Sunday, December 19, 2010

Peabody Square Tree Lighting 2010

It was another amazing Peabody Square Tree Lighting ceremony. This eclectic mix of Dorchester neighbors gathered around a new attraction, the Peabody Square Moon Sculpture dressed in a amazingly fun Santa hat! It was a great night of carols and of course a visit from the Santa Trolley, while everyone enjoyed the refreshments from local businesses.

Mexican Restaurant Coming to Lower Dot

We drove by this sign on Dot Ave. today for a new Mexican restaurant north of Peabody Square. We are so excited, because there are no Mexican restaurants on our side of Dot. We hope to review them soon...

Sea Breeze Mexican Grill
1782 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
Located on Dorchester Avenue at the corner of Shepton Street. Just north of the Ashmont T stop and southeast of the Shawmut T stop.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Peabody Square Tree Lighting 2010


On Saturday, Nov. 27th the annual Peabody Square Holiday Tree Lighting will be held around 7:30 pm. As usual Santa and Mrs. Clause will visit via a city tour trolley and holiday munchies will be provided by the Peabody Square Firehouse.

UPDATE: The festivities are scheduled begin at 7:00 and we recommend you arrive then to enjoy in all the activities!

See our post from last year: Peabody Square Tree Lighting

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Dorchester Open Studios on October 23rd and 24th


Every year Dorchester Open Studios showcases the best artists in our neighborhood. This year it runs from noon to 5 on Saturday 10/23 and Sunday 10/24. Check out our blog entry from 2006 for a description: Dot Open Studios 2006

Friday, October 08, 2010

Help Save the Lower Mills Library! Part 2

As we had previously posted, the Trustees of the Boston Public Library are threatening to close the Lower Mills Branch. Where they should be finding ways to equally distribute the budget issues caused by the poor economy across the system, instead they are targeting a vibrant part of our community for closure. There will be an important public working session on Monday October 25 at 6:30 pm at the Lower Mills Branch (27 Richmond Street in Dorchester) and we encourage everyone to come and make their voice heard.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Peabody Square Sleeping Moon Dedication

Embracing Dorchester's growing art community, the new and improved Peabody Square will include a sculpture by local artist and Ashmont Hill resident Joseph Wheelwright. Come join the mayor and Boston City Singers in celebrating this new Dorchester monument (will it rival the giant Clapp pear in Edward Everett Square? Can anything rival that pear?). The ceremony starts at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, October 26th (DATE CHANGE) and will be held at Ashmont Station Plaza at the corner Ashmont Street and Dorchester Ave.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Boston.com connects to Dot

We were incredibly disappointed when the Boston Globe discontinued the City Weekly section (we must admit we even canceled our subscription over it - well that and their negative depiction of urban teachers, which is an important part of who we are). We use to love drinking a fresh brewed cup of coffee and looking over the pages describing what was going on in the other 'hoods of Beantown. However, deep down inside we have always rooted for the Globe to turn itself around. We know they have the potential and there is still nostalgia there. So we think this may be the first step...

Today, the Globe and their website boston.com have launched a new section focusing on the neighborhoods of Boston. Although not all neighborhoods are featured yet, we are excited they have realized that the suburbs are not all that makes the Boston area great. Of course, they have chosen Dorchester as one of their first neighborhoods to cover, because of its undeniable hipness and amazing diversity (and we also assume because the Globe offices are located right here in Dorchester). So check out their site and be sure to let the Globe know what you think of it.

Dorchester @ boston.com
Your Town @ boston.com

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Mad Men Sundays at Tavolo



Do you love the stylized sets and witty dialogue of the television program Mad Men, which follows the world surrounding early 1960s Madison Avenue? Do you wish you could go somewhere hip, imbibe 1960s styled cocktails, and pretend you were in the program? If your answer to these two questions was yes, then you must watch the rest of season 4 on Sunday nights (10 pm) at Tavolo.

The bar has been pretty packed, so make sure you arrive a little early and be prepared to dine on recipes from 1960s housewife magazines. We particularly enjoyed the spinach and artichoke dip served with historically accurate Ritz crackers and the mini egg salad sandwiches. Chris enjoyed an old fashioned (which has been for some time his favorite drink) and Erin had obviously no qualms about the tasty gimlet. For our health, it is a good thing that we don't smoke as much as they did a half century ago, but to hold you over Tavolo sometimes supplies super fun candy cigarettes.

www.tavolopizza.com
1918 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
617.822.1918
Located on Dochester Ave. just north of the intersection of Beale Street. Just west of the Ashmont T stop (near the southern entrance/exit).


