RAY OF LIGHT:

The undulating rhythm of this unmistakable Boston landmark is nothing short of hypnotic. Something of an Eiffel Tower of the Northeast--and of course a beacon for drunken B.U. students after a night of clubbing--this Bostonian piece of Americana pie is served up nightly, proudly flashing its red, white and blue patterns over a city obsessed with historic references.

Located in the heart of Kenmore Square, and only 500 feet away from the mouth of the daunting Green Monster, the colossal Citgo sign brings us back to the dawning age of the motor vehicle and represents one of the oldest art deco inspired ad campaigns in the United States. Measuring 60 square feet in area, the garish pulsating advertisement sits in the Boston skyline where it is admired up to 20 miles away. "It's the God of B.U.!" exclaims an exuberant B.U. sophomore. "It's like what we are known for. I'm proud to call it mine."

First built in 1945, before the age of TV advertising, the Citgo ad campaign was intended to dazzle the customer with its homage to the Las Vegas strip in seedy Kenmore Square. In 1979, however, an energy crisis loomed and the city had no choice but to demand that the Citgo Corporation pull the plug on the neon masterpiece. As it lay idle for the next four years, Kenmore Square residents frequently referred to the unlit metal structure as the "eyesore of the community." They saw the sign as "reminiscent of a time when Kenmore Square was sleazy and seedy," impeding their efforts to restore and beautify the area. Additionally, many people felt that the sign was a waste of money and energy in a time when poverty and the homeless were infiltrating the city at a rapid rate.

During these barren years, the Citgo Corporation had the opportunity to see exactly how much money they had been spending on the upkeep of this archaic form of advertising. Realizing that paying a monthly $10,000 in bills was not economical, a campaign to destroy this last form of "spectacular" advertising was set into motion. With the news of the demolition, however, many Bostonians became suddenly consumed with an intense feeling of nostalgia, and started their own campaign to save what they saw as an irreplaceable piece of Boston history.

A petition was put forward to make the sign into a Boston Landmark and destruction was halted while the legal outcome was pending. Although Citgo-lovers were not able to persuade the powers that be to classify the sign as the newest historical hot spot on the Boston map of stars, the Citgo Corporation decided that it was in fact in their best interest to fund the renovation--totaling $450,000--and upkeep of the sign for the next three years.

Fifteen years later, the sign still shines in a steady constant glow so that "sometimes when [BU students] get bored [they can] turn out the lights, look out of [their] window and pretend that the Citgo sign is a giant disco ball shining light into [their] own private Studio 54." Well, no one ever said Boston was that exciting anyway.

BOSTON'S CITGO SIGN COMES ALIVE