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Theculture ofBoston, Massachusetts, shares many roots with greaterNew England, including a dialect of theEastern New England accent popularly known asBoston English.[1] The city has its own uniqueslang, which has existed for many years.[2] Boston was, and is still, a major destination ofIrishimmigrants.Irish Americans are a major influence on Boston's politics and religious institutions and consequently on the rest of Massachusetts.
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]
TheWashington Street Theatre District, south ofBoston Common, contains a number of ornate theatres, including theBoston Opera House, theCutler Majestic Theatre and TheCiti Performing Arts Center.[6] The most prominent professional theater companies are located at theAmerican Repertory Theater inCambridge and at theHuntington Theatre, but small companies and theaters are scattered throughout the city, including at theBoston Center for the Arts and theCalderwood Pavilion in Boston'sSouth End. TheBoston Ballet is a world-renowned classical dance company. Street performers can be found in and aroundQuincy Market nearFaneuil Hall. Every summer, theCommonwealth Shakespeare Company offers open-air performances free to the public on the Boston Common.
Boston is also home to a wide array of music - from bands likeBoston andAerosmith - to the world-renownedBoston Symphony Orchestra, the famedBoston Pops, theBoston Symphony Chamber Players, theBoston Philharmonic, the Boston Chamber Music Society,Boston Lyric Opera Company,Boston Modern Orchestra Project,Opera Boston, theCelebrity Series of Boston and theHandel and Haydn Society (one of the oldest choral company in the US).[7] Major venues includeJordan Hall,Symphony Hall, and theBerklee Performance Center, as well as venues at each of the colleges and universities. Several important music schools are located in Boston, including theNew England Conservatory for classical and jazz music, theBoston Conservatory for classical music, dance, and musical theater, and theBerklee College of Music for jazz and a variety of contemporary music styles. Every two years, the city hosts theBoston Early Music Festival, an international gathering for people interested in historical music performance.
Pop music managerMaurice Starr launched the careers of popular 1980sboybandsNew Edition andNew Kids on the Block, both of whom were based in Boston.
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 alsoone of the birthplaces of hardcore punk. Boston had one of the leading localska-punk scenes in the ska revival of the mid-1990s with bands likeThe Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Allstonians, andSkavoovie and the Epitones. The punk rock groupDropkick Murphys have had ties to both Boston professional sports teams, particularly theBoston Red Sox andBoston Bruins, and their music has appeared in some films early in the 21st century.
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 likeThe Cars,Pixies,'Til Tuesday,Throwing Muses,Scruffy the Cat,Mission of Burma,The Lemonheads,Human Sexual Response,Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi,Helium,The Pernice Brothers andSwirlies. Bands formed and located in the western part of Massachusetts in the college towns of Amherst and Northampton also had a major impact on the Boston music scene: important bands from western Massachusetts includeSebadoh,Dinosaur Jr.,Buffalo Tom, and many others.
Boston is also known for itsHip Hop scene. Many rappers such asGuru of the rap duoGang Starr,Big Shug, ED O.G. & Da Bulldogs,Mr. Lif,The Perceptionists,Benzino,7L & Esoteric,Bia (rapper) andSpecial Teamz made this city famous for its urban music.
Actress andLatin pop singerSasha Sokol relocated to Boston after leavingTimbiriche in the mid-1980s. Sokol recorded her solo debut album while still residing in Boston, only to return toMexico 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 includeThe Middle East,T.T. the Bears, P.A.'s Lounge, Great Scott, and The Paradise (a larger venue). This scene is supported by local press includingThe Boston Phoenix and theWeekly Dig, musicians from local colleges including Berklee College of Music, and more recently Boston-based weblogs and podcasts such as Band in Boston Podcast.
Museums dedicated to visual art in the Boston area include theMuseum of Fine Arts, theNational Center of Afro-American Artists, theInstitute of Contemporary Art and theIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Notable art museums and galleries are associated withHarvard University,Boston University, theMassachusetts Institute of Technology,Boston College,Brandeis University,Tufts University,Wellesley College,MassArt, and other schools.
Numerous art galleries are located onNewbury Street, in the South End and in theFort 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. TheBoston 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.
