Boston Daily Photo

So long, farewell...

2008-06-06T10:19:00.004-05:00

Between moving to a different country, work, travel, training for fundraiser walks, going back to school, etc... we've got so much on our plates that it's time to take something off, and unfortunately this project is it. It's been really fun doing this, and I'll still be watching the City Daily Photo community. And who knows, maybe things will slow down and BDP will be back up and running someday!

In the meantime, thank you for all the past watching, commenting, lurking, and supporting. If you can't live without a beautiful photo of Boston every day, please head over to Clueless in Boston. If you want to keep up with me, you can visit my personal photo blog (and if you want to donate to help me reach my $2,500 fundraising goal for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk that's taking up so much of my time now, head here.)

Technical Difficulties....

2008-05-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

I'm having trouble uploading photos to Blogger, so cross your fingers I can get it straightened out tomorrow....

Tower Rehab

2008-05-22T10:27:00.003-05:00

This is Holy Trinity (German) Church, which is in the South End on Shawmut Ave. There was a sign out front about the Tower rehab project, which stated that the church was built in 1877, and the steeple was lost in a hurricane in 1938. It didn't look like there was any current construction going on when I took the photo (which was a few months back), so perhaps the sign was left from a previous project.

I'm rushing off to the airport (Wisconsin for an extra long weekend!), so you'll have to click through to the church's page if you'd like to read more of the history.

Have Car, Will Move Tree

2008-05-22T07:06:00.000-05:00

This cracked me up when I saw it parked outside a flower shop in Roslindale. Good thing they've got a convertible, it would have been tricky to fit that tree into a sedan!

I heart these guys, too.

2008-05-21T07:05:00.003-05:00

These two houses are adorbale, and impecibly maintained. Also, I don't know if they took each other's house color into consideration when they were choosing, but I think that these two colors look awesome side by side.

Also on Fairview Street in Roslindale, which seems to have an abundance of cute houses.

I heart this house.

2008-05-20T07:02:00.002-05:00

This house isn't anything spectacular, and I'm pretty sure it could use a new coat of paint (and new windows, and some yard work), but when I was walking down the street and saw it framed by this tree, I fell in love.

Fairview Strett, Roslindale.

Click to enlarge and really appreciate it!

Same Subject

2008-05-19T07:02:00.003-05:00

Just a different point of view on the Bank of America Pavillion.

Waterfront

2008-05-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is the Bank of America Pavillion, which is on the waterfront in South Boston and is a very fun place to see a show in the summer. There are tables set up along the water, so you can grab a drink and check out the downtown skyline in between sets or before the show starts. I'll try to get back there sometime this summer and get a picture of that view, but in the meantime you'll have to enjoy this one.

Aerial View of Coastline

2008-05-17T06:38:00.000-05:00

Here's an aerial view of the Massachusetts coastline, south of Boston.

Aerial View of Boston

2008-05-16T06:30:00.003-05:00

I gave Ed a flying lesson for his Christmas present and he finally had a beautiful day to use it. The best, and unexpected, part of this gift was that I got to go up with him! We took off from Hanscom Field in a Piper Warrior and headed towards Cape Cod. This is a picture of the Boston skyline on our way south.

*Click to enlarge and check out the detail!

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

2008-05-15T06:42:00.001-05:00

This dog found a great spot to rest in a doorway on Newbury Street. We spent a few minutes staring at him and he at us...nothing seemed to bother him!

Newbies in Boston

2008-05-14T07:47:00.001-05:00

Some Canadian Geese and their goslings seemed to be enjoying themselves in the Charles River despite the incessant rain.

Model Madness

2008-05-13T07:25:00.002-05:00

I've walked by plenty of movie sets in Boston but not once have I walked past a photo shoot. This model had a throng of observers as she posed for a photographer in front of the Taj Hotel on Newbury Street.

Sign-tology

2008-05-12T09:10:00.005-05:00

The Boston Scientology headquarters are around the corner from our apartment. This sign is on the corner of our block and I never noticed the graffiti on it until a friend pointed it out to me this weekend.

2008-05-11T17:39:00.002-05:00

Oh look! I saw a pretty flowering tree, and I took pictures of it's flowers! I'm sure you're all shocked. ;)

Leyre and I took a walk through Arnold Arboretum this morning, where they were celebrating the 100th anniversary of their Lilac Sunday festival. The weather was beautiful, despite the forecast earlier this week predicting a horrible, rainy weekend. There were families and dogs everywhere, which is no good for me since I've got serious doggy fever right now (but can't have a dog in my apartment).

New (to me) Tree

2008-05-09T21:03:00.002-05:00

I probably need to try and get a better photo of these trees, but I noticed them for the first time the other day leaving work! They have these itty bitty blossoms on them, in a bright fuchsia color. They're gorgeous! I had never noticed the one in front of my office until this week, and then of course I noticed that I rid the train right past a whole row of them every day. But what are they?!?

Do It For The Boobs.

2008-05-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

I have taken on an incredible challenge...on Oct 3rd-5th, my sisters (find one of them here) and I will be walking 60 miles over the course of three days. We must be crazy!

But we're not that crazy! It’s for the boobs! We're walking in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant. They are working hard to build a future without breast cancer, and I plan on raising $2,500 to help bring us closer to that goal!

Please consider making a donation. You can donate online by clicking on the link in the right hand menu bar. Or you can call (in the US!) 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone. And don't forget to check with your employer to see if they will match your gift!

Without a cure, one in eight women in the U.S. will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer. How many women do you know? Divide that number by eight. Makes you want to donate, doesn't it?

Thank you in advance for your support! The CDP community has continually amazed me - from teaching me why people leave small stones on top of grave markers and what flowers I've come across recently, to seeing folks reach out when one of our community members suffers a horrible tragedy...I know that those of you who can will donate generously, and those that can't will be sending me lots of positive thoughts and vibes throughout my training and the walk itself. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fresh Fruit

2008-05-08T19:34:00.000-05:00

This fruit/veggie stand is at Dewey Square year round. Even in the snow. Even in the rain. Even in the freezing, freezing cold. It's handy if you have no idea what to do for dinner...got some rice at home? Pick up some veggies and make a stir fry?! Forget your breakfast? Grab a few pieces of fruit and nosh away!

