’s really different, because I don’t think there’s another place that has a Tandoori sandwich," said Potsidis.
The couple owns the commercial space, which they believe gives them a deeper connection to the neighborhood, and allows them to set lower prices than other eateries that may have to pay inflated rent prices.
"It’s very affordable. Even the people who don’t have a job-people need to eat. So they can spend like five or 10 dollars, this is our range, and dinner is not more than 12 or 13 dollars, it comes with a salad, all those things. I think we are the cheapest place in the entire South End," said Islam. The most expensive item on the menu is the lamb chops for $19.99.
Potsidis said that through their five years thus far customers have heard about Siraj mostly through word of mouth, as they haven’t made any major advertising pushes.
"We have our regular customers, they come every single day," she said, adding that the economy hasn’t hurt the business too much because of loyal customers and reasonable prices.
The proud parents of a one-year-old son, Amiras, had planned to launch a new dinner menu earlier this month, but the flood damage delayed that effort, pushing the start date of the new dinner offering to February 1.
The first month of breakfast, lunch, and dinner being available from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week will bring with it some discounts for locals. Boston University students and Boston Medical Center employees will receive a five percent discount on all purchases next month, and all diners will receive a complimentary appetizer or dessert item with dinner.
The couple also plans to apply for a liquor license in March, which would enable them to push their closing until 11:00 p.m., and perhaps recoup some of the losses they have incurred. For now, however, they remain focused on spreading the word about their new dinner menu and longer hours and keeping a long-term approach.
"We bought this building and we are not going anywhere," said Islam. "That’s the main reason we want to stay a business with the very, very best quality with a lower price."
by Brandon Simes
Managing Editor
Wednesday Jan 27, 2010
South End News
Victims of water main break looking to expand their base
When a water main broke in the early morning of Saturday, Jan. 9, on the corner of West Concord Street and Shawmut Avenue, the devastation was dramatic. Damage to basement units was substantial, leaving some residents without a place to stay and forcing them to guest rooms, spare couches, and hotels. Siraj Café, a Greek and Indian fusion restaurant that has sat at 472 Shawmut Avenue for five years, also took on its fair share of water.
More than two and a half feet seeped into the restaurant’s basement, closing the eatery for a dozen days. After clearing all debris, owners/spouses Sophia Potsidis and Rabi Islam say they’re out approximately $37,000-a figure that doesn’t include lost revenue from having to close the restaurant for nearly two weeks. As is often the case, they expect to recoup far less than the total value of the damage from their insurance company, in this case just about 40 percent.
"Sunday morning I reopened the store. ... I was shocked by what happened. And then they [City officials] said, ’You cannot go in there because it’s not safe.’ They turned off the gas, electric, and everything. I went there, there were two and a half feet of water in the basement," said Islam.
Union Park Street native Potsidis and Islam, who met while they both were studying at Northeastern University, have combined their lives to form a powerful combination. With inimitable flavors and a unique mixture of two distinct foods, Siraj offers the best of not two, but three cuisines: Greek, Indian, and their fusion.
"That’s our specialty. If you go to an Indian place, you just get only spicy shish kebab. If people don’t like the spicy one they can get the Greek side, which is not as spicy," explained Islam.
The restaurant itself is a visible union of the couple’s heritage. Islam and Potsidis brought in an interior designer to help meld their Indian and Greek cultures, combining Greek columns with Indian arches and colors.
The menu boasts crowd-pleasers such as spicy vegetable samosas for $5.99, the Taste of Bangladesh, a specialty sandwich made up of Tandoori chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, and a spicy diablo spread for $6.99 that comes with a side of fries or a small soup, and assorted Greek and Indian dinner dishes, usually for $11.99.
"It’s really different, because I don’t think there’s another place that has a Tandoori sandwich," said Potsidis.
The couple owns the commercial space, which they believe gives them a deeper connection to the neighborhood, and allows them to set lower prices than other eateries that may have to pay inflated rent prices.
"It’s very affordable. Even the people who don’t have a job-people need to eat. So they can spend like five or 10 dollars, this is our range, and dinner is not more than 12 or 13 dollars, it comes with a salad, all those things. I think we are the cheapest place in the entire South End," said Islam. The most expensive item on the menu is the lamb chops for $19.99.
Potsidis said that through their five years thus far customers have heard about Siraj mostly through word of mouth, as they haven’t made any major advertising pushes.
"We have our regular customers, they come every single day," she said, adding that the economy hasn’t hurt the business too much because of loyal customers and reasonable prices.
The proud parents of a one-year-old son, Amiras, had planned to launch a new dinner menu earlier this month, but the flood damage delayed that effort, pushing the start date of the new dinner offering to February 1.
The first month of breakfast, lunch, and dinner being available from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week will bring with it some discounts for locals. Boston University students and Boston Medical Center employees will receive a five percent discount on all purchases next month, and all diners will receive a complimentary appetizer or dessert item with dinner.
The couple also plans to apply for a liquor license in March, which would enable them to push their closing until 11:00 p.m., and perhaps recoup some of the losses they have incurred. For now, however, they remain focused on spreading the word about their new dinner menu and longer hours and keeping a long-term approach.
"We bought this building and we are not going anywhere," said Islam. "That’s the main reason we want to stay a business with the very, very best quality with a lower price."
Paramount Theatre to reopen in March
Second act
After more than 30 years, Boston’s Paramount Theatre makes a comeback
By Tenley Woodman | Sunday, January 31, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
A giant of Washington Street has returned to its former glory.
After lying in disrepair for more than 30 years, the Paramount Theatre opens its doors to the public in March.
The Celebrity Series will present five shows at the newly renovated art deco theater, beginning with the Max Raabe & Palast Orchester for “A Night In Berlin” March 6.
Emerson College spent two years and an undisclosed sum renovating the Paramount and the adjoining Arcade Building at 555 Washington St. into a state-of-the-art performance center.
(While Emerson would not talk dollars, the Boston Redevelopment Authority estimated in 2006 the project would cost about $77 million.)
“It means a lot to our city,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who held his fifth-term inaugural party there Jan. 4.
“We have to use those theaters,” Menino said. “The arts are part of the lifeblood of Boston.”
Emerson transformed the 1,500-seat Paramount, which opened in 1932 as a movie house, into a 550-seat live performance venue.
While its original purpose has changed, the theater’s character remains intact.
Robert J. Orchard, executive director of Emerson’s new office of the arts, gave this Herald reporter an exclusive tour last week.
“Be prepared for art deco squared,” he said.
Emerson was able to save the original waterfall wood paneling along the staircases, but the rest of the theater’s ornate carpeting, light fixtures and murals were re-created from items found in the rubble during construction.
Outside, nearly 8,000 LED bulbs illuminate the theater’s historic marquee.
The Arcade Building houses nine rehearsal studios, classrooms, faculty offices, a 200-seat screening room and a black box theater. Students have been using the facilities since the beginning of the year.
A dormitory atop the Arcade facility will house 260 students starting in the fall.
Orchard, who served 30 years as a manager of the American Repertory Theater, is responsible for programming the Paramount main stage, black box theater and screening room, as well as Emerson’s Cutler Majestic Theatre.
“I want this to be a crossroads for people in the theater community,” he said of the space.
His plans for the Paramount include bringing young ensemble companies to the stage, as well as major, established theater companies and entertainment for young people and families.
Orchard said the Celebrity Series performances in March and April will test the Paramount stage so tweaks can be made for the theater’s grand opening in September.
Performers for the fall launch remain secret.
The reopening of the Paramount is a sign of giant strides for Emerson and Boston.
“The neighborhood had to transform and that was part of Emerson being here,” Orchard said.
Emerson has invested approximately $500 million in the area in the past 10 years, said Andrew Tiedemann, a college spokesman.
Washington Street, once home to numerous theaters, fell on tough times when the city’s red light district moved from Scollay Square to the Chinatown and Downtown Crossing areas in the 1960s.
The relocation of the Ritz-Carlton from its tony Arlington Street address to Avery Street and the reopening of the Opera House next to the Paramount in 2004 have brought a new vitality to the area.
“Everybody is really putting the Filenes (location) at the (heart of) Downtown Crossing’s revitalization, but it is really starting at the Paramount and moving up the street,” Menino said.
Orchard believes the Paramount and Arcade buildings put Emerson on an unparalleled footing in theater education.
“There isn’t any school in the country with live performance and multimedia (programs) with our facilities in the country,” he said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view.bg?articleid=1229440
After more than 30 years, Boston’s Paramount Theatre makes a comeback
By Tenley Woodman | Sunday, January 31, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
A giant of Washington Street has returned to its former glory.
After lying in disrepair for more than 30 years, the Paramount Theatre opens its doors to the public in March.
The Celebrity Series will present five shows at the newly renovated art deco theater, beginning with the Max Raabe & Palast Orchester for “A Night In Berlin” March 6.
Emerson College spent two years and an undisclosed sum renovating the Paramount and the adjoining Arcade Building at 555 Washington St. into a state-of-the-art performance center.
(While Emerson would not talk dollars, the Boston Redevelopment Authority estimated in 2006 the project would cost about $77 million.)
“It means a lot to our city,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who held his fifth-term inaugural party there Jan. 4.
“We have to use those theaters,” Menino said. “The arts are part of the lifeblood of Boston.”
Emerson transformed the 1,500-seat Paramount, which opened in 1932 as a movie house, into a 550-seat live performance venue.
While its original purpose has changed, the theater’s character remains intact.
Robert J. Orchard, executive director of Emerson’s new office of the arts, gave this Herald reporter an exclusive tour last week.
“Be prepared for art deco squared,” he said.
Emerson was able to save the original waterfall wood paneling along the staircases, but the rest of the theater’s ornate carpeting, light fixtures and murals were re-created from items found in the rubble during construction.
Outside, nearly 8,000 LED bulbs illuminate the theater’s historic marquee.
The Arcade Building houses nine rehearsal studios, classrooms, faculty offices, a 200-seat screening room and a black box theater. Students have been using the facilities since the beginning of the year.
A dormitory atop the Arcade facility will house 260 students starting in the fall.
Orchard, who served 30 years as a manager of the American Repertory Theater, is responsible for programming the Paramount main stage, black box theater and screening room, as well as Emerson’s Cutler Majestic Theatre.
“I want this to be a crossroads for people in the theater community,” he said of the space.
His plans for the Paramount include bringing young ensemble companies to the stage, as well as major, established theater companies and entertainment for young people and families.
Orchard said the Celebrity Series performances in March and April will test the Paramount stage so tweaks can be made for the theater’s grand opening in September.
Performers for the fall launch remain secret.
The reopening of the Paramount is a sign of giant strides for Emerson and Boston.
“The neighborhood had to transform and that was part of Emerson being here,” Orchard said.
Emerson has invested approximately $500 million in the area in the past 10 years, said Andrew Tiedemann, a college spokesman.
Washington Street, once home to numerous theaters, fell on tough times when the city’s red light district moved from Scollay Square to the Chinatown and Downtown Crossing areas in the 1960s.
The relocation of the Ritz-Carlton from its tony Arlington Street address to Avery Street and the reopening of the Opera House next to the Paramount in 2004 have brought a new vitality to the area.
“Everybody is really putting the Filenes (location) at the (heart of) Downtown Crossing’s revitalization, but it is really starting at the Paramount and moving up the street,” Menino said.
Orchard believes the Paramount and Arcade buildings put Emerson on an unparalleled footing in theater education.
“There isn’t any school in the country with live performance and multimedia (programs) with our facilities in the country,” he said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view.bg?articleid=1229440
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Craigslist prostitute arrested in Back Bay hotel
Craigslist sex bust sparks worry
By Dave Wedge | Saturday, January 30, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
A Craigslist hooker bust in the same Hub hotel where police say cyber-trolling accused killer Philip Markoff tied up a Las Vegas call girl has raised new fears the Web site’s seedy side remains a hunting ground for predators and their deadly tricks.
“This is a dangerous business,” said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley, whose office is preparing to prosecute Markoff. “It’s just a matter of time before somebody gets killed.”
Boston police nabbed 27-year-old alleged nightwalker Jasmine Nicole Anderson of Sacramento, Calif., at the Westin Copley Place hotel Wednesday night after an undercover gumshoe answered her ad on Craigslist - the same site where authorities said Markoff met erotic masseuse Julissa Brisman and escort Trisha Leffler.
Besides the Boston bust, cops in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina reportedly have busted prostitutes using Craigslist in recent months.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who led the charge for Craigslist reform months before Brisman’s slaying, said, “Continuing problems are reflected in this arrest. While there has been real progress, prostitution ads on Craigslist persist.”
BPD spokesman Joe Zanoli said, “Prostitution is as current as the headlines and as old as the Bible. We continually take preventive measures to curb such activity by monitoring ads through Craigslist. It’s an ongoing problem.”
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said cracking down on prostitution ads on Craigslist is “frustrating because the advertising itself has been protected by federal law.”
But Zanoli said this week’s bust sends a message to other would-be cyber-hookers. “When this is done, these people that participate in this illegal activity are aware of us monitoring their ads and it makes them more careful or it deters them from doing what they do in our city,” he said.
Authorities said Anderson arranged a dalliance at the Westin Copley after the undercover cop answered her Craigslist ad. She directed the officer to a hotel room where he found her “scantily clad” and paid her $200 for a promise of sex, authorities said.
Anderson was arrested on prostitution charges and cops seized a laptop and $3,100 cash from her. She was released on $1,000 bail after her arraignment Thursday and is due back in Boston Municipal Court on Feb. 11, a Conley spokeswoman said.
Markoff, a 23-year-old former Boston University medical student, is charged with a sex-fueled April 2009 crime spree that included tying up and robbing Leffler at the Westin Copley and killing Brisman, 25, at the nearby Copley Marriott. Markoff is due in court next week for a hearing in the Brisman slaying.
The new bust reignites the controversy surrounding Craigslist, which pledged to crack down on prostitution ads in the wake of Brisman’s slaying. Responding to heated criticism from law enforcement nationwide, the Web site implemented new guidelines that required payment for adult postings, as well as strict monitoring to weed out prostitution or other illegal sex solicitations. A Craigslist spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1229290
By Dave Wedge | Saturday, January 30, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
A Craigslist hooker bust in the same Hub hotel where police say cyber-trolling accused killer Philip Markoff tied up a Las Vegas call girl has raised new fears the Web site’s seedy side remains a hunting ground for predators and their deadly tricks.
“This is a dangerous business,” said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley, whose office is preparing to prosecute Markoff. “It’s just a matter of time before somebody gets killed.”
Boston police nabbed 27-year-old alleged nightwalker Jasmine Nicole Anderson of Sacramento, Calif., at the Westin Copley Place hotel Wednesday night after an undercover gumshoe answered her ad on Craigslist - the same site where authorities said Markoff met erotic masseuse Julissa Brisman and escort Trisha Leffler.
Besides the Boston bust, cops in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina reportedly have busted prostitutes using Craigslist in recent months.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who led the charge for Craigslist reform months before Brisman’s slaying, said, “Continuing problems are reflected in this arrest. While there has been real progress, prostitution ads on Craigslist persist.”
BPD spokesman Joe Zanoli said, “Prostitution is as current as the headlines and as old as the Bible. We continually take preventive measures to curb such activity by monitoring ads through Craigslist. It’s an ongoing problem.”
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said cracking down on prostitution ads on Craigslist is “frustrating because the advertising itself has been protected by federal law.”
But Zanoli said this week’s bust sends a message to other would-be cyber-hookers. “When this is done, these people that participate in this illegal activity are aware of us monitoring their ads and it makes them more careful or it deters them from doing what they do in our city,” he said.
Authorities said Anderson arranged a dalliance at the Westin Copley after the undercover cop answered her Craigslist ad. She directed the officer to a hotel room where he found her “scantily clad” and paid her $200 for a promise of sex, authorities said.
Anderson was arrested on prostitution charges and cops seized a laptop and $3,100 cash from her. She was released on $1,000 bail after her arraignment Thursday and is due back in Boston Municipal Court on Feb. 11, a Conley spokeswoman said.
Markoff, a 23-year-old former Boston University medical student, is charged with a sex-fueled April 2009 crime spree that included tying up and robbing Leffler at the Westin Copley and killing Brisman, 25, at the nearby Copley Marriott. Markoff is due in court next week for a hearing in the Brisman slaying.
The new bust reignites the controversy surrounding Craigslist, which pledged to crack down on prostitution ads in the wake of Brisman’s slaying. Responding to heated criticism from law enforcement nationwide, the Web site implemented new guidelines that required payment for adult postings, as well as strict monitoring to weed out prostitution or other illegal sex solicitations. A Craigslist spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1229290
Friday, January 29, 2010
Dbar owners to open Back Bay restaurant; Exotic Sushi & Tapas location to become restaurant and piano bar; Darryl Settles to open new restaurant
I hope the new Deux Ave is able to do well at the corner of Commonwealth and Massachusetts Avenue. Hopefully the city will grant them an entertainment license so they can do live music and get some additional traffic when they open. That is if the Back Bay Neighborhood Association can come to its senses. - Adam
Beehive co-owner buzzes to Roxbury
Also, new eatery for Back Bay
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
While a dispute with his Beehive co-owner continues to simmer over the operations of the happening South End restaurant and nightclub, Darryl Settles is looking to his next venture.
Settles, who owned Bob’s Southern Bistro on the edge of the South End for 17 years until he closed it in 2007, is now targeting Roxbury for a new restaurant.
Legend’s on the Hill is the proposed name for the restaurant that Settles wants to open on Centre Street in the Fort Hill section of Roxbury, according to an application filed with the Boston Licensing Board. The standalone building, which previously housed the Fort Hill Food Emporium, has an attached greenhouse with seating for 50 and an outdoor patio.
