CambridgeSide Galleria Boat Cruises ©DirectoryofCambridge.com

As we await the impact of Hurricane Earl here in the Cambridge/Boston area it may be hard to remember that this is Labor Day Weekend.  This is one of our last weekends as we wind down our summer activities and run full steam into the fall with all that that implies.

As the students move back into the dorms and apartments in the Cambridge area they may want to consider one of the scenic tours that leave from the CambridgeSide Galleria.  Though “summer” is ending this weekend the Charles RiverBoat Company will still have plenty of opportunities for scenic tours of Cambridge and Boston with their Charles River Tour Cruises that will take place daily until the end of October.  Sadly the Sunset Cruises end in August but the Charles River Tours are still open.

You will get a chance to view both Boston and Cambridge from the Charles River point of view.  In their own words:

Enjoy a 60-minute cruise around the Charles River Basin as the Captain points out the most historic sights of Boston and Cambridge. View Beacon Hill, Esplanade Park, the Back Bay, Boston University, M.I.T. and Harvard as you cruise past countless sailboats and rowers.

Tickets range from $8 to $14 with a discounted price of $12 for students.  If we cross our fingers you may be able to do one this this weekend.  To buy tickets or get more information visit the Charles RiverBoat Co website.  If you are new to the area you can also get oriented for one of the biggest events we hold on the Charles, the Head of the Charles Regatta which takes place in October.

CambridgeSide Galleria Entrance ©DirectoryofCambridge.com

There was more than one reason to visit the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall this past weekend.  The obvious was the tax free weekend given to us by the State of Massachusetts.  There were plenty of people there ready to take advantage of those savings.  Larger purchase stores like Best Buy were obvious choices but there seemed to be a line in front of many stores inside the mall since some were not open before noon which is when I was there.

I was there to cover the first annual CambridgeSide Duathlon (2010) which started at 9am in the morning and was ending at noon.  The Run & Ride Event was for kids ages 5-14 and involved running and biking around the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall.  If you were unlucky enough to be driving in the area there were some detours involved for the safety of the kids.

The award ceremony as well as other family oriented activities took place outside of the Food Court area across from where the cruises take off.  There was a bouncing area as well as other tents with information and goodies from PopChips and Cabot Cheese.  This was a great event promoting health and fitness coordinated with a variety of Cambridge organizations including the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Cambridge Police and Fire Departments.  The Cambridge Police were on bikes themselves escorting the participants throughout the course.

We got a lot of photos of the event that we hope to eventually put together for you somewhere on the site.

Stay Cool in Cambridge, MA ©DirectoryofCambridge.com

As the humidity cranks up again many in and around Cambridge are trying to figure out how to stay cool.  Waterplay is a great way to keep the kids both cool and having fun.  In Cambridge we are luck to have no less than 26 parks with some sort of waterplay available.  The City of Cambridge has put together a listing and a map of where they are.

They include different kinds of sprays, sprinklers and showers.  They even provide a break out of waterplay facilities that may be more appropriate for younger children 5 and under.  We have visited Glacken Field “sprinklers” but are hoping to check out the ones in Cambridge Common before the summer is out.

This does not include the list of Cambridge Massachusetts swimming pools that can be found on the State of Massachusetts website.  There are only 2 swimming pools( McCrehan Memorial and Veteran’s Memorial on Magazine Beach) on that list but you can also check out the pool at the War Memorial Recreation Center which is part of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.  Sadly the pool will not be open on the weekends between Jun 28 and August 20 but you can find the rest of the schedule here.

With the the budget shortfalls of the last couple of years we are lucky to have some pools staying open and at the very least have somewhere to have smaller kids cool down on this hot, hot summer…

Courtesy of onandoffofmassave

Though we missed Jimmy Ryan who was scheduled to play at the Summer Concert Series in Cambridge Center in 2010 we were lucky to find some video from last year.  Kendall Square actually kicked off the Free Summer Concert Series back at the end of May.  The Concerts take place every Wednesday from 12-1pm where you can partake in an outdoor lunch with great music playing at the same time.

This is a great idea and continues to build on Kendall Square as more than just a technology center but also an area where you can stay and be entertained.

The remaining concerts are:

August 4 – David Wax Museum
August 11 – Todd Thibaud
August 18 – Jay Nash
August 25 – Julia Easterlin

Last year we also included the concerts put on by the Berklee School of Music as part of their Summer Concert Series which takes place at 300 Athenaeum Street in Kendall Square.  These free concerts also take place at noon but on Thursdays.  For more details on the performers here is the link to the Berklee Summer Concert Performances at Kendall Square.  They have concerts through Thursday September 16th and yes Tubby Love is back on the 12th.

