The seasons have changed

The seasons have turned here in Boston, and it's tourist season now! Watch where you're walking or you might be walking through someone's photo - I nearly walked through this gentleman's photo!

Coffee Wars

I couldn't resist this one - it was in the window of the Starbucks at the corner of Dartmouth and Stuart St.

Lovely Slogan

This is my kind of shop...while it's perhaps not the finest quality photo we've ever posted, I loved the slogan on the awning. This shop is located right in Roslindale Square and has lovely objects displayed in the window. On their website they claim:

"An MIT grad student computed that we have enough ribbon to circle the Moon three times over. Since we have no intention of tarting up the moon in that way we'd love to sell you some yardage."

When I walked by today they weren't open, but hopefully I'll have the chance soon to pop in and see what it's all about!

Attack of the Smoots

If you've ever walked along Harvard Bridge then you've probably noticed the painted markings along the sidewalk. Far from graffiti, they are smoot markings (a unit of length that measures 5' 7") that measure the length of the bridge as being 364.4 smoots plus one ear. As local legend has it, these markings first came into existence in 1958 when an MIT student by the name of Oliver Smoot (5'7" tall) was used by fraternity pledges to measure the length of the bridge. The markings are repainted biannually by the Lambda Chi Alpha pledge class using different colors. This tradition survived the demolition and rebuilding of the bridge in 1988 thanks to the Cambridge police who requested that the markings be maintained since they're useful for identifying the location of accidents on the bridge. As an added bonus the new concrete surface was scored at intervals of 5'7" instead of the conventional six feet.

The markings typically appear at every 10 smoots, but over the years additional marks have been added such as the 69 smoot mark which says "Heaven" below it and the 182.2 smoot mark which has the words "Halfway to Hell" and an arrow pointing towards MIT.

Roslindale Branch

When I was very little (two or three years old) my family lived in Roslindale. Obviously, I don't remember too much about it. I don't remember where exactly in Roslindale we lived, or what exactly our home looked like, but I have clear and distinct memories of being taken to the Roslindale Public Library. I *think* I remember sitting for story time inside, but that memory is kind of muddled by age at this point. I do remember knowing we were near home whenever the circular building came into view. Every time someone mentions Roslindale, I instantly think of this building. Every time I try to give directions to, in, or around Roslindale, I use this building as a landmark.

Before the library was built there in 1961, a firehouse inhabited the space. The building is circular - according to its website - because the architects who designed it had to work with a pentagonal shaped lot, and figure out what to do about the underground brook (wonder if it's still there, or has run dry...)!

Neponset River Reservation

By show of hands, how many of you don't believe that this is really in the city of Boston?

You're all wrong! We're exploring our new neighborhood and took a walk along the Neponset River Reservation to scope out a potential running route. It's a little buggy, but it's also very peaceful and green - and certainly fools you into thinking you aren't in the city! I love when you can see the moon during the day, and I apologize for the quality of the photo...it was taken with my phone as my camera is still in the shop!

If you're familiar with the Southeast Expressway/I-93, this photo is the wetlands and stretch of river that you see right around Exit 11 - Granite Ave (on the left when heading north, on the right when heading south). From this point of view, the highway is just out of the frame at the left side of the horizon, and the State Street building on Granite Ave was a few hundred yards to my right.

Sharing the love for fellow Boston Bloggers

We'll post a picture later (well, I won't - my camera is still being repaired, but someone else will) but wanted to send a shout out over to the guys at Universal Hub for their post about us on Sunday!

I was just using Adam's Wicked Good Guide to Boston English this morning to figure out why my new local pizza place is called "Spukies 'n Pizza", and this afternoon I come to find out that he's posting about our little 'ol blog!

Citgo Sunset

Well unfortunately, helping Sarah move yesterday broke me, so you're all getting a picture from a couple of weeks ago. I had the good fortune to sit in some pretty nice seats at a Red Sox game and snap this picture of the famous Citgo sign during sunset. I wish I'd had a better camera with me to get more pretty pictures that night, but this will have to do. Coming up this week, some pictures of Roslindale Square - a really charming little part of Boston!

Moving Day

Moving out of a triple decker means some of your furniture doesn't fit down the stairwell. That's Leyre's husband lower my chair down from the balcony of our (well, not ours anymore!) third floor apartment. Leyre, her husband, and my brother were champs and helped us with the move, which went very smoothly. Now it's just unpacking and figuring out where everything goes....

