November 22, 2014

Government Center & Beacon Hill

After lunch, we headed out of Quincy Market and up through Government Center.  This seems to be continually under construction because there was always construction when I lived in Boston in the 80s. Now they appear to be remodeling the T (subway) station.


This is the famous giant steaming tea kettle.  You can't see it, but there was steam coming out of it. It was originally placed in Scollay Square in the 1800s and continues to operate to this day.


John Adams Courthouse.  Not sure if it's still a courthouse or if that's just the building's name.

I do not remember this gigantic crescent shaped building when I lived there.  It's so big and it had to have been there but maybe I never noticed it.  According to Wikipedia it was built in 1969.


Don't think this bike's going anywhere soon!

I decided to take Cheryl around Beacon Hill, since it's absolutely gorgeous and very, very old.  We passed this memorial to Robert Gould Shaw, the Col. of the Massachusetts 54th, the first African American regimen in the US Army, who fought in the Civil War.  It's across from the State House and on Boston Common.

The buildings on Beacon Hill are huge.

Hard to see from this picture but there were quite a few trees on that rooftop garden.

Beacon Street.  I lived really close to all of this at the Emerson dorms.

We went back into the neighbourhood, which are full of narrow, quiet streets and expensive homes and townhomes.


This is Louisburg Square, one of the priciest neighbourhoods in the country.  A townhouse sold for 11,500,000 in 2011.

And this is Acorn Street, a one block-long cobblestone street which is extremely picturesque, as you can see.  But not easy to walk on.  The brick sidewalk is also very narrow.



And looking up Acorn.



Back on Boston Common. It was getting near time for me to head back to get the bus home, so we walked back to South Station.


Downtown Crossing again.

Putting up the Christmas tree at Macy's.

I need one of these rainbow shimmery things in my yard!


This is near South Station; I always got a kick out of how it looks top heavy because of the narrow base.

Also near S. Station.

What a great day and how awesome to finally meet Cheryl after 35 years!!!!!

8 comments:

  1. Hey awesome pics there Jojo! Love the history of places and those buildings are pretty cool. I too need one of those rainbow shimmery things. Love the ultra big kettle, I want one of those too. lol
    Cheers, Anita.

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    1. Thanks! I'm wondering how they made the shimmery things and how hard it'd be to make one.

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  2. Very cool JoJo! I am sure I have seen that curved building in a movie or perhaps TV... looks so familiar!

    That cobblestone road and close buildings remind me so much of Quebec City! Beautiful!

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    1. Thank you Maureen! I guess that building was indeed there when I lived in Boston but as I've said, I was so wrapped up in my own life and stuff that I never noticed it.

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  3. I'm very happy for you -- seeing great sights in great company.
    I don't remember any of these structures. Acorn St. looks European.
    Did you visit the house where Kennedy grew up? I was amazed at how I could just saunter into the backyard...it's a pretty ordinary house. All of Boston is very fun, though. Thanks for the tours.

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    1. Thanks!! I have no idea where the Kennedy house is! Being from the Cape, we were always more familiar with the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport.

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  4. I agree, that building doesn't look safe on such a slender support. Not sure I would dare go inside. You sure took a lot of pix of Boston, some of them I remembered the place, many of them I didn't but they were all enjoyable. Thanks JoJo.

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    1. Thanks Jo! I always got a kick out of that building with the thin bottom. I guess it's a good thing there isn't a major earthquake fault line running through Boston. I'm not sure architecture like that would fly on the west coast.

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