It's been awhile since we had any fun photos up on here & since my camera is currently broken {grrr!} I can't upload the ones I have taken - I'm going to share a few photos available on the New Bedford Whaling National Park website:
Monday, September 20, 2010
The City That Lit The World
I have to give a big shout out to my Mémère, Miss Susanne Yolande, right now. I'm starting to write my introduction & this summer she handed me a GIANT GIANT bag of every article that mentions New Bedford over the past 40+ years, every inch of paper from her many year volunteering with the NPS, and every brochure, photo, postcard, etc from this city she loves so much. I wasn't sure how I would utilize this massive amounts of material until right now. It's a wealth of information & the fact that a lot of it dates back to the 1950s is actually pretty useful when working on a narrative of New Bedford's recent past. So, thanks Mémère!
Here is the introductory paragraph from the Common Ground: Preserving Our Nation’s Heritage magazine from Winter 2005. The article is entitled The City That Lit The World: Rekindling a Legacy at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. I basically need to write exactly this for my introduction - they said it better than I could, & so succinctly.
“New Bedford…was growing rich on whale oil, evident in its teeming waterfront, its grand houses, and its thriving financial institutions. Whaling money founded railroads, textile mills, and land corporations. It transformed New Bedford into an exotic, cosmopolitan city, its streets crowded with people from Cape Verde, the Azores, Portugal, and other distant ports. The New Bedford of Melville’s time exuded the vitality of a place that had urgent business in the world, that had exceeded its humble beginnings. A hundred years later, New Bedford had the desperate and hollowed-out look of so many New England towns that hit their prime in the 19th century, then were left behind by advancing technology and economic change. The glory days of whaling were a distant memory. What was not visible, looking down on the decay from the elevated interstate that cuts through the city, was the struggle to preserve a heritage. It was a struggle fought locally, against sometimes high odds. In the face of indifference and the shadow of urban renewal."
Monday, September 13, 2010
Downtown New Bedford OTHER & social media usage
The previous evaluations/lists revolved around the destinations listed in the downtown New Bedford Inc. brochure. However, a few places that showed up in my search into the level of exposure of tourists sites -that I know are in the downtown/waterfront area -were not included. I have listed them here:
- no specific website, but information available on the Whaling National Historica Park webpage
- no specific website, but information available on AHA! website
- no specific website, but information available on the Working Waterfront Festival webpage
- website
- no specific website, but information available on the New Bedford Preservation website
Whalemen's Memorial {outside of the Library}
- no specific website {no website for the Library, either}, but information available on the New Bedford Area Visitor Guide
Moby Dick Marathon {at the Whaling Museum}
- no specific website, but information available on the Whaling Museum website
Cafe Balena
- no specific website, but information available on urbanspoon
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Social Media Rankings
After the handful of previous posts breaking down what sort of social media each site listed in the Downtown New Bedford brochure we have a new rankings list. Out of those who utilize social media - who uses the greatest variety of sites & which are the most popular? Here's what this looks like: {Again, bolded refers to exposure during previous search}
Historical/Cultural/Leisure (12)
AHA! {3}
W.H.A.LE {3}
TL6: The Gallery {2}
Your Theater {2}
Gallery X {2}
Food (6)
Ginger Grill {1}
On-A-Roll Speciality Sandwiches {1}
Shopping (3)
Calico {5}
Travessia Winery {4}
Artworks! {1}
Most Popular Social Media platforms {out of 21 total}
Facebook {18}
Twitter {10}
Myspace {5}
blog {4}
Flickr {2}
Youtube {1}
Delicious {1}
Downtown sites w/ online travel website exposure that use some form of social media: 15/21
Downtown New Bedford Food & Web 2.0 usage
A list of Food from the downtown New Bedford brochure & what they offer in terms of internet connections/web 2.0 {bolded refers to sites with web presence from previous search}:
Brick
- no website, but information on yelp & urbanspoon
- website with email to contact
- website
- website with email to contact
Cobblestone Restaurant
- no website, but information available on urbanspoon & yelp
- website
- website
- company website
- website
Ginger Grill
- no direct website, but information available on yelp & urbanspoon
- website
- myspace
