Boston. good old new england
As it approaches the Wash, the muddy Witham River weaves its way through Boston (the name comes from the Botolph Stone or the city of Botolph), named for the Anglo-Saxon monk-saint who founded a monastery here in 645 AD, which overlooks the mainstream. river at its intersection. In the XIII and XIV centuries the settlement expanded to become the second largest seaport in England, and its flourishing economy depended on the wool trade with Flanders.
Local merchants, celebrating their success, decided to build a church to symbolize their wealth, the result being the splendid Saint Botolph Church, its 83 meter high tower still dominating the city and its surroundings. The church was completed by the early 16th century, but Boston has since declined as the wool trade moved west to the Atlantic and the Witham River silted up.
The well-being of the inhabitants of the city resumed only at the end XVIII century when, after draining the nearby swamps, the city became a small agricultural center with a modest port, which has recently been modernized for trade with the EU. Boston - a strange mixture of a swamp city and a seaport - comes alive on Wednesday and Saturday, the days of the fair.
Arrival, information and accommodation in Boston
Boston Station is a 10-minute walk east from Boston Station to the city center - go straight from the station on Station Street and keep walking until you reach the river, then cross the bridge. The bus station is also west of the river, a 5-minute walk from Market Place along Lincoln Lane. The Travel Agency (Monday-Saturday 9:30-17:00) is located at the New Haven Gallery, 2 South Square, a short walk south of Market Place, along the river.
They have a list of Bed and Breakfasts including Bramley House at 267 Sleaford Road. It occupies a nicely converted 18th-century farmhouse, a mile west of town, behind the station. Another good option is the much-expanded Victorian Fairfield Guest House, at 101 Road (no credit cards accepted), about 2 miles south of downtown. It has 16 guest rooms, all decorated in a brilliant and sophisticated style.
Boston Attractions
Lined for the most part by Victorian red-brick buildings, the main streets of Boston's cramped and compact center on the east bank of the Witham River radiate from the square. irregular shape Market Place. Directly to the west rises the massive bulk of the church of St. Botolph (daily 8.30-16.30; free). Its interior stonework is adorned with tall lancet windows and intricate ornamental patterning.
Most of the building dates from the 14th century. But the huge and unusual tower, the absence of a spire on which gave the church the nickname "Boston Stump", is a later addition. The polygonal lantern is also a later one, added in the 16th century and decorated with flying flying buttresses and pointed turrets. The temple is visible for 20 miles around, it used to have a lighthouse that showed the way to travelers in the swamps and the North Sea.
A curved spiral staircase of 365 steps (closed on Sunday) leads to a balcony near the summit, where views of Boston and the swamps make both the climb and the £2.50 ticket price worth it. Below, the brightly lit and airy nave of Saint Botolph is an example of the perpendicular style, with tall columns and high windows. The sheer purity of the design is striking, visually everything appears taller due to the narrowness of the annex-like altar and the elegance of the ornate arch that partially hides it from view.
The altar contains 14th-century reclining chairs, which show a mixture of vernacular scenes such as bears playing the organ, a pair of medieval jesters clutching cats in imitation of organ playing, and a schoolteacher whipping a student who is being watched by three others. awaiting their fate. The church's most famous curate was John Cotton (1584-1652), who during his reign for twenty years caused a flood of Lincolnshire dissidents to flock to the New Colony to find their "New Jerusalem."
As a result, Cotton emigrated to the United States himself, in 1633, and soon became the main inspiration for the Puritans of Boston, Massachusetts. Cotton's memory was eventually commemorated here at Boston Stump by the creation of Cotton's Chapel, at the west end of the nave, in 1875. The most interesting relic of Cotton's reign, however, is not the chapel at all, but the nave in the form of a decorated pulpit, from which he delivered his three-hour sermons.
Prior to Cotton's arrival, Boston was ready for religious dissent, and in 1607 several of the Pilgrim Fathers were imprisoned here after failing to escape religious persecution by fleeing to Holland. They were imprisoned for thirty days in the old Guildhall (now closed for re-registration), on South Street, easily walkable south of St. Botolph's, back to Market Place. A creaky structure, the Guild Hall includes the ancient Council Hall, where the trial of the Pilgrim Fathers took place, as well as the cells where they were imprisoned.
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February 10th, 2012 , 12:52 pm
What is Boston? The capital of Massachusetts, the cradle of the American Revolution and the birthplace of Facebook (Harvard University, where Mark Zuckerberg studied, is very close by). You simply cannot miss this when visiting America :)
It is also the most beautiful American city I have ever seen. And no one will convince me that this is not so!