TheBoston Cyberarts Gallery (formerly Axiom Center for New and Experimental Media) is one of several venues showing cutting-edge "high tech" and experimental artworks. TheBoston Cyberarts Festival, a biennial area-wide celebration of the intersection of art and technology, ran from 1999 to 2011. The periodic Festival has been replaced by year-round programs, as described on their website.[8]
In addition, theBoston Public Library (BPL) and theBoston 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.
Several major events occur annually in Boston. One of the best-known is theBoston Marathon, one of the oldest and most prestigiousmarathon 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 annualFirst Night festival, which occurs duringNew 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. TheSaint Patrick's Day Parade occurs in March and is popular with the city's largeIrish population.
The BostonLGBT Pride parade and festival attracts approximately 400,000 participants each June. The Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival also takes place each June, and theBoston Early Music Festival takes place every odd-numbered year. During the summer, there are musical performances at theLeader Bank Pavilion on theSouth Boston waterfront. Also during the summer is Harborfest, a week-longfestival celebrating American independence.[9]Independence Day itself (the Fourth of July) is celebrated on theCharles River Esplanade; sunbathers and a flotilla of boats move in during the day, followed by fireworks after dark accompanied by classical and patriotic music performed by theBoston Pops.[10]
TheBoston Film Festival is held annually in early September. Also, on the weekend followingLabor Day, the boutiques onNewbury 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 severalRoman Catholic saints are held in the streets of Boston'sNorth End.[11] These celebrations, or feasts, include Italian foods, religious services, parades, festivities, games, and live music and entertainment. The largest celebration of the year is the Feast of Saint Anthony[12] in August.
In October, theBoston Book Festival takes overCopley 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.
Cuisine in Boston is similar to the rest ofNew England cuisine, in that it has a large emphasis onseafood anddairy products.[13] Its best-known dishes areNew England clam chowder, fish and chips (usually withcod orscrod),Boston baked beans,lobsters, steamedclams, andfried clams.
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 asJasper White,Ming Tsai, andTodd English. Their respective restaurants, Summer Shack, Blue Ginger, and Olives have greatly enhancedfoodie options in Boston. The influence ofJulia Child, a long-time Cambridge resident and PBS TV star, lives on as well.
TheUnion Oyster House is the oldest operating restaurant in the United States.[14] Their menu includesoysters on the half-shell served straight from an oyster bar,New England clam chowder, and other seafood dishes.Quincy Market, part ofFaneuil Hall Marketplace, has a variety of restaurants and food shops. NearbyCheers is a popular tourist dining spot.
Boston'sChinatown has a variety of Asian restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, andmedicinal herb and spice vendors. In addition todim sum and other Chinese dining styles, there are Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Thai restaurants in the neighborhood.
TheNorth 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 itscannolis.Newbury Street has many ethnic street cafes, whileCopley Place houses a multitude of restaurants, also the home ofLegal 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 asHaymarket. Haymarket vendors sell fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish. Meat, cheese, and other food can be purchased in adjacent permanent stores. In addition to so-called "winter farmers markets", other more seasonal farmer's markets are held in locations around Boston and its suburbs.[15][16]
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 atBostonFarmersMarkets.org. TheBoston 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 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.
Boston has been a noted religious center from its earliest days. TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston serves nearly 300 parishes and is based in theCathedral of the Holy Cross (1875) in the South End, while theEpiscopal Diocese of Massachusetts, with theCathedral Church of St. Paul (1819) as its episcopal seat, serves just under 200 congregations.Unitarian Universalism has its headquarters on Farnsworth Street, Boston. TheChristian Scientists are headquartered in Back Bay at theMother Church (1894).The oldest church in Boston isKing's Chapel, the city's first Anglican church, founded in 1686 and converted to Unitarianism in 1785. Other notable churches include Christ Church (better known asOld North Church, 1723), the oldest church building in the city,Trinity Church (1733),Park Street Church (1809),First Church in Boston (congregation founded 1630, building raised 1868),Old South Church (1874),Jubilee Christian Church andBasilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help onMission Hill (1878).[17]
Boston is home to many LGBT groups, such as theBisexual Resource Center, Biversity, Boston Bisexual Women's Network,Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network of Boston,Human Rights Campaign Boston, andLesbian Avengers of Boston.[18] Boston has held an LGBT pride parade for 43 years, with the 43rd annual parade occurring in 2013.[19] TheButterfly Music Transgender Chorus, the second transgender choir in the U.S., was founded in Boston in 2014. It inspired others to create similar groups in cities across the country.