The Chocolate Factory

You're in for a new batch of locations, folks! Whit has just moved to Back Bay, I'm moving to Dorchester Lower Mills, and Leyre has just started a job in Roslindale. All in Boston, but (with the exception of Back Bay) not places that we've been showing you! Here's the first installment on the chocolate factory front:

Pete and I move TOMORROW (eek!) to an apartment built in one of the Baker Chocolate Factory buildings. There are a number of buildings from the factory still around - some converted to apartments or condos, one a grocery store, one a gym, and one a storage space. There are also some that remain vacant. This photo shows two of the building that are part of the Baker Chocolate Factory apartments. The building on the left is on/over the Neponset River. The green space in the bottom of the picture is part of the landscaped courtyard in the apartment complex. These two buildings house about 80 apartments, and on the other side of the building on the right is our building, which houses another 50 or so apartments (including our awesome studio loft!).

Graffiti

Found this on the Esplanade bike path along the Charles.

PS - yesterday was our 100th post - wooohooooo!

"Rodeo Drive of the East"

According to Patrick Quinn, Newbury Street is "known as the 'Rodeo Drive of the East' and serves as Boston's representative of fashion and style, on par with the most exclusive districts of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The street is home to an eclectic mix of independent shops and high-end fashion and dining establishments. Broad sidewalks, storefronts that extend into the sidewalk and street vendors all encourage a wide mix of people to traverse the street."

Boston Place

Each spring there is a crazy group of people that compete in the Race Up Boston Place - the building above - to raise money for the American Lung Association. It's 41 stories - 82 flights of stairs!!! You can see the results from the race last March here...pretty impressive!!!

Reflections

The Hancock Tower is playing tricks on your eyes! It's two building in the reflection - the building on the left is Trinity Church, and on the right is Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.

Two and a half years ago, the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain had a huge fire. It was January, and it created a very photogenic scene. The church is still waiting to be repaired, but even as a skeleton the building is beautiful.

Cheap gas?

Hard to argue it's cheap when it's lingering around $3/gallon (but hey, I don't pay for gas - I Zipcar), but this is usually the cheapeast gas in JP. It's cash only, so be prepared, and remember - "gas is gas".

Next parish over, just west of Galaway Bay...

It's no secret that Boston has a history filled with Irish immigrants - just take a look at the stereotypes played out in all the Hollywood movies that take place here! In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Irish Famine, a memorial and small park was built at the corner of School and Washington Streets. This statue is one part of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial.

One of these things is not like the other...

One of these things just doesn't belong!

Washington Street, Jamaica Plain

Slaying the Dragon

The Dragon Boat Festival was this past weekend on the Charles. There were a number of dancing/drumming/music performances as well as tons of food, some informational booths and dragon boat races!

(click to enlarge for a slightly better view of the boat! - and see another here)

Silver Lady

This lovely lady had a lot of people waiting and watching for her to move. One little boy kept yelling "Move already!"

Pretty in Pink

Boston Public Library on Friday night all lit up for the Boston Public Library Foundation Gala.

Sunday Stroll

Faneuil Hall

Two towers

First Baptist Church of Boston and the Hancock Tower.

Hey! You up there!

There are window washers way up there on that platform...

Come! Sit! Stay!

Two doors down from the Blue Frog Bakery is Dolittle's, a groomer's (All natural, of course! This is Jamaica Plain after all!), with similarly fun sculpture's hanging above their doorway.

Table for Three

Plaza III Steakhouse, Faneuil Hall

Get your smile on!

I was walking past the corner of State St and Congress St the other day at lunch, and came across this. Behind the fence of a construction site was this collection of stuffed animals, and the motion sensor frog in the front right corner that was ribbit-ing at everyone passing by. I noticed a gentlemen standing on the construction site watching people pass, and I asked him what it was all about. He said "I just see people rushing past every day, looking like they need to relax. I just want to help everyone smile!"

Thanks - you certainly made me smile!

"De Nile" Is Not A River in Egypt!

Since today's torrential rain is rather depressing, let's pretend that it's actually warm and sunny outside like last weekend when this picture was taken.

Fenway Park

In between bursts of rain and drizzle, I did a tour of Fenway Park today. This shot shows the grounds people preparing for tonight's game between the Yankees and the Sox. Did you notice that the Dunkin' Donuts billboard is no longer in Japanese as it was in one of our previous posts?

Paddling on the Charles

Go Sox!

An aerial view of Fenway Park where the Red Sox will be playing the Yankees tonight.