The most interesting bit? Inflation hits here, too! Prices have gone up from $1/3 pieces of fruit to $1.25/3 pieces. It's no Haymarket, but it's there all week and it's right in between the T and the office.

Squeegee

2008-05-07T19:53:00.002-05:00

Ha! How often do you get to use the word squeegee and have it be in context?! I love that word. I also love squeegee's, which once prompted my mother to buy one for our house in the hopes that it would make me more willing to wash the outside of the hard to reach kitchen windows. Pretty sure that loving squeegee's didn't work to her advantage that time. Sorry, Mom!

Anyway, back to the point here...I went out for a stroll (and maybe some ice cream) at lunch today, and saw this guy cleaning the windows. He was only about 3 floors up. He had a guy down on the sidewalk that lowered him when he was done and ready to go down a floor. These guys were also the THIRD window washers I saw while I was out...I guess they wanted to get it in so everyone would have a nice clear view of tomorrow's rain from their office?!

Drip

2008-05-06T20:16:00.001-05:00

This was on the side of one of the buildings by Haymarket.

Fur Seals

2008-05-05T20:57:00.002-05:00

Back to the Aquarium for another cute creature! I had forgotten even taking pictures of the fur seals until I was looking back at my photos today. The fur seals are actually in a tank that is just outside of the entrance to the aquarium, so you can stop by and check them out even if you don't want to buy a ticket and go into the building. They're super cute, and they totally show off for a crowd! This guy was my favorite - he was hanging out in the corner like that for a bit, then flipped over and poked his head out to gargle and make some noise, and then he dove down, spun upside down, and swam away...still upside down!

7 for $1

2008-05-04T13:23:00.002-05:00

On my way home from the Aquarium yesterday I walked through Haymarket. I haven't been since last summer, and after how well I did yesterday I'll be sure to get back more often. I got 10 oranges, 5 blood oranges, 2 mangos, and 6 bananas for $4!!!

Click the photo to enlarge and check out all the details.

PS - we're almost caught up (I need to put together one more post), so make sure that you look back at the last week's photos!

Myrtle the Turtle

2008-05-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

I went to the New England Aquarium with a friend that was in town today, and we loved this lady, Myrtle the Turtle. Myrtle is 75 years old and weighs 500 pounds. She has been at the aquarium since it opened in 1969.

Goslings?

2008-05-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

This goose has been sitting on her (his? I know they take turns, I just have no idea how you tell them apart?) nest for a few weeks. I'm dying to see the fuzzy little goslings when they come, and I think that should be in the next week or two! I check on her every morning on my way to work and every evening on my way home.

Sorry!!!

2008-05-02T06:42:00.001-05:00

Sorry folks, I've been wanting to update with our trip to CA and with our theme day but technology has been conspiring against me. I think that I got things straightened out last night and I'll have time to get back on track tomorrow morning. Check back tomorrow for all the backposts!

Please Stand By

2008-04-30T16:09:00.001-05:00

Sorry folks - turns out that our internet access wasn't very reliable out in California, so we've got PLENTY of photos to share, but weren't able to upload out there. Then we spent yesterday sad and depressed because we flew back into a cold, rainy Boston.

I'm heading out of the office and will update this evening!

Sunshine on a Rainy Day?

2008-04-30T12:59:00.001-05:00

It's been rainy and grey and cold the last few days in Boston, so I thought I'd take a look back at last week, when it was warm and sunny and absolutely glorious!

Welcome Will!

2008-04-29T12:54:00.001-05:00

While we're on a string of personal photos, let's say welcome to Will! Will was born on April 22nd around 12:30 AM to Mark and Amy, who Leyre and I have known since high school. He's their second little monster, I mean....angel, and his big sister Loula has been a wonderful big sister since he's been home! I hadn't gotten a change to meet him before we left for California, so I took advantage of having the day off from work to spend some time with him.

By The Sea

2008-04-28T12:45:00.001-05:00

We spent Sunday in the sleepy village of Capitola (By The Sea is tacked on to the name according to the welcome sign, but I don't believe it's the official name). Our GPS unit, Guadalupe, had taken us through Capitola Friday morning on our way to Starbucks, and we had fallen in love with the little village without even getting out of the car. Monday we had a lot of time before we had to get to the airport (booo!) so we spent some time wandering through Capitola before heading up to Santa Cruz.

Leyre's father-in-law tells us that these adorable houses along the beach were built by Al Capone, who used to vacation in Capitola. I can find absolutely nothing on the internet that can either confirm or deny this claim, so I'll just put it out there. Regardless of who built them, they're totally adorable and I would like to live in one.

Los Gigantes

2008-04-27T12:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday we met up with Leyre's parents in San Francisco and spent the day checking out all it had to offer - Chinatown, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Park, Union Square, In-N-Out Burger. We also went to AT&T Park to watch the Giants lose to Cincinnati and get a little sunburn. ;)

PCH

2008-04-26T12:25:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning we drove a few hours down the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur, then headed back home and with a detour through the 17 mile drive to check out Pebble Beach and it's surrounding neighborhood.

Also on Saturday, we went to Andrea & Dave's wedding - the reason we were in California!

Andrea and Dave were married on Saturday at the Monterey Plaza Hotel. It was gorgeous weather, and a fun wedding. Congrats Andrea & Dave!

This must be heaven where the ocean meets the sand...

2008-04-25T00:18:00.003-05:00

As promised, we're coming to you live from (very) sunny and warm California! We spent most of the day in Carmel today, visiting the Mission there. We then headed down very steep Ocean Avenue to Carmel Beach. The two little girls to the left of the signs were rolling down the hill and giggling the whole time, there were a group of dogs playing fetch in the water and rolling around on the sand, and the sun was out in full force while a nice breeze off the water kept us from overheating. After such a long winter, sunshine like we had today feels like it's healing your body. You can almost forget about all the snow and bitter cold. Boston, you'd better be nice and sunny for us when we get back!

Pack Your Bags!

2008-04-24T10:18:00.002-05:00

We're going to California! Since 1/2 of us are headed West for a long weekend, we thought it would be fun to bring you along. Where are we going? Monterrey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco (for a Giants game!). Hope you're packed...and don't forget the sunblock!

Commuter Rail

2008-04-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

I took the commuter rail out to Roslindale to Leyre's house last week, and the outside of the car had been tagged with very pretty colors. I wanted to take a photo but was rushing to get on the train before it left. Turns out, I wasn't out of luck - this is what the graffiti looked like from the inside of the window it covered.