Here is a video courtesy of onandoffmassave on youtube.  They filmed Jimmy Ryan and Lyle Brewer at last year’s concert.

The company has been a big part of the employment picture in Cambridge and other parts of Massachusetts for a long time.  Sanofi-Aventis is a pretty large company and has been on somewhat of an acquisition spree.  Outside stock analysts see the possible takeover as something of a “graceful exit” for a management team that has had it’s hands full with the like of Carl ICahn on top of drug manufacturing problems.  With the dust settling on some of the turmoil of the last year it may be the right time to sell Genzyme for the current management team.  Mr. ICahn has also indicated that his hope to fix Genzyme may involve some form of sale.

It appears this possible acquisition has some way to go though.  With Massachusetts locations in Cambridge, Allston, Framingham, Waltham and Westborough there will definitely be those watching these negotiations with their fingers crossed.  The stock did respond favorably to this news though.  Rumor or not we will definitely be watching…

8-9-2010 Update

At the moment it seems that both Genzyme and Sanofi-Aventis have conflicting ideas over the value of Genzyme.  They are yet to offer the outside world any updates and the offer letter has yet to be made public.

I found a good article published by Reuters where they discuss how both staff and investors are still left in the dark.  There even appears to be a press release regarding the Genzyme Board being under investigation if they accept a bid that is considered undervaluing the intrinsic value of Genzyme.  They seem to suggest that Genzyme should be shopped around before settling on a buyer.

At this point I would agree given the following quote from the Reuter’s article:

Genzyme employees won’t be reassured by the “Smiling Killer” tag that some Sanofi staff have given German-Canadian Chief Executive Chris Viehbacher over his plans to shed 4,000 positions by 2013 at the French group.

The story continues…

RedBones at Harvard ©DirectoryofCambridge.com

As much of a fan that I am of professional women’s soccer a Boston Breaker fan would probably not expect the type of food concession stands available at Fenway or Gillette Stadium.  This week’s game was a little earlier so we didn’t get a chance to go into Harvard Square for dinner.  We decided to bite the bullet and eat at the game.

As we were walking up and down looking at our food options I was surprised to find a RedBones stand.  I am highly partial to anything barbecue but you don’t think of getting barbecue ribs at a soccer game.  I bit the bullet and though I spilled some on my shorts I was more than happy with my barbecue pulled chicken sandwich.  There were plenty of people also willing to risk getting dirty to have a taste of the great down home southern food RedBones is famous for.

For those who may not be familiar RedBones is a restaurant located in Somerville’s Davis Square not far from Cambridge at all.  Well known for not only their barbecue but also their microbrews.  Voted Best of 2009 for Barbecue in a Reader’s Pick award by The Phoenix it is well worth a trip just make sure to get extra napkins.  I plan to visit soon since they offer a kid’s menu too…

Boston Breaker vs. Atlanta Beat

Yesterday was the World Cup and though we are soccer fans we weren’t planning on watching it.  We had our eyes set on watching some live soccer.  Our children are active in Youth Soccer and if you remember we tried to see the Boston Breakers play recently and were sadly disappointed at not being able to see an actual game.  So with high hopes we drove on over the Harvard Business School parking lot across from Harvard Stadium for the Boston Breakers versus Atlanta Beat game that was scheduled for 6pm.

As is usual when we go into see something at Harvard Stadium we ended up at Pizzeria Uno’s in Harvard Square.  Though it should not have been a surprise we walked into the end of the World Cup Finals with Netherlands and Spain which was in overtime.  The place was packed with many local Cambridge soccer fans and I’ll bet some Boston Breakers fans as well.  Though the mainstream media does not want to acknowledge that soccer is a great game to watch you would not know that by the fans in attendance watching this tied game.  Yells and screams rang out as Spain scored its goal and then eventually went on to win.  Spain fans could be heard throughout the entire Pizzeria Uno with their song of “Viva Espana”.

Yes it is true that Cambridge is definitely more international than it’s partner across the river but I think soccer mania is finally catching on.  As we walked back over to Boston Breakers game you could sense the excitement of the crowd with their own horns and the constant drum beating through out the game by the official Boston Breakers Band AfroBrazil.

The fans were treated to an exciting game with the Boston Breakers scoring 3 goals in record fashion right after the half.  The Boston Breakers are a great local way to catch professional level soccer.  It was truly exciting to watch and my kids got a great night of entertainment(especially with a win for the Breakers).  They got a chance to see soccer mania in person.

