Walking down Boston's Commonwealth Avenue with my camera around my neck, I was in my own world, a place I enjoy. It was school vacation week and I decided to ignore the cold, take advantage of the sunny day to get some pictures of the city.
I'll skip all comments about driving in from my small town. Suffice it to say, Boston is a fast-paced, visually stimulating city, and I drive better on quiet two-lane streets where the visual stimulation is mostly grazing cows.
But I made it.
This section of Boston-- the Back Bay-- one of the finer neighborhoods, is a combination of residences, offices and retailers held together visually by brownstone buildings that open through wrought iron gates onto the sidewalk. It's a well-heeled section of the city where old and new are juxtaposed.
There's no trash, no graffiti, things are decidedly upscale: Boston Common, the State House on Beacon Hill, Trinity Church, MIT . . . the list of historical sites is long. This is the part of the city you'd bring visitors from out of state to.
I wandered like a tourist; no one would have suspected I live a mere twenty-something miles south. I watched squirrels who were playful and friendly as kittens, got asked to pose in a picture for a group who were on a scavenger hunt on the Bridge in the Common-- they needed a Red Sox fan, they said-- and generally watched people. Despite the prevailing view that New Englanders are a cold lot, within the city there are warm and open people just waiting for a chance to exchange a smile and a few words with a stranger.
If you're from out of state, consider this a virtual tour, albeit an eclectic one, just to give you a potpourri look at the Back Bay. Neither words nor photos do a city justice. You really had to be there.
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Boston's freeway system is insane. It was clearly designed by a person who had spent his childhood crashing toy trains. ~Bill Bryson
Comments
Also the capture of what I assume is the business section was overwhelming - such huge buildings and so many windows. The traffic below must be something else again. Thanks for this bit of tour.
Thanks for the kind words you left on my blog. :)
Cheers!
I expect frequent nibbles @ u&d - as a transplanted new englander (well, it was the longest time I lived in any one place)at times I find myself longing a little for the places left behind - your photos are fab and a good booster shot to keep the longing at bay.
thanks for the visit and turning me on to your blog!
And sometime you need to visit Pleasure Bay, on the South Boston coast of the harbor.
Lovely pictures, all!