With Harvard out of the way my mission here in Massachusetts, aside from learning how to spell Massachusetts, is done. But since we’re already here and based in Boston, why not explore a bit, right? I think my assessment of the city might have been unfairly affected by the gloomy weather, though, what with the constant rain and gray skies. I still ended up enjoying the chilly stroll, however, particularly in the areas of Waterfront, North End, and Downtown.
Coming from Lower Roxbury, the plan was to take the Orange Line and get off at Chinatown for lunch, and then head north two or three stations away by walking to see the sights. I ended up going the opposite direction because I left earlier than expected. And so, I just chose to get off at State, one station farther down the line from Downtown Crossing. As the name suggests, this is where you’ll find Boston City Hall and several other government buildings.
The City Hall itself is not that much of a looker, but there is a colorful set of BOSTON letters next to it where you can take a selfie with Faneuil Hall and a tower with a clock on its façade in the background. The Faneuil Hall Visitor Center is right across the street with a statue as its centerpiece. The style is very European and got me some flashbacks of the House of the Blackheads in Riga. They don’t really look the same, so I don’t know why that was the first memory that came to mind.
The area is shopper central. You will find similar looking buildings housing markets lining up the block along with shops, both traditional and modern, all the way up to the intersection leading to the waterfront. Since I don’t like buying stuff, I didn’t really enjoy this part of the stroll. However, if you are scouting for souvenirs and perhaps some outerwear for layering in this cold weather, you will find those at Faneuil Hall Marketplace next door along or at the shops flanking it on both sides.
Curious, I decided to go in and check it out. The layout is that of a typical market with stalls at the wings, while the center area houses a historic dome serving as the rendezvous point for two halls decorated with bright red and white sugar canes for columns. Yes, Boston is ready for Christmas. The stalls in those two opposite halls are all selling food, from your typical Boston Chowdah to pizza and seafood. Although a bit early for me, I succumbed to a slice of pepperoni pizza. Hey, the smell was enticing, and it tasted good!
It also offered me refuge from the drizzle outside. By the time I got back out, it was no longer wet although the weather remained cool. The next stop for me was Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park which had generous views of Long Wharf North and its boats. From here, you just have to follow Commercial Street heading north which goes around in a circle to join Causeway Street. The area it encloses constitutes most of North End with its narrow alleys, Paul Revere’s statue, and Old North Church.
Ending up at North Station brings you to the Bulfinch Triangle Historic District which I no longer bothered to visit. Instead, I headed straight south to Downtown and got lost in Boston’s urban jungle of skyscrapers, which is my cup of tea. I never quite made it to Chinatown after a detour heading to Boston Common where I found a Japanese resto serving the katsu I’ve been craving for a few days now. Finding myself right smack in the middle of downtown, I just hopped on the Orange Line again at Downtown Crossing and called it a day.
If you are already in the area, you might want to visit Boston Common, a central public park where I suppose you can seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of busy downtown. As to why I never went, I don’t really know. I guess I was just tired and feeling literally under the weather. And there you go. I’m not raving but I’m not hating on Boston either. To me, it seems like a really convenient city I wouldn’t mind relocating to. But with this weather starting to dip down to negative levels, who am I kidding?
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