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Dorchester Declared Thriving by WGBH!

It has been almost two decades since WGBH discontinued its nightly program called The Ten O'Clock News focusing on urban Boston, so we were excited when Emily Rooney's Greater Boston decided to examine why neighborhoods like Dorchester are experiencing a surge in housing sales in the middle of tough times for real estate.

Overall, we were incredibly impressed by our spokesman and Dot resident Donna Latson Gittens as she explained to the world why Dot is the place to be: community, diversity, garages, and green space! Although we usually enjoy Emily Rooney's program, we were a bit intrigued by her negative view of Dorchester (despite admitting she has not really been here) that she struggled to overcome throughout the segment (perhaps this is the Back Bay effect?). We would have expected someone with her intellect to understand that urban violence is a problem that exists throughout the city and that Dorchester (a 10-15 minute subway ride) is closer to downtown than Wellesley (a 45 minute commuter rail ride). However, the program did do a great job of explaining why new groups (they described as "a third gay, a third young people, and a third old Boston Irish") are moving into the best neighborhood of Boston. We hope Emily Rooney and Greater Boston make Donna Latson Gittens a regular visitor to their program. Watch the segment here...



Monday, August 02, 2010

Calling All Dorchester Artists

The Dorchester Arts Collaborative (DAC) has an open call for participants in their 2010 Open Studios on October 23rd and 24th. Please consider registering for Open Studios. For more information, go to www.thedac.org and click on “Open Studios.” Registration before September 1st is only $40 and guarantees that your name and site location will be on the map and all collateral materials (registration after September 1st goes up to $65).

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Don't Forget To Eat Your Vegetables

It is farmers' market time again in Dorchester. We highly recommend forgoing your trip to the supermarket when you can buy the freshest locally grown produce at one of the three farmers' markets in Lower Dot. With locations at Ashmont/Peabody Square (which has moved to its rightful place in the plaza at the northern entrance of the new station), Milton Lower Mills Wharf (just over the bridge from Dorchester - behind the store fronts on Adams Street), and Fields Corner (in the parking lot across the street from Town Field).

Here is the schedule:
Milton Lower Mills Wharf Farmer's Market: Thursday 1-6
Ashmont/Peabody Square Farmer's Market: Friday 3-7
Fields Corner Farmer's Market: Saturdays from 9-12.

Check out our blog entry on farmers' markets from four years ago: Milton Lower Mills Wharf Farmer's Market blog entry and this Dorchester Reporter story from last week: Cookouts, Fireworks, and Farmers' Markets.




(Top photo courtesy of Ashmont/Peabody Square Farmers' Market)

Monday, July 12, 2010

Introducing "Dorchester Dottie!"

There is Fenway Frank and South End Sally, and now Boston's best neighborhood (and the one where they park the off-duty boats) has its own duck boat to travel the streets of Beantown having tourists quack ridiculously at all they pass by. Introducing "Dorchester Dottie" and her lovely pink polka dotted paint job. To celebrate her maiden voyage, Ashmont Grill will be hosting a bar-b-que lunch on Saturday, August 14 from 11-2 in her honor (with all proceeds to Quack Quack Give Back Program, which contributes to the Boston Public Library and other local charities). It will include all kinds of summertime food, and yes, they will be serving duck kebabs (both humorous and a little disturbing like Charlie the Tuna). Here is the best part, meals as cheap as $5 and you can eat them aboard the new duck boat.

www.bostonducktours.com

www.ashmontgrill.com
555 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester
617.825.4300
Located in Peabody Square at the intersection of Dorchester Ave, Ashmont Street and Talbot Ave. Just north of the Ashmont T stop.


(Top photo courtesy of Dorchester Tire Service)

Friday, July 02, 2010

U2 Tribute Band to Play Dorchester Park



It seems appropriate that a tribute band for Ireland's greatest rock band will hold a concert in Dorchester's greatest park. Joshua Tree, Boston's most popular U2 tribute band, will be rocking out on Thursday, July 29th at 7 pm at the baseball diamond. It is free and open to the public. Let's hope they play, "Where the Streets Have No Name." I am sure they will!

www.dotpark.org
Dorchester Park
2174 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
Located on Dorchester Ave. just north of St. Gregory's Parish on Dorchester Ave. Just south or the Carney Hospital. Just west of the Cedar Grove T stop (Ashmont-Mattapan Trolley) or about 3/4 of a mile south of the Ashmont T stop.

