Panel Discussion on the Gas Tank Saturday, October 27, 7:00 pm Savin Hill Yacht Club Free Part of the Dorchester Open Studios More info about the studios If you have lived in Boston for a long time, you are aware of the area's most prominent landmark next to the Citgo sign--the gas tank on I-93. If you haven't lived in Boston for long, you're probably wondering what's going on with the gas tank with the......

The state Cultural Facilities Fund was generous this year, giving $16.7 million to various arts-related groups. The Citi Performing Arts Center was not one of them, largely because they seem to have their priorities mixed up when it comes to handling their funds. The Citi Performing Arts Center was going to get $600,000, but that amount has been, in the words of the Globe, "tabled." The Citi Performing Arts Center had tried to improve its......

Like New York City, we've got our newspaper of record. In NYC it's the Times, here it's the Globe. But neither are really any fun. The action happens on the pages of the tabs. The Herald gives us our daily dose of puns in the headlines and 108 point font to let us know what's really important. But our friends at Gothamist have pointed out that the New York Post may have one-upped the Herald......

a Herald review shows passengers at busy MBTA stations such as Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Ruggles in Roxbury and Dorchester’s Ashmont stop are most likely to be victims of assaults, robberies and other mayhem. Watch out, "other mayhem" may afflict you next time you're looking to hop a train. The Herald has a write-up today (with interactive -but incorrectly labled (thanks for the tip reader GreenLine) - maps if you head to the website)......

Tom Menino introduced the City’s very own podcast last summer and called it Citycast. It hasn’t even had a dozen episodes yet. The weekly column published on the City’s website might not have the depth of reach that Menino is looking for. What about CityLine, the email and website magazine touting the new initiatives and successful programs in the Hub? You can find that on the website too. But Menino is tired of relying on......

Just two days after the fatal commuter rail accident in Woburn, a Green D Line trolley ran into a man on the tracks. WHDH is reporting that Brookline police are looking into the incident which happened in a tunnel. The trolley reportedly struck a homeless man who was walking along the tracks. He is expected to be ok, though no specifics were given on his condition. We heard few complaints from people that there was......

Downtown Crossing is set for a makeover. It's yet unseen what the City will do to improve the space (planters and pushcart awnings are promised). A big spot on the block is slated to be vacant very soon. Filene's will be no longer. Macy's parent corporation has merged with Filene's Federated, and is in the process of converting the Filene's branded stores to Macy's – and where they're in competition, consolidation will follow. Menino seems......

Forbes came out with yet another poll this year, this time focusing on the single kids out there looking for love. Boston has remained steady for the second year in a row as the second best city in the U.S. for single people. With a significant number of students flowing in and out of the city each September, Boston always has a great number of young people to begin with; add some solid nightlife......

A free concert put on every Thusday Night in the summer by the Springfield Business Imporovement District starts at 7:30 pm, and runs till late. The event first happened in 1999 and has been a huge success since, drawing 4,000 to 6,000 people for each Thursday night, and has become a big draw for bikers and music lovers from NY, Conn., Eastern Mass., Rhode Island, and Vermont, in addition to Western Mass. locals. With......

Honorary Degrees are worthless documents, printed at a premium on fancy paper, and signed by the president of the university. Well, they’re not worthless. The honorary doctoral degrees don’t give the holder any academic credentials (they can’t use PhD after their name or call themselves Dr. whatever, either) but they do serve as official acknowledgement from the granting institution to an individual of their accomplishments in life that fit with the mission of the university.......

Today is May Day, which in the old days, when labor had some clout in this country, meant unruly socialist rallies and general anarchy in the streets. In this more civilized time, we have learned to peg our obligatory working man's holiday to a long weekend, guaranteeing that most wage slaves will be home grilling rather than out seeking to overthrow their duly elected government. Perhaps conscious of the date's history, many of the same......

Early Fall brings to Boston some of the most beautiful weather days in the year. It also is a time for freshman orientation at the local universities and colleges. After orientation is done the fresh faces on campus seem to be high school students deciding if they’re going to take pains in writing the entrance essay and turn in an application for that institute of higher learning. As buds open in the spring the......

As promised, Bostonist attended our fair city's contribution to today's so-called "national day of action" to oppose a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would make illegal immigrants' presence in this country a felony, and to support legislative efforts to grant amnesty to undocumented workers. According to the Associated Press, there were between 5,000 (the police estimate) and 8,000 (the organizers' estimate) marchers. On the ground, with no crowd-counting skills and only the......

State Senator Jarrett Barrios seems to have some magic political mojo that makes things go his way. As though it weren’t enough that Tom Reilly’s shot at governor will allow Middlesex DA Martha Coakley to run for Attorney General, which will, in turn, allow Barrios a chance to run for DA in his home county, Barrios, being gay, married, and eloquent, has obtained quite a high profile as the (oh-so-handsome) face of gay marriage in......

You may recall Bostonist wondering, not long ago, who was responsible for the fliers around town warning us about a social worker named Mary Mitchell-Nixon ("abuser of people with AIDS," the fliers said). Well, alert Bostonist reader Dan Roche brought to our attention the recent appearance of new, more detailed fliers, explaining more about the nature of one man's serious grudge. (The text and a picture of the new fliers are reproduced after the jump,......

Now that the new fall season of reality TV shows has started up, Bostonist feels at home again. After a summer of Rescue Me and Laguna Beach, we are ready to go back to the network stations and their new round of awful (yet enjoyable) reality TV shows. As usual, the city of Boston has spread their seed into the homes of America with a new cast of reality characters. On Wednesday night, Martha Stewart's......

Bostonist has gotten in the habit of picking on Governor Romney these days, not just because we're a "Far Left Wing kook" (as one detractor would have you believe), but because Mitt just seems to set himself up for it. Case in point, the Guv's strong words yesterday in response to a traffic-snarling protest by Newton firefighters. Romney promised to order State Police to arrest the firefighters if they tried something like this again.......

Wednesday night marked the launch of Boston Common magazine with a blowout, star-studded event at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Cyclorama in the South End. Perhaps “star-studded’ is a stretch, but by Boston standards, it was an impressive showing. Celebrities included: Steven Tyler (Boston Common cover star); Christopher Reid (event MC, and yes, Kid of Kid ‘n Play fame); Daniel Sunjata (actor, FX’s Rescue Me); Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics head coach); Todd English (celebrity......

A story hit the wire about a maternity chain that may be guilty of discriminating against a pregnant woman. US District Court in Boston began jury selection today in the case of discrimination in which Cynthia Papageorge is suing Mothers Work Inc. Papageorge looks to collect compensation for damages incurred in the form of emotional distress and lost wages after she was fired after May 2000. Mothers Work Inc. operates a number of maternity stores......