I came to Boston from New York by train. This is only 3.5 hours on the way along the most picturesque coast of the eastern United States.
I arrived and could not believe my eyes - this is not America, this is real Europe!
The Boston area is home to 2 very important educational institutions- the first American university - "Harvard University" and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
The first gave the world many politicians (8 US presidents graduated from Harvard), and the second is one of the leaders who move modern technologies(from architecture to the Internet).
It's like London, Amsterdam, whatever. But not to America!
In order not to be stolen, it is better to hang a bike on the fence of an old cemetery :)
Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States, founded in 1630 and until the middle of the 18th century it was largest city British colony in America.
The local architecture is noticeably different from what I have seen in the rest of the country.
The style is undetectable... although the metal balconies and parts of the façade are reminiscent of New York's Soho.
Especially in such old houses.
Eternal war of conservatism and advanced technologies. In the very center of the city there are 2 buildings, one of which was built by a Harvard graduate, and the second by an MIT graduate.
I haven't been to London yet, but for some reason I imagine it to be like that.
I really like metal American balconies. Are there any in London? :)
One of the local attractions is the Prudential office and shopping center (228 meters high).
I know this brand (Prudential) from Kurt Eichenwald's book Wall Street Sandcastles, where the insurance company of the same name deceived tens of billions of dollars
thousand people. I do not rule out that this is her office :)
One of the most beautiful parts of Boston is Beacon Hill. A real piece of ancient Europe in modern America.
Everything here is reminiscent of European cities, from lanterns and doors to roof coverings.
It's hard to believe this is the USA.
Only American cars spoil the landscape. True, in Boston, most cars are European or Japanese.
Halloween is coming soon! :)
Here are the most expensive apartments in the city. From 3 million dollars.
And you say that housing in Moscow is expensive!
I'm a fan of balconies! :))))
In the financial center, as always, skyscrapers.
The Old City Hall pleased me with a chic restaurant, where ancient interiors, coupled with excellent cuisine, make an indelible impression on guests.
You should definitely ride around the city on such authentic buses. There are many routes of various directions, choose according to your taste.
Returning to the food... it's just SUPER here! Boston is home to the finest Legal Seafoods in the United States. They are all over the country, but it is in Boston that they serve tastier food.
Of course, kebabs and falafels are also eaten here... especially in the business center.
But still, only seafood can be truly local cuisine! Particularly the lobsters.
Where else will you see a fast food lobster sandwich? Only in Boston!
The price tag for lobsters here is also very pleasant. 2 lobsters for 28 bucks... isn't that happiness?
Closer to the port part of the city are very old quarters. This place was a house... and now a cafe. The silhouette of the house is perfectly preserved.
Almost castle French architecture.
The Boston waterfront has become one of the hippest places in the city today.
Old marinas and docks are gradually being demolished, giving way to expensive housing and restaurants.
I understand well those who live here. The views are amazing!
Old port warehouses (Boston was America's largest seaport for a long time) are being successfully converted into expensive lofts and townhouses.
Collection of floats.
View from the port to the coastline of the new part of the city.
Joyful old ladies! :) The right one is very reminiscent of Shapoklyak!
We return to the city, more precisely - to the city park. Previously, livestock grazed here, but now the townspeople are resting. Well, proteins, of which there are a myriad of in the USA.
The frog sculptures in the park are amazing! One Rodin's "Thinker" is worth something. And the second will soon scream "IDE" :)
There are many monuments in the city, and not only to frogs. So Washington got a small one.
Well, doesn't it really look like France, Belgium and Holland at once?
Tourists are carried not only on buses, but also on such "ducklings" - amphibians, which allow them to swim across small canals and rivers.
But with the weather Boston was not lucky. On the ocean coast, the climate is, of course, mild, but it rains and fogs almost all year round.
The weather also turns out to be London...
It seems that every resident has a yacht or a boat here.
Boston doesn't end there! It is very beautiful at night, as well as when viewed from the water. But more on that in the next post :)
Boston is a city in England (Boston) - a city in England, in Lincoln County, on the river Witham, 8 ½ km from its confluence with the sea. Some believe that B. was formerly a Roman fortification in the province of Flavia Caesariensis. According to Anglo-Saxon chronicles, the city was founded by St. Botolph, the patron saint of sailors, and Botolphstone is named after him. After the Norman conquest in 1204, B. was the largest city in England after London. At that time it carried on a great deal of trade with the Hansa and other continental cities, but after a century the city fell into decay. There are 14,932 inhabitants in B., engaged in fishing and agricultural production. guns. B. is connected to other cities in England by a network of railroads.
encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. - St. Petersburg: Brockhaus-Efron. 1890-1907 .