Common Colors

2008-04-22T21:28:00.003-05:00

I've been admiring the flowers outside of work lately, and realized that they're the same combination as my sister's garden. She liked the way that the white tulips lead your eye back toward the tree in her photo...in mine, the white of the tulip draws your eye back toward the banker leaving work for the day! ;) Click to enlarge and check out the detail!

Northern Ave

2008-04-21T20:36:00.011-05:00

This is the Northern Ave Bridge, which crosses Fort Point Channel from Atlantic Ave to the South Boston Waterfront. The Northern Ave Bridge is a swing bridge that was built in 1908 and was originally used as a roadway and I believe at one point as a rail bridge. Now it's a pedestrian bridge, and looks very pretty when you take long exposure pictures of it in the freezing cold (not today, today was nice...this photo is from sometime in March). I would give you more intellectually stimulating information on the bridge, but I'm not having much luck finding any!

Table for Two

2008-04-20T05:46:00.005-05:00

This is actually from about a week and a half ago, when we went from the 40s to the 70s for one day, then back to the 40s and rainy for the following weekend. We're loving up the warm weather lately. Even if it isn't technically true, I think every winter feels longer and colder than the past. I know that this winter was relatively mild, but it didn't stop me from complaining about it incessantly, and I was ready for spring about three weeks before it actually came.

Over My Shoulder

2008-04-19T09:59:00.002-05:00

Here's another one from the Red Sox game last night. I've been playing with "cross processing" photos in Photoshop, and this was one one of my victims. I like the vintagey colors with it.

I love how this guys jersey is so well loved that it's starting to fray. And I may have mentioned it before, but don't we all love Varitek and his cute butt?! At the game Pete turned to me and said "what is it about Varitek, why do all the girls like him?" and I explained to him that the catchers always have the best butt on the team, and besides, he's a good looking guy! For some reason, he still seemed confused. If that's why the girls like him, why do the guys like him? What true Red Sox fan doesn't love a guy that gives A-Rod what he deserves! ;)

I'll ease up on the Red Sox photos for a bit, but as the billboard says "We celebrate New Years' in April"!

Happy April!

2008-04-18T08:33:00.004-05:00

I got really lucky and got some Red Sox tickets for the game tonight. It's the third April in a row that Pete and I have gotten our hands on Sox tickets for an April game, so I'm hoping that means that the trend will continue and we'll get to see another 4-5 games this summer! These seats were directly under the press boxes - a pretty nice view!

That pitch you're seeing above, by the way, is the pitch that Papi turned into a grand slam in the 3rd inning. The Sox won 11-3, woohoo!

Click to enlarge.

South End Mural

2008-04-17T05:17:00.001-05:00

I saw this on the side of a row of Brownstones near the corner of Columbus and Braddock Park in the South End. I'm not having any luck finding any info on it, so I may need to go back and see if I can find any info on/near the building if I look closer.

More Springing!

2008-04-16T19:26:00.004-05:00

I was in the South End at a friend's house last night and stopped to take photos of some of the beautiful trees that have started blossoming. It spurred a conversation with a woman walking by about what type of trees they are. I know that these guys above are Magnolias, but there were other trees on the same block that may or may not be Dogwoods. Or are they just white Magnolias? I have no idea! That's why I have all of you, because you guys are so knowledgeable and I know that if I put it out here, someone will help me out!

Spring!

2008-04-15T05:37:00.000-05:00

It's actually sprung! Remember when I wasn't sure it was ever coming?

MFA: III

2008-04-14T19:25:00.007-05:00

This is one of the statues in the Buddhist Temple Room I showed you back on Saturday. That scary guy is Bishamonten - the God of War and Warriors. He holds a pagoda in his hand, and here is why:

The small pagoda he often carries symbolizes the divine treasure house. He is both a protector of and dispenser of its treasure -- he shares the pagoda's vast treasures with only "the worthy." In Japan, as a member of the Four Heavenly Kings, he is called Tamonten (Listens to Many Teachings), and in this capacity he protects the places where Buddha preaches and listens always to Buddha's teachings.

Learn more here, and don't let this guy's grumpy face scare you - make sure you stop in and say hi to him next time you're at the MFA!

MFA: II

2008-04-13T19:49:00.002-05:00

Cute scene from the MFA yesterday!

MFA

2008-04-12T14:12:00.004-05:00

This is my favorite place in the Museum of Fine Arts. It's the Buddhist Temple Room, and I could sit there for hours. The MFA is currently under construction, so a number of their collections are not being shown in their entirety...but not in the Asian collection! The Buddhas haven't gone anywhere, so head on up there and check them out.

Danger: Falling Floors

2008-04-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

I was walking past the construction on the old Filene's building the other day, and they had some kind of crazy machine that was reaching in and tearing down the floors. I couldn't find an angle I liked, until I gave up and went shoe shopping. I took this photo out the window of DSW across the street, so you'll have to excuse the lights that are reflected.

Skies were grey but they're not grey anymore

2008-04-10T18:38:00.004-05:00

Today was absolutely beautiful - high 60's, sunny, and no wind. It's the first really springy day we've had, and you better believe that all us office dwellers snuck out of our caves at lunch time to enjoy it!

I've shown you this building before, but today it's a bit of a different angle. I actually saw these window washers from out of the office window and knew I'd be taking their photo later. I can't help it, I'm fascinated with the job!

Setting

2008-04-09T21:07:00.003-05:00

I took this on my way home from work a few weeks ago. I love how the setting sun reflects off the walls of the underpass.

Where I'd Rather Be....

2008-04-08T18:34:00.005-05:00

You know how some days you just wish you were somewhere else? It doesn't have to be a particularly bad day or anything, you just would rather not be where you are. Today this is where I would rather be...back in Madrid, on vacation with my parents and some of my closest friends. Eating well, exploring a new city, and taking over 500 photos in a week!

That's the Catedral de la Almudena, which is located next the Palacio Real. This picture was taken from the Templo de Debod - an Egyptian temple located near Plaza España.