Settles is seeking a 2 a.m. closing for the restaurant. He was scheduled to appear for city liquor-license approval this week, but withdrew to further pitch his plans to the neighborhood. He did not return calls for comment.
Jack Bardy, the Beehive co-owner with whom Settles is embroiled in the dispute also is looking at other properties. Bardy closed Pho Republique on Washington Street in the South End last year after more than a decade and promised to revive the restaurant at a larger location.
The owner and executive chef behind Dorchester’s Dbar are setting their sights on another Boston neighborhood, this time as partners.
Brian Piccini and chef Christopher Coombs are developing plans for a “refined casual” restaurant and bar in the Back Bay that’s promised to be completely removed from the Dot Avenue restaurant and lounge that opened in 2005.
Named for its location at the corner of Massachusetts and Commonwealth avenues, Deux Ave is slated for a summer opening in the former 4,600-square-foot Panificio bakery and restaurant space, across from the Eliot Hotel. The menu is still under development, but will have American and French influences.
Exotic Sushi & Tapas opened on High Street in Boston’s Financial District last spring and closed in a matter of just a few months.
Now, plans are under way to turn the former location of The International into a restaurant and lounge featuring dueling baby grand pianos.
Paul Holian, co-owner of The Place nightclub on nearby Broad Street, saw an “in” for the concept after Jake Ivory’s piano bar closed on Lansdowne Street last year.
Though he’s hoping to attract professionals at lunch and after work, Holian expects a younger crowd, including bachelorette parties, on weekends.
He’s thinking of running a two-hour, dueling-piano show from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and a second show from 10 p.m.-midnight on Thursday through Saturday. Comedy and live music nights and a Sunday jazz brunch also are under consideration.
Holian, who plans to give the space a higher-end decor than neighborhood competitors, recognizes the Financial District location has been challenging in terms of attracting business beyond lunch.
“It’s been a reasonably good lunch location because it’s a good size (it holds 500), and there are a lot of office buildings there,” he said. “But it’s been challenged over years as far as after-work and late-night business.”
Holian is bringing in John Moore, owner of the Navy Yard Bistro and Wine Bar in Charlestown, to oversee the food and wine operations.
Moore is planning moderately priced, new American food and a wine list that includes higher-end, big Napa cabernets priced $50 or $60 less per bottle than the city’s steak houses.
Lunch will include sandwiches, large salads, sushi and pasta dishes. The seasonal dinner menu will have a few nightly specials, a couple of big steaks and three constants that account for 70 percent of Navy Yard Bistro’s sales - hanger steak and frites with Bordelaise sauce, roast chicken with rosemary pan jus and ginger-sake grilled salmon.
A mid-April opening is targeted, with High Bar as a possible name.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1229043
Beehive co-owner buzzes to Roxbury
Also, new eatery for Back Bay
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
While a dispute with his Beehive co-owner continues to simmer over the operations of the happening South End restaurant and nightclub, Darryl Settles is looking to his next venture.
Settles, who owned Bob’s Southern Bistro on the edge of the South End for 17 years until he closed it in 2007, is now targeting Roxbury for a new restaurant.
Legend’s on the Hill is the proposed name for the restaurant that Settles wants to open on Centre Street in the Fort Hill section of Roxbury, according to an application filed with the Boston Licensing Board. The standalone building, which previously housed the Fort Hill Food Emporium, has an attached greenhouse with seating for 50 and an outdoor patio.
Settles is seeking a 2 a.m. closing for the restaurant. He was scheduled to appear for city liquor-license approval this week, but withdrew to further pitch his plans to the neighborhood. He did not return calls for comment.
Jack Bardy, the Beehive co-owner with whom Settles is embroiled in the dispute also is looking at other properties. Bardy closed Pho Republique on Washington Street in the South End last year after more than a decade and promised to revive the restaurant at a larger location.
The owner and executive chef behind Dorchester’s Dbar are setting their sights on another Boston neighborhood, this time as partners.
Brian Piccini and chef Christopher Coombs are developing plans for a “refined casual” restaurant and bar in the Back Bay that’s promised to be completely removed from the Dot Avenue restaurant and lounge that opened in 2005.
Named for its location at the corner of Massachusetts and Commonwealth avenues, Deux Ave is slated for a summer opening in the former 4,600-square-foot Panificio bakery and restaurant space, across from the Eliot Hotel. The menu is still under development, but will have American and French influences.
Exotic Sushi & Tapas opened on High Street in Boston’s Financial District last spring and closed in a matter of just a few months.
Now, plans are under way to turn the former location of The International into a restaurant and lounge featuring dueling baby grand pianos.
Paul Holian, co-owner of The Place nightclub on nearby Broad Street, saw an “in” for the concept after Jake Ivory’s piano bar closed on Lansdowne Street last year.
Though he’s hoping to attract professionals at lunch and after work, Holian expects a younger crowd, including bachelorette parties, on weekends.
He’s thinking of running a two-hour, dueling-piano show from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and a second show from 10 p.m.-midnight on Thursday through Saturday. Comedy and live music nights and a Sunday jazz brunch also are under consideration.
Holian, who plans to give the space a higher-end decor than neighborhood competitors, recognizes the Financial District location has been challenging in terms of attracting business beyond lunch.
“It’s been a reasonably good lunch location because it’s a good size (it holds 500), and there are a lot of office buildings there,” he said. “But it’s been challenged over years as far as after-work and late-night business.”
Holian is bringing in John Moore, owner of the Navy Yard Bistro and Wine Bar in Charlestown, to oversee the food and wine operations.
Moore is planning moderately priced, new American food and a wine list that includes higher-end, big Napa cabernets priced $50 or $60 less per bottle than the city’s steak houses.
Lunch will include sandwiches, large salads, sushi and pasta dishes. The seasonal dinner menu will have a few nightly specials, a couple of big steaks and three constants that account for 70 percent of Navy Yard Bistro’s sales - hanger steak and frites with Bordelaise sauce, roast chicken with rosemary pan jus and ginger-sake grilled salmon.
A mid-April opening is targeted, with High Bar as a possible name.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1229043
Shear Madness to celebrate 30th anniversary
‘Shear’: A cut above in Hub
By Jenna Scherer | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Shows don’t run for 30 years. They just don’t. Maybe once in a while, you when you get something like “The Fantasticks” in New York, or “The Mousetrap” in London. But in Boston?
No freaking way.
Proving the cynics wrong since 1980 is a little Boston institution called “Shear Madness” at the Charles Playhouse. Though it’s had 85 productions worldwide, “Shear Madness” has its longest and greatest legacy here in Beantown. In fact, it’s the longest-running, nonmusical play in America. Tonight the production celebrates its 30th anniversary and somewhere in the neighborhood of 12,500 performances.
The comedy-improv-whodunit is set in whatever city it plays. In this case, it takes place at a Newbury Street hair salon, with the identity of the murderer changing every show.
Bruce Jordan, who co-produces “Shear Madness” with Marilyn Abrams, certainly never expected to make it this far.
“When we first opened, the longest-running show in Boston was a 26-week run of ‘All Night Strut,’ ” Jordan recalled by phone from Schenectady, N.Y. “When we ran for a whole year, it was like, ‘Oh my God!’ We thought we had run seven marathons.”
But before there was “Shear Madness” and its impossibly long run, there was “Scherenschnitt,” a 1963 German play about a murder in a hair salon. The play was more of a study in perception than a laugh riot, but Jordan and Abrams saw the comedic potential. They produced the first version of “Shear Madness,” called “Who Dunnit?,” at Geva Theatre in Rochester, N.Y., in 1976.
Jordan, who acted in the production, knew he had something big on his hands.
“It was when I was performing it that I realized that audiences loved this play,” he said. “Nothing like it had ever been done before. This was the ’70s, y’know? We didn’t have anything called interactivity or anything like that in the theater.”
Four years and many rewrites later, “Shear Madness” came to the Charles. Jordan had no idea where the venture would lead.
“It was just kind of looping along,” he said. “One week we’d make $500, the next week we’d lose $1,000, the next week we’d make $500. Then our ad agency told us that most theaters in Boston close for the summer. Marilyn and I looked at each other and said, ‘Great! Then we’ll stay open.’ We haven’t looked back since.”
The roster of casts past reads like a who’s who of Boston acting elite - Karen MacDonald, Will LeBow, Larry Coen, John Kuntz, Paula Plum, Kathy St. George - the list goes on and on.
For many, it’s a labor of love. Just ask Pat Shea, who’s in the current cast and has performed in “Shear Madness” on and off since 1983.
“We all leave and do other projects and come back, but luckily they’re kind enough to always take us back,” he said from his home in Rhode Island.
Jordan believes that the power of “Shear Madness” lies not only in the appeal of the genre, but in the show’s ability to stay current. The company meets regularly to discuss what current events to mention. Currently, topics range from Tiger Woods to Scott Brown.
But the whodunit aspect doesn’t hurt, either. When it comes to murder mysteries, everyone wants to be a sleuth.
“If you go out for a drink with somebody in the audience afterwards, they don’t care anything about the comedy,” Jordan said. “They’ve laughed their heads off, but all they want to know is the nuts and bolts of the murder.”
At the end of the day, “Shear Madness” is all about the city where it’s playing. The script is designed to be peppered with local references. And Boston’s got plenty to talk about.
“This city has such a huge personality,” Shea said. “With the towns and the accents and the sports and the politicians, it’s just filled with comic possibilities.”
l“Shear Madness,” at the Charles Playhouse, Tuesday through Sunday weekly. Tickets: $42; 617-426-5225.
By Jenna Scherer | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Shows don’t run for 30 years. They just don’t. Maybe once in a while, you when you get something like “The Fantasticks” in New York, or “The Mousetrap” in London. But in Boston?
No freaking way.
Proving the cynics wrong since 1980 is a little Boston institution called “Shear Madness” at the Charles Playhouse. Though it’s had 85 productions worldwide, “Shear Madness” has its longest and greatest legacy here in Beantown. In fact, it’s the longest-running, nonmusical play in America. Tonight the production celebrates its 30th anniversary and somewhere in the neighborhood of 12,500 performances.
The comedy-improv-whodunit is set in whatever city it plays. In this case, it takes place at a Newbury Street hair salon, with the identity of the murderer changing every show.
Bruce Jordan, who co-produces “Shear Madness” with Marilyn Abrams, certainly never expected to make it this far.
“When we first opened, the longest-running show in Boston was a 26-week run of ‘All Night Strut,’ ” Jordan recalled by phone from Schenectady, N.Y. “When we ran for a whole year, it was like, ‘Oh my God!’ We thought we had run seven marathons.”
But before there was “Shear Madness” and its impossibly long run, there was “Scherenschnitt,” a 1963 German play about a murder in a hair salon. The play was more of a study in perception than a laugh riot, but Jordan and Abrams saw the comedic potential. They produced the first version of “Shear Madness,” called “Who Dunnit?,” at Geva Theatre in Rochester, N.Y., in 1976.
Jordan, who acted in the production, knew he had something big on his hands.
“It was when I was performing it that I realized that audiences loved this play,” he said. “Nothing like it had ever been done before. This was the ’70s, y’know? We didn’t have anything called interactivity or anything like that in the theater.”
Four years and many rewrites later, “Shear Madness” came to the Charles. Jordan had no idea where the venture would lead.
“It was just kind of looping along,” he said. “One week we’d make $500, the next week we’d lose $1,000, the next week we’d make $500. Then our ad agency told us that most theaters in Boston close for the summer. Marilyn and I looked at each other and said, ‘Great! Then we’ll stay open.’ We haven’t looked back since.”
The roster of casts past reads like a who’s who of Boston acting elite - Karen MacDonald, Will LeBow, Larry Coen, John Kuntz, Paula Plum, Kathy St. George - the list goes on and on.
For many, it’s a labor of love. Just ask Pat Shea, who’s in the current cast and has performed in “Shear Madness” on and off since 1983.
“We all leave and do other projects and come back, but luckily they’re kind enough to always take us back,” he said from his home in Rhode Island.
Jordan believes that the power of “Shear Madness” lies not only in the appeal of the genre, but in the show’s ability to stay current. The company meets regularly to discuss what current events to mention. Currently, topics range from Tiger Woods to Scott Brown.
But the whodunit aspect doesn’t hurt, either. When it comes to murder mysteries, everyone wants to be a sleuth.
“If you go out for a drink with somebody in the audience afterwards, they don’t care anything about the comedy,” Jordan said. “They’ve laughed their heads off, but all they want to know is the nuts and bolts of the murder.”
At the end of the day, “Shear Madness” is all about the city where it’s playing. The script is designed to be peppered with local references. And Boston’s got plenty to talk about.
“This city has such a huge personality,” Shea said. “With the towns and the accents and the sports and the politicians, it’s just filled with comic possibilities.”
l“Shear Madness,” at the Charles Playhouse, Tuesday through Sunday weekly. Tickets: $42; 617-426-5225.
James Levine returns to Sympony Hall
James Levine delights in BSO return
By Keith Powers | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Music News
James Levine has returned.
The injury-plagued Boston Symphony Orchestra maestro returned to the podium yesterday evening at Symphony Hall, having had to cancel most of his fall engagements because of back surgery. Coupled with a shoulder injury and a bout with kidney cancer, his BSO tenure - Levine is now in his sixth season - has been one of fits and starts.
But now he’s back, in good form by the looks of it, and living up to one of his promises: to give repeat performances of difficult works as a way of increasing audience understanding. His return program featured major works by Elliott Carter, Berlioz and Ravel, all of them with dynamic soloists.
Carter, the 101-year-old wunderkind whose compositions Levine has long championed, enjoys a mini-revival over the next two weeks. His flute concerto, in its American premiere, highlights next week’s program; this evening began with his “Dialogues” for piano and orchestra. The performance was a first for Symphony Hall audiences, but “Dialogues” has previously been performed twice at Tanglewood.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard was the soloist, himself a major champion of Carter’s work, and a brilliant interpreter and risk-taker, tackling a broad swath of the piano repertory.
“Dialogues” is aptly named. (“Give-and-take,” or “Parry-and-thrust” would have worked as well.) Like two dear friends, full of strong opinions and respect, orchestra and soloist exchanged ideas, some quietly, some with great clamor. Nobody seemed to win, except maybe the listeners, who were treated to artful expression throughout. Appropriately, the pianist signaled the end of the discussion with a few low, slow farewells.
Ravel’s piano concerto for left hand only ceased being treated as a novelty long ago, and has been explored frequently by some of the greatest pianists and orchestras. Aimard and Levine shifted gears from Carter to put their own stamp on it, emphasizing balance, as well as the sheer jazzy fun in the piece. Aimard does not yet have a long history with the BSO, but he should, because he plays like he does.
Like most of Levine’s programs, this one was full of substance. Two major works, Berlioz’ “Harold in Italy” and Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe” (second suite), featured the solo talents of BSO principals Steven Ansell (viola) and Elizabeth Rowe (flute), respectively. Ansell, playing a work that he has made a signature in recent seasons, performed the technically demanding Berlioz with terrific skill and insight. Rowe soloed in the concert-closing suite, and she and the orchestra played with energy and precision.
Throughout, Levine showed no ill effects. Good to have him back.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view.bg?articleid=1229099
By Keith Powers | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Music News
James Levine has returned.
The injury-plagued Boston Symphony Orchestra maestro returned to the podium yesterday evening at Symphony Hall, having had to cancel most of his fall engagements because of back surgery. Coupled with a shoulder injury and a bout with kidney cancer, his BSO tenure - Levine is now in his sixth season - has been one of fits and starts.
But now he’s back, in good form by the looks of it, and living up to one of his promises: to give repeat performances of difficult works as a way of increasing audience understanding. His return program featured major works by Elliott Carter, Berlioz and Ravel, all of them with dynamic soloists.
Carter, the 101-year-old wunderkind whose compositions Levine has long championed, enjoys a mini-revival over the next two weeks. His flute concerto, in its American premiere, highlights next week’s program; this evening began with his “Dialogues” for piano and orchestra. The performance was a first for Symphony Hall audiences, but “Dialogues” has previously been performed twice at Tanglewood.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard was the soloist, himself a major champion of Carter’s work, and a brilliant interpreter and risk-taker, tackling a broad swath of the piano repertory.
“Dialogues” is aptly named. (“Give-and-take,” or “Parry-and-thrust” would have worked as well.) Like two dear friends, full of strong opinions and respect, orchestra and soloist exchanged ideas, some quietly, some with great clamor. Nobody seemed to win, except maybe the listeners, who were treated to artful expression throughout. Appropriately, the pianist signaled the end of the discussion with a few low, slow farewells.
Ravel’s piano concerto for left hand only ceased being treated as a novelty long ago, and has been explored frequently by some of the greatest pianists and orchestras. Aimard and Levine shifted gears from Carter to put their own stamp on it, emphasizing balance, as well as the sheer jazzy fun in the piece. Aimard does not yet have a long history with the BSO, but he should, because he plays like he does.
Like most of Levine’s programs, this one was full of substance. Two major works, Berlioz’ “Harold in Italy” and Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe” (second suite), featured the solo talents of BSO principals Steven Ansell (viola) and Elizabeth Rowe (flute), respectively. Ansell, playing a work that he has made a signature in recent seasons, performed the technically demanding Berlioz with terrific skill and insight. Rowe soloed in the concert-closing suite, and she and the orchestra played with energy and precision.
Throughout, Levine showed no ill effects. Good to have him back.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view.bg?articleid=1229099
Boston taxi owners' lawsuit sent to state court
I think that in the City is on the right side of this argument. Hybrid taxis are much cleaner, smoother, and quieter than the other taxis on the road. In the long run taxi companies will benefit from having to spend less on gas with hybrid vehicles. Taxi drivers should also be banned from using cell phones, even hands free ones when they are driving passengers. - Adam
Boston taxis’ car-buying lawsuit goes to state court
By Donna Goodison | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston taxi owners’ legal move to stop the city from requiring only brand-new vehicles as replacement cabs has been kicked down to state court.
