Salty Dog

Another beautiful day in Boston, crystal clear sky, fall is in the air. Walking through the Faneuil Hall area, I saw the waitstaff at the Salty Dog eating their lunch before the crowd. I think the days for the outdoor cafe are limited. Soon it will be too cold to sit outdoors.

Park Street Church

This morning around 10:30 a.m. I walked past the Park Street Church. The light was very pretty. Unfortunately the bright light can be too harsh for photography. The steps have some flowers for fall in urns. This church is a Conservative Congregational Church at the corner of Tremont & Park Street. The church was founded in 1809 by twenty-six, former members of the Unitarian congregation of the Old South Meeting House. The church is adjacent to the Granary Burying Ground & opposite the Boston Common.

Green Line: Boston College

I took this shot at rush hour on the Green Line going in the direction of Boston College, or known as the B-Line. The B-Line goes underground when downtown but at Kenmore Square becomes a street-level trolley car. The B-Line travels the length of Commonwealth Avenue where both Boston University and Boston College are located and is, therefore, often very crowded.

Cats and Cows

I found these painted, wooden cats and cows outside a flower shop opposite Fanueil Hall. On their backs is a compartment for holding flower pots. All these little fellows looked very cute lined up there. But getting all of them into a shot became very cluttered.

Downtown Crossing

I was standing right in the center of Downtown Crossing with a view down Washington Street. Another grey and overcast afternoon with many people shopping and students hanging around after school. Not a beautiful picture. But gives a sense of the activity downtown.

Granary Burying Ground

Founded in 1660, the Granary Burying Ground is the third oldest cemetery in the City of Boston. Located on Tremont Street opposite the Suffolk Law School and next to the Park Street Church. Once there was a granary building located on the site of the Park Street Church, hence the name for the cemetery. There are 2,354 grave markers and some 5,000 bodies. Three signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here: Samuel Adams (of the beer fame); John Hancock; and, Robert Paine. Others of note include: Paul Revere, James Otis, members of Benjamin Frankin's family, and Mother Goose. Walking around Boston is so neat because I get to see all these old sites on a daily basis. Some of the stones in this cemetery are over 300 years old! In the U.S. that is old.

Bank of America

Another gray & overcast day. Here is the Bank of America building located at 100 Federal Street in the heart of Boston's financial district. Wonder what will happen given the present financial climate?

Utility Lines

Today is theme day in the City Daily Photo community. The theme is "lines." I immediately thought of the utility lines which traverse so many streets in Boston. And I am reminded of Vladimir Nabokov's famous line about these lines in his novel, Pnin: "It was a pity nobody saw the display in the empty street, where the auroral breeze wrinkled a large luminous puddle, making of the telephone wires reflected in it illegible lines of black zigzags." From 1942 to 1948 Nabokov lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the city just on the other side the Charles River from Boston, while teaching at Wellsley College. Sadly . . . this picture was taken not in the moonlight but in the blinding sunlight of a crystal clear day, a cloudless sky, and no puddles on the street. These utility lines are on Foster Street off of Brighton Center.

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Custom House

Here is a closeup of the Custom House designed by the architect, Ammi B. Young, from New Hampshire. The original Custom House was built between 1837 to 1847. Some critics found difficult to reconcile these Greek Doric columns with the Roman dome which once crowned the portico. Apparently more insult would come later. In 1913-1915 some of the columns of the portico were removed and sent to the Franklin Park Zoo and a tower was erected. The office tower sitting on top of the Custom House became the first skyscraper in Boston. Now the place is a Marriott Hotel with rooms starting at over $300 per night. There are also condominium apartments in the tower.

I'm Down With Obama

I found this guy selling T-Shirts on the corner of Park & Tremont Streets, in front of the Park Street Church, opposite the Park Street Station & the Boston Common. T-Shirts in support of Obama. The T-Shirt says: "I'm down With Obama '08." http://www.downwithobamas.com/

Filene's Bargain Basement

Filene's closed in 2007 and the building has been torn down. This mural advertising the Bargain Basement is all that remains on a wall in the Downtown Crossing T-Stop.

Tropical Storm

Boston in the grips of a tropical storm. Dark, grey and wet. View of Lake Street along the Boston College - Brighton Campus.

