What's the most interesting thing you might imagine finding within a couple hundred yards of runways 4R and 4L at Logan?
Belle Isle Seafood; of course! This joint, sandwiched between the Belle Isle Marsh and situated on a neck of land just feet from the East Boston-Winthrop line, and just hundreds of yards across the water from Logan, defines "no-frills." But after all, you don't go to Belle Isle Seafood for the decor and ambiance...
...unless your idea of ambiance involves chain link, billboards, various dockside smells, and the frequent hum of planes landing. That said, you'll be hard-pressed to find a vacant curbside parking spot within a hundred yards on a good many days. Locals, and the enlightened foodie alike know that this is the place to get fresh seafood of all sorts or to enjoy a hearty lobster roll that leaves out the "recipe twists" and piles-on the lobster.
Urban Mechanic (a former Eastie denizen) can't make the trek through the tunnels enough to get his fill of seafood; or other culinary delights to be found throughout Eastie! While locals may not give much thought to the ignorance of their fellow Hubsters on the mainland, any half-serious, self-respecting foodie in Boston should pay serious attention to this neighborhood. Seriously!
Oh...if you make it over to Eastie, don't just dash to dinner and back. Take your time, perhaps enjoy the several beautiful waterfront parks. The place has some great history to take in, and amazing cultural life today.
A recent visit to the Belle Isle Seafood also led to a venture through Orient Heights. The sights from the plaza of the Madonna Queen of the Universe Shrine are great! Plus, the 1950's complex is itself worth a visit it for architectural geeks. Think early 1950's modernism!
Normally, shopping carts in their natural environs (i.e. parking lots) don't make the cut for the Bascart Chronicles. This one however was worth the capture. It's either definitively trying to escape or tending the shrubbery. Your call.
Americans love their cars right? So much so that we nearly have one for every person in the country (by count at least) and every newspaper has an automotive section. For decades the car has been the only transportation choice for 90% of Americans. New car sales has been a leading indicator of the economy.
With car-makers gaining more coverage in the headlines than the automotive section of the papers recently, a new story is percolating. Attitudes are shifting noticeably among the young (Gen Y'ers), and even older Americans. So much so that the LA Times car blog recently used the headline "A Rebel Without a Car?" while pondering a new JD Power and Associates report. Naturally, these stories have generated skepticism and slight. After all, this is the American way of life. Yet, big car folks (i.e. Ford, the only non-bankrupt US automaker) have taken notice and even started to look at ways to embrace the trends.
And why not. These trends seem to follow a perceptible arc of young people and retirees moving back to cities. Further, both are groups who have been literally behind the wheel or passengers in cars for a significant portion of their lives. All of the creature comforts on earth don't make motoring down 16 lane, traffic clogged suburban shit strips any better.
Ok, so there might be a case for a movement of certain demographics (i.e. young professionals, empty-nesters) to desire more urban surroundings and more urban transportation options. This would certainly explain a great deal of the trends reported over the past decade with increased downtown and urban development across the country. It would also explain the trend of light rail development in dozens of places. Bicycling and plain walking seems to have grown in popularity too. Groups such as the ever-innovative Livable Streets Initiative have certainly made an impact in that regards.
Yet, it is almost certainly true that Americans won't just give up what has been not just a cultural icon, but an economic engine because of a severe economic downturn and a planetary crisis. Well, not if they have a choice. However, one thing that might just offer that choice and actually do a fair bit of good in the process is car-sharing. Now before the advent of RFID (radio-frequency ID chips), the mobile telephones (and internet), and GPS tracking the idea of sharing a car was what you had to do with siblings or parents.
Today, if you're a Zipster*, you can literally access thousands of cars conveniently parked in your neighborhood, on campus, near work, shopping, or transit stops all on your mobile phone or via the a quick reservation over the internet. Rent by the hour or day and don't worry about insurance or gas. Just follow some quick and easy to remember rules and you're all-set. Wave that member card over the windshield (or tap an app on your phone) and...
...it unlocks, wherever you're car is. No worries about maintenance, parking. Have a Scion Xb with lots of cargo space for a couple hours today and later this week pick up that important new client from the airport with a BMW. Want to get out of the city for a day-trip or weekend get away?ab a different vehicle fitting the weather, your needs, or your mood.
Oh, and you can do all of this and...
save lots of money (hundreds of dollars a month for most car-sharers)
live a more active, healthy lifestyle (car-sharers walk, bicycle, and use transit more)
and help avert planetary disaster (on average one shared vehicle may take as many as twenty off the road)
What's the Catch? Rules! If you share something you want those who share with you to be respectful of certain rules right? So return on time, with gas (gas-card is included), clean, no smoking and please keep pets in a carrier. That sort of stuff. Oh, and there is of course ensuring that the vehicles are serviced and then dealing with potential mishaps and market demand. What happens when a car you booked isn't back on time or you can't get a car when you need one?
The leading, company in the US, ZipCar, and its for and not-for-profit counter-parts, have attracted amazingly satisfied and loyal-followers despite such challenges. They have honed service and in many ways perfected some of the most obvious challenges (i.e. your car is late in returning when you pick it up, "how about switching to one in the next spot over or at the worst let us reach the person who has it and let's change-up your reservation and make it gratis for your wait?").