A federal judge yesterday decided that the Boston Taxicab Owners Association’s request for an injunction should be considered in Suffolk Superior Court.
The taxi owners are trying to derail the new requirement on an alleged technical violation of state law, arguing that the Boston Police Department Hackney Unit adopted the rule without giving proper notice of a hearing or a reasoned analysis for its implementation.
The taxi owners say the new rule is too costly and will squeeze many small cab operators out of business. Previously, the city allowed cars up to 4 years old and with up to 125,000 miles to be put on the road as taxis.
The judge, however, did agree that the taxi owners could mount a federal court fight to stop Massport from giving front-of-the-line incentives to hybrid taxis at Logan International Airport. The owners’ move follows a ruling last year that the city couldn’t force Boston’s taxi industry to become an all-hybrid-powered fleet because it violated the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
This week, the city countered with its own legal move. It filed court documents arguing that the December decision that the EPCA pre-empts it from providing incentives to encourage the use of hybrid vehicles was made without sufficient notice and the opportunity for the city to be heard. City lawyers also claim that the EPCA does not pre-empt local hybrid incentive programs.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1229044
Boston taxis’ car-buying lawsuit goes to state court
By Donna Goodison | Friday, January 29, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston taxi owners’ legal move to stop the city from requiring only brand-new vehicles as replacement cabs has been kicked down to state court.
A federal judge yesterday decided that the Boston Taxicab Owners Association’s request for an injunction should be considered in Suffolk Superior Court.
The taxi owners are trying to derail the new requirement on an alleged technical violation of state law, arguing that the Boston Police Department Hackney Unit adopted the rule without giving proper notice of a hearing or a reasoned analysis for its implementation.
The taxi owners say the new rule is too costly and will squeeze many small cab operators out of business. Previously, the city allowed cars up to 4 years old and with up to 125,000 miles to be put on the road as taxis.
The judge, however, did agree that the taxi owners could mount a federal court fight to stop Massport from giving front-of-the-line incentives to hybrid taxis at Logan International Airport. The owners’ move follows a ruling last year that the city couldn’t force Boston’s taxi industry to become an all-hybrid-powered fleet because it violated the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
This week, the city countered with its own legal move. It filed court documents arguing that the December decision that the EPCA pre-empts it from providing incentives to encourage the use of hybrid vehicles was made without sufficient notice and the opportunity for the city to be heard. City lawyers also claim that the EPCA does not pre-empt local hybrid incentive programs.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1229044
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Boston convention centers to be nearly sold out through 2012
This is good news for the Boston hospitality industry! The state should find a way to expand the BCEC using stimulus dollars. That would definitely put more people to work, both building it and serving the extra people it would bring in. - Adam
More events heading to Hub
Convention sites booked through ’12
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | January 28, 2010
The convention business is booming in Boston, with more events scheduled over the next three years than ever before, according to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the Hynes Convention Center are nearly sold out through 2012, with 139 trade shows and conventions expected to generate 1.7 million hotel room nights - defined as one room occupied one night - and $1.25 billion in overall economic impact.
This demand further demonstrates the need to expand the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, said James Rooney, executive director of the convention center authority. The state wants to double the size of the center to a million square feet, a project that could top $1 billion. The 25-member committee considering the expansion held its first meeting yesterday.
“I expected Boston to be a winner in the convention and meetings industry,’’ Rooney said. “I did not expect it to happen as quickly or as dramatically as it has.’’
The rise in the number of conventions and trade shows in Boston is partly due to the fact that the convention center opened in 2004 and most conventions book five to 15 years in advance, said Michael Hughes, vice president of research and consulting at Tradeshow Week, so bookings are bound to increase in the beginning.
The convention business is also cyclical, with a lot of competition for the same events. “There are ups and downs,’’ Hughes said, as meetings and trade shows move around to different cities. “There’s no guaranteed perpetual climb upward.’’
Nationally, attendance at conventions dipped by about 7 percent during the first three quarters of last year compared with the same period in 2008, according to Tradeshow Week. But Boston, which attracts a lot of events from medical and life science sectors that have stayed relatively strong during the economic down turn, fared better. After several years of double-digit growth, attendance at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center rose about 1.5 percent during that time, according to the convention authority.
The worst appears to be over. After an 8.3 percent decline in revenue for national conventions and trade shows in 2009, Tradeshow Week is forecasting a 3.3 percent increase this year.
Currently, Boston is the ninth-busiest convention city, and Rooney wants to be in the top five by 2020. The city has some big conventions coming up, including the Risk and Insurance Management Society, which has booked 41,600 room nights in April.
The convention center authority has had inquiries from several major events that can’t be accommodated because of space limitations, Rooney said. For example the BIO International Convention, which is expected to generate 41,200 room nights at its 2012 convention in Boston, can’t rebook here for 2015, he said, because the city doesn’t have room to accommodate the growing show.
The strong numbers in Boston suggest the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center expansion is necessary, Hughes said: “It was built too small - that’s relatively clear.’’
Sam Tyler, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and a member of the expansion committee, said Boston has proven itself to be a successful convention destination, but questions about funding the expanded center remain. “If more state revenue will be demanded,’’ he said, “what does that mean in terms of other services?’’
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
More events heading to Hub
Convention sites booked through ’12
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | January 28, 2010
The convention business is booming in Boston, with more events scheduled over the next three years than ever before, according to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the Hynes Convention Center are nearly sold out through 2012, with 139 trade shows and conventions expected to generate 1.7 million hotel room nights - defined as one room occupied one night - and $1.25 billion in overall economic impact.
This demand further demonstrates the need to expand the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, said James Rooney, executive director of the convention center authority. The state wants to double the size of the center to a million square feet, a project that could top $1 billion. The 25-member committee considering the expansion held its first meeting yesterday.
“I expected Boston to be a winner in the convention and meetings industry,’’ Rooney said. “I did not expect it to happen as quickly or as dramatically as it has.’’
The rise in the number of conventions and trade shows in Boston is partly due to the fact that the convention center opened in 2004 and most conventions book five to 15 years in advance, said Michael Hughes, vice president of research and consulting at Tradeshow Week, so bookings are bound to increase in the beginning.
The convention business is also cyclical, with a lot of competition for the same events. “There are ups and downs,’’ Hughes said, as meetings and trade shows move around to different cities. “There’s no guaranteed perpetual climb upward.’’
Nationally, attendance at conventions dipped by about 7 percent during the first three quarters of last year compared with the same period in 2008, according to Tradeshow Week. But Boston, which attracts a lot of events from medical and life science sectors that have stayed relatively strong during the economic down turn, fared better. After several years of double-digit growth, attendance at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center rose about 1.5 percent during that time, according to the convention authority.
The worst appears to be over. After an 8.3 percent decline in revenue for national conventions and trade shows in 2009, Tradeshow Week is forecasting a 3.3 percent increase this year.
Currently, Boston is the ninth-busiest convention city, and Rooney wants to be in the top five by 2020. The city has some big conventions coming up, including the Risk and Insurance Management Society, which has booked 41,600 room nights in April.
The convention center authority has had inquiries from several major events that can’t be accommodated because of space limitations, Rooney said. For example the BIO International Convention, which is expected to generate 41,200 room nights at its 2012 convention in Boston, can’t rebook here for 2015, he said, because the city doesn’t have room to accommodate the growing show.
The strong numbers in Boston suggest the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center expansion is necessary, Hughes said: “It was built too small - that’s relatively clear.’’
Sam Tyler, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and a member of the expansion committee, said Boston has proven itself to be a successful convention destination, but questions about funding the expanded center remain. “If more state revenue will be demanded,’’ he said, “what does that mean in terms of other services?’’
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Fort Point neighborhod wants a say in convention center expansion
Fort Point wants say in debate over convention center
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, January 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The city’s power brokers met yesterday to discuss the potential expansion of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, but no one thought to include a representative from the adjacent Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
“Considering the positive engagement our community has had in long-term planning with the city, it’s shortsighted to exclude Fort Point residents from representation on the panel,” said Steven Hollinger, a longtime resident. “There hasn’t been a single public meeting in the neighborhood to discuss the plan, and that’s troubling.”
Convention Partnership - a group of 27 individuals including Massport CEO Thomas Kinton; Lisa Signori, Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s finance director; and Gregory Bialecki, the state secretary of housing and economic development - is considering whether to expand the center. If approved, the project would add a second hotel and 600,000 square feet of new exhibit, meeting and auditorium space.
While the group includes some South Boston residents, no one from the Fort Point area was named to the committee.
Don Eyles, a member of the Fort Point arts community, said he can’t understand why someone from the neighborhood was not invited to sit on the panel. “It’s shocking because as we understand it, the expansion will impinge on our neighborhood quite a bit,” he said.
James Rooney, MCCA’s executive director, defended the advisory panel, saying it includes all of the elected officials that represent South Boston, the waterfront and Fort Point Channel neighborhoods.
“We can’t have everybody on a group like this,” he said. “But we respect and understand the fact that we need to communicate with” those neighborhoods.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228763
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, January 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The city’s power brokers met yesterday to discuss the potential expansion of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, but no one thought to include a representative from the adjacent Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
“Considering the positive engagement our community has had in long-term planning with the city, it’s shortsighted to exclude Fort Point residents from representation on the panel,” said Steven Hollinger, a longtime resident. “There hasn’t been a single public meeting in the neighborhood to discuss the plan, and that’s troubling.”
Convention Partnership - a group of 27 individuals including Massport CEO Thomas Kinton; Lisa Signori, Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s finance director; and Gregory Bialecki, the state secretary of housing and economic development - is considering whether to expand the center. If approved, the project would add a second hotel and 600,000 square feet of new exhibit, meeting and auditorium space.
While the group includes some South Boston residents, no one from the Fort Point area was named to the committee.
Don Eyles, a member of the Fort Point arts community, said he can’t understand why someone from the neighborhood was not invited to sit on the panel. “It’s shocking because as we understand it, the expansion will impinge on our neighborhood quite a bit,” he said.
James Rooney, MCCA’s executive director, defended the advisory panel, saying it includes all of the elected officials that represent South Boston, the waterfront and Fort Point Channel neighborhoods.
“We can’t have everybody on a group like this,” he said. “But we respect and understand the fact that we need to communicate with” those neighborhoods.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228763
Billy Joel and Elton John to play Fenway Park
Billy Joel, Elton John to play Fenway this summer
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, January 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Billy Joel and Elton John will rock Fenway Park [map] this summer.
The Piano Man and the Rocket Man’s Face 2 Face tour will stop at the storied ballpark on July 21 with a second show on July 24, a source told the Herald.
Last summer, Elton John and Billy Joel’s concert at Gillette Stadium was the nation’s top-grossing show for the week ending July 29, grossing $6.2 million and beating out Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Beyonce, Coldplay and the Jonas Brothers, according to Billboard.
Sam Kennedy, the Red Sox [team stats]’ chief operating officer, declined to comment and referred calls to concert promoter Live Nation.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228941
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, January 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Billy Joel and Elton John will rock Fenway Park [map] this summer.
The Piano Man and the Rocket Man’s Face 2 Face tour will stop at the storied ballpark on July 21 with a second show on July 24, a source told the Herald.
Last summer, Elton John and Billy Joel’s concert at Gillette Stadium was the nation’s top-grossing show for the week ending July 29, grossing $6.2 million and beating out Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Beyonce, Coldplay and the Jonas Brothers, according to Billboard.
Sam Kennedy, the Red Sox [team stats]’ chief operating officer, declined to comment and referred calls to concert promoter Live Nation.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228941
Downeaster train will now serve Freeport and Brunswick, Maine from Boston
This is a great expansion of service. More people from Maine can spend money in Boston and more people can go from Boston to more places in Maine. Rail expansion is always a good thing. - Adam
Stimulus funds to extend rail service to Brunswick, Maine
January 28, 2010 12:03 PM
By Alan Wirzbicki, Globe Correspondent
WASHINGTON - In a boost to the Northeast's passenger rail network, Maine today received $35 million from the Obama administration to extend Amtrak's popular Downeaster service 30 miles north from Portland.
The grant will provide service from Boston's North Station to Freeport and Brunswick.
"We're thrilled," said Patricia Quinn, the executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority that operates the service. "It's a great thing for tourism to be able to take a train to the doorstop of LL Bean without having to add any cars and congestion."
There are currently five trains between North Station and Portland, and Quinn said two of them would contine on to Brunswick. The project will create about 200 jobs, Quinn said.
A second Maine application to raise train speeds on the existing line between Portland and Boston, however, was rejected.
The grants are part of $8 billion in high-speed rail funds that were released by the Obama administration today from the economic stimulus package.
The other main New England beneficiary of today's announcements is a route linking New Haven to Western Massachusetts and Vermont. The three states received a total of $160 million for the project, which will restore passenger service to Northampton, Holyoke, and Greenfield.
Massachusetts officials did receive some disappointing news, however. A proposal to use the high-speed rail to fund the long-desired South Coast rail project to New Bedford and Fall River did not make the cut.
Nationally, the majority of the funds are going to Florida, the Midwest, and California. The Golden State alone received $2.35 billion -- more than a quarter of the overall amount distributed today.
Stimulus funds to extend rail service to Brunswick, Maine
January 28, 2010 12:03 PM
By Alan Wirzbicki, Globe Correspondent
WASHINGTON - In a boost to the Northeast's passenger rail network, Maine today received $35 million from the Obama administration to extend Amtrak's popular Downeaster service 30 miles north from Portland.
The grant will provide service from Boston's North Station to Freeport and Brunswick.
"We're thrilled," said Patricia Quinn, the executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority that operates the service. "It's a great thing for tourism to be able to take a train to the doorstop of LL Bean without having to add any cars and congestion."
There are currently five trains between North Station and Portland, and Quinn said two of them would contine on to Brunswick. The project will create about 200 jobs, Quinn said.
A second Maine application to raise train speeds on the existing line between Portland and Boston, however, was rejected.
The grants are part of $8 billion in high-speed rail funds that were released by the Obama administration today from the economic stimulus package.
The other main New England beneficiary of today's announcements is a route linking New Haven to Western Massachusetts and Vermont. The three states received a total of $160 million for the project, which will restore passenger service to Northampton, Holyoke, and Greenfield.
Massachusetts officials did receive some disappointing news, however. A proposal to use the high-speed rail to fund the long-desired South Coast rail project to New Bedford and Fall River did not make the cut.
Nationally, the majority of the funds are going to Florida, the Midwest, and California. The Golden State alone received $2.35 billion -- more than a quarter of the overall amount distributed today.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Firefly restaurant is now Six Burner
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Firefly in the Back Bay Has Been Replaced by Six Burner
A casual American bistro in the Back Bay of Boston that had been around for the better part of ten years has become a new restaurant that also features traditional American food. According to the restaurant's website, Firefly an American Bistro on Dartmouth Street (across from Back Bay Station) has become Six Burner, a restaurant and bar that features lunch, dinner, and a Sunday brunch.
The lunch and dinner menu at Six Burner includes comfort food items such as chicken pot pie spring rolls, chili nachos, omelettes, Kobe beef hot dogs, black bean burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, lobster macaroni and cheese, pot roast, and meat loaf. Prices for meals are mostly around or below $10.
The address for this new restaurant and bar in the Back Bay of Boston is: Six Burner, 130 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The phone number is (617) 262-4393. And the website is at: http://www.sixburnerboston.com/
Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this new restaurant to our attention.
http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/
Firefly in the Back Bay Has Been Replaced by Six Burner
A casual American bistro in the Back Bay of Boston that had been around for the better part of ten years has become a new restaurant that also features traditional American food. According to the restaurant's website, Firefly an American Bistro on Dartmouth Street (across from Back Bay Station) has become Six Burner, a restaurant and bar that features lunch, dinner, and a Sunday brunch.
The lunch and dinner menu at Six Burner includes comfort food items such as chicken pot pie spring rolls, chili nachos, omelettes, Kobe beef hot dogs, black bean burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, lobster macaroni and cheese, pot roast, and meat loaf. Prices for meals are mostly around or below $10.
The address for this new restaurant and bar in the Back Bay of Boston is: Six Burner, 130 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The phone number is (617) 262-4393. And the website is at: http://www.sixburnerboston.com/
Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this new restaurant to our attention.
http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/
Brookline chinese restaurant to close after 30 years
Brookline
Chef Chang's House restaurant closing in Brookline
Posted January 27, 2010 07:00 AM
By Brock Parker, Globe Correspondent
After almost 30 years of serving up their homemade Szechuan sauce in Brookline, Chef Chang's House on Beacon Street is preparing to close its doors.
The Chinese restaurant at 1006 Beacon St., near the St. Mary's Street MBTA stop, has been sold to Sichuan Food Services, Inc., which will remodel and re-open the location as Sichuan Gourmet.
Chef Chang's House could close as soon as Sunday, but an exact closing date has not been set, said Su-Mei Chan, who opened the restaurant in December of 1980 with her husband Tony Chan and Su-Mei's father Kek Chang, who lent his name to the business.
"Of course I'm very sad," Su-Mei said Tuesday. "This is my home."
But a down economy combined with personal reasons to convince the Brookline family to sell, Su-Mei said.
Some of characteristics that contributed to the restaurant's success for almost three decades also factored in the decision to close.
Su-Mei said much of the restaurant's staying power came from careful quality control and consistency in preparing its Szechuan cuisine.
"If you come today or 20 years ago, it's the same recipe," Su-Mei said.
But today, Su-Mei said many restaurant goers seem to want more surprises on the menu.
"The young people today, they like new things, and we are old fashioned," she said.
Sichuan Gourmet and its owner Zhong Li also have locations in Framingham and Billerica and are planning a $100,000 renovation for the Beacon Street location.
