Emerald Necklace

THE FRONT-PAGE story about the dilemma of where to put Boston Arts Academy ( "Art in a box," Sept. 24) led to a rousing community conversation here in Uphams Corner. Not only does the city of Boston have a gem in Boston Arts Academy, but we in Uphams Corner have another, the Strand Theatre. These two works of art are spiritual buddies, and need to be located in the same setting. Now is the perfect opportunity. Diagonally across Columbia Road from the Strand is a currently unused 2.7 acre parcel of land known as "St. Kevin's," having previously housed a Catholic Archdiocese...

The following was submitted by Abbot Public Library: A steam train crosses West Shore Drive, with Tower School's plowed parking lot on the left. On the evening of Wednesday, April 11th, come to the Abbot Library and learn about the fascinating history of the "old abandoned railroad right-of-way" through Marblehead, now a wonderful nature, hiking, biking, jogging, skiing, dog-walking trail, commonly referred to simply as "The Path. "   It meanders almost four miles through a large...

Here on a peninsula that is so densely developed, Boston takes its open space pretty seriously. After all, this is a city that is home to the Emerald Necklace , Frederick Law Olmsted's masterful system of linked parks, though it's more of a continuous, meandering strand than a necklace, because the planned return trip from Franklin Park to South Boston along Columbia Road was never completed. The Olmsted park system is the gold standard for public space, and it's very much on the minds of Bostonians right now, because some 288 acres of new parklands are about to become available.

THE FRONT-PAGE story about the dilemma of where to put Boston Arts Academy ( "Art in a box," Sept. 24) led to a rousing community conversation here in Uphams Corner. Not only does the city of Boston have a gem in Boston Arts Academy, but we in Uphams Corner have another, the Strand Theatre. These two works of art are spiritual buddies, and need to be located in the same setting. Now is the perfect opportunity. Diagonally across Columbia Road from the Strand is a currently unused 2.7 acre parcel of land known as "St. Kevin's," having previously housed a Catholic Archdiocese...

On Wednesday night, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra was out to teach. Since 2003, the group has commissioned a series of narrator-and-orchestra works showcasing Boston history; its latest (premiered earlier this summer), Thomas Oboe Lee’s “The Story of Frederick Law Olmsted,’’ telling of the pioneering 19th-century landscape architect, received both an introduction by Olmsted scholar Charles Beveridge and narration by former governor Michael Dukakis (whose administration shepherded a restoration of the Olmsted-designed Emerald Necklace)

Urban parks aren't what they used to be. Historically, a 17th-century patch of green in the middle of a Colonial town, like the Common in Boston or Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, was reserved for activities like grazing animals, hunting for game, or public hangings. Fortunately, times have changed. With the advent of the parks movement of the mid-19th century, city green space became more regulated. Fueled by visionaries like landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who strung together the Emerald Necklace and designed New York's...

The following was submitted by Abbot Public Library: A steam train crosses West Shore Drive, with Tower School's plowed parking lot on the left. On the evening of Wednesday, April 11th, come to the Abbot Library and learn about the fascinating history of the "old abandoned railroad right-of-way" through Marblehead, now a wonderful nature, hiking, biking, jogging, skiing, dog-walking trail, commonly referred to simply as "The Path. "   It meanders almost...

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent While there is no count of the number of trees and tree limbs downed along Boston's Emerald Necklace park system from this past weekend's storm, officials today called the damage significant and cautioned parkgoers to watch for loose hanging branches. "They can come down very quickly and can be lethal," said Emerald Necklace Conservancy senior project manager Ray Olaeado-Johnson by phone after touring much of the park space to get an initial idea of Tropical Storm Irene's aftermath.

FOOTLOOSE AND FREE Get your blood pumping with yoga, tango, and more. > Workout on the Esplanade for free every weeknight from 6 to 7, July 9 till August 31, with the Healthy, Fit, and Fun program. Some of the offerings: yoga on Wednesdays and boot camp on Thursdays, both at Arthur Fiedler Field, plus Zumba on Tuesdays at the Hatch Shell. 617-227-0365, ext. 101, esplanadeassociation.org. > Feel like kicking something at the end of the workweek?

A bevy of boldfacers gathered this week to celebrate Wendy Shattuck 's birthday and to surprise the Emerald Necklace Conservancy board member (at left) with a special gift: renaming the Emerald Necklace Visitor Center the Wendy Shattuck Emerald Necklace Visitor Center. Guests included Janet Atkins , Sydney Marshall Turner , Ben Taylor and wife Kate , Barbara Hostetter , Seth and Beth Klarman , Lisa and Tom Blumenthal , and former governor Mike Dukakis and wife Kitty .

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent While there is no count of the number of trees and tree limbs downed along Boston's Emerald Necklace park system from this past weekend's storm, officials today called the damage significant and cautioned parkgoers to watch for loose hanging branches. "They can come down very quickly and can be lethal," said Emerald Necklace Conservancy senior project manager Ray Olaeado-Johnson by phone after touring much of the park space to get an initial idea of Tropical Storm Irene's aftermath.

On Wednesday night, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra was out to teach. Since 2003, the group has commissioned a series of narrator-and-orchestra works showcasing Boston history; its latest (premiered earlier this summer), Thomas Oboe Lee’s “The Story of Frederick Law Olmsted,’’ telling of the pioneering 19th-century landscape architect, received both an introduction by Olmsted scholar Charles Beveridge and narration by former governor Michael Dukakis (whose administration shepherded a restoration of the Olmsted-designed Emerald Necklace)

Urban parks aren't what they used to be. Historically, a 17th-century patch of green in the middle of a Colonial town, like the Common in Boston or Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, was reserved for activities like grazing animals, hunting for game, or public hangings. Fortunately, times have changed. With the advent of the parks movement of the mid-19th century, city green space became more regulated. Fueled by visionaries like landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who strung together the Emerald Necklace and designed New York's...

Here on a peninsula that is so densely developed, Boston takes its open space pretty seriously. After all, this is a city that is home to the Emerald Necklace , Frederick Law Olmsted's masterful system of linked parks, though it's more of a continuous, meandering strand than a necklace, because the planned return trip from Franklin Park to South Boston along Columbia Road was never completed. The Olmsted park system is the gold standard for public space, and it's very much on the minds of Bostonians right now, because some 288 acres of new parklands are about to become...