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Outdoor Concerts and Movies in South Boston

Outdoor Concert in South Boston

A movie, perhaps some music, maybe even a bit of dancing – all can add some spice to the already pleasant evenings of summer. Listed below are a few summer series that bring the old and the new, the classic and the edgy, right to our neighborhood.

“Summer in the City” at the Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf: Enjoy live concerts, al fresco dining and classic movies on the big screen four nights a week from now through the first week of September. Tuesday evenings feature Soul music; Wednesdays showcase Rat Pack tunes; Thursdays it’s the Blues; and on Fridays, cinema (including, for example, The African Queen on July 17^th and Young Frankenstein the next week)! The bands play from 6:00 – 10:00 pm, and movies start at dusk.

“Wavelengths” at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Avenue: A wonderful selection of waterfront concerts and D.J. nights awaits. Doors open at 6:30 pm for the ICA’s new Friday music series. They are giving the stage over to both well-established and newly-blossoming acts whose music spans an exciting style spectrum.

“Lunch Breaks, Dance Parties and DJs” at Lawn on D, 420 D Street: Take a lunch break between noon and 2:00 pm any (or every) Friday through October 9th, and head over to hear concerts presented by the prestigious Berklee College of Music’s Summer in the City program. Until the end of July, Friday nights feature D Street Dance Parties, where everyone, regardless of age or dance experience, comes together for fun. Amazing DJs play a range of tunes from 6:00 – 9:00 pm to get people in the groove. And on Saturdays, check out the local DJs, musicians and music industry luminaries sharing rock, r&b, punk and more. Beer and wine is available for purchase, as is food from Lincoln Tavern. There are even food trucks set to stop by. Saturday evening events begin at 6:30 or 7:00. Look at the calendar for updated information.

“Mayor Walsh’s Movie Nights” at Moakley Park, 1005 Columbia Road: The Boxtrolls will be shown under the stars in one of South Boston’s lovely parks on Monday, August 10^th. Presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and Northeastern University, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment, all movies in this family-friendly series – held in a different park each week — begin at dusk.

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: Veer.com

Best of Boston Winners in Southie!

Dew Luxe South Boston Store

The “Best of Boston” winners for 2015 have been announced. And many of them are right here in Southie. We knew we were surrounded by greatness! Let’s congratulate our neighbors who were recognized for the pizzazz, fun and deliciousness they bring to our community:

Best Fine Women’s Clothing: Dew Luxe : 36 A Street

A visit to this luxury consignment shop, whose motto is “luxury for less,” is a treat. Not only are the products special, and often gorgeous (think Stella McCartney, Gucci and Tom Ford, for example), they are also displayed beautifully.

Best Birthday Party Location: Boston Fire Museum: 344 Congress Street

Set in an old firehouse, the Boston Fire Museum preserves and displays fire-fighting memorabilia from the Boston area, and educates the general public about fire safety. Birthday parties here are legendary.

Best Fried Clams: Yankee Lobster Co. : 300 Northern Avenue

This iconic New England food is served up right: Yum! Yankee Lobster Company has a huge menu of other appetizers, plus seafood platters, stews, chowders, and so on, too.

And here are the other local winners:

Best Wine Shop: Social Wines; 52 W. Broadway

Best Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company; 369 Congress Street

Best Beer Program: Row 34; 383 Congress Boston

Best Lobster Roll: James Hook & Co.; 15-17 Northern Avenue

Best Chowder: The Daily Catch Seaport; 2 Northern Avenue

Best Kids’ Lunch: Pastorlal; 345 Congress Street

Best Eyebrow Shaping: Lauren Genatossio at Sarra; 840 Summer Street

Best Women’s Haircut: Kara Hurston at Shag; 840 Summer Street

Best Health Gym: The Club by George Foreman III; 15 Channel Center Street

There’s also a special ”Best of” section specifically focused on South Boston:

Best Neighborhood Restaurant: Cafe Porto Bello

Best Neighborhood Bar: Local 149

Best Neighborhood Shopping: Neatly Nested

Best Neighborhood Diversion: Thomas Park

Congratulations to all the winners!

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team.

Photography credit: The Dew Luxe Team.

A Profile of Michael O’Brien, Real Estate Sales Associate

Michael O'Brien

A real estate agent helps people buy, rent or sell a home, office, building, or land. To do that well, an agent needs extraordinary people skills. Nurturing relationships that are often critical to the making of major life decisions, including where exactly to put down roots, what kind of space to settle into, and so on, is central to the real estate business. Assisting with both the staging of houses and other properties (making them attractive to prospective buyers) and the imagining of what one might be able to do with a given place, are also key. So having a realtor in the neighborhood who is at once keen on people and community and also keen on aesthetics, is a decided plus: Meet Michael O’Brien!

