Friday, September 18, 2009

Boston you're my home...

Thanks to both of my girls going to school in the city, I've come to know and appreciate Boston over the past several years in a way I never did before...


I took the above photo last summer. The tall building on the left is the Hancock Tower and the tall building on the right is The Prudential Center... I'm still not all that comfortable driving in city traffic if I don't know where I'm going, but there are some parts of the city that I could drive blindfolded, I've come to know them so well...


Here we are heading toward Kenmore Square after day 2 of moving Courtney into her apartment a couple of weeks ago. Amanda spent most of her college years in the Kenmore area so I feel pretty comfortable here. Way off in the distance, straight ahead, is Boston's well known Citgo sign.


As we head up Brookline Street toward Commonwealth Ave. we pass right by Fenway Park.... (you can see The Prudential Center off in the distance, center of photo)...


Fenway is one of the most historic ballparks in the U.S., along with Wrigley Field in Chicago...


... and it's here at the Comm Ave. intersection that we see the huge CITGO sign that's so much a part of Boston and the games at Fenway Park.


Here we are at the same intersection the following night, with the CITGO sign all lit up. Click CITGO SIGN to read a fun little article on the history of this landmark (along with some little-known facts - bet you didn't know it has been used to time contractions!!)


Now we've turned onto Commonwealth Avenue (straight ahead on the left is The Hancock Tower again, and through the trees you see The Prudential)... The large tan building with the red tile roof that you see on the other side of the overpass is the old Somerset Hotel, now a luxury condominium building...


....but back in the sixties when it was The Somerset, it was a key player in a day that I will never forget... Maybe some day I'll share that little story!


While the old Somerset Hotel is at one end of the block, The Eliot Hotel is at the other end of the block (corner of Commonwealth and Mass Ave)... How ironic that in the forties, fond memories were being made for my mom and her friends at The Eliot Lounge, while 20 years later in the sixties unforgettable memories were being made for me at The Somerset.


Now we're at the corner of Newbury and Clarendon... I was parked on the side of the road waiting for Amanda when I happened to glance out the window...


Now I don't usually scare too easily in broad daylight, but I must admit that my heart skipped a beat when I met the gaze of the woman across the street... She was standing so still and staring right at me...


When Amanda got back to the car I insisted she take my camera and run across the street to get some better photos...


It wasn't until we were on our way that we realized that she was a street performer and had a little jar set out for donations... So Miss Street Performer/Statue... If you are reading this I promise I will put a donation in your jar next time!! Your costume and makeup were awesome!!


So after a l-o-n-g week of moving both girls into their apartments, assembling furniture, and a zillion other things, we stopped to grab a bite on our way home at the UNO's overlooking Porter Square in Cambridge. It was a lovely ending to a long week!!! I'm so fortunate to have two girls in the city so I have lots of excuses to visit it often!!
Donna

11 comments:

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I lived in Back Bay with my dad for about two years when I was a teenager. It was great fun living in the city! I loved it. Boston is such a great city.

The Curious Cat said...

Ah Boston - the place of my childhood. We used to live there and then Carlisle - an hour outside. Taking my mother back there this autumn for the first time in seventeen years! Can you imagine? It is going to be soooo amazing! xxx

Claudia said...

My old stomping grounds! I know all of that area so well! I still miss Boston, and hope to get there again someday soon. (At the very least, Don and I need to see our beloved Red Sox at Fenway!) I spent so much time on Commonwealth Avenue. I lived there my first year in Boston, worked there at BU, spent time in Kenmore Square, and Porter Square. It is a fantastic city!

Sorry to hear about your phone carrier issues. It makes you crazy, doesn't it? In the middle of it all one wants to do is scream! How do you prove to someone what you know is true when that person refuses to believe it?

Thanks for your sweet, supportive comment. We are hanging in there and trying to stay positive and upbeat. Not always easy, but on a sunny day like today it is a bit easier.

xo
Claudia

Me said...

I think the traffic would kill me! I do understand that commuting is easy there with lots of public transportation. Is that true?

joyh82 said...

I'd love to make it up there someday. My dd has a friend who lives outside Boston so now we have a reason to travel that far.
Have a great weekend!

Cottage Rose said...

Hi Donna; I have always wanted to go to Boston... Now that we live in N.C. we are planning on taking a trip up the east coast next year.. can't wait... Love the photos you took,,,and how brave you are,, I am still learning how to get around Charlotte.. lol out side the city though... That Lady street performer is so amazing.. I would have jumped too,, she was so still,,, I wonder how long she stands there.... thanks for sharing.. have a great weekend.
Hugs;
Alaura

BALLET NEWS said...

Beautiful pictures, thanks for bringing the place to life !

Unknown said...

I love Boston. These are great photographs. How nice that both girls are together. That street performer is amazing, isn't she?

Karen

Elaine said...

Donna, you've done our city proud with your photography and description of the local landmarks.

Makes me want to visit and I'm only 15 minutes away!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Donna

I love Boston -- my husband's compnay's home office is there so we've visited often.

Aren't steet performers like this one so interesting? I saw a couple at "The Taste of Colorado" festival when I was on vacation recently and they looked like real statues.

Anonymous said...

I have lived outside of Boston in Chestnut Hill all of my life; whenever I travel, I am always happy to come home.....though my business is in New York, I would never move away. Boston is big enough to give you all you could ever desire, yet small enough to feel cozy and comfortable.