Same Subject

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

Fur Seals

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!

Myrtle the Turtle

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.

Northern Ave

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!

Monumental Works

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:

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!

Zakim Bridge

In honor of today's daily photo theme being bridges, we thought we'd post a photo of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge. Lenny Zakim was an American religious and civil rights leader, and since he was known for "building bridges" between Boston's racial and ethnic communities it seemed only natural that an actual bridge be named after him. The bridge opened to traffic in 2003 and since that was before I lived here, I asked Sarah if she had any local knowledge of it...

"The first winter after it opened they discovered the flaw in the design—snow/ice froze on the suspension wires and then when it got warm and started to melt, chunks came crashing down on to cars. I can't remember details, but I remember there being a few accidents. I don't know if the chunks actually broke windshields or damaged the cars themselves, but it scared the bejesus out of people when big chunks of melting ice crashed onto their cars and caused accidents that way even if there was no damage."

There are currently 128 City Daily Photo blogs participating in today's Theme Day:

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Gondola di Venezia . . . in Boston?

Yes, it's true. Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is an actual gondola, complete with an accordion player, cruising alongside the esplanade. Gondola di Venezia uses authentic Venetian gondolas that are built in Venice, Italy. They seem to be popular for romantic dates or marriage proposals...

Sailin' on the Charles

Believe it or not but this picture was actually taken in the early afternoon. The light and seasons are a'changing!

Rowes Wharf

Rowe's wharf has a lengthy history (see below), and today is home to the Boston Harbor Hotel. During the summer you can sit on the steps overlooking the harbor (just through the archway pictures here) and enjoy free live music (soul, swing, or blues depending on the night) or enjoy Movies by Moonlight - a classic film series that is projected onto a screen at the end of the wharf.

Here's the lowdown on the history of the location:

In 1666 a protective battery called the Sconce, or the South Battery, was built at the foot of Fort Hill in the area now known as Rowes Wharf. In peace the Battery had a company assigned to it in case of invasion, but had only one gunner. During the 1740's, the Battery was extended into the harbor and was manned by thirty-five guns. In the early 1760's, Rowes Wharf was built on the site of the old Battery. John Rowes' ships sailed the ocean filling his shop and two warehouses with imported silk stockings, ribbons, Spanish silks, linens, woolens, Indian and English taffetas and salt. His whaling sloops brought in oil, and he also dealt successfully in coastal fishing. In July 1767, Rowe notes in his diary that his "warehouse fell in with fish." He was also the owner of a tea ship which had its cargo dumped during the Tea Party in 1773.

In the early 19th century, schooners imported fruit and other products and continued the salt fish trade with the West Indies and the British Maritime Providences. Though the big sails could be seen at the wharf, by the 1840's and 1850's packet ships predominated. Packets set sail for coastal points south and north from Rowes Wharf while they plied the route to Liverpool, England, from Foster's Wharf. By the last part of the 19th century, the steamship had taken over the seas. The south shore was served from Rowes Wharf by the side-wheeled steamboats of the Eastern Steamship Line from the 1860's to 1940. The Boston and Bangor Steamship Company debarked from Foster's Wharf at 5 p.m. every afternoon in the summer and semi-weekly in the winter. In 1879, the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroads built their wharf and ferry terminal between Rowes and Foster's Wharves, where for more than 40 years their ferries serviced East Boston.

Boston's waterfront began to show signs of decay by the 1930's. At Rowes Wharf, the wood piers began to rot and ramshackle sheds lined the docksides. Even so the Bay State Navigational School at Rowes Wharf and the Cape Cod Steamship Company at Foster's Wharf stayed through the 1940's. At the time of the urban renewal in the 1960's, maritime activity, such as James Bliss and Co., ship chandlers and Boston Yacht Club, left Rowes Wharf. However not all activity ceased. The Massachusetts Bay Lines has operated boats from Rowes Wharf for more than 20 years and the Boston Harbor Commuter Service started service from Rowes Wharf in 1984. Now with the revitalization of the waterfront, Rowes Wharf is one of the most distinguished addresses in Boston. The Boston Harbor Hotel stands as a gateway to and from the harbor. Private yachts from around the world and events such as Operation Sail and the BT Global Challenge call the wharf home. Once again, Rowes Wharf has become an integral part of the city of Boston where "merchants" of the financial world meet.

Childrens Museum

The Boston Children's Museum is a much-loved destination for kids of all ages. Originally founded in 1913 by a group of teachers from Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, the museum is designed to help children understand their environment, the nature of disabilities, science, and cultural diversity.

The Hood Milk Bottle out front is a concession stand (although rumor has it they are still doing some renovations, so no ice cream right now!). It's been there for 30 years, and I remember going to get ice cream there when we were kids. Fun fact: if it could hold milk, it would hold 50,000 gallons!