Explain Boston to Me
Episodes
Brighton with Kelly McGrath
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
First, we've got fashion episode feedback! Then I'm chatting with Kelly McGrath, executive director of Brighton Main Streets, about her neighborhood —...
Is Boston fashion-challenged? with Margo Lindauer
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, I'm joined fashionable lady Margo Lindauer of the podcast JustUS. We're asking the big question: Why don't people dress bett...
Make Way for Ducklings at Boston Public Garden with Liz Vizza
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This weekend is Mother's Day, which means it's also Duckling Day. In this episode, I chat with the president of the Friends of the Boston Public Garde...
The Great Molasses Flood with Lisa Mullan Perkins
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1919, a wall of molasses washed through the North End. I don't think we talk about this enough! In this episode, we're talking with Lisa Mullan Per...
REWIND: Talking Celtics with Jake Issenberg of First to the Floor
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm taking the week off, but I'm not leaving you hanging. In honor of NBA playoff season, I'm rerunning my conversation with Jake Issenberg, co-host o...
Stuck in Boston traffic with Chris Dempsey and Jeff Speck
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Boston was once declared the most congested metropolitan region in the country. So, yes, the traffic here is terrible — but what can we do about it?...
The Boston Marathon (again!) and local running culture with Matt Taylor of Tracksmith
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're digging back into the Boston Marathon, one of the city's most beloved and enduring events. This time, the focus is on what makes this race so sp...
Dating in Boston with Meredith Goldstein
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Romance is in the air on this week's episode as we chat with Meredith Goldstein, The Boston Globe's dating advice columnist and host of the companion...
The Combat Zone with Stephanie Schorow
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode is all about the Combat Zone, Boston's erstwhile vice district located right in the heart of the city. To talk peep shows, strip c...
The Clam Highway with Ted Reinstein of Chronicle
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're going deep on fried clams, with forays into other New England seafood classics, the woes of the local fishing industry, and why rivalries are go...
Candlepin bowling with Tom Giordano of Wakefield Bowladrome
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're learning all about candlepin bowling, the region's scrappy counterpoint to "ten-pin" or "big ball." Tom Giordano has been worki...
Kendall Square with Scott Kirsner
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're going deep on Cambridge's nerdiest neighborhood, tracing its history from industrial mecca to biotech playground. Scott Kirsner...
On having a Boston accent with Joe DiMeo
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is the Boston accent endangered? I'm joined by Medford native Joe DiMeo to chat about what it means to drop your Rs, Ben Affleck’s late-in-life code...
Julia Child's Cambridge with Lisa McManus of America's Test Kitchen
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa McManus, foremost expert in all things kitchen gear, joins me to talk about Julia Child. This culinary icon spent 40 years living in Cambridge,...
Local college radio with Sean Maloney
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just a couple of elder millennials waxing nostalgic about how things used to be — what could go wrong?? In this episode, I'm joined by friend and mu...
Downtown Boston with Daniel Dain
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm joined by Daniel Dan, author of A History of Boston. We're talking about the forces that have shaped downtown, from pre-colonia...
Why do Boston restaurants suck? with Erika Adams
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just a couple of transplants talking mild trash on the local restaurant scene — what could go wrong??? This week, I'm joined by Erika Adams, the edi...
Renting an apartment in Boston with Justin Kaplan of the Boston Accent
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so hard — and expensive — to rent an apartment here? Why does everyone move on the same day? Why do so many landlords suck? In this epis...
The teams Celtics fans love to hate with Jake Issenberg
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're talking rivalries! What team is the biggest Celtics rival of all time? What exactly makes a fanbase hate another franchise with the heat o...
Market Basket with Stephanie Vecellio
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"It's like 'Succession,' but with more discounted top-round." On this episode, artist and Somerville resident Stephanie Vecellio tells talks...
Boston Movie Club: Good Will Hunting
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the inaugural installment of our Boston Movie Club, we're talking about Good Will Hunting. To get into all the good stuff — Stellan Skarsgaard’...
