Copley & Brookline Village

I went exploring yesterday. I wanted to check out Brookline; several people suggested I might like to live there. To get there, I had to change subway lines at Copley Square, which meant exiting the station and going across the street. The building we emerged from was so majestic, I had to check it out. Turns out, it's the Boston Public Library (1895). It's a huge, majestic building with artwork throughout. I then walked across the square to Trinity Church, which you can see reflected in the Hancock Building. I just read that this is a classic photo op illustrating Boston's mix of old and new. I feel so unoriginal. Anyway, The Hancock Building is Boston's tallest at 60 stories, and just before they completed it in 1976, dozens of the 500-pound window panes fell to the ground before they switched to a better solder. Yikes. Back on the subway to Brookline Village. And a village it is. It's quiet and quaint; very pretty. The houses are large and colorful and have flowers in their yards. It was a marked change from the hustle and bustle that I've gotten used to. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for in my next neighborhood, but I'm enjoying exploring. As busy as my street is, I don't have to get more than a couple of blocks away to find brownstones in better shape, and streets so quiet. I'm sure the rents are high, since it's so close to downtown, but I'd love to live there.

This Walking City

I love walking these streets. The people watching is great here, and it makes me feel like a part of the community. A large number of people walk with headphones in their ears, or while on cell phones. I saw someone yesterday with an iPod earpiece in one ear and her phone to her other ear. My theory is that people either need to be entertained all the time, or they want a buffer between themselves and others on the street. I always have a book with me for subway rides, but when I'm walking, I like to observe and be connected to those around me. Apparently, the streets are relatively uncrowded now, since all of the college kids are home for the summer. It seems pretty full here already to me. September is when my sublet will be up, and I'll sign a lease on a different apartment. That's when all of the students will also be looking for apartments, so I'll have some competition. Overall, I'm looking forward to the energy they will bring.

The Window

Billy found a fly in the window, and he needed to have it. He did catch it, having had lots of experience playing with the crickets we had for (recent roommate) Susan's gecko. I think I will preserve our friendship by not putting a photo of her and Billy here. ;-) There are two windows in the front, but as there's a brick staircase by the other one, this one has a better view, so Billy and I both prefer it.

I don't have wireless Internet, so I'm tethered to a cable, but it doesn't matter much since the studio is so small. My spot is in a chair (left by the previous tenant) by the window. I can job hunt (yes, I am), email, watch movies, whatever, and also look out the window at the large-vehicle parade going down the street. And best of all, I have a front row seat for the thunderstorms! These storms are incredible. There's one going on right now. Lightning, thunder, and so much rain! I love it. I had an argument once about whether San Diego really is a coastal desert. Even if it's not, it gets scant few inches of rain a year, so this California girl loves the rain. The novelty of it may wear off in the fall, but I don't think so. It's a little warm and muggy here, but pretty tolerable. Much nicer than I had been led to believe. Ice cream melts fast, but I prefer a spoon to a cone anyway.

I went to Harvard

Sure, I didn't take classes there, but I did go.

There were people playing Frisbee (Was that Harvard Yard? Is it really a big grassy yard?), and others under umbrellas. It was sprinkling lightly, and I guess if you have hair care products and make-up that could get ruined by the rain drops, it matters. Me, I like the sprinkles, and feel silly under an umbrella against them. I do have a fancy new umbrella - thank you Katy - so when it rains, as opposed to sprinkles, I'll be ready!

Inside a Globe

Yesterday, I visited the Mary Baker Eddy Library, which holds a 30-foot stained glass globe. You can walk inside, and it's a geopolitical globe from 1935. It's beautiful, though no longer accurate (think Russia/USSR). Each of the 608 panels of stained glass was designed to be removable for political updating, but they later decided to leave it as it was. As a result, all of the new countries in Africa and around Russia aren't named there. I love maps and globes because I traveled so much during my three years on cruise ships and it's fun to remember the places I've been. So this was a real treat. They don't allow photography inside, so I'm attaching a photo I took of a postcard. In the entryway of the library, there is all kinds of really interesting art. There's a fountain with words projected from the ceiling, so they look like they're swirling around with the water, then spilling out. There are also words that dance across the floor.

Settling In

I definitely had a panic "what have I done, moving to BOSTON?!?!?" period last Monday night, but now I'm getting used to the idea. I have my essentials and even though my sublease is up at the end of August, I'm trying to make the studio apartment nice. It's on a very busy/noisy street, but it's walking distance to everything. I had dinner with a friend who was in town last night, and I was sorta the local! I have one friend who lives in the 'burbs, and she's helped me get some apartment stuff, dishes and whatnot. I've taken the T, which is the subway system, and the commuter rail to visit said friend in the suburbs. The T is a wonderful network that can take me anywhere, but I still prefer my two feet. I live on Massachusetts Avenue ("Mass Ave"), which has a hardware store, a Blockbuster Video, a pharmacy, a Dunkin' Donuts (as prevalent as Starbucks!), a pizza place just next door, and anything else I might need, right down the street. I am enjoying being car-less, though at $4.06, the gas is cheaper here than in San Diego. But I have found my way into The Walking City! No more cars for me. I love it. My bike is in the shop getting tuned up for another week, and then I can take biking tours, in addition to walking tours, of my new neighborhood. The Red Sox won a game last night, and I'm finding baseball easy to enjoy. The Celtics won the finals for the first time in 22 years the second night I was here, and it was fun to listen to the city explode with excitement and reverie. It was midnight, and people started cheering and honking their horns. I missed the parade, for being without radio, internet, newspaper, or tv, but maybe the Red Sox will win the world series and I can go to that parade. I will soon celebrate Independence Day, with my very own independence. I'm looking forward to working so I can start to meet more people, but so far I haven't been lonely (thanks, Blockbuster, and Moms and Dads). I've done a little sightseeing, but have spent more time finding the grocery store, buying trash cans, and that sort of thing. I will start to take more photos, now that I have an audience...

Moving the Stuff

Well, it's just stuff, after all. My cat and I arrived safely to Boston on Monday, June 16, with a suitcase and a sublet apartment. My pallet arrived on Friday, in slightly worse shape than it was packed in. Aside from a box's worth of soiled/ruined clothing and a damaged cat tree, my stuff was fine.