BOSTON Recommendations—An Insider’s Guide
The grass is always greener.
I really miss some of Boston’s many unique places, entertainments, organizations, and activities. These include:
• A Good Yarn knitting store
• AMC Fenway movie theaters
• Apple Store at the Galleria Mall, Cambridgeside
• Art New England magazine
• Atlantic Fish Company restaurant
• Bed Bath and Beyond, Landmark Center
• Bertram Inn, Brookline
• Bloomingdales, Chestnut Hill Mall
• Boston Center for Adult Education
• Boston Center for the Arts
• Boston Duck Tours
• Boston Marathon
• Boston Public Gardens and Common
• Boston Public Library
• Brigham and Womens Hospital
• Brookline (town)
• Brookline Booksmiths
• Brookline Grooming pet store
• Cambridge Art Association
• Cambridge Center for Adult Education
• Charles Hotel, Cambridge
• Charles River
• Coolidge Corner, Brookline
• Coolidge Theater, Brookline
• Copley Place mall
• Copley Square
• DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
• Dick Blick art supplies
• Fairmont Hotel, Copley Plaza
• Fenway Park
• Finagle a Bagel
• Finale dessert company
• Gardner Museum
• Grub Street, writers’ group
• Harvard Club
• Harvard Medical School Continuing Education Programs
• Harvard Square
• Harvard University Art Museums
• James Mitchell’s Boston Convivium Parties (singles-friendly events)
• Jae’s Asian restaurants
• Jasmine Sola’s fashion boutiques
• Kao Sahn Thai restaurant
• Knitsmiths’ Sunday afternoon group, Brookline Booksmiths
• Legal Seafoods fish restaurants
• Matt Murphy’s pub with fish and chips
• Mint Julep fashion boutique
• Museum of Science
• Newton Center
• Paper Source’s paper boutiques and workshops
• Museum of Fine Arts
• National Writers’ Union, Boston Chapter
• New England Aquarium
• Newton Wellsley Hospital
• Newbury Street (downtown finer shopping and dining)
• Park Plaza Hotel
• Peet’s Coffee and Tea, Brookline
• Pho Lemon Grass Vietnamese restaurant
• Prudential Center mall
• Provincetown Ferry
• REI, Landmark Center, outdoor wear and fitness supplies
• Ritz-Carlton Hotel
• Royal Sonesta Hotel
• South End Galleries
• Stephanie’s American restaurant
• The Art Connection for artist donors, charities, and volunteers
• The Boston Globe newspaper
• The Improper Bostonian magazine
• The Studio fashion boutique
• Trader Joe’s grocery store, Coolidge Corner
• The Vilna Shul cultural/heritage center
• Walgreens, Brookline
(Please note: Boston’s landmark Ritz-Carlton has been sold, becoming the Taj Boston, January 11, 2007.)
The grass isn’t always greener.
There are also some things I don’t miss about Boston. These include:
• big dig tunnels
• broken traffic meters
• Comcast’s service interruptions
• construction problems
• feeling unsafe and heavy/obvious police presence
• getting lost, due to one-way streets, incorrect signage, and construction
• heavy traffic and bad drivers
• having to buy in bulk for better value
• junk food
• line-ups
• parking lot fees
• power outages (Nstar)
• rats and mice (and traps), visible day and night in all types of neighborhood
• sirens, noise, and dirt
• stormy weather: rain and damp
• telephone repair delays (Verizon)
• the T’s inefficiency, cramming in of passengers, and filth
