There’s a new neighborhood in Boston, in case you haven’t heard. She doesn’t have the brownstones of Back Bay, the parks and ponds of Jamaica Plain, the restaurants of the South End, the college feel of Allston, the urban flavors of Roxbury, or the pubs of Southie. But she has water, water, everywhere, a slew of new restaurants, and a new strip of green space that’s going to be this summer’s go-to spot.
If you haven’t checked out the Waterfront yet, consider this your introduction, a cheat sheet in no particular order of dates to mark down, highlights to visit, and restaurants and cafes to hit. Clip it. Save it.
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What is the biggest broughaha of this War of 1812 bicentennial? It is the presence of an international fleet of modern warships. By comparison, the squadron of sailing ships is a matter of hype over substance compared to OpSail events of 1976, 1980 and 1992, when up to 20 of the largest Class A sailing ships paraded through the outer and inner harbors at Boston. Yes, USCGC Eagle is most impressive, especially with her huge ensign blowing in the wind as she was Friday evening. But there are only four other tall ships, from Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and Indonesia. Some websites hype the hype by including the U.S.S. Constitution - aka Old Ironsides - as a member of the tall ships contingent. But Constitution is in Boston Harbor all the time as this is the homeport of the U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned warship. Compare that to the celebration of the new century, when 24 Class A sailing vessels paraded through Boston Harbor in the midst of a hugely controversial event befouled by questions of who would get the money. This morning five large ships, including Brazil's Cisne Branco, passed by Castle Island to cannonade salutes. In sum, the 2012 event is much ado about a tiny bit.