February 4, 2012

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Irish Pubs in Boston

Boston has always been a multi-cultural city. Perhaps no other country has put its stamp on Boston’s cultural heritage than Boston’s early wave of Irish immigrants. Those early pioneers brought over their fondness for social gatherings and their stout, rich beer known as lager. Soon Brew Pubs began popping up all over the city serving traditional Irish food along with their libations. The result is a distinctive pub atmosphere that persists today. The early 2000’s saw a resurgence in the public’s taste for traditional Irish Pubs, looking back to Boston as inspiration. Fortunately, Boston has been keeping the tradition alive for years and offers a wide variety of excellent, storied pubs that keep the traditional Irish spirit alive.

The first stop on any beer enthusiast’s list should be The Black Rose located in the heart of the Faneuil Hall-Quincy market of Boston. Established in 1976, The Black Rose is host to an eye-popping collection of traditional Irish lagers and innovative small-run labels that offer fresh takes on old favorites. The gastro fare can’t be beat either, ranging from traditional Irish favorites like Shepherds Pie to distinctive dishes like Mother Sweeney’s Corned Beef. For dessert be sure to try their “Black and White” Bread Pudding made with Irish Whiskey-Hazelnut Cream. Traditional Irish music is played seven nights a week.

Mr. Dooley’s Boston Tavern, settled nicely in the financial district, is the perfect place for a “Pint and a Chat” over an extensive list of Irish lagers and whiskeys. Consistently voted by Boston citizens as one of the best Irish Pubs in the city, Mr. Dooley’s is noted for its consistent service and its distinctive Hamburgers and seafood. Live music from Ireland and Boston is a common occurrence as well.

The Kinsale, located in the bustling business section, is another must for Irish Pub enthusiasts. Meticulous modeling after traditional Irish Pubs offer a peek back into the design of classic “Public Houses” of yore and is revamped with all the amenities of a modern bar including an extensive drink list and friendly staff.

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Filed Under: Boston, Life Style, Restaurants, Shopping Tagged With: , ,

Playing the Point Game

Sign of a mortgage centre in East London
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Every penny counts and there’s no place where you’d be concerned about saving them than in a mortgage. Mortgage points, or discount points, are an option that will pop up when you shop around for the best home mortgage you can get.

Discount points are a fee that you can pay your lender to lower the interest rate on your mortgage. One point translates into one percent of the mortgage amount, so if your mortgage is for $100,000, buying one point would translate into $1,000. The points charged can vary from one bank to another, while some do not charge at all. Sometimes, paying a few points can qualify you for a further discount, i.e. paying 3 points could earn you a discount of 0.5 percent and not just 0.3 percent.

The first thing to consider while discussing discount points is whether you can actually afford to put up the amount by yourself. Compare the outcomes of different point choices and see which one is to your advantage to figure out whether the points paid are worth the expense. A simple way to find out is to compare the monthly payments with and without points. The difference between the amounts saved should be used to divide the point paid. The result will be the number of months required to break even on that payment. Translate this into years, and you can judge whether it’s worth it. It wouldn’t much sense if the break even time is ten years, and you plan to use your property for eight years at the most.

Discount points are often confused with origination fees. The latter is used to cover the costs of processing your mortgage, and usually costs the same as one point. Playing the point game can be a good idea for your mortgage, but run your numbers past a few mortgage calculators and lenders before paying up.

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Affordable Higher Education

Williams College - Williamstown, MA
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Who doesn’t dream of going to the best colleges and universities? For ordinary families living in the real world, there is the assumption that the cost of such an education is very high and simply not realistic. But the reality is different. If you have the grades, the ability, and the drive then there is absolutely no reason you why you can’t apply to some of the top learning institutions in Boston, the Athens of America.

Harvard, MIT, Williams College, and Amherst are an elite group of higher learning institutions. And they can be affordable because of something called “need-blind” admission. Colleges and universities that subscribe to this policy admit students based on merit and academic standards. There is no advantage for the wealthy or privileged and no need for mom and dad to mortgage the family trust. Only grades and hard work count in terms of admission.

