Explain Boston to Me

Boston baked beans with Amy Traverso (Rewind)

There’s a reason they call it “Beantown.” In this week’s rerun, Yankee Magazine food editor Amy Traverso takes us through the history of this iconic food — and explains w

Boston Movie Club: Fever Pitch (Rewind)

In this Boston Movie Club REWIND, we’re talking about Fever Pitch, the 2005 romcom starring Jimmy Fallon, Drew Barrymore, and the 2004 Red Sox. Joining me to dig into thi

Gillette Stadium and the economics of sports in Boston with Victor Matheson

In this episode, we're talking with economics professor Victor Matheson about the history of Gillette Stadium and Boston's aversion to stadium funding more broadly. The c

Thoreau, Emerson, Fuller and the Transcendentalists with Peter Wirzbicki

On this episode, we're talking about an intellectual movement that changed the world — and was born right here in the Boston area. From Walden Pond to "Self-Reliance" to

What your New England summer destination says about you with Zach Remi

We're joined by Zach Remi aka @new_england_dad to talk about what your New England summer vacation says about you. From Maine to Martha's Vineyard, New Hampshire to Cape

Boston in the 1970s with Joseph Nevins

We're talking with Joseph Nevins, a professor and co-author of A People's Guide to Greater Boston, about this seminal decade in Boston history. From busing to the Bicente

Boston coffee culture with Jim Varney of Wavelength Coffee Roasters

We're chatting with Jim Varney of Wavelength Coffee Roasters about local coffee culture — from Dunkin and Coffee Connection to Keurig and $8 pour-overs. What does it mean

Saving — and occasionally scrapping — Boston's Historic Buildings with Peter Vanderwarker and Dr. Rebecca Kemper

This conversation focuses on Boston's wealth of historic buildings — and the advantages and challenges that result. Peter Vanderwarker and Dr. Rebecca Kemper from Histori

Nantucket with Julie Gerstenblatt

We're hopping on a ferry and heading to the "The Little Grey Lady of the Sea." Author Julie Gerstenblatt is here to talk us through her personal relationship to Nantucket

Tripledeckers with Matthew Dickey aka Streetscape Curator (REWIND)

I'm down the [Jersey] shore, so it's rerun time! This is one of the show's most popular episodes ever. We’re talking tripledeckers, that iconic piece of the local urban f

Running a restaurant in Boston with Nick Dixon

In this episode, we're chatting with chef and restauranteur Nick Dixon about what it actually takes to run a successful spot in the city of Boston, from the cost of doing

Polar Seltzer with Jacqueline Cain

Crack a cold one! In this episode, we're talking about Polar Seltzer, a staple of fridges and coolers across New England. This Worcester-based company has been in busines

Putting Boston on a T-Shirt with Chris Wrenn

In this episode, we're chatting with Chris Wrenn, author of Fenway Punk: How a Boston Indie Label Scored Big on Baseball's Greatest Rivalry. He talks "Yankees Suck," goin

Provincetown with Courtney Trautman

This week, it's just the tip — of Cape Cod! We're talking Provincetown with Courtney Trautman a South End transplant with a deep love of this seaside gay mecca. Philly a

Summer on Cape Cod with Joe Fenti (REWIND)

It's re-run time, as Lee is off getting ready for the launch of ArtPhilly's What Now: 2026 festival. To that end, we're kicking off summer by chatting about Cape Cod. Sha

Boston Market (IT'S BOSTON CHICKEN!!!) with Tanya Edwards

In this episode, writer Tanya Edwards tells us about the rise and fall of Boston Market (née Boston Chicken), which just closed its final Massachusetts location. From two

Boston's Spaghetti Streets with Andy Woodruff

Whether it was cow paths or Puritan obstinance, the roots of Boston's grid-less city run deep. To talk about the city's unique geography, we're joined by Andy Woodruff, a

Explain Boston to Me LIVE! at the Athenaeum

Explain Boston to Me took to the stage at the Boston Athenaeum, a storied institution that reflects the history and values of its home city. Guests Leah Rosovsky and John

Mythbusting in Boston's Chinatown with Richard Auffrey

In this episode, we're exploring the origins of Boston's vibrant Chinatown — and reexamining myths around the city's first Chinese restaurant — with lawyer and historian

Don't Take Fenway Park for Granted with Glenn Stout

We're learning about a true Boston icon: Fenway Park. According to author Glenn Stout, this baseball paradise "changed his life" — it also would have been unrecognizable