Su-Mei said she will miss the longtime customers at Chef Chang's House, but her family has no plans at the moment to open a new restaurant.
brock.globe@gmail.com
Chef Chang's House restaurant closing in Brookline
Posted January 27, 2010 07:00 AM
By Brock Parker, Globe Correspondent
After almost 30 years of serving up their homemade Szechuan sauce in Brookline, Chef Chang's House on Beacon Street is preparing to close its doors.
The Chinese restaurant at 1006 Beacon St., near the St. Mary's Street MBTA stop, has been sold to Sichuan Food Services, Inc., which will remodel and re-open the location as Sichuan Gourmet.
Chef Chang's House could close as soon as Sunday, but an exact closing date has not been set, said Su-Mei Chan, who opened the restaurant in December of 1980 with her husband Tony Chan and Su-Mei's father Kek Chang, who lent his name to the business.
"Of course I'm very sad," Su-Mei said Tuesday. "This is my home."
But a down economy combined with personal reasons to convince the Brookline family to sell, Su-Mei said.
Some of characteristics that contributed to the restaurant's success for almost three decades also factored in the decision to close.
Su-Mei said much of the restaurant's staying power came from careful quality control and consistency in preparing its Szechuan cuisine.
"If you come today or 20 years ago, it's the same recipe," Su-Mei said.
But today, Su-Mei said many restaurant goers seem to want more surprises on the menu.
"The young people today, they like new things, and we are old fashioned," she said.
Sichuan Gourmet and its owner Zhong Li also have locations in Framingham and Billerica and are planning a $100,000 renovation for the Beacon Street location.
Su-Mei said she will miss the longtime customers at Chef Chang's House, but her family has no plans at the moment to open a new restaurant.
brock.globe@gmail.com
New England Aquarium to open Quincy shelter facility
Aquarium plans $3M shelter in Quincy
By Thomas Grillo | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The New England Aquarium has a new home at the Quincy Shipyard for its rescued marine animals.
Aquarium officials have rented a 23,000-square-foot brick building that will serve as an off-site holding facility for saved animals and headquarters for the Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Team. The first phase of the $3 million project is expected to open by late summer.
“The facility will be a behind-the-scenes space that is critical to the Aquarium,” said Anthony LaCasse, a New England Aquarium spokesman.
The two-story airplane hangar-like facility will house a dozen pools and tanks that will primarily hold stranded sea turtles that come ashore on Cape Cod.
The endangered sea turtles come to Buzzards Bay to feed on crabs, but while migrating south in September, they’re likely grabbed by the current and dumped into Cape Cod Bay, LaCasse said.
The biggest tank, measuring 30 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep, will hold nearly 32,000 gallons of water. The New England Aquarium’s new space is part of a 26-acre parcel of the shipyard that is owned by construction company owner Jay Cashman.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228530
By Thomas Grillo | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The New England Aquarium has a new home at the Quincy Shipyard for its rescued marine animals.
Aquarium officials have rented a 23,000-square-foot brick building that will serve as an off-site holding facility for saved animals and headquarters for the Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Team. The first phase of the $3 million project is expected to open by late summer.
“The facility will be a behind-the-scenes space that is critical to the Aquarium,” said Anthony LaCasse, a New England Aquarium spokesman.
The two-story airplane hangar-like facility will house a dozen pools and tanks that will primarily hold stranded sea turtles that come ashore on Cape Cod.
The endangered sea turtles come to Buzzards Bay to feed on crabs, but while migrating south in September, they’re likely grabbed by the current and dumped into Cape Cod Bay, LaCasse said.
The biggest tank, measuring 30 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep, will hold nearly 32,000 gallons of water. The New England Aquarium’s new space is part of a 26-acre parcel of the shipyard that is owned by construction company owner Jay Cashman.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228530
Intercontinental Hotel garage could be sold
Pricey parking lot
Bank sues as garage defaults on loan
By Donna Goodison | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The developer of the InterContinental Boston Hotel could see the garage sold out from underneath its waterfront property.
Bank of America went to court Monday to put Extell Development Corp.’s three-level, underground garage at 500 Atlantic Ave. into receivership and sell it after the New York real estate firm defaulted on a $17 million loan.
Extell had pledged the garage as collateral when it landed the loan in 2006. But it fell behind on payments in August, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Boston.
Extell President Gary Barnett said the garage is performing well, but doesn’t generate enough income to cover the loan payments. The facility is used by hotel guests and event attendees, condo owners of the Residences at the InterContinental and others for daily and monthly parking.
“The loan has a very high debt service with a complicated structure,” Barnett said. “The interest was set too high. Nothing’s guaranteed, but we’re in discussions with (lenders), and we hope to work it out.”
Bank of America’s lawsuit also claims that Extell, which leases the garage to an outside management company, has failed to maintain the property, causing a drop in its value.
Barnett denied the allegation, saying, “People put in anything in litigation. They throw in the kitchen sink.”
Bank of America’s Boston attorney declined comment.
The $315 million InterContinental Boston Hotel and Residences opened in 2006. The lawsuit does not involve the 426-room hotel, according to Barnett.
“The hotel loan is a separate loan entirely from this one,” he said. “It is up to date, and it will stay up to date.”
InterContinental Hotels Group has a 99-year lease for the hotel, according to general manager Timothy Kirwan.
“We’re here for the long haul,” Kirwan said. “It could impact us operationally, but we would deal with that later.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228520
Bank sues as garage defaults on loan
By Donna Goodison | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The developer of the InterContinental Boston Hotel could see the garage sold out from underneath its waterfront property.
Bank of America went to court Monday to put Extell Development Corp.’s three-level, underground garage at 500 Atlantic Ave. into receivership and sell it after the New York real estate firm defaulted on a $17 million loan.
Extell had pledged the garage as collateral when it landed the loan in 2006. But it fell behind on payments in August, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Boston.
Extell President Gary Barnett said the garage is performing well, but doesn’t generate enough income to cover the loan payments. The facility is used by hotel guests and event attendees, condo owners of the Residences at the InterContinental and others for daily and monthly parking.
“The loan has a very high debt service with a complicated structure,” Barnett said. “The interest was set too high. Nothing’s guaranteed, but we’re in discussions with (lenders), and we hope to work it out.”
Bank of America’s lawsuit also claims that Extell, which leases the garage to an outside management company, has failed to maintain the property, causing a drop in its value.
Barnett denied the allegation, saying, “People put in anything in litigation. They throw in the kitchen sink.”
Bank of America’s Boston attorney declined comment.
The $315 million InterContinental Boston Hotel and Residences opened in 2006. The lawsuit does not involve the 426-room hotel, according to Barnett.
“The hotel loan is a separate loan entirely from this one,” he said. “It is up to date, and it will stay up to date.”
InterContinental Hotels Group has a 99-year lease for the hotel, according to general manager Timothy Kirwan.
“We’re here for the long haul,” Kirwan said. “It could impact us operationally, but we would deal with that later.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1228520
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Aquitaine cited by Boston Licensing Board
Universal Hub
South End restaurant cited and chided for piling chairs in front of an emergency exit
By adamg - 1/26/10 - 4:57 pm
Aquitane, 569 Tremont St., received a citation from police on Oct. 29 because workers cleaning up after a party piled eight chairs in front of a rear exit. Boston Licensing Board members today told the restaurant not to let it happen again.
Board member Michael Connolly noted Boston did not have a single fire-related death in 2009 and he would do everything he can to keep that record going in the new year: "When we hear you have blocked egress and you have eight dinner-table chairs blocking egress, that's a real issue for us. ... This is not something we look at lightly."
A restaurant manager told the board workers should have brought the chairs to the basement immediately and that they were told not to do it again. The board will decide at a meeting Thursday what to do about the violation. The board could simply "file" the citation, which essentially means nothing happens or put the restaurant on probation for several months.
The reason police even noticed the violation was because a restaurant valet ignored a police order to move a double-parked car that was blocking traffic on Tremont Street that night. Sgt. Robert Mulvey told the board he initially told the valet to move the car around 6:30 p.m. When he returned around 9 p.m., the car was still there. He said he issued a citation for that, then went inside to conduct a "premises inspection," which is when he found the piled-up chairs.
A restaurant lawyer told the board the valet, actually employed by Universal Valet, was fired that night for the infraction.
Universal also provides valet services at Cafeteria on Newbury Street, which also had to explain to the board why a car was double-parked in its valet area on Nov. 5. In that case, restaurant officials said they had actually shut down valet service that night because they'd run out of off-street parking, but that some guy then just pulled up and left his car double-parked while he went inside.
Board Chairman Daniel Pokaski said maybe it's time for restaurants that have "Valet Parking" signs to buy "No Valet Parking" signs for times like that.
South End restaurant cited and chided for piling chairs in front of an emergency exit
By adamg - 1/26/10 - 4:57 pm
Aquitane, 569 Tremont St., received a citation from police on Oct. 29 because workers cleaning up after a party piled eight chairs in front of a rear exit. Boston Licensing Board members today told the restaurant not to let it happen again.
Board member Michael Connolly noted Boston did not have a single fire-related death in 2009 and he would do everything he can to keep that record going in the new year: "When we hear you have blocked egress and you have eight dinner-table chairs blocking egress, that's a real issue for us. ... This is not something we look at lightly."
A restaurant manager told the board workers should have brought the chairs to the basement immediately and that they were told not to do it again. The board will decide at a meeting Thursday what to do about the violation. The board could simply "file" the citation, which essentially means nothing happens or put the restaurant on probation for several months.
The reason police even noticed the violation was because a restaurant valet ignored a police order to move a double-parked car that was blocking traffic on Tremont Street that night. Sgt. Robert Mulvey told the board he initially told the valet to move the car around 6:30 p.m. When he returned around 9 p.m., the car was still there. He said he issued a citation for that, then went inside to conduct a "premises inspection," which is when he found the piled-up chairs.
A restaurant lawyer told the board the valet, actually employed by Universal Valet, was fired that night for the infraction.
Universal also provides valet services at Cafeteria on Newbury Street, which also had to explain to the board why a car was double-parked in its valet area on Nov. 5. In that case, restaurant officials said they had actually shut down valet service that night because they'd run out of off-street parking, but that some guy then just pulled up and left his car double-parked while he went inside.
Board Chairman Daniel Pokaski said maybe it's time for restaurants that have "Valet Parking" signs to buy "No Valet Parking" signs for times like that.
Harbor Garage deveioper says city trying to block hotel project
City stunts tower plan
Don Chiofaro argues height limits make it a loser
By Thomas Grillo | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
The developer hoping to replace the Boston Harbor Garage with a $1 billion signature skyscraper along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway says the city is making it impossible to build anything, despite the need for more jobs during a down economy.
Under new Greenway guidelines, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which has a chokehold on Hub developers, has limited the project to three possibilities.
Under one scenario, a 16-story office addition could be built atop the existing seven-story garage; a second plan would allow the garage to be replaced with a 20-story office and residential tower; and a third option would permit a pair of towers the same height as the adjacent 40-story Harbor Towers.
But those options won’t fly with developer Don Chiofaro, who has taken his case to the people with a populist, promotional campaign over the summer and butted heads with Mayor Thomas M. Menino over the years.
“We don’t favor a little building on top of the garage, the second alternative doesn’t make any sense and the third option is not feasible,” Chiofaro said yesterday.
None of the BRA’s proposals meets the height and density requirements to make the project profitable, he said.
The Chiofaro Co., which runs International Place diagonally across the Greenway from the garage, filed plans with the city for a 1.5-million-square-foot waterfront development that would include a 40-story office tower and a 59-story condominium and hotel skyscraper. The development would also feature 70,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 1,400 underground parking spaces.
The new Greenway guidelines under consideration would make such a project impossible.
BRA Director John Palmieri declined to comment yesterday.
While the project has faced criticism from Menino, some neighbors and state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, Chiofaro insists the plan to replace the garage has broad public support.
Vivien Li, executive director of the Boston Harbor Association, a nonprofit group whose mission is to make the harbor more accessible, said the Greenway guidelines are a good start.
“The recommendations reflect the concerns of the abutters and the neighborhood, but the recommendations need more detail,” she said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1228259
Don Chiofaro argues height limits make it a loser
By Thomas Grillo | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
The developer hoping to replace the Boston Harbor Garage with a $1 billion signature skyscraper along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway says the city is making it impossible to build anything, despite the need for more jobs during a down economy.
Under new Greenway guidelines, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which has a chokehold on Hub developers, has limited the project to three possibilities.
Under one scenario, a 16-story office addition could be built atop the existing seven-story garage; a second plan would allow the garage to be replaced with a 20-story office and residential tower; and a third option would permit a pair of towers the same height as the adjacent 40-story Harbor Towers.
But those options won’t fly with developer Don Chiofaro, who has taken his case to the people with a populist, promotional campaign over the summer and butted heads with Mayor Thomas M. Menino over the years.
“We don’t favor a little building on top of the garage, the second alternative doesn’t make any sense and the third option is not feasible,” Chiofaro said yesterday.
None of the BRA’s proposals meets the height and density requirements to make the project profitable, he said.
The Chiofaro Co., which runs International Place diagonally across the Greenway from the garage, filed plans with the city for a 1.5-million-square-foot waterfront development that would include a 40-story office tower and a 59-story condominium and hotel skyscraper. The development would also feature 70,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 1,400 underground parking spaces.
The new Greenway guidelines under consideration would make such a project impossible.
BRA Director John Palmieri declined to comment yesterday.
While the project has faced criticism from Menino, some neighbors and state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, Chiofaro insists the plan to replace the garage has broad public support.
Vivien Li, executive director of the Boston Harbor Association, a nonprofit group whose mission is to make the harbor more accessible, said the Greenway guidelines are a good start.
“The recommendations reflect the concerns of the abutters and the neighborhood, but the recommendations need more detail,” she said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1228259
Ticketmaster, Live Nation merger approved
Feds OK Ticketmaster, Live Nation merger
By Donna Goodison | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Media & Marketing
The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday OK’d the controversial merger of concert promoter Live Nation and Ticketmaster Entertainment, provided the latter divests certain assets to ensure competition in the ticket-selling market.
The anti-trust clearance requires Ticketmaster to sell its Paciolan ticket-selling subsidiary to a Comcast Corp. subsidiary or another acceptable company. It also must license its ticketing software to Anschutz Entertainment Group, the nation’s second-largest concert promoter after Live Nation.
The conditions would allow Comcast-Spectacor and AEG to compete head-to-head with the combined Live Nation and Ticketmaster entity, the DOJ said.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster also agreed to a 10-year provision prohibiting them from retaliating against concert venues that sign ticket-selling contracts with competitors.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster announced the $2.5 billion marriage in February. The companies agreed to the DOJ’s conditions, but the settlement still needs the approval of federal court in Washington, D.C.
Canadian regulators and 17 state attorneys general signed off on the deal.
“Our office became concerned that Live Nation and Ticketmaster would be the only option to get tickets to concerts,” Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a statement. “We are pleased with (the) settlement, which should create a more competitive ticketing market. This increased competition should benefit both concert venues and the consumers who buy tickets to see events at those venues.”
Live Nation owns or operates the Comcast Center in Mansfield and the Bank of America Pavilion and Paradise Rock Club in Boston.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1228257
By Donna Goodison | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Media & Marketing
The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday OK’d the controversial merger of concert promoter Live Nation and Ticketmaster Entertainment, provided the latter divests certain assets to ensure competition in the ticket-selling market.
The anti-trust clearance requires Ticketmaster to sell its Paciolan ticket-selling subsidiary to a Comcast Corp. subsidiary or another acceptable company. It also must license its ticketing software to Anschutz Entertainment Group, the nation’s second-largest concert promoter after Live Nation.
The conditions would allow Comcast-Spectacor and AEG to compete head-to-head with the combined Live Nation and Ticketmaster entity, the DOJ said.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster also agreed to a 10-year provision prohibiting them from retaliating against concert venues that sign ticket-selling contracts with competitors.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster announced the $2.5 billion marriage in February. The companies agreed to the DOJ’s conditions, but the settlement still needs the approval of federal court in Washington, D.C.
Canadian regulators and 17 state attorneys general signed off on the deal.
“Our office became concerned that Live Nation and Ticketmaster would be the only option to get tickets to concerts,” Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a statement. “We are pleased with (the) settlement, which should create a more competitive ticketing market. This increased competition should benefit both concert venues and the consumers who buy tickets to see events at those venues.”
Live Nation owns or operates the Comcast Center in Mansfield and the Bank of America Pavilion and Paradise Rock Club in Boston.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1228257
Monday, January 25, 2010
MSNBC artlicle on outrageous hotel fees
Hotel fees that must die — and how to kill them
Lodging industry faces tough 2010, making it a buyer’s market for Christopher Elliott
updated 10:02 a.m. ET, Tues., Jan. 19, 2010
Christopher Elliott
Travel columnist
Resort fees. Mandatory tips. Concierge surcharges.
If you’ve stayed at a hotel in the last few years, you’ve become accustomed — if not anesthetized — to these annoying extras. You expect them. You’re indifferent to them when they appear on your bill.
You shouldn’t be.
Consider these two facts: 2010 is shaping up to be another “down” year for the hotel industry. PKF Consulting forecasts that hotel occupancy will remain flat compared with 2009 and room rates will slide 1.5 percent. That means it’s a buyer’s market — actually, make that a beggar’s market — with hotels practically giving away their rooms.
At a time like this, no hotel manager in his right mind would add a new surcharge. If anything, they’d remove them to make us happy. “Upsetting guests is not worth it,” says Robert Mandelbaum, a PKF analyst.
All of which raises the following questions: Which hotel fees are still out there that shouldn’t be? Which ones should be euthanized? And how do you go about finishing them off?
Here are five hotel fees that must die.
