No more Rock of Boston

The Rock of Boston is rocking no more. Another local institution is closing its doors, as WBCN is putting away its drum kit and guitars, according to Boston.com.

Truth be told, I haven't listed to 'BCN for quite some time. I migrated over to 'ZLX when the rock music I grew up with became classic rock. But it was the first station I listened to when I arrived on these shores (OK...I came over from Western Mass., but I think you need a visa to travel from Western to Eastern Mass. these days...) in the days of Charles Laquidara and the Big Mattress, and it was years before I changed the dial, following him and the Mishigas madness to 'ZLX.

At the risk of further dating myself, my first true Boston experience was through 'BCN. Shortly after I moved here, John Lennon was killed. I was living in the dorms at Northeastern and a bunch of us joined a candlelight procession from the Commons down Boylston Street to the radio station. It was the moment when I truly bonded with the city that I have called home ever since.

Green Chartreuse

So, I was talking to this woman yesterday who was in town visiting from North Carolina. Not that this is integral to the story, but she was.

She was visiting her son and they were at the bar of the Cottonwood Cafe where he worked (or was a regular and/or where he once worked--I didn't catch exactly what) having predrink drinks, as they put it. He knew the bartender, and I just happened to be there having lunch (just lunch, not prelunch lunch) and dropped in and out of the conversation, which veered every which way, from work to napping to sleeping habits to family.

The talk turned to unusual liquors and how long it took the bar to go through this and that. (If you go there, don't order the Harvey's Bristol Cream--that hasn't been touched in years.) She then told this story about her father: She said when she was young, her father would take her out to dinner periodically and would always order green chartreuse after the meal for the two of them. She said it was awful, and she could never drink it, so he would drink her glass as well. (He knew what he was doing when he ordered it for her!)

After he died, she said, he had had a half a bottle left, so she poured it on his grave. What a touching tribute, I thought, until she added, "No one else was ever going to drink it!"

Update on the Devil's Triangle

So, where exactly is this, anyway?

A couple things (based on the comments received): Yeah, I screwed up. I do know my way around town, but for some reason I confused New England Medical Center (which is in the Chinatown/South End/Theater District area) and Boston City Hospital (which is lower South End/Roxbury area, where the methadone clinic is).

And, yes, Skipton Kennels does rock! I used to take my dog there all the time for grooming. (Now he is too old to make the walk, so Simone, who is awesome and who my dog adores, picks him up.) And, no, I never did get lost and head over to Chinatown on my way there.

Regarding the liquor store, I don't know about a Liquormart, but maybe he meant Liquor Land. They used to be on Harrison Ave, but are now around the corner at 1033 Mass. Ave. (I called them just to make sure.) So, technically, these three places--Rosie's, the methadone clinic, and the liquor store--still define a specific area that can be described (as the residents apparently do) as a triangle that keeps away developers and multimillion-dollar homeowners who don't want these kinds of institutions in their backyards. Which is perfectly fine for those who just want a place to live.

Affordable rents in Boston

They do still exist, if you know where to look. And if you aren't that fussy about who your neighbors are.

This guy at a cafe I frequent in the South End (where the best descriptor for the few low-rent apartments I've heard is: You get what you pay for, but you don't pay much) was talking about his apartment. He lives closer to downtown, in a neighborhood that is a crossroads for the South End, Chinatown, and the Theater District.

He was saying that, even though there were million-dollar condos nearby, his block was pretty safe: "Within walking distance there's Rosie's Place, the methadone clinic, and Liquormart. The Devil's Triangle. My rent will never go up."

Happy Columbus Day...or not

As I was walking through the Christian Science Center this afternoon, I was greeted with a concert on the lawn. I was a little surprised until I remembered that today, in celebration of Columbus Day, Fenway museums hold their Open Our Doors event, where admission charges are dropped and most hold special events (like the aforementioned concert).

I covered this event a few years ago, so I tend to notice it even if I don't partake. One of the things I think about is the somewhat awkward timing. From one perspective it makes sense. Odds are it will be a beautiful, fall day and most parents are home with their kids looking for something special to do. However, from another perspective it's a bit insensitive. Organizers of the event tout it as a way to give back, and they try to target the black community (Fenway neighbors Roxbury, Dorchester, and the South End) specifically in their attempt to welcome those who might not otherwise visit their museums. When I interviewed some of the organizers, they were commenting on the low turnout of inner-city residents. Of course, most in that community don't see Columbus Day as a holiday worth celebrating, so it seems an odd choice of days.