Have Car, Will Move Tree

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.

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.

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!

Commuter Rail

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.

Sunshine on a Rainy Day

Okay, maybe no sunshine for us today, but at least we can look at pictures from last weekend and pretend! This was a pretty dahlia (I'm pretty sure?!) that Leyre and I saw while we were roaming through Roslindale Open Studios last weekend.

Sorry, rough weekend!

Sorry for backposting a day AGAIN! Whit's got visitors in town (for something like the 5th straight weekend, poor thing!), Leyre is moving into her new apartment and unpacking, and I've been plagued with a migraine for the last 36ish hours.

Enough complaining...I was walking over to Leyre's new place in Roslindale (yeah! Back in the city again!) and came across this house, who had planted flowers between the curb and the sidewalk as well as along the edge of their yard. It doesn't take much to cheer up a city sidewalk, and this certainly did the job!

The Emerald Society

On the lovely Birch Street in Roslindale Square sits this building. It has a plaque identifying it as the Emerald Society, as well as some small family crests along the top, but no other indication as to what it is. Some quick internet research turns up the organization's mission and history:

"Over the years we have contributed to many worthwhile charities
here and abroad. We have found time to make our society known
throughout the world and, naturally, Ireland. We have taken part
in the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in many cities around the
country including our own in Boston."

The president's monthly letters are included on the website, and in the most recent letter he signs off with the following:

Slainte go seol agaibh agus go n-eirigh an bothar libh

I assume it's Gaelic. Anyone have any idea what it means?

First in a series...

One thing I've noticed as I take walks around Roslindale are all the murals. This is one of many that I'm sure I'll document for you all here. Unfortunately I don't really know anything about it. I can tell you that it's painted on the side of the building that houses Fornax (where you can get an out of this world sandwich for lunch), but that's about it. I'll post more in the weeks to come and I'll try to find out a bit more about who paints these and why there seem to be so many in such a small area!

Rozzi Square....er....Village

What I've always called Roslindale Square (or Rozzi Square) is now being called Roslindale Village. Appropriate - I guess - in light of the sort of fancification it's gone through over the past few years. Back when my mom worked in the area and I would drop her off and pick her up every day, it was not really a place you'd want to hang out in, shop in, or grab a bite to eat in. Now the opposite is true. There's a few bakeries, a couple of breakfast places, a sushi place, and a few restaurants that have gained reputations as delicious eateries.

Here's a slightly older, but interesting story about the gentrification of Rozzi Square.

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!

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...)!