*This photo was actually taken by my father - thanks Dad!
**Click to enlarge!
***We'll be back in Boston tomorrow, I'm just daydreaming today. :)

Ill Passenger

2008-04-07T19:44:00.005-05:00

There were delays on the Red Line one day last week when I was headed home from work, "due to an ill passenger at South Station". This train sat at the platform for about 5 minutes, and I had fun watching people start running when they caught sight of it at the bottom of the stairs, then run from door to door as they realized that each one was already jam packed with people.

Click to enlarge and check out the detail.

Sunday Supper

2008-04-06T19:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, this is not what had for supper tonight, nor is it in Boston. I had to share anyway! Friday night a few friends of mine went out to The Melting Pot in Framingham (just next to Jordan's Furniture, in the same building as the jewelry store, in case you're looking for it...we made a few U-turns because we didn't see the sign the first two times...), about 25 minutes West of Boston. Talk about a fun time! The food was delicious and it's fun to go out to dinner and have it be such an interactive experience instead of just someone putting a plate in front of you. Our waiter, Tiago, was awesome, and the food was tasty. We decided that next time we'll do two different cheese fondues, salad, and skip straight to the chocolate fondue. The entree (shown in the photo) was yummy, too, but really...we LOVED the cheese and the chocolate!

We had the Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue to start, salads, the monthly special Fondue Feast for the entree, and the Cookies 'n Cream Marshmallow Dream to finish it up. We've all been thinking and talking about this meal all weekend and telling our respective SOs that we have to go back!

Milton

2008-04-05T19:47:00.001-05:00

This is where I catch the trolley every day. Only I'm usually not this low to the ground - I was just trying to make it more interesting for you guys since I haven't been straying from my usual route lately. Next weekend I promise to go on a photo adventure so I'll have lots of new things to show you!

Starbucks

2008-04-04T19:40:00.001-05:00

I walked into One Financial Center to get my daily addiction (grande soy chai, please! Only today it was a venti - early morning to start a l-o-n-g day), and the shadow from the Starbucks door caught my eye.

Shadows

2008-04-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Shadows under the Trolley overpass along the Neponset River Greenway.

Eerie

2008-04-02T20:20:00.003-05:00

The sky was kind of eerie when I was on my way home last night - it was around twilight, but with lots of grey rain clouds blowing through, and a pink cast from the street lights. It has been very windy lately, so even with the warmer (near 60!) temperatures yesterday, it still felt chilly. Today was cooler (40s) and windy. Maybe someday spring will come. ;)

CDP Theme Day: Water (or "ooooooh! Boston, your my home!")

2008-04-01T05:33:00.007-05:00

Today's theme day is water, and I won't lie, it was a tough one for me! That probably sounds silly...we're on a harbor, we've got the Charles River, and it's been rainy for a number of days in the last few weeks. In the end, I'm showing you neither the Harbor or the Charles! This is the Neponset River, which you've seen before (because I live right next to it...sorry to flood you with photos of it. Ba-dum-dum!). The Neponset acts as the city line, running between Boston and Quincy and then Boston and Milton - much like the Charles acts as the city line between Boston and Cambridge. This shot is looking from Boston across the river into Milton Village. The buildings on the left were part of the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory - the nearest is still vacant and the furthest is a storage facility. The building across the street on the right is another Chocolate Factory building, and houses a handful of professional offices, as well as a gym/spa. The trolley stops just past the parking lot for the storage facility, and up the hill are a few banks, a post office, a hardware store, and a few more professional services (tax accountants, dentists, psychologist, etc...).

The picture is best large, so click it to check out the detail!

And of course, no true Bostonian (or Red Sox fan) can think of Boston without "Love that Dirty Water" by the Standells running through their head, here's a video for you to watch:

There are currently 178 blogs participating in today's theme day, so pick a link (or 5, or 20) below and take a trip to somewhere new!
Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by Digger, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro by Paja, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix - Bostonscapes, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Cypress (TX), USA by Riniroo, Dallas/Fort Worth (TX), USA by A Wandering Soul, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Evry, France by Olivier, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Jogja Portrait, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Lake Forest Park (WA), USA by Azure, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Marseille, France by Alex, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by John, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minsk, Belarus by Olga, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montego Bay, Jamaica by Ann, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Magiceye, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Nancy, France by yoshi, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norfolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norman (OK), USA by Chad & LaCresha, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Odense, Denmark by ania odense, Omsk, Russia by Nataly, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Oslo, Norway by Lothiane, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Paris, France by Eric, Paris, France by Gordio, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Pont-à-Mousson, France by Tintin-j, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portland (OR), USA by NWgal, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by atc, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Eponabri, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Shanghai, China by Jing, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Suffolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Nathalie, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Toruń, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Virginia Beach (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by Rachel, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Williamsburg (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

Makes my soul trip, trip, trip away

2008-03-31T21:01:00.005-05:00

Sometimes, when you feel like the cold, windy, wet weather will never go away, you take whatever "sunshine" you can get. This was the window display at Winston Flowers last week.

I actually took this photo because this is the angle I saw when I walked by on my way to the T stop, and my first reaction was that it looked like an little monster face...it just happens that when it's grey and gloomy out, it's nice to find a little sunshiney surprise hidden in your image archives, right?!

Aaah!

2008-03-30T06:12:00.001-05:00

Graffiti along the Neponset River Greenway, Lower Mills Dorchester.

From the Archives

2008-03-29T12:30:00.004-05:00

This is an old photo, but I went through almost every photo in my (digital) archives this morning* and remembered how much I love it. I took this photo when Whit and I were meeting up for lunch and a photo adventure one afternoon. I thought the clouds looked amazing. I showed it to her when she showed up, and she laughed, pulled out her camera, and showed me these photos she had taken earlier in the day.

That's the Old South Church, a UCC church at the corner of Dartmouth and Boylston in Back Bay. The T sign is for the entrance/exit to the Copley stop on the green line.

On a personal and slightly related note - if you're in Boston and need a good massage, just behind me in this photo, on the 2nd floor, is Boston Bodyworker. See Stephanie, and tell her that Sarah and Whit sent you. You will not regret it.

* Yes, my eyes are very tired and dry right now. I need a break from the computer screen now!

From Above

2008-03-28T11:26:00.001-05:00

Remember that wedding at the State Room where I got to show you some awesome shots of Faneuil Hall from above? One of those shots was this - same subject as yesterday's photo, but slightly different angle!

And yes, that ghost-like shadow on the right is my dress reflecting in the window...oops!

