1694, Beacon Street, Brookline, MA
Sipping languidly from my well-deserved, highly potent long island iced tea, I suddenly feel the urge to write. Now that is rare, judging from the singular entry on this blog, but forced as it may be, I have finally decided to put in some effort.
Things have changed a lot, I hope for the better, and here I am, a year since the first post, sitting in Brookline, sipping my iced tea. I have graduated from A&M, and been branded an Aggie for life. Ugh. I managed to get out of College Station, Texas in March, and land myself a job in Boston.
When I was offered the position in Boston, I jumped at it, solely because, at the time, I desperately wanted to live on the East Coast, though I would’ve settled for anywhere but Texas. So, with the affinity to New York riding high in my mind and “Shipping out to Boston” playing in the background, I happily made my way to Bean Town. 2 months into living in Boston, it became evident to me that Boston appeals to me on many levels that the Big Apple did not. Good move.
the appeal of the Bean
What instantly appealed to me about Boston was that it has history. Home to the Boston Tea Party, amongst several significant historical events and unlike the majority of cities in the US, this city actually has a past.
Boston, colloquially Bauston, the home of the Red Sox, connects with one on a very personal level. The streets are narrow, the people are not so diverse, the connah (read corner) bar is still in place and local legends live on, un-eroded. Though a full grown city and economic hub, the neighboring towns & villages (I live in one..Brookline) help Boston retain its old world charisma.
Even within the city, hidden but not overshadowed by skyscrapers, there are numerous glorious peep holes into the past which have been carefully preserved by the locals, and perhaps, by pure chance. As an estranged architect, the narrow cobbled streets and the seamless coming together of young & old brings strong appeal. Unlike NY, where the old always makes way for the new, in Boston, they sometimes embrace to create a more exciting whole.
weekends
The mood is festive, the locals drink like fish (which is quickly explained by the strong Irish population) and the weekends are sanctimonious. Bostonians love their outdoors, and save the necessary trips to the bah (read bar…get the idea?) people don’t waste much time indoors. Starting Thursday, when happy hours see the heaviest traffic, through till the wee hours of Sunday morning (I exaggerate, maybe, but only a little), people can be seen exercising and working on their tans, or huddled together watching a street entertainer, but mostly walking from one place to another.
Anyway thats my take for today. The iced tea is well-deserved because after weeks spent loathing myself, I finally got my act together and made a day out of today. Yesterday was Saturday.
I feel a little spent, but there are several things I still want to write about. That’s a good sign.
next…
- duck tour
- freedom trail
- weekend in NY?
- about work
- the dreaded winter
- the long wait …