See what "Boston city in England" is in other dictionaries:
- (Boston) a city in England, in Lincoln County, on the river Witham, 8½ km from its confluence with the sea. Some believe that B. was formerly a Roman fortification in the province of Flavia Caesariensis. According to Anglo-Saxon chronicles, the city was founded by St. Botolf ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
BOSTON (Boston), a city in the northeast of the United States, on the west coast of the Massachusetts Bay, at the confluence of the Charles River. The capital of Massachusetts (see MASSACHUSETTS (state)). The population is 577.1 thousand people (2004), the population of the Bolshoi ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
BOSTON (Boston), a city and port in England, on the coast of the North Sea, opposite the French city of Laval. Population 36.3 thousand people (2004). Founded in the 11th century. In the Middle Ages, English Boston was prosperous. trading city, had ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Boston (Boston), a city in the northeast of the USA in the state of Massachusetts, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The main economic center of New England and one of the leading industrial, financial and cultural centers of the United States. About 630 thousand inhabitants (1969, estimate), and from ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
This term has other meanings, see Boston (meanings). Boston (eng. Boston) is a city in England, in Lincoln County, on the river Witham, 8 ½ km from its confluence with the sea. Some believe that Boston was formerly Roman ... ... Wikipedia
1) a city in the East of England; Great Britain. Mentioned in the 12th century. as Botuluestan, in the 13th century. Botolfston, modern Boston. In the name Botulf (Botolf) the personal name of the landowner, ton farm, village. Folk etymology associates the name with the name of St. ... ... Geographic Encyclopedia
Wiktionary has the article "boston" Boston: Boston is a city in the United States. Boston (fabric ... Wikipedia
Boston (UK)
Boston (Boston) - a small city of 20 thousand people in East Anglia (cm. East England), is now only known for its American namesake. It was from here that the Puritans sailed to America in 1620. There, in Massachusetts, they founded the new Boston. (cm. Boston (USA)). In the Middle Ages, English Boston was a prosperous trading city and even had a representative office of the Hanseatic League here.
At this time, the church of St. Botolph was built with a 90-meter Boston Stump tower, the largest in its time in England. It once served as a lighthouse. The Guild House, where the Puritans gathered for their departure, and Fidell House, richly decorated and considered the most beautiful building in the city, have been preserved.
- - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a state in the North-West. Europe, the British Isles. Leading the Commonwealth...
Demographic Encyclopedic Dictionary
- -, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a state in Europe, on the British Isles. V. is the birthplace of postage and stamps. The first stamps were issued: 05/06/1840 - in 1 penny and 05/08/1840 - in 2 pence...
Big philatelic dictionary
- - Population 59.702 million Military budget $41.3 billion ...
Armed forces foreign countries
- - "Great Britain" liner Type: liner. Displacement: 3322 tons. Dimensions: 88 m x 15 m. Power plant: single-shaft, steam compound machine. Maximum speed: 9 knots...
Encyclopedia of ships
- - a state in Western Europe on the British Isles. Member of the European Union. Founder of the British Commonwealth. The capital is London. Components of V.: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Constitutional Law
- - state in the West. Europe, located in the British Isles. Official name V. - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; often all of Britain is inaccurately referred to as England. The area is 244 thousand km2...
Soviet historical encyclopedia
- - , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, - state in the West. Europe, in the British Isles. Takes o. Great Britain, north-east part o. Ireland and a number of small islands washed by ...
Geological Encyclopedia
- - electronic system conclusion and confirmation of secondary transactions with securities...
- - I Contents: A. Geographical outline: Position and boundaries Surface arrangement Irrigation Climate and natural products Space and population Emigration Agriculture Cattle breeding Fishing...
- - The constitutional monarchy of V. consists of V. proper, or the United Kingdom, and the colonies. Together with the colonies, V. in 1904 occupied an area of 3,0596,613 square kilometers. km, with a population of 398730145 people....
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron
- - Contents: A. Geographical outline: Position and boundaries; Surface device; Irrigation; Climate and natural works; Space and population; Emigration; Agriculture; Cattle breeding; Fishing...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron
- - I Great Britain island in Atlantic Ocean, which is part of the British Isles. Cm. ...