One Hand Stand

2008-03-27T21:09:00.004-05:00

I've shown you some of these guys before, but I absolutely love watching them get their dance on. They're out in Faneuil Hall most of the year - although with all the dancing they're doing, they probably stay warmer than all of us suckers standing around in 30 degree weather watching them! I have one more photo of them from a slightly different perspective that I'll show you tomorrow...

One More

2008-03-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

One more from the pillow fight. This guy was in cahoots with the giraffe from yesterday.

Pillow Fight

2008-03-25T20:36:00.006-05:00

Saturday was World Pillow Fight Day, and so of course I headed to Copley Square to make sure that you guys got to see some of the action (apparently I really do go for the in depth reporting, George). That's not snow on the ground (thank GOD!), it's the aftermath of the first burst pillow. And that guy in the middle? The giraffe holding the state flag? He's the one that started it all when he ran into the square with a bullhorn on it's siren setting. Click the photo to enlarge, and make note of the other photog in the photo. There were almost as many people there to take photos as there were to pillow fight!

I took a LOT of photos that day - so many that I haven't made it through all of them myself! Luckily for you, there are heaps of photos of the event here, so feel free to check those out. There was also an article in the Boston Globe about how this kind of spontaneous event is a new trend, and you can read that here.

Sarah Wyman Whitman

2008-03-24T18:16:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I love Boston is that you can't turn around without coming across some little bit of history that you didn't know before...and that statement is especially true when you're standing on a street in Beacon Hill. I was walking down the street just taking pictures of the houses that I liked when I saw this little plaque on a fence. Since I had never heard of Sarah Wyman Whitman before, I had to do some (internet) research, so here's what I learned:

Sarah Wyman Whitman is famous for her stained glass and paintings, some of which are part of the collection at the MFA here in Boston. Some of her stained glass windows hang beside Tiffany windows at Memorial Hall at Harvard.

In looking for info on Sarah Wyman Whitman, part of what I found is about the house itself! Turns out that the house was, at one point, the club house for the Club of Odd Volumes - a society of bibliophiles that started in 1887.

Patience is a Virtue

2008-03-23T18:12:00.002-05:00

This little guy was waiting for it's owner outside of Black Ink on Charles Street the other night.
Because I know you guys care, Black Ink is one of my favorite little shops on Charles Street - it's full of things that you love, but would never need!

Light and Shadow

2008-03-22T18:11:00.000-05:00

I love how the light reflects off the old Filene's building onto the side of Macy's.

Bike Messengers

2008-03-21T18:07:00.001-05:00

Across from the building I work in, there is a Starbucks. It's more of less in the middle of the Financial District, and across the street from the Starbucks there is a small park. During business hours, you can find at least two bike messengers at all times in or around this Starbucks. They lean their bikes against the building and head inside to stay warm and get a coffee during the winter. You can see a few of them walking out of my photo (I don't think that was a coincidence!), and they're heading into a little nook where they often hang out to smoke or stay out of the rain or snow. During the summer, they line their bikes up along the fence of the park across the street and hang out on the benches there.

Hope

2008-03-20T19:52:00.005-05:00

I keep passing by flowerbeds like these (this one is on Beacon St), and it gives me a glimmer of hope that the cold weather might actually go away sometimes soon. You can even see a bit of purple blossoms in the top center of the photo (click to enlarge).

On my pessimistic days, I walk by these flowerbeds and think "I bet those flowers DIE because it's so freezing cold out!". Really, it's been in the high 30's/low 40's lately and it's not really that cold, but it's also been wet, which always makes it feel colder than it really is. The wind doesn't help either, and today was a windy one.

First Baptist Church

2008-03-19T06:19:00.006-05:00

Fenix's post got me thinking about the fire bombings in JP from the past few years, which had me digging out the series of photos I took of the First Baptist Church a while back. The fire here was NOT arson, it was an accident, but took place only a few months prior to the fire bombing at El Oriental de Cuba (see Fenix's post). It was in January, and the church and surrounding area looked almsot fairy tale-esque for quite some time after the fire because all of the water used to fight it had frozen in layers on both the shell of the building and the surround trees/land. Steve Garfield (of Universal Hub fame...and videoblogging fame, for that matter) as some great photos of it here. This was the second fire in this church's history, and they now have their services in a trailer that sits just out of the bottom left of the photo above. There's a lot of info on the fire and the church in the Boston Globe article you can find here. I just realized that I had posted another photo of the same church here. Oops!

Doorways #6

2008-03-18T20:32:00.003-05:00

This door was ajar one day and I thought it looked inviting...

Beacon Street.

Trolley

2008-03-17T20:27:00.004-05:00

I was playing with my camera while I waited for the trolley the other day.

Another Wedding...

2008-03-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

Another "aerial" view from the State Room! I liked this photo the best because it gives you a bird's eye view of a few things we've shown you before - the Holocaust Memorial (one and two), the Union Oyster House sign, and the farmers market at Haymarket (which starts at the top center of this photo and takes up that street, then turns lefts along the backside of the block of buildings in the photo).

Happy Birthday to US!

2008-03-15T20:12:00.006-05:00

Boston Daily Photo is one year old today! I ran over to Fiore's Italian Bakery on South Street in Jamaica Plain this afternoon to got some cupcakes to celebrate. I took a few quick photos while I was at Fiore's, because I saw something there that struck me as being "very JP".

JP is a hugely diverse community - it's residents are pretty evenly split between students, artists, lesbians/gays, Hispanics, and yuppies. Needless to say, it's a pretty interesting mix! JP is also very "earthy crunchy", if you will, and this is made obvious when you take a look at a number of the local businesses. Hatched sells eco-friendly children's goods, JP Licks and Canto 6 serve fair trade, organic coffee and teas, City Feed is a neighborhood grocery/cafe that specializes in natural food and fair trade coffee, Harvest Co-op is a community owned grocery store that specializes in organic and natural foods. This kind of mentality is ever-present in JP, so when I saw the half dozen items at Fiore's that were labeled as vegan suggestions (including the one pictured above), I thought "yup...that's JP for you!"

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!

