Happy Birthday Boston!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BOSTON _ It was 390 years ago today, September 17 that Boston became Boston. Dang, she looks good for 390, right?
The City of Boston was founded on this day in 1630! Before that the Massachusetts city (really just a village in 1630) was referred to as Shawmut.
Our fair city’s many firsts include the United States’ first public park, the Boston Common, in 1634, the first public or state school, Boston Latin School (1635), and first subway system, the Tremont Street subway, in 1897.
Happy 390th Birthday, Boston!
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) September 17, 2020
The City of Boston was founded on this day (on New Style calendars) in 1630!
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But it’s the people that make Boston so unique, so special. We are proud, loud and love a crowd (well, we used to). We are rich in history, bad and good. We appreciate tradition and traditional styles but embrace our modern ways, areas and architecture. We are passionate people who breathe sports, music, education.
Bostonians are a little set in our ways, and embrace our weirdness.
Here are a few things unique to our city, and things we usually have to explain to outsiders.
1. Regular coffee
Order a regular coffee around here and it comes with cream and sugar. If you want a black coffee, say “black coffee.” Simple.
2. Dunkin’ is king
Forge those fancy coffee shops with orders that are hard to pronounce. Get your regulaah coffee at Dunks’
3, It’s a “set of lights”
In other states, when giving directions, you may say when you come to a stop light go left. We say, “at the first set o’ lights, bang a left.” It’s really fun when you can bang a uey.
4, The Green Monster lives here
Fear not, however. The Green Monster is a famed green wall at historic Fenway Park. You’ll find the 37-foot Monster in left field. It’s not scary to us, but other MLB teams fear it. It’s hard to maneuver when playing left field.
5. It’s a packie
Not a liquor store. Named, of course, for the packages you leave with at a liquor store.
6. Yankees suck
You may hear this randomly blurted out… just about anywhere, at any time. It just confirms our hate for New York, which was born out of the great, historic Red Sox/ Yankees rivalry.
7. Jimmies
If you want chocolate sprinkles on your ice cream. Don’t ask for sprinkles. That’s too easy. Ask for jimmies. If you want rainbow sprinkles, ask for sprinkles. (I know, it’s all so exhausting)
8. We don’t talk funny, you do
You will have to school out- of- towners in how to pronounce towns like Worcester, Gloucester, Billerica, Chelmsford and Leominster.
9. Look to the sky for a weather forecast
Steady blue means clear view! Take a glance at the old John Hancock Building to get a forecast. Blue means a clear view, flashing blue means clouds moving in. If it’s red, that’s rain, and flashes of red mean snow.
10. Lawn chairs in winter mean…
That’s my space! Don’t ever try and paaahk thereah. South Boston, referred to as “Southie” is famous for this. Use a lawn chair, orange traffic cone, baby stroller, whatever works. And make sure you wait until after the snow storm and after you shovel to claim your parking spot.
11. What the heck is a roundabout?
It’s a rotary. Don’t forget it. No matter what Siri or Waze tells you.
12. “Massholes” isn’t a bad word
It usually refers to our driving. But it could also mean we know Boston is the best, and we’ll let you know that too. Don’t mess with us, we have each other’s backs. As our beloved Big Papi once put it, so eloquently…”This is our f*#%ing city!”
(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Proud, passionate people. A little rough around the edges, but 100% heart.
