Day 10 - Modern Boston

Boston Common is bathing in sunlight this morning. Fortunately the trees offer some shade on this tropical day. The temperatures are approaching 30 °C. High summer, even though we are at the end of September. It is Saturday and the park is already busy at this early hour. On the north side is Beacon Street located, a beautiful collection of mansions largely designed by Charles Bulfinch and all with a priceless view on Boston Common. 


Typical for these houses are the rounded facades, which make the houses look  like an elegant, playful ribbon. Beacon Street is also the start of Beacon Hill,  my favorite neighborhood in Boston. And Hill didn't steal its name. Because while walking through Beacon Hill, I get flash backs of San Francisco. The streets and alleys go up and down, all with even more designs by Charles Bulfinch. Rounded facades, Greek columns, cast-iron balconies, federal-style houses or bay windowfire escapes or unique decorations. Beacon Hill is a picture. 


Especially today on this sunny day. At Beacon Street no 84 on the corner with Brimmer Street, there is a very famous facade. From 1982 to 1993 it was shown weekly on the television screen in the credits of Cheers, you know ‘The place where everybody knows your name’. 


Only the facade with stairs was used by the TV makers, the indoor scenes were shot in the studio. As soon as you enter it is clear why. The very limited space with a small counter and a few tables, was not really worthy of the series and moreover difficult to operate cameras. 


hat is why the set was designed in the studio with clever use of space by placing a central square bar. Even though the facade of Cheers was not a design by Charles Bulfinch, he was not far away here. The original pub was opened here in 1969 under the name Bull & Finch. In 2002 the name changed to Cheers Beacon Hill, as not to forget the link with the series ... and in particular to highlight the difference between the original and the ‘replica’ that has since been established in Faneuil Hall. The second Cheers is a replica of the interior of the series. 


Feel free to stick your nose in both. With a bit of  luck, you will quickly have a table for lunch in Beacon Hill or you can sit down at the bar for a refreshing pint after a strenuous walk. In Faneuil Hall you find yourself in the series even though it is not Diane or Carla who comes to take your order. But don't let that spoil the fun. Because with Carla's meatballs, a Giant Norm Burger or a Frasier’s Chicken Panini, the characters are never far away. With your belly full, you can undoubtedly embark on a new adventure in Boston.
West of Boston Common and Public Garden lies Back Bay, the modern and slightly more fashionable district of Boston and also the city's first planned neighborhood. On Marlbourough Street you can enjoy in peace the beautiful mansions that adorn the street. 


As beautiful as Beacon Street, but a lot quieter. The architects of Backbay made Commonwealth Avenue the main street of the design. They got their inspiration from the wide avenues of Paris. Commonwealth is cut into two with a  little green park, a promenade to say it with a smart word. The avenue is sometimes called the Champs Elysées of Boston. 


Both Marlbourough and Commonwealth could be a lesson in architectural styles. Newbury Street is really synonymous with chic. Here also beautiful large mansions but with the ground floor transformed into expensive boutiques, trendy restaurants and posh galleries. It is all elegance. A little further is the Boston Library, at the time the first public library in the country. 


But also Trinity Chuch, voted one of America's ten most beautiful buildings. It is an absolute masterpiece in granite and sandstone. Next to the nearly 300-year-old church, is the height of modernism built, the John Hancock Building, the tallest building in Boston and New England. With its 226 m, it towers above the city and is literally a highlight of of steel, concrete and glass with no less than 10,344 windows.


There are many American baseball teams, many champion teams, but there are only two legendary teams. In the first place the world famous New York Yankees and next the arch rival Boston Red Sox. The Sox play in the oldest still used stadium in the US, Fenway Park, therefore also called America’s Most Beloved Ballpark. It is fairly centrally located in Boston just west of Back Bay. Today, the Sox play one of their last games of the regular season against the Baltimore Orioles.


The Sox are the current World Series Champion, say the American champion. This year it does not run as smoothly, although they had started the season well but a few weeks ago they lost their chance for a new title. The Orioles are pretty much in the same situation. That is why the game today matters little. And like anywhere else, the fighting spirit of the players is hard to lit after a long season. But still, attending a game of a legendary team in a legendary ballpark remains an absolute not to miss event. The Sox have loyal supporters who continue to encourage them, so there is plenty of ambiance in the stadium.


On this hot day we are lucky to have a seat in the covered grandstand with a view of the Green Monster, the famous large green wall at the end of the left field. And with a traditional hot dog and coke in hand, even the inner me does not have to suffer. Despite our encouragements, the Sox eventually also lose this game, but that doesn't spoil the fun. What a great afternoon ‘at the ballpark’! The perfect way to end this day and trip.


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