Boston brims with history and charm
Boston has a lot of history to boast about, with its share of heroes and politicians. It is a comfortable mix of past and present: the cradle of the American Revolution and a place of convergence for literary geniuses and baseball luminaries; today, it continues to be a fertile ground for education, art, culture and food.
Boston, indeed, has “brought forth” and been host to many famous people. It is the birthplace of both John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK), the 37th president of the United States, and his mother, politically savvy Rose, matriarch of the Kennedy clan (so-called American royalty). She is said to have helped manage their “Camelot” days and the political careers of her sons.
In the summer of 1953, over dinner at the Parker House (so it claims), the young and dashing congressman and soon-to-be-elected senator Kennedy went down on one knee to propose marriage to then 24-year-old Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, and gave her an emerald and diamond ring.
Other famous guests of the Parker House include Babe Ruth, originally with the Boston Red Sox, and literary lights such as Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Longfellow.
Heroes only learned about in history books — Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin — all made their mark in this city.
Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630, making it one of the oldest cities in the United States.
With its Boston Harbor and the Charles River running through it, this waterfront city is a blend of old charm and contemporary vibrancy. Cobblestones and gas lamps (of 1834 vintage) mix with modern malls and galleries.
It has numerous colleges and universities — Harvard (the oldest institution of higher education in the United States; JFK studied there and graduated cum laude in 1940), the MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Tufts and many others.
On my visit, young people were enjoying the last few days of summer vacations and preparing for the return to school. Boys in their board shorts and slippers and girls in their uniform skimpy tank tops and even skimpier shorts strolled down Newbury Street. (Shoppers, this is the first street to hit — nice boutiques and restaurants!)
The popular Duck Tours offer rides around the city and even a plunge into the Charles River! This amphibious vehicle is a replica of the World War II DUKWs, used for transport of goods and troops over both land and water. It provides a quick overview of important spots like the Massachusetts State House, the Granary Burying Ground (where the heroes of the revolution are buried) and Beacon Hill. (The 1776 Declaration of Independence was first read on the balcony of the old Statehouse, built in 1713.)
The North End, the oldest neighborhood in Boston and historically home to Italian-Americans, was where both Paul Revere and Rose Kennedy lived. JFK enjoyed eating at its oldest restaurant, the Union Oyster House.
The magnificent “cable-stayed” Leonard P. Zakin Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge crosses the Charles River. The John Hancock Tower is the tallest building in Boston. Designed by the company of architect I.M. Pei, its glass walls beautifully reflect the Trinity Episcopal Church across the street. Converse’s 10-story world headquarters on the Lovejoy Wharf combines old brick walls with a modern concept.
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market are adjacent to each other — a fun place to visit, with food stalls, souvenir shops and musicians and bands creating a pleasant vibe.
Maybe because the city was bathed in summer sunshine (people say that winters are a different story), or because of the laid-back charm of the past and present woven so comfortably together, or because it offers the not-to-be-missed lobster roll at Luke’s Lobster, or simply because it is a college town teeming with youthful energy — Boston’s incomparable story is well worth telling!
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