Resort fees
These add-ons to your room bill started innocently enough. Resort guests complained that they were being nickel-and-dimed by extras for beach towels, umbrellas and the use of exercise facilities, among other things. So the properties rolled them all into a “resort fee” and made those amenities “free.” But along the way, the fee got horribly twisted by greed. First it became mandatory, so you no longer had a choice about using the amenities, or, more specifically, being charged for them. And then larger, urban hotels that didn’t have resort-like amenities, decided to copy it. Before long, resort fees had become an embarrassment to the hotel industry. Guests were being hit with the fees everywhere, causing their room charges to mushroom by $15, $20 or even $30 a night. Unacceptable. It’s time to give resort fees the heave-ho!
How to kill them: No hotel should charge a mandatory resort fee. Ever. If you book a room at a hotel that has one, and it’s clearly disclosed, you have few options. Trying to negotiate your way out of one when you check in is your best bet. However, few resort fees are adequately disclosed. If the hotel refuses to strike the surcharge from your bill, talk to your credit card company. I’ve dealt with several cases in which the fee was refunded directly by a credit card company.
Fees for furniture
The most common flavor of this fee is a surcharge for your safe. (Ironically, the hotel often doesn’t vouch for the safety of the items you store in one.) But that’s not the only item hotels ask you to pay extra for. Corinne McDermott, who runs a Web site about family travel, asked to be put in a room with a refrigerator on a recent visit to Quebec City. The hotel asked for an additional $10-a-day-fee. She said “no.” “We made room in the minibar and managed to fit our daughter's milk and other snacks inside,” she says. “And we paid extra attention to the check-out receipt, to make sure there were no additional charges.” Billing a guest for furniture that’s already in the room is unconscionable. What’s next, a fee for your bed?
How to kill them: Always ask if there’s an additional fee when you make a special request, like a room with a refrigerator or any other amenity, such as a coffeemaker. (Don’t laugh — I’ve come across hotel guests who were charged extra for their coffeemakers.) If the answer is yes, you can always decline. If you find yourself staring down one of these surcharges at check-out, you should protest — first to the front-desk employee, then to a manager, and finally to your credit-card company.
Concierge, bellhop and housecleaning fees
Believe it or not, some hotels tack on a fee for their bellhops and concierges — two optional services that guests usually pay for with tips. At one hotel, motivational speaker Barry Maher was hit with a mandatory fee for bellhop service. “Never mind the fact that I rolled my own rollerbag to the room and never even saw a bellman,” he says. He also found a fee for housecleaning on his final bill. “Mentioning that I write and speak on customer service got the first fee removed,” he recalls. “But I think I just shrugged and shook my head over the housekeeping fee.” A lot of other hotel guests, do too. What if you don’t pay a fee for cleaning the room? Will they refuse to service your room? Come on.
How to kill them: Common sense is your most effective weapon against these unreasonable fees. Not only are they often improperly disclosed, but they also fly in the face of reason. The cost of your room should include housekeeping. Use of a concierge or bellhop should be optional, not mandatory. Explain to a manager that if they ever want your business again, the fees must be removed. Immediately.
Way-out-there fees
Never underestimate a hotel revenue manager’s creativity. Seriously, these employees sit around all day wondering how to make more money from us. George Webb, a blogger who has been traveling the world, recently encountered an “air conditioning fee” at an airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “You paid for it by the hour,” he remembers. “Plus, there was even a service charge and taxes on that fee, in addition to another service charge and tax on the price of the room.” Fees like this shouldn’t exist, and the only reason they do is that guests put up with them. Look, do you really think visitors will tolerate an un-air conditioned room at an airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur? Neither do I. These fees must die.
How to kill them: Logic. Some of these fees are so laughable that you just have to ask about them in order to have them removed.
Fees that ought to be illegal
Leslie Dykeman stayed at a Comfort Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz., and an Econo Lodge in Tempe, Ariz., recently. Both charged a $3 per day “energy fee.” “Mind you, I am from the northeast,” Dykeman added, “and in Scottsdale, I didn’t turn on the air conditioner once.” Some chain hotels were sued several years ago for adding energy fees to their bills, and backed down. But smaller, franchise properties still do it and get away with it. Surcharges like this ought to be illegal, and in some states they practically are. Adding $3 for electricity is outrageous. If these fees are allowed to stand, it can’t be long before we’re charged for pillows, blankets and toilet paper. Enough already.
How to kill them: Like many other nuisance fees, these kinds of surcharges are poorly disclosed. (And for good reason. They work better when they’re sprung on guests.) Given the surprise nature of these bizarre charges, negotiating them off your bill shouldn’t be too difficult.
Point is, at a time like this, you shouldn’t have to put up with any of these fees. A property charging mandatory resort fees, valet fees, safe fees or energy fees doesn’t just hate its customers — it probably also has a death wish.
Lodging industry faces tough 2010, making it a buyer’s market for Christopher Elliott
updated 10:02 a.m. ET, Tues., Jan. 19, 2010
Christopher Elliott
Travel columnist
Resort fees. Mandatory tips. Concierge surcharges.
If you’ve stayed at a hotel in the last few years, you’ve become accustomed — if not anesthetized — to these annoying extras. You expect them. You’re indifferent to them when they appear on your bill.
You shouldn’t be.
Consider these two facts: 2010 is shaping up to be another “down” year for the hotel industry. PKF Consulting forecasts that hotel occupancy will remain flat compared with 2009 and room rates will slide 1.5 percent. That means it’s a buyer’s market — actually, make that a beggar’s market — with hotels practically giving away their rooms.
At a time like this, no hotel manager in his right mind would add a new surcharge. If anything, they’d remove them to make us happy. “Upsetting guests is not worth it,” says Robert Mandelbaum, a PKF analyst.
All of which raises the following questions: Which hotel fees are still out there that shouldn’t be? Which ones should be euthanized? And how do you go about finishing them off?
Here are five hotel fees that must die.
Resort fees
These add-ons to your room bill started innocently enough. Resort guests complained that they were being nickel-and-dimed by extras for beach towels, umbrellas and the use of exercise facilities, among other things. So the properties rolled them all into a “resort fee” and made those amenities “free.” But along the way, the fee got horribly twisted by greed. First it became mandatory, so you no longer had a choice about using the amenities, or, more specifically, being charged for them. And then larger, urban hotels that didn’t have resort-like amenities, decided to copy it. Before long, resort fees had become an embarrassment to the hotel industry. Guests were being hit with the fees everywhere, causing their room charges to mushroom by $15, $20 or even $30 a night. Unacceptable. It’s time to give resort fees the heave-ho!
How to kill them: No hotel should charge a mandatory resort fee. Ever. If you book a room at a hotel that has one, and it’s clearly disclosed, you have few options. Trying to negotiate your way out of one when you check in is your best bet. However, few resort fees are adequately disclosed. If the hotel refuses to strike the surcharge from your bill, talk to your credit card company. I’ve dealt with several cases in which the fee was refunded directly by a credit card company.
Fees for furniture
The most common flavor of this fee is a surcharge for your safe. (Ironically, the hotel often doesn’t vouch for the safety of the items you store in one.) But that’s not the only item hotels ask you to pay extra for. Corinne McDermott, who runs a Web site about family travel, asked to be put in a room with a refrigerator on a recent visit to Quebec City. The hotel asked for an additional $10-a-day-fee. She said “no.” “We made room in the minibar and managed to fit our daughter's milk and other snacks inside,” she says. “And we paid extra attention to the check-out receipt, to make sure there were no additional charges.” Billing a guest for furniture that’s already in the room is unconscionable. What’s next, a fee for your bed?
How to kill them: Always ask if there’s an additional fee when you make a special request, like a room with a refrigerator or any other amenity, such as a coffeemaker. (Don’t laugh — I’ve come across hotel guests who were charged extra for their coffeemakers.) If the answer is yes, you can always decline. If you find yourself staring down one of these surcharges at check-out, you should protest — first to the front-desk employee, then to a manager, and finally to your credit-card company.
Concierge, bellhop and housecleaning fees
Believe it or not, some hotels tack on a fee for their bellhops and concierges — two optional services that guests usually pay for with tips. At one hotel, motivational speaker Barry Maher was hit with a mandatory fee for bellhop service. “Never mind the fact that I rolled my own rollerbag to the room and never even saw a bellman,” he says. He also found a fee for housecleaning on his final bill. “Mentioning that I write and speak on customer service got the first fee removed,” he recalls. “But I think I just shrugged and shook my head over the housekeeping fee.” A lot of other hotel guests, do too. What if you don’t pay a fee for cleaning the room? Will they refuse to service your room? Come on.
How to kill them: Common sense is your most effective weapon against these unreasonable fees. Not only are they often improperly disclosed, but they also fly in the face of reason. The cost of your room should include housekeeping. Use of a concierge or bellhop should be optional, not mandatory. Explain to a manager that if they ever want your business again, the fees must be removed. Immediately.
Way-out-there fees
Never underestimate a hotel revenue manager’s creativity. Seriously, these employees sit around all day wondering how to make more money from us. George Webb, a blogger who has been traveling the world, recently encountered an “air conditioning fee” at an airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “You paid for it by the hour,” he remembers. “Plus, there was even a service charge and taxes on that fee, in addition to another service charge and tax on the price of the room.” Fees like this shouldn’t exist, and the only reason they do is that guests put up with them. Look, do you really think visitors will tolerate an un-air conditioned room at an airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur? Neither do I. These fees must die.
How to kill them: Logic. Some of these fees are so laughable that you just have to ask about them in order to have them removed.
Fees that ought to be illegal
Leslie Dykeman stayed at a Comfort Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz., and an Econo Lodge in Tempe, Ariz., recently. Both charged a $3 per day “energy fee.” “Mind you, I am from the northeast,” Dykeman added, “and in Scottsdale, I didn’t turn on the air conditioner once.” Some chain hotels were sued several years ago for adding energy fees to their bills, and backed down. But smaller, franchise properties still do it and get away with it. Surcharges like this ought to be illegal, and in some states they practically are. Adding $3 for electricity is outrageous. If these fees are allowed to stand, it can’t be long before we’re charged for pillows, blankets and toilet paper. Enough already.
How to kill them: Like many other nuisance fees, these kinds of surcharges are poorly disclosed. (And for good reason. They work better when they’re sprung on guests.) Given the surprise nature of these bizarre charges, negotiating them off your bill shouldn’t be too difficult.
Point is, at a time like this, you shouldn’t have to put up with any of these fees. A property charging mandatory resort fees, valet fees, safe fees or energy fees doesn’t just hate its customers — it probably also has a death wish.
British Airways anticipates possible strike by flight attendants
This could affect the passengers on the two daily flights into and two daily flights out of Boston next month. Adam
British Airways prepares for strike
By Bloomberg News | January 25, 2010
LONDON - British Airways Plc has begun training pilots, baggage handlers, and engineers to take over the duties of flight attendants as its 12,000 cabin crew votes on a walkout over staffing reductions.
British Airways has registered volunteers for a three-week course in serving meals, selling duty-free goods, and taking charge of passenger safety for the duration of a strike that could cost $32 million a day in lost sales.
“This should allow them to operate some flights, but whether they can maintain anything like a full service is another matter,’’ said Douglas McNeill, an analyst at Astaire Securities in London with a “buy’’ rating on British Airways stock. “The question is not how many interim staff they can attract, but how many experienced staff there’ll be to lead them.’’
The strike ballot, organized by the Unite union, runs until Feb. 25 and a walkout can begin one week after a “yes’’ vote. The Balpa pilot union says it won’t seek to stop members from being used as cabin crew after being “stunned’’ by an attempt to halt flying for 12 days in December.
Formal negotiations between Unite and British Airways ended in stalemate on Jan. 15.
Unite is seeking a strike mandate over working practices introduced in November that cut at least one flight attendant on long-haul flights from London’s Heathrow Airport. The carrier needs to cut costs after posting a record loss in the six months to Sept. 30.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
British Airways prepares for strike
By Bloomberg News | January 25, 2010
LONDON - British Airways Plc has begun training pilots, baggage handlers, and engineers to take over the duties of flight attendants as its 12,000 cabin crew votes on a walkout over staffing reductions.
British Airways has registered volunteers for a three-week course in serving meals, selling duty-free goods, and taking charge of passenger safety for the duration of a strike that could cost $32 million a day in lost sales.
“This should allow them to operate some flights, but whether they can maintain anything like a full service is another matter,’’ said Douglas McNeill, an analyst at Astaire Securities in London with a “buy’’ rating on British Airways stock. “The question is not how many interim staff they can attract, but how many experienced staff there’ll be to lead them.’’
The strike ballot, organized by the Unite union, runs until Feb. 25 and a walkout can begin one week after a “yes’’ vote. The Balpa pilot union says it won’t seek to stop members from being used as cabin crew after being “stunned’’ by an attempt to halt flying for 12 days in December.
Formal negotiations between Unite and British Airways ended in stalemate on Jan. 15.
Unite is seeking a strike mandate over working practices introduced in November that cut at least one flight attendant on long-haul flights from London’s Heathrow Airport. The carrier needs to cut costs after posting a record loss in the six months to Sept. 30.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Friday, January 22, 2010
Logan passenger numbers down, but on the rise
AROUND THE REGION
Logan traffic ends year on mixed note
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | January 22, 2010
More passengers flew in and out of Boston in December than they did during the same period a year ago, the sixth straight month of year-over-year traffic increases at Logan International Airport. Airport officials attribute the rising passenger volume to the four airlines that began service at Logan last year.
Logan finished 2009 below its 2008 passenger volume, with 2.3 percent fewer people flying, but the decline is less than the 7 percent drop Logan officials had predicted. Southwest, Sun Country, Virgin America, and Porter airlines all began flying out of Logan last year.
“I don’t think there are many airports in the country that can say they’ve had these kind of results,’’ said Edward Freni, director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs the airport.
Indeed, the news has not been as good elsewhere. About 3 percent fewer passengers traveled on US airlines in December compared with the same period a year before, according to the Air Transport Association, and passenger revenue fell 4 percent, the 14th consecutive month of declining year-over-year revenues. For 2009, nationwide passenger volume dropped 6 percent and revenue plunged 18 percent from 2008, the largest decline in revenue on record.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Logan traffic ends year on mixed note
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | January 22, 2010
More passengers flew in and out of Boston in December than they did during the same period a year ago, the sixth straight month of year-over-year traffic increases at Logan International Airport. Airport officials attribute the rising passenger volume to the four airlines that began service at Logan last year.
Logan finished 2009 below its 2008 passenger volume, with 2.3 percent fewer people flying, but the decline is less than the 7 percent drop Logan officials had predicted. Southwest, Sun Country, Virgin America, and Porter airlines all began flying out of Logan last year.
“I don’t think there are many airports in the country that can say they’ve had these kind of results,’’ said Edward Freni, director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs the airport.
Indeed, the news has not been as good elsewhere. About 3 percent fewer passengers traveled on US airlines in December compared with the same period a year before, according to the Air Transport Association, and passenger revenue fell 4 percent, the 14th consecutive month of declining year-over-year revenues. For 2009, nationwide passenger volume dropped 6 percent and revenue plunged 18 percent from 2008, the largest decline in revenue on record.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
New ART shows bring in large new audiences
The patrons plunge in
Interactive ART shows drawing droves
By Geoff Edgers, Globe Staff | January 22, 2010
It was freezing, but a topless, pasties-wearing Tytania couldn’t be stopped. She stormed onto Massachusetts Avenue, providing a preview for 250 people waiting to get into the American Repertory Theater’s smash production of “The Donkey Show.’’ A tow-truck driver passing the ART’s Oberon club near Harvard Square slowed down and shouted out the window when he spotted the actress in character: “Oh, my God.’’
At the same time, at an old school in Brookline, another ART production was underway. For “Sleep No More,’’ dozens of theatergoers, all wearing masks, followed 18 actors as they glided through eerie darkened rooms. These patrons knew they were lucky. The sold-out “Sleep No More’’ is the hottest theater ticket in town.
After struggling in recent years, the ART has created a splash on the cultural scene this season. Under new artistic director Diane Paulus, the company’s first two productions - both immersive, interactive, unconventional takes on Shakespeare - are selling out and attracting many who rarely go to the theater.
Since the shows opened, hundreds of ticket-buyers have returned to them again and again, sometimes as many as two dozen times. You might see this kind of thing at “Shear Madness’’ or “Blue Man Group,’’ but for local theater companies, such a phenomenon may be unprecedented.
“I loved ‘The Donkey Show,’ ’’ said Rachel Prather, 20, a Boston Conservatory student who had never seen an ART production before. “I expected to sit down and watch a show, and I didn’t expect to actually be a part of it.’’
But Prather jumped onto a platform for a preperformance dance at “The Donkey Show,’’ a musical take on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’ set in a Studio 54-style disco, complete with mirror ball, strobe lights, a string of ’70s hits (“Last Dance,’’ “Car Wash’’), and a throng of bare-chested, glitter-covered male go-go dancers. In this version, Tytania is a disco queen, and the party starts the moment the doors open, as the room fills with shimmying, Corona-guzzling patrons.
Sandwiched between a pair of polyester-suited, afro-wearing cast members, Prather had such a good time that she planned to round up friends to head back on another night.
That is what Melissa Freedman, 25, had done. She came to Oberon with eight friends. Why was she back for the third time?
“The half-naked men,’’ she said, laughing. “Because it’s interactive. The music rocks. You get to dance on the dance floor. The glitter.’’
“The Donkey Show’’ has been a commercial smash, with 24,442 people attending as of mid-January. The show has been extended through the summer, with 102 performances added to the originally scheduled 87.
Meanwhile, at a temporary ART venue in Brookline, “Sleep No More,’’ produced by the British company Punchdrunk, has inspired its own passionate following.