2008-03-14T15:39:00.006-05:00

I love seeing live music, and I don't do it nearly as often as I used to. Luckily for me, I have some friends that are very good about keeping track of when their fav acts are in town and letting the rest of us know. Now, I love watching a band perform live, but what I really love is watching a band that doesn't just perform, but interacts with each other and the audience. I'll throw out here some of my favs to see live, so you can keep your eyes peeled for when their in your neck of the woods - Guster, Reel Big Fish, Panic at the Disco, They Might Be Giants, and the talented lady that you're looking at: Missy Higgins.

Missy is an Australian singer/songwriter. She played The Paradise, and our friend Ros (who is also Australian) decided that seeing Missy would be the perfect way to celebrate her birthday. Happy Birthday (again) to Ros! To the rest of you: do yourself a favor and listen to this woman sing. I'm currently loving 100 Round the Bend from her new album, but anything you see on that page I linked won't be bad (except the few videos that snuck in and aren't Missy!).

Aside from just being talented and wonderful to listen to, the awesome part of seeing her live was hearing the stories in between the songs - about her experience writing the songs, what they're about, why she wrote them. The best stories though, were about her experiences touring - her first time hearing a Boston accent and realizing that it just sounds funny, but then there's a few "Aussie" words in there every once in a while (Aussies and Bostonians drop their "r"s in the same manner), or about how a few nights ago in NYC she thought she was witnessing a drug deal, but really it was a guy that tried scalping her tickets to her own show.

Don't miss her live if you have the chance!

Lyons Iron Works

2008-03-13T20:59:00.001-05:00

This is what the old Filene's building looks like these days (Here's an older photo of the same side of the building). I love how the iron workers always find a way to label the buildings they are working on - click to enlarge so you can see the "signature" here. Demo is kind of like an archaeological dig - you wouldn't find things like this if you weren't tearing down the walls, right??

Monumental Works

2008-03-12T06:10:00.004-05:00

These Monumental Works by Anthony Quinn sit in front of the Intercontinental Hotel on Atlantic Avenue. Quinn is also a very well practiced actor, and has an impressive collection of works that you can check out on his site. The news blurb on Anthony Quinn's website reads as follows:

February 27, 2008
InterContinental Hotel Boston
Anthony Quinn
Foundation opens a public exhibition program at InterContinental Hotel Boston. Sponsored by Carnegie Abbey Club, Paolino Properties, Athena Group, and Boston Redevelopment Authority, the exhibition brings art into the public realm and celebrates the global community and human spirit through Anthony Quinn’s Monumental Works created in 1991 along with additional sculpture. The exhibition is a realization of a goal created by Anthony Quinn Foundation (AQF), to make artwork more prominent by making it part of the everyday experience (outside the walls of museums).

Attention Dogs:

2008-03-11T21:31:00.004-05:00

I made my way along the Rose Kennedy Greenway on my way to the T tonight (after a ridiculously D-E-LICIOUS dinner with a friend at Sel de la Terre!) and this sign cracked me up! Could have been the wine. Regardless, I had to stop and take a photo. Click to enlarge!

We sprang ahead...

2008-03-10T21:26:00.001-05:00

...and maybe the spring is actually coming? The buds on this tree would certainly lead you to believe that spring is on it's way, even if it's still in the 30's and freezing out!

Click to enlarge

Temptation

2008-03-09T21:29:00.005-05:00

This is the very tempting window of Artu on Charles Street in Beacon Hill. I walk by here three times a week when I go to the chiropractor, and every time I do a double take thinking about how inviting and delicious this place looks. I'm going to need to actually eat there sometime soon!

Click to enlarge so you can check out the plates they are showing off!

Angell Memorial Plaza

2008-03-08T21:14:00.001-05:00

This is the second part of the ASPCA Monument - the memorial to George Thorndike Angell. Angell was a lawyer and philanthropist who was born in Sturbridge, MA, attended Darmouth College and Harvard Law School, and then practiced law in Boston. In 1868 he founded the MSPCA. There are also two animal medical centers that bear Angell's name - one on South Huntington in Jamaica Plain and the other on the island of Nantucket.

ASPCA Monument

2008-03-07T21:02:00.001-05:00

In PO Square, just across the street from the grassy bit where everyone flocks to have lunch when it's warm out, is the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Monument. Let me tell you that I would NEVER have known what this was and had never spent the time to actually look at it instead of just walk by or sit on the benches around it if the fire escape plan for my old office didn't involve meeting at the ASPCA Monument. I first saw the plan and thought "who even knew that was an ASPCA Monument in that little triangle?!" Last week I ran to CVS for some tissues and grabbed my camera so I could get a few shots of this since it is just across from the CVS at the corner of Congress and Milk.

The monument is essentially two parts: the part you see here, which is a circular slab of granite with pond scene depicted on top of it and a quote about protecting animals carved around the base of it, and a large flagpole and monument to George Thorndike Angell, the found of the MSPCA. I'll show you that tomorrow!

I wanna see the sunshine after the rain!

2008-03-06T23:45:00.002-05:00

Not much of a story to go with this pic, this was taken near my work.

It poured earlier that day, rainy winter days are depressing, but on my way back from lunch (take out at Anna's Taqueria, yummy cheap fresh-mex), everything was glistening!! I really like how even though the sun is hiding behind some clouds, you can see a clear shadow of the tree.

Turn Around, Bright Eyes!

2008-03-05T21:30:00.003-05:00

~~Last week~~ Two weeks ago (Wednesday to be exact) was the last total lunar eclipse until 2010, and Sheepie (being from Australia) isn't one to brave the cold, so she sent her co-worker's boyfriend, Troy, out to capture it for us. Okay, just kidding - he got the photos, and she coerced him to share them with us so we could choose our favorite and post it here.

Click to enlarge! One of the bright "dots" on the bottom right (Troy, correct me if I'm wrong!) is Saturn.

Thanks, Troy!!!

Flat Black

2008-03-04T21:20:00.007-05:00

Two doors up from Dark Horse Antiques, who had the cute pop bottles in their windows, is Flat Black Coffee Co. There is a guy that works there named Chris, and he makes the BEST iced mocha on earth. Flat Black serves mostly shade grown, fair trade, and organic coffees. They also have a number of delicious teas, which you can also buy loose if you'd like (I'm a huge fan of the Moroccan Mint Green Tea). They roast their own beans here at the Dorchester location, and if you're downtown and need an iced mocha fix, they have a second location in the financial district. They're opening their third location, also in Dorchester, before the end of the month.