Here is a video from the Afro Brazil performance at halftime:

Amelias Trattoria Pork Sandwiches

Great food and Cambridge are two things that naturally come together. Taste of Cambridge 2010 takes place this Thursday June 24th and is a great opportunity to get a taste of the many restaurants and cuisines in the Cambridge area.  Last year the Taste of Cambridge moved to the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square.  Luckily they have agreed to do it again.

Getting the opportunity to try out some of the best food in the area is good enough but proceeds from the Taste of Cambridge event help to raise money for specific charitable organizations.  This year the supported organizations are:

The Cambridge YWCA:
The YWCA is the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world. Across the globe, we have more than 25 million members in 106 countries, including 2.6 million members and participants in 300 local associations in the United States. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

CitySprouts:
The CitySprouts mission is to develop, implement and maintain beautiful, resource-rich school gardens in collaboration with public school communities. Integrated into the curriculum, CitySprouts gardens inspire teachers, students, and families with a deep, hands-on connection to the food cycle, sustainable agriculture, and the natural environment.

My family and I attended the 2009 Taste of Cambridge and had fun mingling and trying foods from a variety of Cambridge area restaurants like Bukowski Tavern, UpperCrust Pizzeria and Trader Joe’s to name a few.  Tickets are for a good cause and they are $50 for adults and $15 for children.  There is also a VIP ticket option for $75 that includes the beer and wine bars.

For more details check the Taste of Cambridge website where you can buy tickets online until the day of the event in which case you will need to buy them at the event for a little more money.

I took quite a bit of footage last year at the event.  Here is a new video we put up on YouTube showing some of the food and restaurants…

The Dance for World festival is an event that takes place in different parts of the world and is meant to highlight the positive contribution dance makes in our lives.  A variety of dance performers show and teach dances at the festival from all over the world.  A sampling of some that were presented were Salsa, African Music, Ballet and Swing.

Both dance and music can be so representative of the beauty of all of our cultures so I think this event does bring the community closer to each other.  The Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre has also specifically put a program together for local outreach.  Ballet may seem out of the reach of many in the city due to both exposure and money.  The Dance for the Commonwealth(Local Outreach) program works to help alleviate those barriers with a community ticket program, reduced admission, scholarships, childen’s performance opportunities as well as educational outreach programs for students.

Though the Dance for World Festival is over for 2010 it is not too late to get involved with the Dance for World Community.

Here is a video from the festival this weekend that showcases New School Swing Dancing:

Boston Breakers Pose for Fans

This past weekend we planned to take in a Boston Breakers Women’s Soccer game at Harvard Stadium after strolling through the Cambridge River Festival.  It seemed like a great plan given that our kids are both art and soccer fans.

The Boston Breakers play at Harvard Stadium which is just across the Cambridge line in the Brighton/Allston area of Boston.  It is quite walkable from the Charles River which is where we were for the festival.  It is also a short walk from Harvard Square.  You do have to be pretty careful crossing Memorial Drive and Storrow Drive.

Though we were looking for something more adventurous we ended up eating dinner at Pizzeria Uno’s at Harvard Square.  All of the smaller restaurants were quite packed even with the drizzle that was falling off and on through the late afternoon probably due to the Cambridge River Festival.

After dinner we walked over to Harvard Stadium where we were disappointed to find that the game with St. Louis had been canceled.  More specifically the St. Louis team had forfeited because the owner had decided to pack it in.  Due financial problems the St. Louis Athletica team folded so their games were canceled.  My husband had put the Boston Breakers schedule in his planner when it first came out so we were not aware about the change.

Interestingly enough there were enough Boston Breakers fans in the same boat.  The Boston Breakers put on a mini soccer camp for those that showed up for the game or had purchased tickets.  You could meet the players at the gym near the stadium.  My kids got a kick out of it as they hit soccer balls into a target.  Cabot was also there giving out free samples of their cheese.  Of course we would have liked to see a game but the kids enjoyed themselves.

It turns out the Boston Breakers were able to benefit from the folding of the St. Louis team.  They were able to sign Lindsay Tarpley who became available as a free agent.  According to the World Soccer Reader she is a proven goal scorer so this may help the Boston Breakers improve their record.  They lead the league in ties so hopefully Lindsay will bring in more wins.

The Boston Breakers will be home this weekend at Harvard Stadium.  They will be playing the New Jersey Sky Blue FC team.  We’re hoping to be able to catch that game on Sunday.  Check the Boston Breakers Schedule for more information.