Well, our visit to the Northeast is over, and we’ve had a great time. Charlie and I have seen and done a lot here in Boston, and we feel that we’ve left no stones unturned. A great vacation!
This is a big city, and an unusual one in many ways. Many buildings have been torn down, rebuilt, and rebuilt again. There are many eras of architectural style evident in this city. And, I think, that the various styles and looks compliment each other in an eclectic way. Also, the hardscape is nicely complimented by the wonderful landscape (i.e. trees) everywhere in Boston.
The only problem with the latter is that tree roots have raised havoc with the old brick sidewalks that are everywhere. So, you need to be very careful when taking a stroll, making sure that you keep your eyes on the ground.
“Brownstones”, or brick-faced, multi-storied residential buildings, are everywhere in this town. Many, like The Copley House, where we stayed for our last three nights, were built around the turn of the century (1890 to 1910). They have a style of their own.
Our “hotel room” was about the size of our quarters on the Serenade of the Seas…maybe 150 square feet. To get to it, one must climb three flights of very steep, narrow stairs…which would violate a number of building codes in modern buildings. With a Queen bed, TV, table and chairs, kitchenette and bathroom, it was very tight in there. The toilet flushing mechanism was broken when we got there, and the medicine cabinet was hanging off the wall (it eventually fell onto Charlie’s head!). They got $250 a night for the dump.
But, as the saying goes, in real estate, it’s “location, location, location”. And this place was close to everything.
They’ve been building stuff in this city for about 400 years, so there is a nice variety of architecture. I tended to like the side by side contrasts in style and the “gingerbread” used to spiff up plain buildings. Anyway, here are some photos of buildings that I liked here in Boston:
4
Lots of brick and stone in this city, most of it leftover from 100 to 200 years ago. It’s been re-modeled and re-purposed to “work” in a chic way. Everything else going up is 90 percent glass, and they are striking, particularly when they are juxtaposed against a nearby brownstone or ancient commercial building with gingerbread.
I love this place; it’s visually stimulating. I’d love to just wander around this city for a couple of days, exploring the architecture. Every idea that’s been developed in the past 300 years is on display here in Boston.
It’s a beautiful city.