You wouldn't think much about a coffee shop's windows display-wise, but these guys do a great job of decorating for holidays/season, and I think the coffee beans in the planters on their stoop are downright awesome. I love having an option of a locally owned, delicious product producing, creative, community involved company in my little neck of the woods!

BPL

2008-03-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

The Lower Mills Branch of the Boston Public Library is located just behind the Common Ground Cafe I showed you a few days ago. The Lower Mills Branch is a small branch and about half of it is the kids/young adult section. The majority of the adult books they have are mystery/crime. There's not much of a fiction selection if you aren't interested in mystery/crime, although my boyfriend managed to find about 6 months worth of books there before he ran out of material. I haven't had a lot of luck finding books I'm interested in, so I acquire my books through other means (buying, from friends) and then donate them! Hopefully someone else will benefit from my awesome book choices down the road. ;)

Darkhorse Antiques

2008-03-02T10:31:00.006-05:00

Since we saw the Common Ground Cafe yesterday, let's hang out in Lower Mills for a little bit. These adorable little bottles were in the window of Darkhorse Antiques a few weeks ago and I couldn't walk past without stopping to take a photos. Darkhorse is on the corner of Adams St and Washington St in Lower Mills. It's a great place that is overflowing with antiques and fun to poke around in. It's one of those stores that is so full of stuff you have to be careful when you're turning around, and I love places like that!

Darkhorse has a GREAT sign on the front of their shop, and I'll have to get a shot of it because I don't have one. The first time I saw their sign, I thought for sure they were a little pub, until I looked down and saw the fabulous antiques in their windows!

CDP Monthly Theme Day: Grafitti or Street Mural

2008-03-01T12:28:00.007-05:00

This is the mural outside of the Common Ground Cafe, in Dorchester Lower Mills. The Common Ground Cafe serves all organic food and is run by the Twelve Tribes - a Christian community. They have a number of cafe locations throughout the US, including a second MA location in Hyannis (Cape Cod). They have communities throughout the world, including France, Australia, Spain, Canada, Brazil, the UK, Germany, and Argentina. Each of their communities seems to have a business associated with it - cafes, markets selling organic/eco-friendly goods, or a family outfitter. Here's a little blurb from the Twelve Tribes site about their communities:

We live together in households, clans, and tribes, sharing our possessions in common. We strongly support marriage, and we teach our children at home. We dress modestly, eat wholesome food, work hard, pray together, and celebrate our life in music and dance…

Click on the image above to enlarge and see the detail in the mural. You can see our other photos of murals here, and photos we've taken of graffiti here.

There are currently 144 blogs participating in the CDP Monthly Theme Day, so take a trip around the world without leaving your seat by checking out these links:
Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

More Graffiti

2008-02-27T21:15:00.002-05:00

This caught my eye because it's a nice combination of three things I like: murals, ads faded on the side of brick buildings, and graffiti. Unfortunately, the graffiti isn't really inspiring, but what can I do?

The quote on the mural reads "Indication of harm, not proof of harm, is our call to action" and is a quote from Rachel Carson. To the left of the center you can see a sign saying "Rachel Carson was right". I had no idea who Rachel Carson was when I saw this, so I had to come home and do my research...which I will now share with you fine folks.

Rachel Carson was born in 1907 in Pennsylvania and studied marine biology (including a stint here in MA at Woods Hole). She wrote articles on conservation and conducted research for the government, and in her free time she took her government research and "turned it into prose", producing first articles and then books. I found this quote on the website, and I think it sums up her writings nicely: "Embedded within all of Carson's writing was the view that human beings were but one part of nature distinguished primarily by their power to alter it, in some cases irreversibly."

During WWII she started to warn about the misuse of pesticides in her writing, and called for a change in how humankind viewed the natural world. She was challenged by many - including the government and the chemical industry - but continued to speak up about issues of human health and the environment until she died after a long battle with breast cancer.

It's not surprising that you'll find a mural dedicated to an ecologist in Cambridge - Cambridge is a very eco-conscious city and frequently seems to be a step ahead of Boston in that department.

Egg Head

2008-02-26T21:10:00.003-05:00

No story about how I'm an idiot who under dresses for winter weather today, just some graffiti that I saw in Harvard Square and thought was cool.

Never saw the sun shining so bright

2008-02-25T19:44:00.007-05:00

This is still Harvard Square (just next to the theater on Church St I showed you a few days back), and there is nothing particularly special about it except that I liked the layers and the angles created by the different buildings. And the sky was a beautiful blue. This was in between some pretty fierce snow squalls, one of which produced this picture as I crossed the Charles. That story goes like this, and it's all about you, my dear BDP readers...

I went to Harvard Square to take photos of the Lion Dance that was happening as part of the very small Harvard Square Chinese New Year celebrations. Even though they were forcasting snow in the afternoon, I left my house in not my warmest but definitely my cutest hat and scarf and jacket, because the weather looked great out my window! Over the course of the 1.5-2 hours I spent in Harvard Square, there was one sudden and short downpour of rain and two snow squalls. Anyway, it was under beautiful skies like this when I decided I would just walk down Mass Ave through Central and catch the T at Kendall/MIT to catch the T home. I mean, come on! Do you KNOW how many potential Boston Daily Photos are along Mass Ave between Harvard Square and Kendall/MIT?! (I told you it's all about you guys!) You don't know? There are lots. L-O-T-S, people!

So anyway, I walked along Mass Ave and realized that I don't have any idea where the Kendall/MIT stop is, and it certainly isn't on Mass Ave...so I ended up crossing the bridge into Back Bay so that I could hop on the T at Hynes. And then there I was, in the middle of a bridge over the Charles in the middle of a very crazy snow squall, fighting to stand upright and praying I wouldn't lose an ear/finger/limb to severe wind induced frostbite while I took a photo. Because I, dear readers, would do THAT for YOU.

Anyway, the moral of this story is to not dress cute when you should dress warm, and to pay attention to the weather forecast before you leave the house for a photo taking adventure. Also, maybe to actually know where the T stop you're supposedly walking to is located. ;)

The Brattle

2008-02-24T16:41:00.006-05:00

The Brattle is the other theater in Harvard Square - tucked away in the basement at 40 Brattle Street. The Brattle is a pretty unique theater, and I'll grab a quote from their own site to give you an idea of what you can see there...

