Culture in Boston
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The
Many consider Boston a highly cultured city, perhaps as a result of its intellectual reputation. Mark Twain once wrote of it, "In New York, they ask, 'How much money does he have?' In Philadelphia, they ask, 'Who were his parents?' In Boston they ask, 'How much does he know?'"[3] Much of Boston's culture originates at its universities.[4][5]
Performing arts
The
Boston is also home to a wide array of music - from bands like
Pop music manager
There are also countless lesser known local musicians, thanks to a thriving underground music scene. In contrast to what might be considered the more "refined" aspects of Boston's culture, the city is also
Boston was also the center of a thriving and influential indie rock, college rock, post-punk and new wave scenes throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including bands like
Boston is also known for its
Actress and Latin pop singer Sasha Sokol relocated to Boston after leaving Timbiriche in the mid-1980s. Sokol recorded her solo debut album while still residing in Boston, only to return to Mexico City in order to do television work. Sasha remains the only Latin pop act to have been based in Boston.
Current music venues support a diverse array of live music throughout Boston. Venues support local bands, and showcase national touring acts. Clubs include
Visual arts
Museums dedicated to visual art in the Boston area include the
Numerous art galleries are located on Newbury Street, in the South End and in the Fort Point Channel area. Some of the most influential and longest running galleries in these areas include the Bernard Toale Gallery, Barbara Krakow Gallery, Howard Yezerski Gallery. The Boston Sculptors Gallery is one of only a handful of cooperative sculpture galleries in the country. The Boston Art Dealers Association sponsors artist talks, panels and awards ceremonies on a seasonal basis.
The
In addition, the Boston Public Library (BPL) and the Boston Athenæum each have large collections of art, books, and research materials, and regularly host cultural events and exhibits. The BPL collects and exhibits drawings by living Boston artists, and the Athenæum hosts annual shows by member artists.
The Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX East convention is also held here every year in March. This event is known as one of the largest gatherings of gamers and exhibiting studios, next to other major events like the Game Developers Conference. Growing exponentially with each annual iteration, the expo is well known to many in the gaming industry, and continues to draw crowds every year to the Boston Convention Center.
Events
Several major events occur annually in Boston. One of the best-known is the Boston Marathon, one of the oldest and most prestigious marathon races in the world. Taking place on the third Monday in April, the Marathon attracts professional runners from all over the world, and hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents gather to watch and cheer on the runners, who range from first-time participants to well-known athletes.
Boston was also the first major city to host the annual First Night festival, which occurs during New Year's Eve. It is a major arts and activity festival which attracts over 1.5 million people. Started in 1976, it has since been emulated in other cities worldwide. The Saint Patrick's Day Parade occurs in March and is popular with the city's large Irish population.
The Boston
The Boston Film Festival is held annually in early September. Also, on the weekend following Labor Day, the boutiques on Newbury Street close as over thirty art galleries spill out onto the street, providing access to their contents during Art Newbury Street.
Every year from June to September, celebrations honoring several
In October, the Boston Book Festival takes over Copley Square for a day attracting around 32,000 attendees. This free annual event promotes a culture of reading and ideas and enhances the vibrancy of our city with author keynotes, panels, live music, and activities for all ages. Coming Summer 2015, the Boston Book Festival will launch Hubbub, its first festival just for kids. Programming includes author appearances, music, storytelling, creative workshops, puppets, and yoga/dance classes.
Food
Cuisine in Boston is similar to the rest of
Boston has many restaurants, including those serving various ethnic cuisines. Since the 1980s Boston has been undergoing an unexpected Renaissance in its culinary life, spearheaded by chefs of national stature such as Jasper White, Ming Tsai, and Todd English. Their respective restaurants, Summer Shack, Blue Ginger, and Olives have greatly enhanced foodie options in Boston. The influence of Julia Child, a long-time Cambridge resident and PBS TV star, lives on as well.
The
Boston's
The North End has a variety of Italian restaurants, pizzerias, and bakeries and is well known as Boston's "Little Italy." A favorite spot bringing in tourists is Mike's Pastry, located on Hanover Street and is extremely popular for its cannolis. Newbury Street has many ethnic street cafes, while Copley Place houses a multitude of restaurants, also the home of Legal Sea Foods, a New England institution that offers gourmet seafood dishes.
For decades, Boston has a hosted a two-day-a-week open-air market known as
Boston has a strong local food scene, gathering from the bountiful resources and agriculture in New England. Boston has over 27 open air farmers markets and a handful of active winter markets, find them at BostonFarmersMarkets.org. The Boston Local Food Festival also attracts a scene and is a good resource to taste the local wares every September, attracting 25,000 attendees.
Black culture
Black culture in Boston is very colorful. Blue Hill Avenue runs through Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury. The three neighborhoods have a large community of African American people. The Avenue is home to many hair and nail salons, as well as Chinese, Caribbean, and soul food restaurants. There are numerous community centers, like the Mattahunt, in Mattapan. The Mattahunt is an elementary school with after-school and summer camp programs. There are numerous Boys and Girls clubs and YMCAs. The Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts is located in Dorchester. This school has been open since the late 1960s. It teaches jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap, African, and modern dance. Franklin Park Zoo is located on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester.
Religion
Boston has been a noted religious center from its earliest days. The
LGBT community
Boston is home to many LGBT groups, such as the
See also
- Boston Arts Festival
- Boston in fiction
- List of public art in Boston
- List of tourist attractions in Boston
- List of songs about Boston
- List of television shows set in Boston
- Media in Boston
- Sports in Boston
References
Specific
- ^ Vorhees 2009, p. 52.
- ^ Baker, Billy (2008-05-25). "Wicked good Bostonisms come, and mostly go". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
- ^ Phelan, Joseph (11-2004). Boston Marathon. Artcyclopedia. Accessed October 1, 2005.
- ^ "Boston Culture". Columbus Travel Media Ltd. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ Phelan, Joseph (November 2004). "Boston Marathon". Artcyclopedia.
- ^ Hull 2011, pp. 53–55.
- ^ "Who We Are". Handel and Haydn Society. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
- ^ "About". Boston Cyberarts. Boston Cyberarts, Inc. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "Boston Harborfest - About". Boston Harborfest Inc. 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ^ "Our Story: About Us". Boston 4 Celebrations Foundation. 2010. Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ^ Hull 2011, p. 207.
- ^ St. Anthony's Feast
- ^ Vorhees 2009, pp. 148–151.
- ^ History of the Union Oyster House Archived 2006-07-17 at the Wayback Machine. Union Oyster House, Boston, MA at www.unionoysterhouse.com.
- ^ "Home page". Boston Farmers Markets. Boston Farmers Markets. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ^ "Farmers' Markets". Mass.gov. Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ISBN 9781587680083.
- ^ "Gay and Lesbian". Boston-online.com. 2010-01-24. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "Parade". Bostonpride.org. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
General
- The Boston Indicators Project (2004). The Boston Foundation.
- Patricia Harris and David Lyon (1999). Boston. Oakland, CA: Compass American Guides. ISBN 0-679-00284-7.
- Hull, Sarah (2011), The Rough Guide to Boston (6 ed.), Penguin, ISBN 9781405382472
- Rambow, John D.; et al. (2003). Fodor's Boston. New York: Fodors Travel Publication. ISBN 1-4000-1028-4.
- Vorhees, Mara (2009), Lonely Planet Boston City Guide (4 ed.), Lonely Planet, ISBN 9781741791785