Neptune Oyster

Walking around the North End I found these waiters ready for the lunch crowd at the Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem Street. http://www.neptuneoyster.com/ I just walked in and snapped this shot. They were very cool. I suppose this happens all the time since they have such a cool looking place. I wished that I had somebody to sit down with to toss a few oysters on the half shell and a glass of bubbles.

King's Chapel

Here is a detail of the wrought iron staircase located in the back of the King's Chapel. I like the graceful line of the curves of the granite building and the metal wrapping around the stone. On August 3, 2008, I posted a view of the interior of this building which dates from 1754.

Garden of Peace

This is a portion of the "Garden of Peace -- A Memorial to the Victims of Homicide." http://www.gardenofpeacememorial.org/ The memorial is over 7,000 square feet and lies adjacent the plaza of 100 Cambridge Street Building (formerly Staltonstall State Office Building). The central focus of the memorial is a dry streambed containing smooth river stones engraved with the names of homicide victims. The roses and electric candles are the remainders of a recent service.

View of Boston from Marblehead

Here is a view of Boston over the sea as seen from Marblehead. I can just barely make out the shadows of the skyscrapers rising above the horizon. Once a major fishing port in the 17th & 18th centuries, Marblehead lies 17 miles north of Boston. Charming seaport town for a day trip. Very cute B&B's for a vacation. The harbor now is home for approximately 1,500 pleasure sailboats.

View from Bus

View from the window of a bus at 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Summer & High Street near South Station.

Chandler's Pond

Hard to imagine that this bucolic scene lies within the city limits of Boston very close to the border of Brighton & Newton. Chandler's Pond is a man made body of water excavated in 1855 for ice cutting in the time before refrigeration. The houses seen in the background date from the mid 1920's. www.bahistory.org/HistoryChandlers.html

Mother Goose's Tombstone

This tombstone in the Granary Burying Ground marks the grave of a woman known as Old Mother Goose. Mary Goose was the second wife of Thomas Goose. Mary brought six children into the marriage and added to Thomas's ten children. Mother Goose sang ditties and stories to her numerous grand-children. At some point, her son-in-law, a Boston publisher, gathered these songs together and printed the first Mother Goose Rhymes. Mary Goose died at the age of 42 in 1690.

Moon Over Government Center

This morning at about 8:30 a.m., under a crystal clear blue sky, I stumbled upon a view of the moon over Government Center. The moon is the little white dot over the Old Courthouse building rising left of the flag poles.

Marshall Street and Creek Square

A view of the intersection of Marshall Street and Creek Square. Why a street is called Creek Square is beyond me. Creek Square is perhaps a place that no longer exists either in fact or memory. Notice the cobble stone streets? Nice historic touch but lethal for high heels. These buildings in the Haymarket can date from the early 1800's. This is a particularly quiet moment on this corner which is HQ for par-tay central. This intersection is lined with four historic pubs: Bell in Hand; Green Dragon; Union Oyster House; and, The Point. These pubs cater to the tourist and business crowd for lunch. In the evenings, the streets are lined with college students and young professionals enjoying live music, dinners, and drinks. There is even an "Historic Pub Crawl of Boston" http://www.trustedtours.com/ which offers a tour ($45.00 for 90 minutes)(I wonder if that includes the beer?) with guides dressed in 18th century costumes. Hard to imagine that one needs a guide dressed as Benjamin Frankin or Betsy Ross to toss a few brews.

James Michael Curley

James Michael Curley (1874-1958) served in the United States House of Representatives, as well as, the Mayor of Boston (4 terms) and Governor of Massachusetts. Curley led a colorful politcal life and was convicted of misconduct and served five months in jail during his last term in office. Nevertheless Curley remained popular. Several monuments have been erected to his memory. This particular one sits on a bench below City Hall in front of a bar named "The Purple Shamrock"--one of Curley's political symbols.

Farmer's Market

Today I visited the Farmer's Market in Government Center where I saw this beautiful produce.

Push Pin in City Hall Plaza

Another http://www.visitthepin.com/ push pin. This one is located in City Hall Plaza.

Governor's Pew in King's Chapel

I love this large box reserved for the Governor. But I wonder which Governor? I am assuming the ones appointed under the British monarchy and not those presently elected. The red prayer books are engraved with gold lettering, 'Governor's Pew.' Everything in red is a nice touch. Everytime I enter King's Chapel I feel that I have entered into a time portal into the past.