The Brattle shows the best in classic, cutting-edge, foreign, and art-house films. We also show first-run films and new releases of classic films, but our specialty is a repertory programming format consisting of films from a particular director, genre, or subject shown over the course of a week, or on the same weekday throughout the month.

Beantown Today mentioned that they had seen a Felix The Cat marathon there, and events like that are always what comes to mind when I think of The Brattle - in fact, they are extending the Bugs Bunny Film Festival (an annual event since 1995) to run tomorrow night!

In the past few years The Brattle had been in danger of losing their lease, and with the creation of the Brattle Film Foundation and the massive support of the community, The Brattle was saved and we can continue stopping in to check out their awesome repertory film series'. Personally, I'm psyched for The 80s Rock! series coming up in March. Who's up for Desperately Seeking Susan??

Harvard Square Theater

2008-02-23T20:42:00.007-05:00

Hey! It's a theater! The Harvard Square theater is located on Church St and has 5 screens. I love the mural outside the theater, which extends above the marquee, but the best parts are down the bottom here (click to enlarge!). The theater shows first run movies, but more importantly, they show Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday at midnight, with live accompaniment. Go in costume, have a blast.

There's more detail about the theater's history here .

Best Burger in Boston...

2008-02-22T07:24:00.000-05:00

Funny that the Best of Boston Burger is in Cambridge! Don't even think about getting a burger in Harvard Square if it isn't from Bartley's. They're famous. They're delicious. They're not to be missed.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2008-02-21T09:34:00.001-05:00

Ever since that first post at Quincy DP about pay phones, I can't stop noticing them everywhere I go! This was the third person I saw using one of these phones in the three-ish hours I was in Harvard Square! The first time I thought about taking a picture, but passed. The second time I laughed and grabbed for my camera, but something else caught my eye. When I turned around and someone else was using a phone - how could I pass it up this time!?

This line of phones is in the pit, and you can see the super awesome news stand I was talking about yesterday in the background.

The Pit

2008-02-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

Harvard Square is on the Red Line, and there are two entrances/exits to the station. This is the main entrance to the station - in "the pit" which lies between where Mass Ave turns and Brattle St. Cardullo's that we showed you a few days ago is straight in front of you and across the street when you come up from this entrance. There's a HUGE newsstand in the pit, with a really great selection of international newspaper and magazines.

Also right near the pit is what I like to call "bank wars" - the Bank of America just across the street has two giant ATM vestibules, each with about eight ATMs. Not to be out done, Citizens Bank is just across the street and has a giant ATM bank with at least a dozen ATMs. It's insanity. Perhaps more insane, however, is that I've often had to wait to use an ATM on a weekend night!

Do we cheat 'em? And how!

2008-02-19T19:24:00.006-05:00

This one is really for my Dad - for all the years of "torturing" us with NPR and Car Talk on road trips!

We're still in Harvard Square - this one is the building in the corner/triangle of Mass Ave, JFK, and Brattle Streets. Click the photo to enlarge and check out the lettering in the window. Fans of NPR's Car Talk ought to know exactly what they're looking at here...especially knowing that the photo was taking in Cambridge (our fair city) MA!

For anyone who doesn't listen to Click and Clack - Dewey, Cheetham, & Howe is an often used fictional law firm - seen in the Three Stooges, and used by comedians Groucho Marx, Johnny Carson, and even Daffy Duck. The brothers that are Click & Clack (Tom & Ray Magliozzi) created a company to cover the business end of Car Talk, and named it Dewey, Cheetham & Howe...and this is the window of their offices! For more Car Talk fun, check out their weekly "credits" here - and be sure to read the names out loud.

ABP

2008-02-18T20:16:00.003-05:00

This looks familiar because you saw it in Good Will Hunting - in the scene where Will is explain to Skylar that he can "see" math problems the way that Beethoven can "see" the music. Just to the right of this is where there are a handful of chess tables that are constantly occupied when the weather is warm. (I was there on a cold day with intermittent snow squalls, so no outside diners!)

Unfortunately, sitting at these tables does not allow you to "see" the solutions to complicated math problems like Will Hunting. I know because I've tried. ;) You can, however, "see" some delicious pumpkin soup at Au Bon Pain every fall!

Pahk Ya Cah in The Garage!

2008-02-17T20:08:00.005-05:00

The garage has nothing to do with cars anymore. It's a building with a small food court, half a dozen stores, and a tattoo parlor, which USED to be a parking garage. The ramp is still intact, and is central to the building, with the shops on different levels off the sides of it. In high school, The garage was the very cool destination in Harvard Square. There is a Newbury Comics store on the top floor, which is likely a big part of the appeal to a high schooler.

Field Trip!

2008-02-16T14:20:00.004-05:00

Time for a field trip across the river to Cambridge! I haven't been to Harvard Square in ages, and I headed over last weekend to wander and see what was new.

This place, Cardullo's, is by no means new! Cardullo's is a family run business that opened in 1950 and has been named Best of Boston for neighborhood grocery and "The Greatest: Specialty Imports" by the Phantom Gourmet. I love Cardullo's because it's where you get the candy you can't find easily here in the US: Kinder chocolate, Violet Crumbles, Mars Bars, and the good Dairy Milk made in the UK. They also have a great deli, the largest tea selection in the Northeast, wines, and a plenty of other gourmet yumminess that I can't think of right now.

I'm sure that when most people think of Harvard Square they think of ivy covered brick walls, crowds of smarty pants students, "pahk ya cah in Hahvahd Yahd" and all that jazz...to me Harvard Square is somewhere with great shops, good dive restaurants, and the best hot chocolate in the state. Possibly the country. Over the next week (or so) I'll share with you the Harvard Square I know and love!

One More Memory...

2008-02-15T07:00:00.003-05:00

And I promise, this weekend I'll be posting current photos again.

This is from the blizzard we got in January 2005. There was a LOT of snow - 3 feet total. Leyre's husband had to work overnight out of town, so she came over to my apartment to hang out with my roommates and I instead of getting snowed in all alone. The next day, we spent HOURS digging out our cars - four of us shoveling, and about 2-3 hours on each car. There was so much snow that we couldn't pile it any higher and we were carrying it on shovels across the street and into our front yard, which was piled well over Leyre's 6 foot tall head!

This is like where's Waldo, except it's a car that's hiding, not Waldo. So where is it? Click the photo to enlarge and look for the antenna on it's front hood!