Michael has been a real estate sales associate– and working at Joyce Lebedew Real Estate – since 2008. Because houses had always been a passion of his, including home décor, renovation, gardening, etc., moving into real estate was a natural next step. He brings to this passion a talent for design: For close to two decades he owned his own floral design and event design business in Newton.

But even before joining Joyce Lebedew Real Estate, Michael joined our community. He moved to South Boston in 2006, “because I was attracted to the beach, the friendliness of the people and the openness of the community,” he explains. “South Boston has a small-town feel in a city setting. I love watching the changes all around us – young professionals moving in; lots of construction. I love the energy.” He also “truly enjoy[s] helping people find their new home.”

Since the fall of 2010, Michael has also been working as a special events designer with Winston Flowers, the premiere floral design company in the Boston area. When he’s not following up on a hot property, or delving deep into design options, he can be found soaking up the sun at the beach, practicing yoga or working out at the gym.

Michael O’Brien, Sales Associate

michael@joycelebedewrealestate.com

617.331.2035

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Celebrating July 4th in South Boston

History and summer fun meet next weekend, when the entire country celebrates the birth of our independent nation. Some towns will be hosting parades with floats, marching bands and local heroes like firefighters and police officers taking in the applause from onlookers. Some will put on spectacular fireworks displays. Let’s see what South Boston has up its sleeve for July 4th:

Boston Harborfest 2015 is a renowned festival that brings the history of the American Revolution into focus through reenactments, concerts, and walking tours. Presented by the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Harborfest begins with an opening ceremony on Wednesday, July 1^st, and continues through Sunday, July 5^th. Check out the Boston Harbor Sunset Tall Ship Cruise, setting sail daily at both 6:00 and 6:30 pm.

Castle Island, at 2010 William J. Day Blvd., boasts a wealth of activities from which to choose. There’s Pleasure Bay, with a lovely beach and spectacular views of the city; there’s the Harborwalk, plus a fenced-in playground for little kids, and Sullivan’s, a restaurant famous for its fried clams and ice cream. And then there’s Fort Independence. The fort overlooks Boston Harbor’s islands. On July 4^th, the USS Constitution – the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat — will come to rest at the fort, just as it does every year. Upon reaching Fort Independence, a 21-gun salute will be fired from the great ship in commemoration of the struggle for independence. You can even watch the July 4^th fireworks from Castle Island, as they light up behind the city skyline. Fort Independence and Castle Island are on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and charge no admission fees.

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Dave Kaylor, via Wikimedia Commons

New Local Beach Opens, with Families in Mind

Family on South Boston Beach

Sand, Surf, Sun: A day at the beach is a summertime treat. And South Boston is blessed with some very nice beaches indeed. This summer, a new “family-friendly” site is opening: Earlier this month, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that as of June 20^th, families can head to an enclosed stretch of beach along Boston Harbor, on the M Street side of the Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) Curley Community Center (1663 Columbia Road). Clean water, lifeguards, outdoor showers, beach game equipment, picnic tables (even with umbrellas) and changing tables in the restrooms answer so many family needs. There’s even WiFi – perhaps Boston’s only beach with wireless access — and an indoor area. The season membership fee per family is $5.00; memberships can be purchased at the K Street entrance of the BCYF Curley Community Center.

Members will get smart-card IDs, which the city will use to gather information to contribute to planning for next summer. For example, they’ll follow use trends to see if they need more staffing at certain times of the day, or if beach access hours should be extended.

The Curley Community Center is housed in what was once known as the L Street Bathhouse, which opened in 1931 to give families access to showers and recreational facilities along the beach. The largest public recreational facility in the City of Boston, it covers a quarter mile of land! Beach-going families might want to check out Curley’s great fitness and teen centers, and range of summer program offerings.

South Boston’s Family Friendly Beach

Open seven days a week through Labor Day weekend

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: Veer.com

Boston Taste of the Nation

Here’s what makes “Boston Taste of the Nation” even more magnificent than we imagine this spectacular culinary event to be: 100% of Taste of the Nation ticket sales support No Kid Hungry’s efforts to end childhood hunger! No Kid Hungry is an initiative of an organization called Share Our Strength. One in five children in the United States struggles with hunger on a regular basis. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is working to end hunger among children in our country by getting nutritious food to those in need, and offering guidance in the preparation of healthy meals.

Boston Taste of the Nation, scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, from 7:00 – 10:00 pm, is Boston’s hottest food and beverage affair. More than 60 Boston-area chefs (a number of superstars among them) will convene at Cruiseport Boston (1 Black Falcon Avenue/Black Falcon Pier, Boston 02210) where guests will have an opportunity to taste splendid creations and sample recommended pairings of food with beer, wine and spirits.

General admission tickets are $95. Pay $150 for VIP admission, and arrive an hour earlier (at 6:00) for special access to all the offerings (and the chefs) at the gathering, including the silent auction. Only VIP guests receive a mini bottle of Mionetto Prosecco! Tickets are going fast. Join us as we support efforts to end the scourge of childhood hunger around the country.

