Charlestown Travel Guide

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Explore A Modern-Day Shipwreck In Nevis

March 2, 2009 at 4:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

On August 1, 1970, the ferry boat Christena foundered and sank off the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, victim to two open hatches and a passenger roster which packed the ship to nearly twice its official capacity. Nothing can erase the memory of the 233 Nevisians killed in the accident, but SCUBA divers will soon get the opportunity to explore the site of the Christena.

Scuba Safaris, operating on Nevis, already offers trips to explore another local wreck, the River Taw (a coastal freighter sunk in 1985 now covered in tube sponges) with single-tank dives starting at $65. Official packages for the Christena memorial dive haven't been posted yet, but the trips are expected to focus on the wealth of wildlife which has sprung up in the wake of the disaster -- the sea renewing itself and healing the ecosystem.

Related Stories:
· A Haunting Story (Remembering the Christena Disaster) [The Anguillian]
· Dive Into Nevis History [DiveNews.com]
· Scuba Courses [ScubaNevis.com]

[Photo: Harvey S. Cohen]

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Starbucks Alternatives: Charlestown Gets A Friendly Coffee Option

Where: 233 Main Street [map], Charlestown, MA, United States, 02129
August 17, 2007 at 12:55 PM | by | Comments (0)

Chances are you will never see a Starbucks in Boston's Charlestown enclave, if the Townies have any say in the matter. That said, not only are there plenty of Boston Starbucks within spitting distance of Charlestown. However, the current town coffee shop, Sorelle Cafe, is known more for their surly service than their coffee. All this means the grand opening of Zume's Coffee House earlier this month was met with open arms.

Graphic designer turned coffee house owner Debra Ball said business has been incredibly brisk since the shop opened for beta service back in July -- August 4th was the grand opening.

Zume Coffeehouse offers free WiFi, pastries, and of course, a good selection of coffee. Our choice, the Iced Mocha was actually more expensive than a grande at Starbucks, but it was ten times as tasty. Throw in the fact that starting in September Zume will extend their hours to Monday through Friday 6 AM to 9 PM (Weekends start at 7 AM) and you can see why this place is already crawling with local mothers, work from home types, and curious Townies.

Related Stories:
· Sorelle Cafe Reviews [Yelp!]
· Starbucks Alternatives [Jaunted]

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Movie Set Travel: The Departed

October 6, 2006 at 9:25 AM | by | Comments (0)

Today's featured flick, The Departed, is one we're excited to see, mostly because of all the double living and mole-like spy oriented operations. There is nothing like movies like this to spice up your ordinary Friday.

The Departed revolves around young, undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) who's assigned to infiltrate the local South Boston mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson).  At the same time, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened criminal, infiltrates the police department as an informer. As each man works his way up the ranks (and discovers each other) they run the risk of being caught and exposed and having to turn in their friends. Drama! Action! Finally!

As much of the film was shot in Charlestown, Mass, we offer you some great things to do in this hot Boston 'hood.

Where To Stay:
Hotel Marlowe
 Ok, this one's not directly in town, but is a hop across the Charles, and offers awesome amenities like Sony Playstations in every room, safes big enough for laptops, and Wi-Fi. The Presidential Suite features a ginormous Fuji spa tub too-the perfect place to plot your infiltration.

Where To Eat:
Copia
 In Charlestown's City Square this former Greek restaurant is now an Italian eatery. Copia is owned by Anthony Caturano chef/owner of Prezza in the North End. It has only been open since September 10.

What to See:
Bunker Hill
 One of the most recognizable monuments, is scheduled to reopen Nov 1 after over six months of renovations. This 221-foot granite obelisk marks the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution back in 1775. Cool vertical photos are a must, and admission's always free.

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