The production, an interactive installation filling four floors of the Old Lincoln School, is a kind of macabre, Hitchcock-influenced haunted-house version of “Macbeth.’’ Audience members wander through the rooms on their own, encountering mysterious actions in dozens of strange and sinister settings, catching glimpses of an ever-moving slate of characters.
In a foggy ballroom with big band music blasting, couples dance as a pregnant woman collapses. In a hospital, an eel swims in an old bathtub before a stern-faced woman arrives to gyrate over another tub, this one holding red-stained water. There’s an orgy, a Last Supper, and one-on-one encounters for a few lucky audience members.
It’s impossible to take in everything in one night. Maybe that’s why the production, extended through Feb. 7, has seen more than 800 of its 27,846 attendees return for more - some coming three, four, even 10 times.
With the show sold out, the desperate gathered near the box office on a recent night with hot chocolate and winter coats, hoping somebody would take mercy.
“We’re going to break in if we can’t get in,’’ joked Chris Smyth, who had been there before and was one of a group on standby. The obsessed go on a “Sleep No More’’ Facebook page to share their experiences, theorize on plot twists, and even compile playlists of songs broadcast throughout the school.
Ryan Evans, 41, has been an ART subscriber for eight years. But he has never attended a production more than once. He’s been to “Sleep No More’’ five times and plans on going back at least once more.
“It’s really a mystery, a puzzle you need to pick apart,’’ said Evans. “I’ve liked other productions in the past, but I didn’t feel like I needed to go back and grab every friend I know and tell them, ‘You need to go see this.’ I have this time. I’ve brought three or four friends every time I’ve gone.’’
Neither show is without detractors. “Intellectually barren’’ is how one commenter on the ART’s website described “The Donkey Show.’’ “Dreadfully dismal,’’ wrote another patron. As for “Sleep No More,’’ one person wrote, “It was way too crowded, everyone chasing the actors in mass groups. The masks were uncomfortable. . . . The dancing and sets were groovy, but we were weary trying to find the action.’’
Such interchange - good and bad - is all part of Paulus’s philosophy. She wants to provide a “social community experience that I think hasn’t been part of the cultural scene as vibrantly as it could be in Boston,’’ Paulus said in a recent Globe interview. “You have to make theater an event. You have to have a call to arms for your audience.’’
Paulus, who co-directed “The Donkey Show,’’ also co-wrote and directed the R&B and gospel-tinged musical “Best of Both Worlds’’ - the third show in the ART’s “Shakespeare Exploded’’ festival this season - which sold 70 percent of its tickets before closing Jan. 3 to make way for the next production, “Gatz.’’
Robert Brustein, the ART’s founding director, said Paulus’s approach is a significant departure from that of the previous ART artistic director, Robert Woodruff.
“She’s very, very concerned about what the audience wants and has her hand on that pulse,’’ said Brustein. “Robert Woodruff seemed to have no interest in what the audience wanted. He was just interested in what was on the stage.’’
Still, Brustein said he preferred not to compare “Sleep No More,’’ which he loved and has seen twice,’’ to “The Donkey Show,’’ which he said represents itself as a club experience, not a play. The buzz is good for the ART, but it comes with expectations, he noted.
“The worry is whether people start generalizing from “The Donkey Show’’ and say, ‘Is this all we’re going to get?’ ’’ he said. “If indeed plays are going to take second place to spectacles, I think there might be a worry. But we have to give Diane a chance and look at her own palette. We’ve only seen a few things so far. In fact, “Gatz’’ is nothing but language. I don’t think she’s easy to catalog or characterize.’’
Dan Cronin, a 31-year-old insurance company clerk from Westford, doesn’t care much about criticism of “The Donkey Show.’’ Since September, he has been to the show 26 times. He goes by himself, often sporting a fake afro and a polyester shirt, and he collects the multicolored paper butterflies that drop from the ceiling.
As a teenager, Cronin loathed Shakespeare. In recent weeks, he’s read “Hamlet,’’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’’ and “Macbeth.’’
“You work in a cubicle all day, Friday night comes, and you want to go out and have fun and escape,’’ he said. “As long as they keep putting on that show, I’m there at least once a week.’’
Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com. Don Aucoin of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Interactive ART shows drawing droves
By Geoff Edgers, Globe Staff | January 22, 2010
It was freezing, but a topless, pasties-wearing Tytania couldn’t be stopped. She stormed onto Massachusetts Avenue, providing a preview for 250 people waiting to get into the American Repertory Theater’s smash production of “The Donkey Show.’’ A tow-truck driver passing the ART’s Oberon club near Harvard Square slowed down and shouted out the window when he spotted the actress in character: “Oh, my God.’’
At the same time, at an old school in Brookline, another ART production was underway. For “Sleep No More,’’ dozens of theatergoers, all wearing masks, followed 18 actors as they glided through eerie darkened rooms. These patrons knew they were lucky. The sold-out “Sleep No More’’ is the hottest theater ticket in town.
After struggling in recent years, the ART has created a splash on the cultural scene this season. Under new artistic director Diane Paulus, the company’s first two productions - both immersive, interactive, unconventional takes on Shakespeare - are selling out and attracting many who rarely go to the theater.
Since the shows opened, hundreds of ticket-buyers have returned to them again and again, sometimes as many as two dozen times. You might see this kind of thing at “Shear Madness’’ or “Blue Man Group,’’ but for local theater companies, such a phenomenon may be unprecedented.
“I loved ‘The Donkey Show,’ ’’ said Rachel Prather, 20, a Boston Conservatory student who had never seen an ART production before. “I expected to sit down and watch a show, and I didn’t expect to actually be a part of it.’’
But Prather jumped onto a platform for a preperformance dance at “The Donkey Show,’’ a musical take on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’ set in a Studio 54-style disco, complete with mirror ball, strobe lights, a string of ’70s hits (“Last Dance,’’ “Car Wash’’), and a throng of bare-chested, glitter-covered male go-go dancers. In this version, Tytania is a disco queen, and the party starts the moment the doors open, as the room fills with shimmying, Corona-guzzling patrons.
Sandwiched between a pair of polyester-suited, afro-wearing cast members, Prather had such a good time that she planned to round up friends to head back on another night.
That is what Melissa Freedman, 25, had done. She came to Oberon with eight friends. Why was she back for the third time?
“The half-naked men,’’ she said, laughing. “Because it’s interactive. The music rocks. You get to dance on the dance floor. The glitter.’’
“The Donkey Show’’ has been a commercial smash, with 24,442 people attending as of mid-January. The show has been extended through the summer, with 102 performances added to the originally scheduled 87.
Meanwhile, at a temporary ART venue in Brookline, “Sleep No More,’’ produced by the British company Punchdrunk, has inspired its own passionate following.
The production, an interactive installation filling four floors of the Old Lincoln School, is a kind of macabre, Hitchcock-influenced haunted-house version of “Macbeth.’’ Audience members wander through the rooms on their own, encountering mysterious actions in dozens of strange and sinister settings, catching glimpses of an ever-moving slate of characters.
In a foggy ballroom with big band music blasting, couples dance as a pregnant woman collapses. In a hospital, an eel swims in an old bathtub before a stern-faced woman arrives to gyrate over another tub, this one holding red-stained water. There’s an orgy, a Last Supper, and one-on-one encounters for a few lucky audience members.
It’s impossible to take in everything in one night. Maybe that’s why the production, extended through Feb. 7, has seen more than 800 of its 27,846 attendees return for more - some coming three, four, even 10 times.
With the show sold out, the desperate gathered near the box office on a recent night with hot chocolate and winter coats, hoping somebody would take mercy.
“We’re going to break in if we can’t get in,’’ joked Chris Smyth, who had been there before and was one of a group on standby. The obsessed go on a “Sleep No More’’ Facebook page to share their experiences, theorize on plot twists, and even compile playlists of songs broadcast throughout the school.
Ryan Evans, 41, has been an ART subscriber for eight years. But he has never attended a production more than once. He’s been to “Sleep No More’’ five times and plans on going back at least once more.
“It’s really a mystery, a puzzle you need to pick apart,’’ said Evans. “I’ve liked other productions in the past, but I didn’t feel like I needed to go back and grab every friend I know and tell them, ‘You need to go see this.’ I have this time. I’ve brought three or four friends every time I’ve gone.’’
Neither show is without detractors. “Intellectually barren’’ is how one commenter on the ART’s website described “The Donkey Show.’’ “Dreadfully dismal,’’ wrote another patron. As for “Sleep No More,’’ one person wrote, “It was way too crowded, everyone chasing the actors in mass groups. The masks were uncomfortable. . . . The dancing and sets were groovy, but we were weary trying to find the action.’’
Such interchange - good and bad - is all part of Paulus’s philosophy. She wants to provide a “social community experience that I think hasn’t been part of the cultural scene as vibrantly as it could be in Boston,’’ Paulus said in a recent Globe interview. “You have to make theater an event. You have to have a call to arms for your audience.’’
Paulus, who co-directed “The Donkey Show,’’ also co-wrote and directed the R&B and gospel-tinged musical “Best of Both Worlds’’ - the third show in the ART’s “Shakespeare Exploded’’ festival this season - which sold 70 percent of its tickets before closing Jan. 3 to make way for the next production, “Gatz.’’
Robert Brustein, the ART’s founding director, said Paulus’s approach is a significant departure from that of the previous ART artistic director, Robert Woodruff.
“She’s very, very concerned about what the audience wants and has her hand on that pulse,’’ said Brustein. “Robert Woodruff seemed to have no interest in what the audience wanted. He was just interested in what was on the stage.’’
Still, Brustein said he preferred not to compare “Sleep No More,’’ which he loved and has seen twice,’’ to “The Donkey Show,’’ which he said represents itself as a club experience, not a play. The buzz is good for the ART, but it comes with expectations, he noted.
“The worry is whether people start generalizing from “The Donkey Show’’ and say, ‘Is this all we’re going to get?’ ’’ he said. “If indeed plays are going to take second place to spectacles, I think there might be a worry. But we have to give Diane a chance and look at her own palette. We’ve only seen a few things so far. In fact, “Gatz’’ is nothing but language. I don’t think she’s easy to catalog or characterize.’’
Dan Cronin, a 31-year-old insurance company clerk from Westford, doesn’t care much about criticism of “The Donkey Show.’’ Since September, he has been to the show 26 times. He goes by himself, often sporting a fake afro and a polyester shirt, and he collects the multicolored paper butterflies that drop from the ceiling.
As a teenager, Cronin loathed Shakespeare. In recent weeks, he’s read “Hamlet,’’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’’ and “Macbeth.’’
“You work in a cubicle all day, Friday night comes, and you want to go out and have fun and escape,’’ he said. “As long as they keep putting on that show, I’m there at least once a week.’’
Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com. Don Aucoin of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
New Film Celebrates History of Filene's Basement
Perhaps this film will convince people finally that Boston needs Filene's Basement back in it's original location! Adam
Film celebrates long history of Hub department store
Basement to find its ‘Voice’
By Donna Goodison | Friday, January 22, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
A one-hour documentary about the original Filene’s Basement in Boston’s Downtown Crossing will premiere this spring.
“Voices from the Basement” will debut at a May 10 invite-only benefit at the Omni Parker House featuring actress and Basement fan Estelle Parsons, with public screenings to follow.
More than five years in the making, the film recounts the now-closed Basement’s history and stories of its workers and shoppers - including Parsons, “60 Minutes” newsman Mike Wallace, Congressman Barney Frank, former Gov. Michael Dukakis and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
“Everybody has a story to tell about Filene’s Basement,” director and producer Michael Bavaro said.
The film’s unveiling follows last year’s 100th anniversary of the Basement and its famed “automatic markdown system.”
The documentary was the idea of executive producer Sue Edbril, a Wellesley clinical psychologist who grew up listening to her late grandmother’s stories about working in the Basement’s lingerie department for 35 years. One of Edbril’s favorites dates to the ’50s, when a customer was humming while shopping.
“My grandmother said to her, ‘You have a wonderful voice, you’re going to be famous some day,’ ” Edbril said. “The woman said, ‘Thank you,’ and she proceeded to buy a leotard. That woman was Barbra Streisand.”
To Edbril, the Basement was a sociological phenomenon.
“It was the great equalizer,” she said. “It was the only department store in the world that really sold quality goods where you had to leave your status at the door and everyone had equal access.”
The original Basement, shuttered in 2007 for the Filene’s block redevelopment, was supposed to reopen last year. But the project stalled and, when Syms Corp. bought the chain out of bankruptcy, co-developer Vornado Realty Trust terminated the lease.
Though Syms has vowed to open a Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing again, the location - like the film’s ending - remains up in the air.
“If there’s a resolution, then that will be included,” said Bavaro, a Milford native who also produced the award-winning “Rex Trailer’s Boomtown.” “It’s digital, so we can drop in something as need be or leave it open as a question mark.”
The filmmakers funded the documentary, which so far has cost $150,000, with money from friends and family.
Their Web site www.voicesfromthebasement.com is taking donations in return for film credits, premiere tickets and a two-hour DVD. A trailer for the film can also be seen at the site.
WGBH Boston has interest in airing the film. And, the filmmakers hope to host a Basement “Antiques Roadshow” of sorts, where customers can bring in store purchases and learn from experts whether they got bargains.
“Even in the film, everyone shows their Basement artifacts that they’ve held on to for years,” Bavaro said.
Case in point: a $5 catcher’s mitt that Dukakis still uses to play catch with his grandson.
Click here to see the trailer
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1227392
Film celebrates long history of Hub department store
Basement to find its ‘Voice’
By Donna Goodison | Friday, January 22, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
A one-hour documentary about the original Filene’s Basement in Boston’s Downtown Crossing will premiere this spring.
“Voices from the Basement” will debut at a May 10 invite-only benefit at the Omni Parker House featuring actress and Basement fan Estelle Parsons, with public screenings to follow.
More than five years in the making, the film recounts the now-closed Basement’s history and stories of its workers and shoppers - including Parsons, “60 Minutes” newsman Mike Wallace, Congressman Barney Frank, former Gov. Michael Dukakis and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
“Everybody has a story to tell about Filene’s Basement,” director and producer Michael Bavaro said.
The film’s unveiling follows last year’s 100th anniversary of the Basement and its famed “automatic markdown system.”
The documentary was the idea of executive producer Sue Edbril, a Wellesley clinical psychologist who grew up listening to her late grandmother’s stories about working in the Basement’s lingerie department for 35 years. One of Edbril’s favorites dates to the ’50s, when a customer was humming while shopping.
“My grandmother said to her, ‘You have a wonderful voice, you’re going to be famous some day,’ ” Edbril said. “The woman said, ‘Thank you,’ and she proceeded to buy a leotard. That woman was Barbra Streisand.”
To Edbril, the Basement was a sociological phenomenon.
“It was the great equalizer,” she said. “It was the only department store in the world that really sold quality goods where you had to leave your status at the door and everyone had equal access.”
The original Basement, shuttered in 2007 for the Filene’s block redevelopment, was supposed to reopen last year. But the project stalled and, when Syms Corp. bought the chain out of bankruptcy, co-developer Vornado Realty Trust terminated the lease.
Though Syms has vowed to open a Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing again, the location - like the film’s ending - remains up in the air.
“If there’s a resolution, then that will be included,” said Bavaro, a Milford native who also produced the award-winning “Rex Trailer’s Boomtown.” “It’s digital, so we can drop in something as need be or leave it open as a question mark.”
The filmmakers funded the documentary, which so far has cost $150,000, with money from friends and family.
Their Web site www.voicesfromthebasement.com is taking donations in return for film credits, premiere tickets and a two-hour DVD. A trailer for the film can also be seen at the site.
WGBH Boston has interest in airing the film. And, the filmmakers hope to host a Basement “Antiques Roadshow” of sorts, where customers can bring in store purchases and learn from experts whether they got bargains.
“Even in the film, everyone shows their Basement artifacts that they’ve held on to for years,” Bavaro said.
Case in point: a $5 catcher’s mitt that Dukakis still uses to play catch with his grandson.
Click here to see the trailer
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1227392
City Table review
Small potatoes big issues at City Table
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, January 22, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Review
CITY TABLE: C
Want to enjoy a terrific dinner for only $10? Order a half portion of harvest pasta with braised short rib at City Table, the new “neighborhood eatery” at the Lenox Hotel.
It’s a bowl of homemade papardelle noodles tossed in a rich sauce of pulled short rib and carrots stewed tender in red wine with a hint of cinnamon, topped with shavings of parmesan cheese and a slice of toasted garlic bread.
This is one of the most delicious deals in town. Plus, the serving size is generous - there’s as much short rib as there is pasta that I can’t possibly imagine anyone finishing the $17 full portion.
If only everything was as memorable at City Table. It is not. Executive chef Dennis Wilson (who ran Azure, the previous restaurant in this location) has assembled a menu of shareable small plates, sandwiches and comfort food-y entrees that too often miss the mark.
I like ancho-chili-rubbed hanger steak tacos ($10) that you nap with chunkytomato-radish salsa and guacamole and roll up in miniature flour tortillas. And really good lobster soup ($9) lives up to its confident moniker. But why is it served with a teaspoon instead of a soupspoon?
Mussels ($10), steamed with smoky roasted tomatoes, fennel and garlic, are forgettably ordinary. White-cheddar fondue ($10) - with apples, garlic brioche croutons, roasted fingerlings and squares of pork belly for dipping - would be better if warmer.
The City Table kitchen is prone to minor gaffes that turn major.
The blue-cheese and crumb topping that garnishes blue-cheese-crusted filet ($27) makes a fine foil for the buttery filet and creamy whipped potatoes. But the steak is several degrees rarer than the medium-rare we requested and sauteed broccoli rabe is ice-cold. And what’s with the cubes of unmelted beef gelatin in the red-wine gravy?
