Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Boston: An Unlikely Icon
London has the Big Ben. Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Boston has the CITGO sign.But in 1983, Beantown was in danger of losing its unlikely icon, New England's largest sign. Because it was deteriorating, CITGO decided to dismantle the 60 by 60-foot structure. But Bostonians wouldn't have it! A group of passionate people stopped the demolition crew, claiming the neon sign is a work of urban art and should be saved. They had their way.
Today, the CITGO sign stands refurbished, lighting Kenmore Square, Fenway Park and Boston's skyline with LEDs.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Cape Cod: the Kennedy Compound
These clapboarded buildings may look like typical Cape Cod vacation homes:
But they're far from ordinary!
And if they look familiar it's because, for one, John F. Kennedy used this six-acre property as the base for his Presidential campaign. And until his assassination in 1963, as President of the United States, he retreated here from the White House.
This is Cape Cod's picture perfect Kennedy Compound, home to America's royal (and not to mention ill-fated) family.
The pristine waterfront property rests along the shores of the gleaming Nantucket Sound.
It's located in Hyannis Port, an affluent village in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Joseph Kennedy and sons John and Robert lived in the compound before their untimely deaths. Today, Ted lives in this house:
It was Joseph's and is the largest on the property. Ethel, Robert's widow, still lives in their cottage.
Barnstable, MA
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Worcester, MA: Downtown to Get a Multi-Million Dollar Makeover!
You don't want to spend any of your spare time in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. It's ugly. It's boring. And it's forgotten. But within the next few years, that might change!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Newburyport, MA: Old Time Charm
I'm at the latest stop on my tour de New England. It's a small coastal city, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Boston.
Newburyport, Massachusetts is a staple in American history books. The first "Tea Party" rebellion to oppose British Tea Tax happened here. The first United States Coast Guard station was built here. And it's home to the oldest active and continuously running American court house. So it's easy to see why Newburyport boats a vibrant tourism industry for a town its size.
And considering it was settled in 1635, you know some important historical figures lived here. Would you believe US President John Quincy Adams and Matthew Thornton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, once called Newburyport home?
Newburyport, MA
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Concord, MA: America's Biggest Little Place
It's where the American Revolutionary War started. Remember the Battles of Lexington and Concord? And since British settlers settled Concord, Massachusetts in 1635, heavy hitters in American literature have made the town their home and penned great American novels while living in it, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau.Fast forward a century. In 1962, funnyman Steve Carell was born here. He's the comedian from The Office, 40-Year-Old Virgin and Little Miss Sunshine. And that's just a sample of the town's notable residents!
It's no wonder American author Henry James once dubbed Concord "the biggest little place in America."
Concord, MASunday, March 22, 2009
Concord, MA: The Inspiration behind a Great American Novel
What natural scenery is so beautiful that it would become the inspiration behind what's considered to be the most famous non-fiction book written by an American?
His walk-in closet size cabin stood feet from the 102-foot deep kettle-hole Walden Pond.
Walden Pond State Reservation
(978) 369-3254
915 Walden St
Today, this quote stands in its place.
And even off season, it's easy to see what inspired those words.
And like many books, this story has a happy ending. Because of Thoreau's legacy, in 1965, the National Park Service designated Walden Pond a National Historic Landmark.
Walden Pond State Reservation
(978) 369-3254
915 Walden St
Concord, MA 01742
Friday, March 20, 2009
Review: Metropolis Cafe, Boston
It's the most charming restaurant in Boston's South End. Check it out!
Metropolis Cafe
(617) 247-2931
584 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02118
Metropolis Cafe
(617) 247-2931
584 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02118
Review: The Liberty Hotel, Boston
It used to be the Charles Street Jail, housing inmates from the Boston Strangler to Malcolm X. Today, it's the luxurious Liberty Hotel. Get the play on words?
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