- - Great Britain; official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I. General information V. is an island nation in the northwest. Europe...
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- - UK Albion, Britain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, British Empire, United Kingdom, World Workshop, British...
Synonym dictionary
- - ...
Synonym dictionary
- - ...
Synonym dictionary
"Boston (>)" in books
Boston
From Franklin's book author Ivanov Robert FedorovichBoston In his later years, Benjamin Franklin wrote: “I sometimes want to say that if I had the freedom of choice, I would not mind living the same life again from beginning to end; I would only like to take advantage of the advantage that writers have: by releasing a second
Part I. Boston
From the book of John Kennedy. Red Prince of America author Petrov DmitryPart I. Boston
Rolls "Boston"
From the book Cold and hot appetizers. Cooking like a pro! author Krivtsova Anastasia VladimirovnaBoston – Gibraltar
From the book In Search of Eldorado author Medvedev Ivan AnatolievichBoston - Gibraltar On April 24, 1895, Captain Slocum set off from Boston east across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, intending to pass the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean. Having adequately withstood the first serious storm, the Spray demonstrated its reliability and showed
Boston
From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary (B) author Brockhaus F. A.Boston Boston is the capital of the state of Massachusetts and the second most mercantile and wealthy city in the United States. North America. It lies in the deepening of Massachusetts Bay, on the peninsula, 5 kilo. length and 1.6 kilos. width; The Charles River flows in the northwest of the peninsula.
Boston (city in USA)
TSBBoston (fabric type)
From the book Big Soviet Encyclopedia(BO) author TSBBoston
From the book Encyclopedia largest cities America author Korobach Larisa Rostislavovna"Boston" for UK
author Ivanov S. V."Boston" for the UK Another foreign client of "Douglas" who became interested in the "Model 7B" was the UK. The equipment of the Royal Air Force at the beginning of the war was hardly better than that of the French Air Force. And if we develop and launch the production of new
Boston, aka Havok
From book A-20 Boston/Havoc author Ivanov S. V."Boston", aka "Havok" As mentioned above, the early "Bostons", inherited by the British as part of the "French inheritance", were unsuitable for use in combat units. But the most acute shortage of aircraft, which could not be filled even at the expense of the American
A-20 or "Boston" in American
From book A-20 Boston/Havoc author Ivanov S. V.A-20 or "Boston" in American style In 1938, the Model 7B aircraft won the competition for a multipurpose attack army bomber. Among the defeated competitors were the Stirman X-100 (XA-21), Bell Model 9, Martin 167F (XA-22, later mass-produced under the name
120. BOSTON TERRIER
From the book Encyclopedia of the Dog. working dogs by Punetti Gino120. BOSTON TERRIER Origin. The breed was obtained as a result of a long crossing of a bulldog, a French bulldog, a bull terrier and a boxer. It was first introduced in Boston in 1870, thus becoming the American French and English dog.
Boston Terrier
From the book 400 tips for a dog lover author Koch-Kostersitz ManfredBoston Terrier Size and general form: height at the withers 35-40 cm, weight 8-12 kg, small size, square format, strong, tightly knit dog on slender, strong legs, with an expressive, intelligent look; it is clearly seen that it originates from a cross between a bulldog and
"Panbarhat and Boston"
From the book of Excitement, Joy, Hope. Thoughts on parenting author Nemtsov Vladimir Ivanovich"Punne velvet and boston" No words, material interest plays a serious role in life Soviet society. But we are preparing the youth for communism, and therefore we should not preach as an end in itself the mercantilism that is becoming obsolete in our society, the “long ruble” and
Baghdad - Boston
From the book "I'm Just Applying Common Sense to Common Facts" by Sagamori YashikoBaghdad - Boston Moqtada al-Sadr John F. KerryIraqi Prime Minister Ayad Alavi confidently outlined the most optimistic hope for a bright future for his country, assuring the world that he was not going to normalize relations with Israel unilaterally, but would
JFC airport. Standard border control procedure. And the standard questions that are asked to all tourists entering the States.
- Where are you going to stay? a Hispanic border guard asked us. It’s a little unusual after Russia to see a tanned, trim border guard on the other side of the window, rolling chewing gum in his mouth and demonstrating complete relaxation with his whole appearance. A misleading impression - if he has the slightest suspicion about the intentions of the entrant, a really serious conversation, now in a separate booth, will not be long in coming.
— In Boston. Not at the hotel, Airbnb,” I explained, showing him the printout with the address.
