Boston

So Blogger is being a pain in you know what and doesn't acknowledge that I've uploaded new photos, hence no Boston pics at this moment. This is really frustrating me right now, but I'll get over it. Hopefully I'll be able to upload the pictures at a later time. 


Anyway, Boston was great! Our cousin lives in swanky Beacon Hill and we absolutely loved it. She was awesome and gave us free reign over her apartment and made us delicious cookies. The architecture of that area is quintessential Boston with mostly Federalist style rowhouses.  The scale is great and the area is completely walkable. Our cousin was busy when we first arrived so she left the key with the market owner 3 or 4 doors down from her apartment. I thought that was great. Seemed like a sort of time warp. This is a phenomenon that can almost only happen in cities. Think about it. Most area markets in suburbia are nothing more than gas stations. Could you imagine leaving the keys to your house with the guy at the Exxon station? I don't think so. Another great thing about the Beacon Hill area is that you have multi-million dollar mansions around the corner from modest apartments. Now I'm sure those modest apartments are not completely affordable, but it still does allow for a variety of people and a variety of income levels. I take back the variety of people part. That was one observation we made (and that was pointed out to us), Boston is fairly homogeneously white. Our friend told us that racial tensions are pretty high, which is surprising for a Northeastern city. 


We also found from talking with people that there was a need to somewhat justify themselves in comparison to NYC . I found this in DC as well. When I say that I mean that they would say things like, "We're like NY, but we're not as fast paced which is nice" or "This is a much more accessible city than NY, not as cut-throat". I wonder if this is a Northeastern phenomenon or if a lot of city dwellers will compare themselves to New York. Maybe out West people will compare themselves to LA? We'll see. 


I really did love Boston and could see myself living there, but the winters would kill me. One girl we spoke to said it was pretty hard to get around when there was a couple feet of snow on the ground. I'm sure I could handle it if I got into one of the prestigious schools in the city, but it would be hard. Somehow I'd need to come up with a way of avoiding winter. I know I sound like a baby, but I just absolutely hate the cold. Northeastern cold is the worst. The sun doesn't shine from October to April, basically. And for me, that's a harsh reality that doesn't suit my psyche. 


We also got to see the area where Boston University and Boston College students live. There was a definite shift in architecture in the area than Boston proper, which I think is good for college students. They shouldn't live in luxury. College of Charleston students are spoiled in regards to where most get to live, but that's a whole other blog post. 


Anyway, I'm in Chicago now and must get out and enjoy the city and it's fabulous architecture!


bye.