Slices of slightly overdone roasted duck breast ($21) taste fine with brandied Michigan cherry sauce and baby carrots. But chalky herbed risotto hasn’t been cooked long enough.
Talk about bargains, an open-faced chicken sandwich ($8) is more precisely a buttermilk-battered fried chicken cutlet on toasted cornbread smothered with Southern-style sausage and milk gravy. Unhappily, the chicken is burnt, the cornbread dry and accompanying sweet-potato fries, greasy and limp.
Line-caught Chatham cod is a New England meal if there ever was one. The fish is perched on fingerling potatoes in a pool of lobster, corn and red-bell-pepper chowder. It’s simple yet sophisticated and, at $23, costs $5 less than it did at Azure.
City Table’s wine list is small but varied with a vino for all pocketbooks. The plums and pepper of a 2005 Mount Langi Ghiran “Billi Billi” Shiraz ($33) complement the filet and duck. A crisp and stone-fruity 2008 Martin Codax Albarino ($29) is nice with the chicken and cod.
Memo to servers: When, despite your best efforts, you can’t unscrew the cap on a wine bottle in a timely manner and without breaking into a sweat, go get another bottle.
Desserts ($6) are satisfactory. Devil’s chocolate cake is so toothachingly sweet it doesn’t need strawberry sauce. We preferred the simple hominess of Grandma’s apple and pear crumble redolent of cinnamon and nutmeg under an oatmeal granola crust and scoop of ice cream.
A large room of dark woods with high ceilings and amber “Arabian Nights” chandeliers, City Table feels more urban and urbane than neighborhoody. The bar area, in the center surrounded by mesh curtains, can be obtrusively noisy. Both nights we dined there it was crowded. And not just with hotel guests.
65 Exeter St. (Lenox Hotel) 617-933-4800; citytableboston.com.
Hours: Breakfast, Mon.-Fri., 6:30-11 a.m., Sat. & Sun.,
7 a.m.-noon. Dinner, daily,
5 p.m.-1 a.m.
Bar: Full
Credit: All
Recession Specials: No
Accessibility: Accessible
Parking: Valet, nearby lots, on street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1227314
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, January 22, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Review
CITY TABLE: C
Want to enjoy a terrific dinner for only $10? Order a half portion of harvest pasta with braised short rib at City Table, the new “neighborhood eatery” at the Lenox Hotel.
It’s a bowl of homemade papardelle noodles tossed in a rich sauce of pulled short rib and carrots stewed tender in red wine with a hint of cinnamon, topped with shavings of parmesan cheese and a slice of toasted garlic bread.
This is one of the most delicious deals in town. Plus, the serving size is generous - there’s as much short rib as there is pasta that I can’t possibly imagine anyone finishing the $17 full portion.
If only everything was as memorable at City Table. It is not. Executive chef Dennis Wilson (who ran Azure, the previous restaurant in this location) has assembled a menu of shareable small plates, sandwiches and comfort food-y entrees that too often miss the mark.
I like ancho-chili-rubbed hanger steak tacos ($10) that you nap with chunkytomato-radish salsa and guacamole and roll up in miniature flour tortillas. And really good lobster soup ($9) lives up to its confident moniker. But why is it served with a teaspoon instead of a soupspoon?
Mussels ($10), steamed with smoky roasted tomatoes, fennel and garlic, are forgettably ordinary. White-cheddar fondue ($10) - with apples, garlic brioche croutons, roasted fingerlings and squares of pork belly for dipping - would be better if warmer.
The City Table kitchen is prone to minor gaffes that turn major.
The blue-cheese and crumb topping that garnishes blue-cheese-crusted filet ($27) makes a fine foil for the buttery filet and creamy whipped potatoes. But the steak is several degrees rarer than the medium-rare we requested and sauteed broccoli rabe is ice-cold. And what’s with the cubes of unmelted beef gelatin in the red-wine gravy?
Slices of slightly overdone roasted duck breast ($21) taste fine with brandied Michigan cherry sauce and baby carrots. But chalky herbed risotto hasn’t been cooked long enough.
Talk about bargains, an open-faced chicken sandwich ($8) is more precisely a buttermilk-battered fried chicken cutlet on toasted cornbread smothered with Southern-style sausage and milk gravy. Unhappily, the chicken is burnt, the cornbread dry and accompanying sweet-potato fries, greasy and limp.
Line-caught Chatham cod is a New England meal if there ever was one. The fish is perched on fingerling potatoes in a pool of lobster, corn and red-bell-pepper chowder. It’s simple yet sophisticated and, at $23, costs $5 less than it did at Azure.
City Table’s wine list is small but varied with a vino for all pocketbooks. The plums and pepper of a 2005 Mount Langi Ghiran “Billi Billi” Shiraz ($33) complement the filet and duck. A crisp and stone-fruity 2008 Martin Codax Albarino ($29) is nice with the chicken and cod.
Memo to servers: When, despite your best efforts, you can’t unscrew the cap on a wine bottle in a timely manner and without breaking into a sweat, go get another bottle.
Desserts ($6) are satisfactory. Devil’s chocolate cake is so toothachingly sweet it doesn’t need strawberry sauce. We preferred the simple hominess of Grandma’s apple and pear crumble redolent of cinnamon and nutmeg under an oatmeal granola crust and scoop of ice cream.
A large room of dark woods with high ceilings and amber “Arabian Nights” chandeliers, City Table feels more urban and urbane than neighborhoody. The bar area, in the center surrounded by mesh curtains, can be obtrusively noisy. Both nights we dined there it was crowded. And not just with hotel guests.
65 Exeter St. (Lenox Hotel) 617-933-4800; citytableboston.com.
Hours: Breakfast, Mon.-Fri., 6:30-11 a.m., Sat. & Sun.,
7 a.m.-noon. Dinner, daily,
5 p.m.-1 a.m.
Bar: Full
Credit: All
Recession Specials: No
Accessibility: Accessible
Parking: Valet, nearby lots, on street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1227314
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Pairings review
The Park Plaza made a large mistake by closing Bonfire. Pairings has nothing on it. Adam
A dining room gone rogue
By Devra First, Globe Staff | January 20, 2010
Pairings is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
The restaurant in the Park Plaza Hotel used to be Todd English’s Bonfire. Whatever you thought of the food, the place at least looked distinctive, dimly lighted and done up in dark hues of crimson and coal. The black, studded entryway was more S&M club than steakhouse; even if it wasn’t your idea of sexy, it was someone’s.
Then Bonfire and English severed their connection, and the restaurant closed to renovate and rethink. It reopened in October as Pairings, with Bonfire chef Robert Bean still at the helm. Now it is beige and bland, everyone’s idea of a hotel restaurant. Why turn a room with personality into one that feels impersonal?
Then there’s the name. One would expect it to pertain to the food. Yet there are no suggested matchups of dishes and wine, or appetizers and entrees, or anything of the sort. The name’s implications certainly aren’t amorous - the only hookups likely to happen in this setting would involve laptops. On a recent evening, the one other party in the dining room is a pair of businessmen tapping away. So why Pairings?
Where the decor has lost personality, the fare has gained it, explicitly. The restaurant has a tagline. It is: “Food & drink with personality.’’ Isn’t that the kind of thing people say when they’re trying to fix you up with a less-than-comely blind date? Except then there’s usually a modifying adjective. Pairings doesn’t even get a “great.’’ This could lead a diner to expectations, also not great.
But the food does have personality, much more than that at many new restaurants around town. It even has beauty, albeit an unconventional sort, with strange fashion choices made on the plate. Bean’s preparations are ambitious and eccentric and sometimes interesting and often unsuccessful, in part or in whole. But wow - it’s different from what he was doing at Bonfire. That menu offered nachos, tacos, steaks. This one involves dishes with six or seven different components sparring for attention, unexpected ingredient combinations (say, scallops, peanuts, pork, and peppadews), and emulsions in every shade of the rainbow, applied in dots, smears, and swirls.
Why take this direction? It’s a fascinating departure, but an awfully unusual one in these conservative, comfort-food times (though half the menu is small plates and nothing exceeds $30, right on trend). Has Bean gone rogue?
Small plates and salads are more conventional than entrees, and by more conventional I mean the likes of grilled baby octopus with avocado, morcilla (Spanish blood sausage), and hearts of palm. This dish is terrible: a measly portion of octopi, served cold and with no grilled flavor, alongside tasteless hearts of palm and slices of sausage. The plate is dotted with green and black goo also lacking flavor. I’m guessing the green goo involves avocado - often ingredients mentioned in a dish’s description arrive altered, in the form of edible finger paint.
An appetizer of bay scallops is one of the stranger dishes I’ve sampled recently. I almost love it, but it also makes me feel like I’m having an acid flashback. The scallops are seared and interspersed with overly crisped chunks of pork and cooked peanuts, rendered waxy and floral rather than round and roasted. The ingredients are spread into a curve and a blob on the plate, like a Cyclops smiley face. There is a smear of coral-colored sauce that must contain the peppadews; it’s citrusy, with a bit of heat. The dish tastes like Chinese food that’s trying too hard.
More straightforward are whole grilled prawns, stacked in a black cocotte with shishito and espelette peppers. This looks striking, but both prawns and peppers lack flavor. More charring and a generous sprinkling of coarse salt would go a long way.
A flatbread isn’t quite as good-looking, but its flavors shine. A thin crust, crisp at the edges, is topped with fig spread, cheese, a prosciutto-esque ham, and arugula. Brussels sprouts, also served in a little cocotte, are excellent; they’re tiny, fried so they’re crispy on the outside, and interspersed with chunks of bacon and light, fluffy bits of cheese.
There’s nothing about this restaurant or its menu that suggests entrees will be anything beyond the standard piece of protein plus sides. So one is unprepared when a lamb dish arrives plated into separate islands, each composed of greens cooked until they’re very soft and dark, a bit of eggplant, a nub of carrot, and a perfectly pink round of meat (unfortunately a bit dry). Then there’s a large orange, carrot-flavored smear in the shape of a carrot, plus some black smears. Sugar cookie crumbs are scattered about the plate.
There’s just too much going on here. The menu will tell you that striped bass comes with bacon, apples, cabbage, and turnips, but it makes no mention of the sour cream-like white substance engulfing these ingredients. The turnips are shredded into fine filaments, fried, and piled atop the fish, no longer tasting anything like turnips. Often Bean doesn’t know when to stop.
Scallops aren’t well seared, and they’re not served hot enough. But they come on top of smoky lentils mixed with shreds of short rib. It’s a fantastic combination, particularly with the sweet, maple-y drizzle on the plate. There are bits of nicely roasted cauliflower on the plate, too, as well as a cauliflower cream with the consistency of a very loose panna cotta. There are good parts to this dish. I’m not sure they all ought to appear at once.
Hanger steak is overcooked; it tastes more like pot roast. Slices of meat sit on quinoa beside oyster mushrooms and a smear of something that looks like mustard but tastes like parsnip - salsify? Then there’s a hollowed-out piece of celery root filled with short rib, evoking a bone and its marrow.
After all the interpretive plating, what will arrive when one orders a burger? Surprise: It looks like a burger. And it’s great, a thick patty full of flavor, on a fluffy bun. It’s topped with cheddar and bacon, and smoked tomato gives it the savor of barbecue. The fries are the burger’s equal, crisp and golden, perfectly salty, and spiked with another surprise: fried garlic cloves. Whimsy works when it tastes good.
Most of the people eating at Pairings appear to be from out of town; the restaurant is busier midweek, and there are quite a few solo diners. On a recent evening, about half the guests appear to be eating this burger. There’s chicken on the menu, too, but I can’t tell you how it is. When I try to order it, they’ve run out. What must this bird-and-burger crowd think of Bean and his compositions? Maybe the restaurant should be called Platings.
Bless Bean for not backing down on dessert, where chefs’ ambitions often fizzle. There is a brownie on the menu, but it’s more like a gooey pudding, deliciously chocolaty and topped with Cocoa Krispies. It comes with a long, brown, rectangular segment that our server tells us is Nutella pudding, though it doesn’t taste like Nutella. Also on the plate: banana ice cream, puffs of cardamom cream topped with dehydrated banana slices, and brandied cherries. It’s a three-ring circus of a dessert.
Then there’s peanut butter and jelly: a cylinder of peanut butter mousse sitting atop a sticky layer of grape jelly that covers the plate, stretching oddly when you try to insert your fork into it. There are white squares that appear to be thin-shaved Wonder bread, as well as peeled, sugared grapes. It’s crazy, and not crazy good, but at least it’s not standard issue.
For all this edible weirdness, drink is fairly plebeian: You’ve got your Frog’s Leaps and your Stag’s Leaps, your Ravenswoods and your Duckhorns. The red wine could double as bathwater; are they storing it under heat lamps? When a waiter notices one guest attempting to chill a pour by holding it to her glass of ice water, he gives an amused “Ohh-kay’’ and walks away. Service here is like that - sort of friendly, but negligent. Servers explain some dishes, not others. Waiters make the same tired jokes they made on previous visits. Why come up with new ones when the place is often nearly empty?
The makeover of Bonfire as Pairings is gutsy and illogical. The food and the room don’t match. Locals don’t want to eat in a hotel restaurant, and hotel guests don’t want their boundaries pushed after a long day of work or sightseeing. Who is this restaurant for? It’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
A dining room gone rogue
By Devra First, Globe Staff | January 20, 2010
Pairings is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
The restaurant in the Park Plaza Hotel used to be Todd English’s Bonfire. Whatever you thought of the food, the place at least looked distinctive, dimly lighted and done up in dark hues of crimson and coal. The black, studded entryway was more S&M club than steakhouse; even if it wasn’t your idea of sexy, it was someone’s.
Then Bonfire and English severed their connection, and the restaurant closed to renovate and rethink. It reopened in October as Pairings, with Bonfire chef Robert Bean still at the helm. Now it is beige and bland, everyone’s idea of a hotel restaurant. Why turn a room with personality into one that feels impersonal?
Then there’s the name. One would expect it to pertain to the food. Yet there are no suggested matchups of dishes and wine, or appetizers and entrees, or anything of the sort. The name’s implications certainly aren’t amorous - the only hookups likely to happen in this setting would involve laptops. On a recent evening, the one other party in the dining room is a pair of businessmen tapping away. So why Pairings?
Where the decor has lost personality, the fare has gained it, explicitly. The restaurant has a tagline. It is: “Food & drink with personality.’’ Isn’t that the kind of thing people say when they’re trying to fix you up with a less-than-comely blind date? Except then there’s usually a modifying adjective. Pairings doesn’t even get a “great.’’ This could lead a diner to expectations, also not great.
But the food does have personality, much more than that at many new restaurants around town. It even has beauty, albeit an unconventional sort, with strange fashion choices made on the plate. Bean’s preparations are ambitious and eccentric and sometimes interesting and often unsuccessful, in part or in whole. But wow - it’s different from what he was doing at Bonfire. That menu offered nachos, tacos, steaks. This one involves dishes with six or seven different components sparring for attention, unexpected ingredient combinations (say, scallops, peanuts, pork, and peppadews), and emulsions in every shade of the rainbow, applied in dots, smears, and swirls.
Why take this direction? It’s a fascinating departure, but an awfully unusual one in these conservative, comfort-food times (though half the menu is small plates and nothing exceeds $30, right on trend). Has Bean gone rogue?
Small plates and salads are more conventional than entrees, and by more conventional I mean the likes of grilled baby octopus with avocado, morcilla (Spanish blood sausage), and hearts of palm. This dish is terrible: a measly portion of octopi, served cold and with no grilled flavor, alongside tasteless hearts of palm and slices of sausage. The plate is dotted with green and black goo also lacking flavor. I’m guessing the green goo involves avocado - often ingredients mentioned in a dish’s description arrive altered, in the form of edible finger paint.
An appetizer of bay scallops is one of the stranger dishes I’ve sampled recently. I almost love it, but it also makes me feel like I’m having an acid flashback. The scallops are seared and interspersed with overly crisped chunks of pork and cooked peanuts, rendered waxy and floral rather than round and roasted. The ingredients are spread into a curve and a blob on the plate, like a Cyclops smiley face. There is a smear of coral-colored sauce that must contain the peppadews; it’s citrusy, with a bit of heat. The dish tastes like Chinese food that’s trying too hard.
More straightforward are whole grilled prawns, stacked in a black cocotte with shishito and espelette peppers. This looks striking, but both prawns and peppers lack flavor. More charring and a generous sprinkling of coarse salt would go a long way.
A flatbread isn’t quite as good-looking, but its flavors shine. A thin crust, crisp at the edges, is topped with fig spread, cheese, a prosciutto-esque ham, and arugula. Brussels sprouts, also served in a little cocotte, are excellent; they’re tiny, fried so they’re crispy on the outside, and interspersed with chunks of bacon and light, fluffy bits of cheese.
There’s nothing about this restaurant or its menu that suggests entrees will be anything beyond the standard piece of protein plus sides. So one is unprepared when a lamb dish arrives plated into separate islands, each composed of greens cooked until they’re very soft and dark, a bit of eggplant, a nub of carrot, and a perfectly pink round of meat (unfortunately a bit dry). Then there’s a large orange, carrot-flavored smear in the shape of a carrot, plus some black smears. Sugar cookie crumbs are scattered about the plate.
There’s just too much going on here. The menu will tell you that striped bass comes with bacon, apples, cabbage, and turnips, but it makes no mention of the sour cream-like white substance engulfing these ingredients. The turnips are shredded into fine filaments, fried, and piled atop the fish, no longer tasting anything like turnips. Often Bean doesn’t know when to stop.
Scallops aren’t well seared, and they’re not served hot enough. But they come on top of smoky lentils mixed with shreds of short rib. It’s a fantastic combination, particularly with the sweet, maple-y drizzle on the plate. There are bits of nicely roasted cauliflower on the plate, too, as well as a cauliflower cream with the consistency of a very loose panna cotta. There are good parts to this dish. I’m not sure they all ought to appear at once.
