July 4th Historic Boston
Photos by: Michelle Day
Elisabeth’s first trip to Boston was an attempt to let her experience the history of the town via sights and foods. It was July 4th after all. Boston is an intimate yet world class city noticeably packed with Irish and Italian places, hot clubs and top quality, star rated restaurants offering cuisine from all over the globe. These places sit beside old buildings and modern skyscrapers and some really great parks.
Boston’s North End is the oldest part of the city and only 4 miles in circumference. This does not sound like much — until you want a 9 year old to walk it.
The North End is very accommodating to foot traffic and walking is fantastic way to see the city. If you look past the high rises, many of the crooked and cobbled streets have not been changed since the Revolution. There is very keen sense of history thorough the city and it is visible in the architecture and restaurants. The city feels very inviting because of its small scale. You have pre-revolution era brick houses and churches, the Bullfinch designed city hall and parks, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian styles abound next to modern architectural styles. Because Boston is such a design showcase, the marks of urban mismanagement from the middle of the 20th century are apparent. However the financial center does send glorious new steel and glass into the heavens and the waterfront has been beautifully renovated. If you keep walking inland, you will come upon the Beacon Hill and the Back Bay neighborhoods.
There are plenty of tourist traps especially in the Quincy Market area. I would caution you the avoid them. I paid $3 for a small bottle of Mug root beer in the Market. Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall are two ancient buildings surrounded by every modern chain store you can think of and a fast food court serving what passes for food. Go there to look around but walk couple blocks away to find the good neighborhood restaurants.
We went to the New England Aquarium Saturday morning and then made our way up the Freedom Trail to the Granary Burying Ground and the Kings Chapel graveyard and watched the red coats march past the Old State House. The State House is interesting and quick enough to tour without boring children. I find it exceptional that the Royal symbols of Britain’s Coat of Arms (the Unicorn and the Lion) have never been removed from the roof. You would think the Sons of Liberty would have ripped them down sometime in the later 1770s!