What makes this service so compelling to Urban Mechanic is that it has the ability to scale (as its already in scores of cities big and small) and is something that is clearly commercially viable. For so many situations to list here it improves upon having to own an automobile unless you literally live in the middle of nowhere. Further, for cities lacking significant transit options, car-sharing offers an amazing opportunity to supplement transportation choices. Car-sharing could work quite well if you ride the bus downtown to work, but also might need a car some evenings for big hauls to the grocery store.
*Zipster is what Zip Car, a leading (for-profit) car-sharing company calls its members. Of which there an estimated 325,000 plus. The company, which has been featured (everywhere) was part of a larger look at car-sharing in a CNN Story from August of this year. The story takes a fairly in-depth look at the phenomenon, the forces behind it, and ZipCar (the good the bad and the ugly).--
NOTE - Urban Mechanic is a member of ZipCar (and uses the service frequently, along with numerous other modes of transport). ALSO NOTE - This post is but an introduction (albeit a bit lengthy) to car-sharing as a topic. Urban Mechanic will continue explore other facets of car-sharing, beyond ZipCar, such as non-profit models, and a separate, but related phenomenon, bicycle sharing.
One of the real joys of city living (so Urban Mechanic believes) is food shopping at various places around town...
...and the equal joy of taking it home (most of it) and putting together a fantastic dinner. This evening's meal featured a fresh basil and tomato sauce over Gemelli pasta topped with shavings of aged Pecorino Cheese (From Back Bay Shaw's). Accompanying this hearty dish was a tomato and cucumber salad with fresh mozzarella (from the Pru's Farmer's Market) soaked (not drizzled) with an aged balsamic vinaigrette.
The meal went exceptionally well with a San Angelo Pinot Grigio (2008) from Castello Banfi Montalcino (Italy). Props are in order to the kindly folks at Liquor Land (across from Victoria's and next to the Hen House on Mass Ave) for the "Fright Night Wine Tasting" that landed this one in the cart!
Save any room for something sweet? Hot chocolate seemed only appropriate on this crisp autumn evening. After nibbling on a delightful Madagascar "Purist Bar" from Hotel Chocolat (previously discussed on this blog), the remains of the bar were melted and blended with Vodka, Coffee Liquor, and steamed milk...
...and of course topped with fluffy froth for effect.
For tomorrow...maybe some butter curry chicken over Basmatti rice cooked in coconut milk and paired with a Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc (2008) from Concha Y Toro (Chile)...
...maybe a warm chocolate cake (another visit to Hotel Chocolat perhaps) topped with brandied cherries?
o a few errands to run tomorrow; and for good measure. All of the walking keeps the Urban Mechanic from weighing as much as he eats.
Shopping carts and Boston denizens across the city are in love with the new, large "carts" distributed by the City for recycling. The new carts are being distributed throughout the city of Boston over the Fall, Winter, and Spring...free of charge.
In addition, recycling throughout Boston is now single stream for a wide array of materials. Urban Mechanic has re-deployed one of his small recycling boxes to indoor duties (transferring recycling as it builds...very geeky). More important the weekly payload of garbage has reduced from one bag to about a half a bag (for his residence of two plus a cat).
Find out more about recycling in Boston by clicking here
A note for transparency. Urban Mechanic does not arrange, pose, or abscond with bascarts. The bascarts chronicled and photographed here are only done so as found objects. Further, only bascarts found outside of their normal environments (i.e. stores or store parking lots), are chronicled. Submissions are gladly accepted and will be credited. Just think to yourself, what is that bascart up to?
...cute, fuzzy, and friendly the Boston Public Garden Squirrels (like most city squirrels) are also armed with the cunning of a well-seasoned member of the special forces.
If you're going to tempt them roasted cashews, be quick on the second course or quick on your feet. Otherwise you might discover that being climbed like a tree isn't as much fun as it might look. Of course it does make for entertaining YouTube posts for friends and onlookers.
The Congress for New Urbanism has released a "music" video titled "Built to Last" on You Tube. A Psychoesque set of violin chords opens the video with the question "What is the greatest threat our planet? The cool, animatronic slide-show doesn't just give a big open-handed slap in the face to suburbia. Shifting into a jazztronic beat, the clip showcases urban living and its inherent green cred. A bit didactic? Perhaps. Yet, irresistible for geeky urban mechanic sorts.
This weekend is a abuzz in the DOT with events crisscrossing the neighborhood, including open studios and Boston's first annual Barista Throwdown.
Dorchester Open Studios (Saturday and Sunday 12 to 5 PM)
Around the neighborhood artists are opening the doors to their studios and showing off not only their works, but often fabulous work spaces (and sometimes residences). Organized by the DAC (Dorchester Arts Collaborative), more than 60 artists will participate in the event. For more details check out the official program (PDF document).
White Chrome; Boston's First Annual Barista Throwdown (Saturday 2 to 9 PM)
Hosted at Flat Black Coffee Company's Ashmont Location (just steps from Ashmont Station), this event promises to be not only a Boston first, but likely a soon-to-be Boston must. Baristas will square off in competition to claim the title of Boston's best with spectators enjoying the fruits of their labors and enjoying special demonstrations of equipment, coffee and espresso techniques and much more. The event will wrap-up at Tavolo's, just down the street, with an awards ceremony and celebration. Proceeds will benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank.
