Copley Square

Low blow in Copley Square

adamg — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:45:24 +0000

A pawnbroker dumped 900 pounds of Butterfingers candy bars in Copley Square today to commemorate Wes Welker's performance in the Super Bowl. The CEO claims he loves to talk to people; you can let him know what you think at 720-320-7777.

UPDATE: The mayor's office reports:

Code enforcement has tracked company's address and contacts; will be issuing violation for commercial dumping.

That could mean a fine of up to $1,000.

Not everybody looks kindly upon the guy who roams Copley Square on a sail-equipped scooter

adamg — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:58:11 +0000

Scooterdude reports some of the less-than-favorable reactions he gets from people, including the ever popular "get a job!" and motorists who scream at him about taking up valuable road space. Also:

There's the 'deer-in-the-headlights' reaction when a pedestrian crossing against the traffic light steps right in front of the Wind-scooter, stops and, stunned, waits for there to be a collision. Fortunately, both my skill and the braking feature of the scooter secures my immediate halt.

Well thumbed

adamg — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:54:18 +0000

Photographynatalia recently made a trip to the BPL main library in Copley Square for a bridal show, but she walked around the rest of the library as well.

Copyright Photographynatalia. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Occupy First Night

adamg — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:18:07 +0000

An icy end to the year

adamg — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:27:11 +0000

From Boston (above) to Needham, ice sculptors welcomed the New Year.

Eeka photographs an ice dragon in the making in Brookline.

Needham photo copyright Paul Keleher. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Day of protests in Copley Square

adamg — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:02:32 +0000

Occupy Boston moved over to Copley Square for a "general assembly" today even as Syrian expatriates and supporters were protesting for a free Syria. Richard Beaubien was there.

Copyright Richard Beaubien. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

FBI hunts two robbers who hit the same TD Bank branch on Boylston Street

adamg — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:27:36 +0000

11/27/11 - 4:00 pm

The FBI reports the TD Bank branch at 535 Boylston St. was held up Sunday afternoon by a man who gave a teller a note.

He's described as black, about 6 feet tall, mid 40s and heavy, and was wearing a brown knit hat with a stripe, white button down shirt with a white tank top underneath, dark colored pants and black sneakers.

The FBI is also looking for a white guy who pulled the same basic maneuver at the bank on Nov. 17. He's described as 5'8" or 5'9" with a medium build and in his 20s.

The branch was also held up on Aug. 4.

BRA approves 47-story Copley Place tower

adamg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:22:11 +0000

The Herald reports on last night's BRA meeting on a developer's plan to build a tower with 318 condos and new retail space above the existing Neiman Marcus.

You know a protest movement is serious when it gets its own song

adamg — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:56:30 +0000

No, not Occupy Boston or Whose Foods. Bob Feldman belts out a protest against the proposed skyscraper on top of Neiman Marcus at Copley Place. Lyrics.

'A little messy down there, but it is democracy at work'

adamg — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:54:04 +0000

NorthEndWaterfront.com posts video from a Greenway Conservancy board meeting at which board members discussed the Occupy Boston encampment at Dewey Square.

Meanwhile, it looks like Occupy Boston might be putting down some roots in Copley Square.

Test-driving Hubway

JennyMack — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:17:20 +0000

BU Today's Leslie Friday takes Hubway for a spin to find out what all of the fuss is about:

All along Newbury Street and Comm Ave, habitual bikers whiz by me, their backdraft mocking my steady, but slower, speed. Hubway bikes are made for heavy-duty use by people of all skill levels—more like beach cruisers than speed racers, so I enjoy the sights. The Citgo sign looms as I cross back onto campus. By now my legs are burning, the setting sun is striking me squarely in the eyes, and I’m going uphill to my last stop: FitRec.

[...] So, lessons learned: visit Hubway’s site beforehand, bring a helmet and a cell phone, and don’t rely on these bikes if you’re on a tight schedule. I wasn’t, so I chalked it up as another urban adventure.

Have you tried Hubway yet? What have your experiences been so far?

Test-Driving Hubway | BU Today

Tower at new Old South not as old as rest of new Old South

adamg — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:20:21 +0000

Old South tower reconstruction, 1937.

By 1932, the tower at what was then called New Old South Church in Copley Square was leaning so much the church had to tear it down for fear it would topple over. Construction began in 1937 on a replica replacement that, so far, has not become a leaning tower of Boston atop the original 1875 church.

Leslie Jones photographed both the demolition of the old tower and the construction of the new one - here in a shot from the Lenox Hotel. More photos, in the BPL's Boston churches collection.

Posted under this Creative Commons license.

BPL, MIT get federal grant to highlight work of ceiling master

adamg — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:32:38 +0000

A $350,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant will let the Boston Public Library and MIT mount a traveling exhibition of the work of Rafael Guastavino, whose "thoughtful design of public spaces transformed American architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries:"

Guastavino and his family invented a colorful tiling that is lightweight, attractive, fireproof, and virtually indestructible. Excellent examples of his work grace buildings in 40 states. Examples include the Grand Central Terminal in New York City, the United Stated Supreme Court Building, and the Nebraska State Capitol. Guastavino used his extraordinary gift to elevate public spaces including transportation centers, government centers, libraries, and churches.

The exhibition will first open at the BPL main branch in Copley Square - which was the site of Guastavino's first major work in the U.S.

UPDATE: Thanks to commenters for noting the photo I posted from the McKim building was not of one of the ones Guastavino designed. See if you can spot his work in this collection of McKim construction photos.

Citizen complaint of the day: Who dropped a whole truckload of Fizzies into the Copley Square fountain?

adamg — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:40:18 +0000

An alert citizen noticed tonight that the Copley Square fountain was foaming.

An alert Frank Summers replies:

They're cleaning the fountain. I've seen them do that and some homeless guys will dive in. Presumably to bathe.

Sunday hours to return to Copley Square library

adamg — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:32:33 +0000

The Boston Public Library Board of Trustees voted today to restore Sunday hours at the main library for October through May.

Trustees had earlier voted to shutter the main library on Sundays due to an anticipated $350,000 cut in state funding; instead, the current state budget includes level funding for the BPL.

The library will be open 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays, starting Oct. 2, with the exception of holiday weekends.