- information available on yelp
Miguel's American & Portuguese Restaurant
- no website, only information available in Downtown New Bedford brochure
- website
- information available on yelp & urbanspoon
On A Roll -Specialty Sandwiches
- information available on yelp
Pic-A-Deli Convenience Store
- no website
- website
- website
- information available on yelp
- website
- information available on urbanspoon
The Green Bean
- no specific website, but information available on yelp & urbanspoon
- website with email to contact
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Downtown New Bedford Historical/Cultural/Leisure activities & Web 2.0 usage
A list of the Historical/Cultural/Leisure activities from the downtown New Bedford brochure & what they offer in terms of internet connections/web 2.0 {bolded refers to sites with web presence from previous search}:
- website
- myspace
- website
- website
City Hall
- no specific website, but information available on town website
Nathan & Mary (Polly) Johnson House
- no specific website, but information available on newbedford360 website & National Park Service
New Bedford Free Public Library
- no specific website, but information available on town website
- website
- National Park Service website
- unofficial/unmaintained Facebook page
- website
- website with email to contact
Seamen's Bethel
- no specific website, but information available on the National Park Service site
Waterfront Business Center -Wharfinger Building
- no specific website, but information available on Downtown New Bedford website
- website with email to contact
- website
- website
- website with email to contact
- website with email to contact
New Bedford Fire Museum
- no website, but reviews on uptake.com
- website with email to contact
- website with email to contact
Colo Colo Gallery
- no specific website, but information on artist's personal website & AHA!
- website
- website
- myspace
- website
- flickr
Marie's Studios & Gallery, LLC
- website, but url doesn't appear to be working
- website
The Cummings Building Artists Studio & Gallery
- no specific website, but information can be found on Arts New Bedford's website
- website
- myspace
- website
Downtown New Bedford Shopping & social media usage
The evaluation on shopping will focus on the list of five stores with a web presence, however here is a look at the stores listed in the downtown New Bedford brochure & how they rank {the bolded shops refer to those with a web presence in my previous search}
Artificial Marketplace
be jeweled
- no website, but discussed on general New Bedford tourism websites
Biltmore Package Shop, Inc {liquor store}
- nothing available
- website
- no website, but discussed on merchantcircle.com
Christian Science Reading Room
- nothing available
- website with email to contact
- website with email to contact
- website with email to contact
The Bay/The Cottage
- nothing available
- website with email to contact
The Crystal Garden/The Doll's Closet/The Green Lantern/This and That
- nothing available
- website with email to contact
- website
minimal social media usage
It's taken awhile, but I think I have narrowed down the social media sites I want to use to evaluate the tourism stops in New Bedford. This is probably change. I would love to hear any thoughts out there!?
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1. Facebook/LinkedIn {some social networking site with profiles}
2. Twitter {or other miniblogging sites, but this is the most popular}
3. blog {a direct website would be great too, but that's not social media per se}
4. Flickr {or some photosharing site -Picassa, Photobucket, etc}
5. Yelp {a place for reviews & conversations}
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Breaking It Down
So, my 10 charts are done {there are 12 travel sites, but if you read the post below you know that 2 sites offer no travel suggestions for New Bedford} & now I can start breaking down the information from them to determine the level on online exposure for potential New Bedford visitors to explore. Here's are the sites {historical/cultural/leisure & shopping & food} located in the downtown/National Park area that were suggested from these travel sites {in order of most mentioned to least - but at least once}:
Historical/Cultural/Leisure
Whaling Museum {8}
Seamen's Bethel {5}
Fort Taber {3}
Your Theater {2}
AHA! {2}
Ocean Explorium {2}
W.H.A.LE {1}
architecture {1}
Crowell's Fine Art {1}
Arthur Moniz Gallery {1}
Food
Cafe Arpeggio {4}
No Problemo {3}
Cobblestone {3}
Cafe Balena {2}
Spicy Lime {2}
Dunkin Donuts {1}
The Green Bean {1}
Brick Pizzeria {1}
Rose Alley Ale House {1}
Ginger Grill {1}
On A Roll Sandwich Shop {1}
Shopping
The Black Whale {1}
This and That {1}
Converse Photo Supply {1}
Be Jeweled {1}
The Crystal Garden {1}
Calico {1}
Artificial Marketplace {1}
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