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: Veer.com

Southie Family Fun Day

South Boston continues to polish its reputation as very family-friendly: On Saturday, June 6^th, local families and their friends will be coming together for a day of simple family-oriented fun. Here’s a way to celebrate one another, and our great town.

From 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at Marine Park on Farragut Road, join the MOMS Club of South Boston as they host Southie Family Fun Day. Free and open to the public, the event features face painting and arts and crafts as well as performances and a range of other kid-focused activities. Local businesses and community groups participate by highlighting some of their good work.

Southie Family Fun Day had its debut in 2009. As the MOMS Club (which boasts over 200 members) explains, “We are passionate about making South Boston a community where children and families feel free to play, engage in their community, and connect with each other.”

Here’s to a fabulous day of fun- both with and for families!

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: Veer.com

Support the Donny Higgins Memorial Fund

True friends take notice of what matters to each other and, when possible, help support the efforts and dreams of their pals. Exceptional friends devote themselves to making sure those dreams are realized when obstacles get in the way. South Boston native Donny Higgins passed away in July of 2010. His childhood friends and his brother, modeling what extraordinary friendship can be, have been working to sustain Donny’s legacy, including his commitment to the South Boston Youth Sports Program.

The Donny Higgins Memorial Fund was created by those friends, and now co-chaired by his brother, to do just that: Its focus is the maintenance of a street hockey rink on Farragut Road, the one available for local kids during the summer when Murphy Rink – an ice rink – is closed. This past December, Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill that officially designates that street hockey rink as the Donald F. Higgins Memorial Street Hockey Arena.

The Memorial Fund is currently inviting potential arena sponsors to donate $500 for a sign with a company name and logo, or family name, which will be posted inside the rink for two years. The Donny Higgins Memorial Fund is a nonprofit charitable organization, so donations are tax deductible. For more information about sponsorships, contact Billy Higgins at 45Lstreet@gmail.com, or Paul Kostas (Co-chair) at paul.kostas@westin.com.

In addition, EVERYONE in South Boston is invited to celebrate “Family Fun Day,” on Saturday, June 13, at the Donald Higgins Memorial Arena, which is between Broadway and East Second Street on Farragut Road. Come to play in or cheer on teams during the street hockey tournament, from 8:00 am to 5:45 pm. There will be all kinds of family-friendly activities from noon until 4:00 pm, followed by a dedication of the Memorial Arena at 6:00. (June 1^st is the registration deadline for individuals or teams to compete in the tournament. Contact Joe Burke at jburke113@gmail.com.) See you there!

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: Veer.com

Memorial Day 2015

Memorial Day weekend always marks the unofficial beginning of summer, which we’ll celebrate with special joy this year, given the trying winter we experienced. Memorial Day is also a time to celebrate something else – the efforts of those who died while fighting as part of the U.S. military.

To pay tribute to the fallen, Southie residents can visit the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, located in the M Street Park. A formal tribute is to take place this Sunday, May 24^th at 9:15am. Members of the Thomas J. Fitzgerald Post #561 will march to the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, where they will conduct a ceremony and lay a wreath in remembrance. South Boston residents are invited to attend this event.

On Monday, May 25^th, Honor and Tribute: Memorial Day Concert, will be presented on Boston Common. Through music and song, Bostonians will recall the sacrifices of all who served our country and didn’t make it home, and honor their memory. Come hear the Boston Children’s Chorus and the Metropolitan Wind Symphony Orchestra in a spectacular setting, where you can also view the Garden of Flags. The concert, presented by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the City of Boston Veterans’ Services in collaboration with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, is a free event.

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Say it isn’t so: In fact, it isn’t!

Word on the street is that Boston is a very pet un-friendly town, at least where landlords are concerned. However, the truth is that South Boston, in particular, is very pet FRIENDLY. Joyce Lebedew Real Estate (JLRE), based in South Boston, makes a practice of carrying listings of rental properties whose landlords welcome pets. Indeed, JLRE has brokered the rental of approximately 1,400 pet-friendly homes! The company also has had a million dollars’ more market share in rental business than the next most successful local real estate company since 2008, showing that convincing landlords to allow pets has paid off.

The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that more than 36% of households across the United States have a dog, and more than 30% have a cat. A 2012 study by a company called Mintel has a breakdown of the statistics of pet ownership, sharing that 62% of dog owners own one dog; 26% own two; 7% own 3 three and 5% own four or more. 49% of cat owners have one cat; 29% own two, 11% own three and 11% own four or more. With so many pet-loving potential home renters around, it seems reasonable that landlords allow – and even encourage and support – pet ownership in their units. At JLRE, we actually find pet owners more responsible and have never had a complaint or issue with any of the pets!

Blog post by the Joyce Lebedew Real Estate Team

Photography credit: Veer.com