Hanger steak is overcooked; it tastes more like pot roast. Slices of meat sit on quinoa beside oyster mushrooms and a smear of something that looks like mustard but tastes like parsnip - salsify? Then there’s a hollowed-out piece of celery root filled with short rib, evoking a bone and its marrow.
After all the interpretive plating, what will arrive when one orders a burger? Surprise: It looks like a burger. And it’s great, a thick patty full of flavor, on a fluffy bun. It’s topped with cheddar and bacon, and smoked tomato gives it the savor of barbecue. The fries are the burger’s equal, crisp and golden, perfectly salty, and spiked with another surprise: fried garlic cloves. Whimsy works when it tastes good.
Most of the people eating at Pairings appear to be from out of town; the restaurant is busier midweek, and there are quite a few solo diners. On a recent evening, about half the guests appear to be eating this burger. There’s chicken on the menu, too, but I can’t tell you how it is. When I try to order it, they’ve run out. What must this bird-and-burger crowd think of Bean and his compositions? Maybe the restaurant should be called Platings.
Bless Bean for not backing down on dessert, where chefs’ ambitions often fizzle. There is a brownie on the menu, but it’s more like a gooey pudding, deliciously chocolaty and topped with Cocoa Krispies. It comes with a long, brown, rectangular segment that our server tells us is Nutella pudding, though it doesn’t taste like Nutella. Also on the plate: banana ice cream, puffs of cardamom cream topped with dehydrated banana slices, and brandied cherries. It’s a three-ring circus of a dessert.
Then there’s peanut butter and jelly: a cylinder of peanut butter mousse sitting atop a sticky layer of grape jelly that covers the plate, stretching oddly when you try to insert your fork into it. There are white squares that appear to be thin-shaved Wonder bread, as well as peeled, sugared grapes. It’s crazy, and not crazy good, but at least it’s not standard issue.
For all this edible weirdness, drink is fairly plebeian: You’ve got your Frog’s Leaps and your Stag’s Leaps, your Ravenswoods and your Duckhorns. The red wine could double as bathwater; are they storing it under heat lamps? When a waiter notices one guest attempting to chill a pour by holding it to her glass of ice water, he gives an amused “Ohh-kay’’ and walks away. Service here is like that - sort of friendly, but negligent. Servers explain some dishes, not others. Waiters make the same tired jokes they made on previous visits. Why come up with new ones when the place is often nearly empty?
The makeover of Bonfire as Pairings is gutsy and illogical. The food and the room don’t match. Locals don’t want to eat in a hotel restaurant, and hotel guests don’t want their boundaries pushed after a long day of work or sightseeing. Who is this restaurant for? It’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Author Robert B Parker put Boston on the map
The Boston Globe
‘Spenser’ novelist Parker dead at 77
Prolific, funny, he reinvented genre
By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff | January 20, 2010
Robert B. Parker, whose spare, eloquent sentences turned the tough private investigator Spenser into one of Boston’s most recognizable fictional characters, suffered a heart attack at his desk in his Cambridge home Monday and died. He was 77.
Muscular and gruff like his creator, Spenser shared other traits with Mr. Parker. Behind the pugnacious exterior, both men liked to chase fine food with a cold beer. Both had a sharp wit and lived by a code of honor.
Over the course of three dozen Spenser novels, Mr. Parker introduced millions of readers to Boston, which was as much a character as his burly protagonist. To a predictable genre, he added a complex detective with a sensitive side. The wry dialogue between Spenser and longtime girlfriend Susan Silverman, who was schooled in the art of psychology, gave a modern twist to the repartee between the Nick and Nora characters created generations earlier by noted crime novelist Dashiell Hammett.
“He was responsible for a seismic shift,’’ said best-selling writer Dennis Lehane, whose crime novels “Mystic River’’ and “Gone, Baby, Gone’’ were adapted into movies. “He suddenly made the private-eye novel sexy, in the coolest sense of that word. There’s private-eye fiction before Bob, and there’s private-eye fiction after him.’’
Joseph Finder, a Boston-based author of best-selling spy thrillers, said Mr. Parker “took the American hard-boiled private-eye novel that had been languishing for years, since James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler, and revitalized it. He took a lot of the standard tropes - the tough guy, the lone wolf, the man of honor on the mean streets - and updated them so that his Spenser character became sort of an avatar of himself. He was actually a guy who cooked, who was incredibly devoted to one woman, the way Bob Parker was to Joan, his wife.’’
Publishing 65 books in 37 years, Mr. Parker was as prolific as he was well-read. He featured Spenser - “spelled with an ‘s,’ just like the English poet,’’ he said - in 37 novels. He also wrote 28 other books, including a series each for Jesse Stone, the police chief of fictional Paradise, Mass., and Sunny Randall, a female private investigator in Boston.
His latest book, “Split Image,’’ extending the Jesse Stone series, is due out next month, said his agent, Helen Brann of New York City.
Mr. Parker’s marquee character was turned into the TV series “Spenser for Hire,’’ starring Robert Urich. “Jesse Stone’’ became a TV movie vehicle for Tom Selleck, and “Appaloosa,’’ his 2005 Western, was made into a 2008 film directed by and starring Ed Harris, who filled a shelf with Mr. Parker’s books.
“Robert wrote about this friendship between these two guys that tickled me,’’ Harris said of “Appaloosa.’’ “It just felt right. It felt good.’’
Mr. Parker, he added, “was a national treasure. I loved him and I’ll miss him.’’
Brann, who represented Mr. Parker for 42 years, said he had a heart attack while his wife was away from the house. “She saw him early in the morning, went out for her exercise, came back an hour later, and he was gone,’’ Brann said. “He was at his desk, as he so often was.’’
Pounding out up to five pages a day, Mr. Parker kept a pace few could match. Pressed for his secret, he made it sound simple.
“The art of writing a mystery is just the art of writing fiction,’’ he told the Globe in 2007. “You create interesting characters and put them into interesting circumstances and figure out how to get them out of them. No one is usually surprised at the outcome of my books.’’
Perhaps, but readers around the world raced to devour novel after novel. Brann estimated that Mr. Parker sold more than 6 million volumes worldwide. His work was translated into 24 languages.
He was teaching English at Northeastern University when he began writing the novels featuring Spenser, whose first name is never revealed. Mr. Parker didn’t care for academia and made no secret of his animosity in his first book’s first sentence: “The office of the university president looked like the front parlor of a successful Victorian whorehouse.’’
In 1975, Globe reviewer Walter V. Robinson welcomed “God Save the Child,’’ Mr. Parker’s second effort: “Spenser is back, and none too soon to give the connoisseur of that rare combination of good detective fiction and good literature a chance to indulge himself.’’
Mr. Parker grew up in Springfield, where he and Joan Hall first met at a birthday party when they were 3. They met again years later at Colby College in Maine. He pursued her. She resisted, then relented. They married in 1956.
“He was very smart and he knew it, and I reveled in that,’’ she told the Globe in 1981. “He was the only man who didn’t bore me.’’
After serving in the Army, Mr. Parker worked in a variety of jobs before going to graduate school at Boston University, where he received a doctorate in English literature.
In the early 1980s, the couple separated, then got back together in an arrangement they publicly acknowledged was unusual, but worked for them. They bought a sprawling house in Cambridge and each lived in a private area.
Mr. Parker dedicated his books to his wife, and told the Globe in 1992 that “she has been the central factor in my life since I was a child. You wouldn’t understand me unless you understand me and her.’’
In addition to his wife, Mr. Parker leaves two sons, David of New York City and Daniel of Santa Monica, Calif. The family is planning a memorial service.
Despite the wealth and fame that came with TV, movies, and worldwide sales, Mr. Parker “was so dependable, such a regular guy,’’ said Kate Mattes, who ran Kate’s Mystery Books in Cambridge for 26 years. “He never put on airs or anything, and he certainly had the right to.’’
Mr. Parker, who sometimes likened himself to a carpenter who built books, helped others learn his trade.
“The debt’s huge and I was always upfront about that,’’ Lehane said. “My first book is so much Robert Parker in the first chapter that I’m surprised he didn’t sue me.’’
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
‘Spenser’ novelist Parker dead at 77
Prolific, funny, he reinvented genre
By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff | January 20, 2010
Robert B. Parker, whose spare, eloquent sentences turned the tough private investigator Spenser into one of Boston’s most recognizable fictional characters, suffered a heart attack at his desk in his Cambridge home Monday and died. He was 77.
Muscular and gruff like his creator, Spenser shared other traits with Mr. Parker. Behind the pugnacious exterior, both men liked to chase fine food with a cold beer. Both had a sharp wit and lived by a code of honor.
Over the course of three dozen Spenser novels, Mr. Parker introduced millions of readers to Boston, which was as much a character as his burly protagonist. To a predictable genre, he added a complex detective with a sensitive side. The wry dialogue between Spenser and longtime girlfriend Susan Silverman, who was schooled in the art of psychology, gave a modern twist to the repartee between the Nick and Nora characters created generations earlier by noted crime novelist Dashiell Hammett.
“He was responsible for a seismic shift,’’ said best-selling writer Dennis Lehane, whose crime novels “Mystic River’’ and “Gone, Baby, Gone’’ were adapted into movies. “He suddenly made the private-eye novel sexy, in the coolest sense of that word. There’s private-eye fiction before Bob, and there’s private-eye fiction after him.’’
Joseph Finder, a Boston-based author of best-selling spy thrillers, said Mr. Parker “took the American hard-boiled private-eye novel that had been languishing for years, since James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler, and revitalized it. He took a lot of the standard tropes - the tough guy, the lone wolf, the man of honor on the mean streets - and updated them so that his Spenser character became sort of an avatar of himself. He was actually a guy who cooked, who was incredibly devoted to one woman, the way Bob Parker was to Joan, his wife.’’
Publishing 65 books in 37 years, Mr. Parker was as prolific as he was well-read. He featured Spenser - “spelled with an ‘s,’ just like the English poet,’’ he said - in 37 novels. He also wrote 28 other books, including a series each for Jesse Stone, the police chief of fictional Paradise, Mass., and Sunny Randall, a female private investigator in Boston.
His latest book, “Split Image,’’ extending the Jesse Stone series, is due out next month, said his agent, Helen Brann of New York City.
Mr. Parker’s marquee character was turned into the TV series “Spenser for Hire,’’ starring Robert Urich. “Jesse Stone’’ became a TV movie vehicle for Tom Selleck, and “Appaloosa,’’ his 2005 Western, was made into a 2008 film directed by and starring Ed Harris, who filled a shelf with Mr. Parker’s books.
“Robert wrote about this friendship between these two guys that tickled me,’’ Harris said of “Appaloosa.’’ “It just felt right. It felt good.’’
Mr. Parker, he added, “was a national treasure. I loved him and I’ll miss him.’’
Brann, who represented Mr. Parker for 42 years, said he had a heart attack while his wife was away from the house. “She saw him early in the morning, went out for her exercise, came back an hour later, and he was gone,’’ Brann said. “He was at his desk, as he so often was.’’
Pounding out up to five pages a day, Mr. Parker kept a pace few could match. Pressed for his secret, he made it sound simple.
“The art of writing a mystery is just the art of writing fiction,’’ he told the Globe in 2007. “You create interesting characters and put them into interesting circumstances and figure out how to get them out of them. No one is usually surprised at the outcome of my books.’’
Perhaps, but readers around the world raced to devour novel after novel. Brann estimated that Mr. Parker sold more than 6 million volumes worldwide. His work was translated into 24 languages.
He was teaching English at Northeastern University when he began writing the novels featuring Spenser, whose first name is never revealed. Mr. Parker didn’t care for academia and made no secret of his animosity in his first book’s first sentence: “The office of the university president looked like the front parlor of a successful Victorian whorehouse.’’
In 1975, Globe reviewer Walter V. Robinson welcomed “God Save the Child,’’ Mr. Parker’s second effort: “Spenser is back, and none too soon to give the connoisseur of that rare combination of good detective fiction and good literature a chance to indulge himself.’’
Mr. Parker grew up in Springfield, where he and Joan Hall first met at a birthday party when they were 3. They met again years later at Colby College in Maine. He pursued her. She resisted, then relented. They married in 1956.
“He was very smart and he knew it, and I reveled in that,’’ she told the Globe in 1981. “He was the only man who didn’t bore me.’’
After serving in the Army, Mr. Parker worked in a variety of jobs before going to graduate school at Boston University, where he received a doctorate in English literature.
In the early 1980s, the couple separated, then got back together in an arrangement they publicly acknowledged was unusual, but worked for them. They bought a sprawling house in Cambridge and each lived in a private area.
Mr. Parker dedicated his books to his wife, and told the Globe in 1992 that “she has been the central factor in my life since I was a child. You wouldn’t understand me unless you understand me and her.’’
In addition to his wife, Mr. Parker leaves two sons, David of New York City and Daniel of Santa Monica, Calif. The family is planning a memorial service.
Despite the wealth and fame that came with TV, movies, and worldwide sales, Mr. Parker “was so dependable, such a regular guy,’’ said Kate Mattes, who ran Kate’s Mystery Books in Cambridge for 26 years. “He never put on airs or anything, and he certainly had the right to.’’
Mr. Parker, who sometimes likened himself to a carpenter who built books, helped others learn his trade.
“The debt’s huge and I was always upfront about that,’’ Lehane said. “My first book is so much Robert Parker in the first chapter that I’m surprised he didn’t sue me.’’
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Free WiFi at Logan to continue
Free net access arrives at Logan
Also: New parking, emergency training on way
By Donna Goodison | Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Traveling Web surfers will now get free wireless Internet access at Logan International Airport.
Massport struck a two-year deal with Advanced Wireless Group to launch a free WiFi service that’s paid for by advertisers and sponsors. The company had been offering WiFi at the Boston airport for $7.95 a day since 2004.
Massport’s approval of the service follows a two-month, Google-sponsored promotion of free WiFi that ended Friday. WiFi use at the airport jumped almost sixfold during that time, from 19,650 users in October to 107,779 in December.
Users who did not subscribe to a roaming service such as Boingo or T-Mobile had to view a Google promotional page before accessing the Internet. Massport officials plan to meet with Google to see if it wants to continue as a sponsor.
About half of the largest U.S. airports offer free WiFi, according to Francis Anglin, Massport’s chief information officer.
In other Massport news:
The agency will fast-track the construction of a 1,000-space parking deck over Logan’s existing economy parking lot at Prescott Street.
The $20 million project, scheduled for completion by year’s end, will consolidate the airport’s economy parking into one location. It also will help make up for 1,000 parking spaces that’ll be lost during construction of the $377 million consolidated complex for the airport’s rental car companies.
cw-4 A disaster training exercise at Logan will test airport and area emergency workers’ response to a 777 aircraft that’s landed short of a runway and in Boston Harbor.
The four-hour simulation on April 10, in which a barge will become a pseudo-airplane, will include more than 300 “passengers,” including 100 who must be rescued from the debris-filled water and more than 100 fatalities.
Massport will buy a new fire rescue boat for $5.2 million to replace the current Marine 1 vessel built in 1971. The 80-foot boat, expected to arrive in 2011, will include 30 10-person life rafts.
Massport’s fire rescue boat provides mutual aid to the Boston Fire Department, whose 1971 fire boat is under repair. Asked by a Massport board member if it was normal for a city to have only one such boat in service, Paul Callinan, deputy chief for Massport Fire Rescue, replied, “This is the exception to the rule. Most cities have two or three. New York City has six.”
Final December numbers aren’t in, but Logan expects to finish 2009 with 25.5 million passengers, down 2.3 percent from 2008.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1226805
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Also: New parking, emergency training on way
By Donna Goodison | Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Traveling Web surfers will now get free wireless Internet access at Logan International Airport.
Massport struck a two-year deal with Advanced Wireless Group to launch a free WiFi service that’s paid for by advertisers and sponsors. The company had been offering WiFi at the Boston airport for $7.95 a day since 2004.
Massport’s approval of the service follows a two-month, Google-sponsored promotion of free WiFi that ended Friday. WiFi use at the airport jumped almost sixfold during that time, from 19,650 users in October to 107,779 in December.
Users who did not subscribe to a roaming service such as Boingo or T-Mobile had to view a Google promotional page before accessing the Internet. Massport officials plan to meet with Google to see if it wants to continue as a sponsor.
About half of the largest U.S. airports offer free WiFi, according to Francis Anglin, Massport’s chief information officer.
In other Massport news:
The agency will fast-track the construction of a 1,000-space parking deck over Logan’s existing economy parking lot at Prescott Street.
The $20 million project, scheduled for completion by year’s end, will consolidate the airport’s economy parking into one location. It also will help make up for 1,000 parking spaces that’ll be lost during construction of the $377 million consolidated complex for the airport’s rental car companies.
cw-4 A disaster training exercise at Logan will test airport and area emergency workers’ response to a 777 aircraft that’s landed short of a runway and in Boston Harbor.
The four-hour simulation on April 10, in which a barge will become a pseudo-airplane, will include more than 300 “passengers,” including 100 who must be rescued from the debris-filled water and more than 100 fatalities.
Massport will buy a new fire rescue boat for $5.2 million to replace the current Marine 1 vessel built in 1971. The 80-foot boat, expected to arrive in 2011, will include 30 10-person life rafts.
Massport’s fire rescue boat provides mutual aid to the Boston Fire Department, whose 1971 fire boat is under repair. Asked by a Massport board member if it was normal for a city to have only one such boat in service, Paul Callinan, deputy chief for Massport Fire Rescue, replied, “This is the exception to the rule. Most cities have two or three. New York City has six.”
Final December numbers aren’t in, but Logan expects to finish 2009 with 25.5 million passengers, down 2.3 percent from 2008.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1226805
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