So Bo

If it's beach-going weather on Sunday, you better look for me down on the beach in South Boston - or as my friend Erin calls it: So Bo.

Fort Independence

One more from Fort Independence! We had to wait a bit for our tour to start, so Pete spent some time pondering the parade grounds and I took spent some time taking pictures of pretty reflections.

Have some haze!

It's not really foggy today so much as hazy and humid.

Another skyline view...

Pete and I went to Castle Island and took the tour of Fort Independence. We were rewarded with cool views of the city skyline and the harbor islands from up on the ramparts. If you're a local, you can head out there on Thursday nights when they open up the Fort and you can walk the ramparts on your own. The cool part of Castle Island is that you can hang out on the beach, lounge on the grass and watch planes take off from Logan, go fishing off the fish pier, or (if your timing is right) watch the cargo ships unload at the port next door - usually containers or shiny new cars.

Click on the photo to enlarge!

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.

Hot town, summer in the city

When it's hot and sticky, you cool down wherever you can! These folks were enjoying the cool water at the fountain in Copley Square.

Real dogs....

...don't root for the Yankees. Just ask Coco.

(That's Leyre's dog, by the way)

Introducing Shoooooooooooes!

I randomly ended up with a pair of Red Sox tickets tonight (in the company suite, no less, so free food and booze...and who says no to that?!?), and on my way home the T was packed. I let the first three trains go past while I read my book, and by the time the fourth one came along I decided there was enough room for me right next to the drivers nook. So in I climbed! The T was still shoulder to shoulder, and I noticed that the driver was very cheerful as he warned everyone to watch their backs while the doors closed. He cracked another joke into the PA system, and a woman near me asked him what his name was. "Mr Wonderful - what's yours?!" he said. She asked if his nickname was Shoes, and he said yes. He quickly grabbed is mic and requested a round of applause for the lovely woman up front, and there were applause.

Turns out I was in the presence of a Boston celebrity! Bobby, aka Shoes, has been driving the green line trolleys for about 3 years. He says he just really loves the people, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the people love him as well. So folks, next time you're riding the green line and you hear a cheerful, joking voice coming over the PA, walk up front and say hello to Shoooooooooooooes!

Oh yeah - the nickname? Well.......he loves shoes!

Baker Lofts

This is the former administration building for the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory, which is now artist lofts. To live in the building you have to be certified by the city as an artist (which means filling out the application and showing them some of your work to prove that you're REALLY an artist and not just Joe Schmoe who want to live in cool places for slightly subsidized rent). The spaces are considered "working/living" spaces, and I'll happily show you their interiors when Dorchester Open Studios rolls around and I can get through their doors!

Info from the Dorchester Atheneum below, and a photo from back in the day here

The Georgian Revival Administration Building of 1918-19, which was designed by George F. Shepard, serves through its prominent siting and angled set-back at 1231 Adams Street, as another major visual focus of the Baker plant. the cube-shaped building with baslustraded flat roof is three stories high and displays a projecting two-story pavilion with a monumental portico and Georgian derived door and window trim executed in stone.

PS - this is NOT the building we live in, although it's likely Pete could get the artist certification if he applied. This building IS, however, part of our complex and managed by the same company as ours.

July 1st Theme: Red!

Something Red....and an introduction! That's me and my boyfriend, Pete. We were car sitting these past few days, so got to go on a few adventures that we can't do without wheels. We headed over to Larz Anderson Park in Brookline to take this unique skyline photo. I like to torture Pete by taking lots of photos of him, so here's our self portrait with the skyline behind us...and since Pete was wearing red... I love this view of the Boston skyline because it's just a peak of the tallest building in town, and it reminds you of how much green space there really is so close to the city.

Please check out some of the other 100 City Daily Photo Blogs that are participating in the July theme day by using the links below.


Shanghai, China - Mumbai, India - New York City (NY), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Hamburg, Germany - Stayton (OR), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Hyde, UK - Oslo, Norway - Brookville (OH), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Joplin (MO), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Selma (AL), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Seattle (WA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Evry, France - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Grenoble, France - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Hilo (HI), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - La Antigua, Guatemala - Brisbane (QLD), Australia - Singapore, Singapore - Tel Aviv, Israel - Hong Kong, China - Sequim (WA), USA - Paderborn, Germany - Saarbrücken, Germany - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Tenerife, Spain - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Sydney, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Cologne (NRW), Germany - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Mainz, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - North Bay (ON), Canada - Jakarta, Indonesia - Montréal (QC), Canada - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Baziège, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - New York (NY), USA - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Sharon (CT), USA - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Villigen, Switzerland - Chicago (IL), USA - Torquay, UK - Brussels, Belgium - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Paris, France - Seoul, Korea - Manila, Philippines - Milano, Italy - Austin (TX), USA - Chennai, India - Madrid, Spain - Seoul, South Korea - Wailea (HI), USA - Toronto (ON), Canada - Ajaccio, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Zurich, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Budapest, Hungary - Moscow, Russia - Auckland, New Zealand - Torino, Italy

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!