Friday, June 04, 2010

Flatblack Ashmont Station Extends Hours

Have you ever walked out of the Ashmont T station after work and craved a coffee from Flatblack, but when you walked over to the door it was closed? Well, the folks at Flatblack have a solution for you! They are extending their hours to 7 pm. Now you can sip a latte or munch on a ham and cheese croissant from 6 am to 7 pm weekdays (but still only 7-2 on Saturdays) making this an even better place to meet up friends or study in the early evening (and perhaps they will play some Radiohead over the stereo system making it near perfect).

To add to this, the Dorchester Reporter says that Flatblack is preparing the permits to have outdoor patio seating at their Ashmont location to give it a "European touch." Exciting!

www.flatblackcoffeecompany.com
1906 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
617.825.1440
Located in Peabody Square on Dorchester Ave. Just west of the Ashmont T stop.

Dorchester Day is Here Again!

It is time once again for Dorchester Day, when the neighborhood celebrates its very own holiday. If you are new to the neighborhood then get ready for one heck of a party commemorating the founding of Dorchester as a town in 1630 (Dorchester was later annexed to Boston in 1870). The parade starts Sunday, June 6th at 1 pm in Lower Mills and heads north up Dorchester Avenue, ending at Columbia Road.

As always the Dorchester Reporter is your best bet for parade information and coverage. See you at the Dot Day parade!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Ashmont Hill Super Yard Sale This Weekend!


The weather should be awesome for the best neighborhood yard sale in the United States (hands down, the best!). So, this Saturday May 22nd, head on over to Ashmont Hill from 9 am to 2 pm and enjoy sifting through all the cool stuff people have for sale. You can even stop for brunch afterward at the Ashmont Grill. Perfect.

www.ashmonthill.org
Located west of Peabody Square. Exit the northern end of the Ashmont T stop, walk up Dorchester Ave., and then turn left on Ashmont Street, follow signs to yard sales.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

My Dot Tour

A cool new event is happening in the 'hood this June. MyDotTour is a program that helps local teens in the community learn about Dorchester’s multicultural history. After going through this program, neighborhood kids will serve as tour guides for a tour of Fields Corner. The MyDotTour kick off event is happening on Saturday, June 5th 2010, Dorchester Day Weekend! For more info: mydorchester.org/youth/mydottour

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Lower Dot's Chris Douglas Cooking for All on NECN...



Dorchester executive chef Chris Douglas (of Ashmont Grill and Tavolo) made an appearance on Billy Costa's TV Diner (on NECN) this week, where he taught us how to make a sweet and savory duck salad. If you missed it, here it is...

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Brother's Crawfish

Word on the street is that there is a new Asian-Cajun fusion restaurant in the Fields Corner section of Lower Dot (You heard me right, Asian-Cajun fusion!). Brother's Crawfish has recently opened their doors on Adams Street and if it is up to our standards we will be reviewing them soon...

www.brotherscrawfish.com
272 Adams Street, Dorchester
617.265.1100
Located on Adams Street at the corner of Park Street. Just east of the Fields Corner T stop.

Have you been to Brother's Crawfish? Rate it below.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Help Save the Lower Mills Library!

The Trustees of the Boston Public Library have made a purposeful choice to close the Lower Mills library (and branches in East Boston, Brighton, and South Boston) and we are asking that as community members you take action to help prevent this from happening. In Lower Mills, the library serves such an important role as place for both education and community building and closing it jeopardizes the centerpiece of this section of the neighborhood, one that has existed since 1875.

What can you do:
1. Attend the benefit at Ledge (2261 Dorchester Avenue) on Wednesday, April 14th at 6 pm. Cost is $15. Call Vic Campbell at 617.822.4046 for more information.
2. Go to the Lower Mills Library and find out how to sign the petition.
3. Write the mayor, our city councilors, and state representatives to tell them your personal stories about the Lower Mills library.

For more info read: the Dorchester Reporter Story with Video.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Easter Egg Hunt at Ashmont Grill

Ashmont Grill will be holding an Easter egg hunt on April 4th at 10 am. They say come one come all. It sounds like fun...

We are unsure of the date of the annual Easter egg hunt at Dot Park. We will let you know if we get any details. Happy Easter!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Peabody Square Tree Lighting

We forgot to post these pictures, but here is the Peabody Square Tree Lighting in December 2009! Better late than never. Happy holidays!