Boston (Bah-ston)
This week's adventure is in Boston - one fewer destination in the US that will be a first for me. In preparation I dusted off The Image of the City and tried to contrast Kevin Lynch's feel of the city circa 1959 to what I would experience 46 years later. Although it has surely changed physically, the essence is as he describes: crooked streets that should confuse except for the beautifully sectioned areas that immediately communicate identity and purpose.
The metro here is functional, but dirty. My station is by the JFK library near UMass, about 15 minutes from the downtown.
At lunchtime I hurried outside to take pictures. Nearby my location, 99 Summer St, is this oddity of a bank building: form, physics, and function.
The Massachusetts State House is magnificent. A statue of civil war general and Massachusetts native Hooker graces the side entrance. The gold dome reflects the sunlight.
A civil war memorial faces State House. My recent trips into Union territory show an abundance of these memorials1.
Who says in a big city people don't care? This lady slipped when the sidewalk ended only to be crowded by concerned passers by. She was shaken up but okay.
Age is everywhere you look. Life in Sioux Falls has taught me that old buildings aren't a cheap affair. The effort to keep Boston's old buildings must be significant.
Obey!
Cozy pubs, everywhere. It would have been something to be in one of those last fall when the Red Sox finally broke the curse of the bambino by winning the World Series.
One can find fresh produce and flowers available on the street. The food so far is good: I ate at the train station during lunchtime for the atmosphere, and in the evening I had some sort of Chilean food.
I found some Harvard angst art. Don't worry, Harvard boy, your life is defined by more choices than your twitching robots.
Boston Commons is a large park and garden right in the middle of the city. It makes me realize how poorly cities are designed these days in contrast. Here is a meeting point, a center from which the city can spread naturally. During the summer time it's probably a great place to relax.
Facing State House
Facing the Back Bay.
I caught this bookstore at closing. Tomorrow I'll return for some used gems. I'm thinking of some used Paul Theroux travel books, or Graham Greene's The Quiet American.
1
Portland, Maine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:50:47 AM 
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