Explain Boston to Me
Podcaster and Philly transplant Lee Stabert learns about Boston. She'll never be a native, but she might just learn to speak the language.
Episodes
57 episodes since 2023
The Boston Tea Party with Audrey Stuck-Girard
In part one of our inaugural two-parter, we're talking with living history interpreter Audrey Stuck-Girard about one of Boston's most iconic incidents, The Boston Tea Party. This episode has everything: Colonial tax policy, tea talk, a
September 11, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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49:09
Lobstah with Curt Brown
Not even COVID could keep me away from you! I'm back from vacation with an episode exploring an iconic part of New England culture: Lobster. To go deep (sea) on the subject, I'm joined by Curt Brown, a Maine lobsterman and marine biologist with...
September 04, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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46:03
REWIND: Allston Christmas with Matt Shearer
Oh how far we've come! I'm on vacation, so here's an oldie but a goodie — with a new intro! On the first ever episode of "Explain Boston to Me," l learned about Allston Christmas, the smorgasbord of free curbside stuff that happen...
August 28, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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32:00
The whitewashing of Boston with Dart Adams
In this week's episode, we're joined by Dart Adams, author, journalist, historian, and Black Bostonian. He talks about how the culture being exported by the city — the movies, TV shows, ...
August 21, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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52:04
The North End with James Pasto
This week, we're talking about one of Boston's most iconic neighborhoods, the North End. James Pasto grew up in this Italian enclave and now teaches a class on its history at Boston University. It's currently Feast Season —
August 14, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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50:33
Boston's best dive bars with Zach Servideo
This week, we're grabbing a drink where everyone knows your name. Oops. Not that place — we'll save that for another day. Zach Servideo of Value Creation La...
August 07, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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50:13
Boston's NIMBYs with Jacob Anbinder
This week, we're talking about the housing crisis. And affordability. And development. And density. What could go wrong? Historian Jacob Anbinder is an expert on how cities grow and evolve, and the f...
July 31, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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50:29
Revere Beach with Jan Dumas
Let's hit the sand! We're talking about Revere Beach with Jan Dumas, a proud resident and city booster. We get into the area's history, its rough reputation and weigh in on the original Kelly's Roast Beef. If you'd like to know more about what'...
July 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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34:29
How to survive moving in Boston with Premium Q
Happy first birthday to Explain Boston to Me! In this episode, I'm joined by Marian Esanu and Victor Chaves of Premium Q Moving & Storage to talk about the wild world of moving in Boston. Fr...
July 17, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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42:59
Boston Movie Club: The Departed
In the second installment of Boston Movie Club, I'm joined by Southie native and former EBtM guest Pat Toomey (check out his episode here) to chat about The Departed. I was new ...
July 10, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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41:22
Catholics! with Craig Tichelkamp
How did Boston's Catholics go from a scorned minority to the dominant force in local politics and culture? Lots of reasons! Here to walk us through it is Craig Tichelkamp, a Harvard Divinity School-educated scholar who teaches at Stonehill Coll...
June 26, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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52:29
Dunkin' Donuts with Megan Johnson
It's finally time. We're chatting about the brand that is perhaps most closely associated with the Boston region. The conversation touches on the mustachioed man ("time to make the donuts"), the iconic color scheme, the kinds of people you find...
June 19, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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40:15
The curious case of the $600,000 liquor license with Shirley Leung
Sometimes episodes of EBtM deal with the "what" — this one deals with the "why." Boston Globe reporter and podcaster Shirley Leung joins us to explain how Boston's restaurant scene has long been stymied by esoteric liquor regulations. This has ...
June 12, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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42:05
Boston's candy-coated history with Jeremy Spindler
In this episode, we're learning all about the incredible history of candy manufacturing in Boston. With Jeremy Spindler of Spindler Confections as our guide, we cover the meteoric rise and slow...
June 05, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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49:49
Summer in Cape Cod with Joe Fenti
This week, we're kicking off summer by chatting about Cape Cod. Sharing his thoughts, feelings, and shark avoidance tips is Joe Fenti, standup comedian and corporate drone, who recently went viral for his
May 29, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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32:05
Brighton with Kelly McGrath
First, we've got fashion episode feedback! Then I'm chatting with Kelly McGrath, executive director of Brighton Main Streets, about her neighborhood — its past, present, and future. Can this working-class haven balance the enticements of develo...
May 22, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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43:45
Is Boston fashion-challenged? with Margo Lindauer
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 better in Boston? We've got theories, we've got e...
May 15, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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42:56
Make Way for Ducklings at Boston Public Garden with Liz Vizza
This weekend is Mother's Day, which means it's also Duckling Day. In this episode, I chat with the president of the Friends o...
May 08, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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40:55
The Great Molasses Flood with Lisa Mullan Perkins
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 Perkins of Uwila Warrior about this sticky incident a...
May 01, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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38:19
REWIND: Talking Celtics with Jake Issenberg of First to the Floor
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 of the Celtics podcast First...
April 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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42:35
Stuck in Boston traffic with Chris Dempsey and Jeff Speck
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? How can we change the structural incentives that keep people in their cars? Hint: the answer is...
April 17, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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52:49
The Boston Marathon (again!) and local running culture with Matt Taylor of Tracksmith
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 special and on the rich, passionate local running culture that is its beating heart. Pacing us o...
April 10, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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36:31
Dating in Boston with Meredith Goldstein
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 ...
April 03, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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51:42
The Combat Zone with Stephanie Schorow
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 clubs, neon signs, and organized crime, we're joined by writer
March 27, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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39:23
The Clam Highway with Ted Reinstein of Chronicle
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 good for business. To enlighten us on the clam wars in Essex and so much more, we're joined by T...
March 20, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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36:34