How is this possible? Consider Harvard University’s Endowment, a collection of over 10,000 individual funds established for decades to support and maintain research, libraries and scholarships. These wisely managed funds have ballooned to over $25 billion. MIT’s endowment is over $8 billion. And Williams College is less by comparison but still an impressive $1.8 billion.

Obviously Harvard is by far the leader in this category, but you can see that other institutions are not hurting for funds. These institutions attract this kind of funding because they are known around the globe for unleashing incredibly smart graduates. It’s about quality, not quantity. Their admissions departments are constantly on the hunt for applicants that will carry forth their good name and live up to the standards that they cherish. They don’t care if you are wealthy or not.

There is the highest quality of education out there waiting for you in the finest schools in Boston. Go get it. You can pay them back by doing your best, and maybe rooting for the Sox.

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Debt Consolidation Takes You Out of a Financial Rut

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In poll after poll many people living in Boston consistently place worries about the economy at the top of their lists and with good reason. Unemployment is through the roof. So, visiting Boston and helping out the tourism industry in Boston is a no go.The housing bubble has popped. There’s a lot of insecurity floating around out there. The big question then becomes, “What are you doing to secure your financial future?” One viable solution that many folks are turning to is debt consolidation. This is a solid option for lowering your monthly interest rate payments and getting you back on track to saving for a future.

As the phrase implies, debt consolidation is a program where you pool together all of your outstanding debts and create one simple monthly payment to cover them. We are a nation of debt and we’re reminded of that every month when the credit card bill comes in. You may have thought that what you paid for purchases on your credit card was the price of the object but what about all that interest? If you don’t pay off your credit card bill every month, you’ll be carrying interest. Miss a due date and that rate can jack up through the roof. Now most of your minimum payment is going to the finance charges and not the principle. That is no way to get out of debt fast.

Working with a qualified debt counselor can show you how credit card companies are willing to work with you to manage your debt and bring those interest rates down. Some homeowners turn towards the equity of their home to pay off those credit card bills. What you’re left with then is the single payment for the loan which in many cases can be much lower then all those bills. The goal is for you to take charge of your finances and not let them take charge of you!

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Cambridge’s Inman Square

Inman Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on C...
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Long regarded as one of Boston’s most interesting neighborhoods for its breadth of dining, shopping, and entertainment, Cambridge’s Inman Square is a sought-after place to live. And with the addition of a new branch of the subway’s Green Line, Inman Square is now more accessible than ever before.

Inman Square Restaurants

One of Boston’s most famous restaurants, Legal Sea Foods, started in Inman Square as a small fish market. It has since grown into a chain of over 30 restaurants. Legal Sea Foods’ exacting standards for quality have given it a stellar reputation amongst diners and restaurant critics. The brunch scene in Inman Square is dominated by the S and S Deli, another restaurant that has been around for decades. Every weekend, throngs of hungry people descend on S and S Deli, which luckily has copious seating and quick service. Diners can choose from favorites like cream-cheese-stuffed French Toast and a wide variety of omelettes. Across the street from S and S Deli is one of Cambridge’s most beloved coffee shops, 1369 Coffee House. Resisting the trend of corporate homogenization, 1369 Coffee House serves many creative coffee drinks and has an excellent selection of teas.

Unique Inman Square Shopping And Entertainment

Until recently, Inman Square was home to Improv Boston, arguably Boston’s best improvisational comedy venue (the theater recently moved to Cambridge’s Central Square). Improv Boston players typically perform long-form improv, which starts with an arbitrary suggestion from the audience and evolves into a hour-long show. The theater also offers improv classes for aspiring performers or those who just want to have fun. Across the street and a couple blocks down from Improv Boston’s former location is Stellabella Toys, one of Boston’s most creative and eclectic toy stores. Stellabella is a toy shopper’s paradise, with shelves overflowing with some of the world’s most unique educational and just-plain-fun toys. It’s the perfect place to find holiday gifts for kids.

Filed Under: Boston, Entertainment, Restaurants, Shopping Tagged With: ,
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