The Tom Brady/Bill Belichick Patriots with Matt Butler
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This one is a doozy! I get to talk about the impeccable strangeness of Tom Brady while digging into how the unholy alliance of hard-nosed coach and ...
Reinventing The Seaport with Kyle Paoletta
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's finally here!!! After months of anticipation and countless — well, I could probably count them — mentions in random episodes of the podcast, ...
What we talk about when we talk about Black history in Boston with Dr. Kerri Greenidge and Dr. Kendra T. Field
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The history of Black Bostonians goes far beyond abolition and busing, just ask the co-directors of Tuft's African American Trail Project. In this epis...
"Boston" versus Boston with Garrett Dash Nelson
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that Boston — as in the actual city — is actually quite small, while it could be argued that the metro area stretches for hours in se...
The 2004 Red Sox with Tyler Rotman
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of the holiday season, we present this magical tale of underdog grit, triumph over evil, and old men weeping in the streets. Lifelong Red Sox...
Southie with Pat Toomey
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're back from vacation and learning all about this iconic Boston neighborhood. Our guest Pat Toomey (not the former senator!) explains old working-c...
North Shore Beefs with Andy Ferg
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hope you're hungry! We're digging into this regional delicacy with the man behind a 50k-strong community dedicated to discussing North Shore roast bee...
The Big Dig with Ian Coss
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we're joined by the host of GBH News' "The Big Dig" podcast to talk about the city's most infamous infrastructure boondoggle. Who were...
The Boston Pops with Susan Dangel
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I'm learning about the Boston Pops, a beloved local institution. We're talking Arthur Fielder, we're talking John Williams, we're singing...
Boston's 1980s Standup Comedy Scene with Nick Zaino
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're diving into Boston's comedy boom with Nick Zaino. The Boston Globe writer tells us about the legend of the Ding Ho, swears in the name of Dennis...
The Boston Busing Crisis with Matthew Delmont
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week I'm learning about how, in the 1970s, Boston became the poster child for desegregation strife in the North. Professor Matthew Delmont of Dar...
The Dedham Mall is dead, long live Legacy Place with Leila Cohan
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by Leila Cohan, TV and movie writer extraordinaire, to talk about running errands in the suburbs, the joys of a bad mall, killing time in C...
Route 128 and the Massachusetts Miracle with Lily Geismer
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you heard the phrase "Massachusetts Miracle," would you also assume it was a famous sports play? Please tell me I'm not alone. In this week's epi...
Riding the MBTA rails with Jed Paul
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week I'm joined by a transit influencer, which is a thing I just made up. Fellow Boston transplant Jed Paul (@jeddeo1 on TikTok and Instagram) is...
Boston's Ice Cream Obsession with Judy Herrell
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are people in Boston — and New England more generally — especially obsessed with ice cream? Consider this an Explain Boston to Me investigation. T...
Newbury Street with Courtney Flynn of Trident Booksellers & Cafe
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're taking a walk down one of Boston's most iconic commercial corridors. Courtney Flynn is the second generation running Trident Bo...
The Harvard Square Pit with Bud Durand and Elizabeth Ross
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I'm joined by two former Harvard Square Pit rats to talk about why suburban kids were drawn to this spot, the legacy of counter-culture in ...
The Modern Lovers and '70s Boston with Sean Maloney
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Local writer Sean Maloney explains how the '70s scene in Boston set the stage for the Modern Lovers, and why Jonathan Richman continues to provide ins...
The Boston Marathon with Kevin Koczwara
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, things are taking a slightly more serious turn. It can’t be all orange dinosaurs and curbside sectionals over here. We’re talking about the...
The North Shore and Rte. 1 with Desirée Dugas
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re talking about the North Shore, and about Route 1 — that mecca of kitsch and nostalgia — in particular. To learn more, I spoke with ...
Allston Christmas with Matt Shearer
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the first ever episode of "Explain Boston to Me," we’re talking about Allston Christmas, the smorgasbord of free curbside stuff that happens ev...