The first emotion in our entire short conversation appeared on the smooth face of the border guard. His surprise was, though slight, but sincere. How many times have tourists answered "Vegas", "New York", "Niagara Falls" or "Miami"? Probably thousands. We may have been the first (that day) to say "Boston" while having a tourist, non-study or business visa in our passport.
Boston is not the most popular destination for foreign tourists - the city ranks 10th in the 20 Most Popular U. S. Cities Among International Travelers (in first place, as you might guess, the "big apple" reigns supreme).
But there are really a lot of “internal” tourists in the capital of New England, both according to personal feelings and according to statistics. For Americans, Boston was and remains a special city, which is the duty of a citizen and patriot to visit, because it was here, on the banks of the Charles River, that events took place, during which a new independent state was born - the United States of America. No wonder one of Boston's most famous nicknames is "the Cradle of Liberty", and many attractions are directly related to the struggle for independence from Britain and the American Revolution.
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In addition, Boston is one of the oldest American cities where buildings from the 17th-early 20th centuries have been preserved (once again to the question of whether the Americans have a history. Still as they are, and they treat it very carefully!) And even entire blocks historical building - in perfect condition. And if it weren’t for the cars parked on the roadsides and other attributes of modernity related to communications and roads, one could fully feel the spirit of the good old New England, so similar in places to the former metropolis.
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Moscow motorists spend an average of 19 minutes searching for a parking space. I don’t even know how things are in America (and especially in wealthy Boston, where everyone has a car)
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However, Boston cannot be called a city preserved in time, as, for example, other towns in Italy or France, which we love so much for the opportunity to escape from the boring present to Magic world bygone eras with their narrow medieval streets, doll houses and a touch of nostalgia.
During its turbulent, eventful history, Boston has repeatedly suffered from various natural and man-made disasters (the most famous are the Great Boston Fire, as well as the explosion of a boiler at an alcohol plant, when a 4-meter tsunami of molasses, a raw material for the production of alcohol, hit the streets, after which for many years, especially in the heat, a characteristic sweet smell was clearly felt in the air). Both individual buildings and entire urban areas were destroyed. As you know, a holy place is never empty, and around the old buildings, witnesses of the “Boston Massacre” and “Boston Tea Party”, later, already in the 20th century, a forest of skyscrapers grew.
One of the advantages of Boston is precisely that the combination of different eras looks harmonious and whole in it, without causing any dissonance, although the opposite is more often the case.
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The Old State House of Massachusetts (Old State House, built in 1713) against the backdrop of modern skyscrapers
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Trinity Episcopal Church (built in 1877) is reflected on the mirror surface of the John Hancock Tower skyscraper (John Hancock Tower)
Inspired by the numerous positive reviews about Boston - both from friends who have been in the city and read on the Internet (including, of course, the site), we decided to include the pearl of New England in the itinerary of our big November trip to.
In Boston we spent the night and the afternoon (the first half was devoted to Cambridge). I’ll clarify right away that this time was sorely lacking for a city with such an abundance of attractions. It was not possible to see everything that was planned, and even with all the desire it would not have happened. And it's not just the small number of hours spent in Boston, but also the fact that we decided to walk around the city on foot, without trying to artificially speed up the pace of acquaintance with the help of public transport or taxi.
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The clock tower is a noticeable building that attracts attention with its beauty and elegance of forms. Built in 1915 as a customs building, now a Marriott hotel
Almost everything (except heavy backpacks over our shoulders, since we had to carry them with us all the trip) that day was conducive to walks. Firstly, the weather is beautiful - warm, clear and sunny, even too good for mid-November.
Secondly, Boston itself, whose second nickname (after the “cradle of freedom”) is America’s Walking City. And this is not at all accidental, because Boston is a city that is most conducive to walking (as much as possible in the States with their cult of a personal car) due to its compactness and convenience of pedestrian infrastructure. Here, even the sights associated with the revolution and the struggle for independence are combined pedestrian"path of freedom". So walking (not necessarily on foot, you can still run or ride a bike) will be very much in the spirit of this freedom-loving city.
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We started with harvard bridge, thrown across the Charles River and connecting Cambridge and Boston. 10 minutes of leisurely step - and you can find yourself in one of the two cities.
Historically and formally, Boston and Cambridge are two individual cities, but in fact one smoothly flows into the other, and together they (like a number of other cities) form the Greater Boston agglomeration, which is one of the ten largest in the United States.
The bridge itself, built in the 19th century, is not distinguished by any special beauty or outstanding engineering solutions, but it is still worth walking along it. The bridge simultaneously offers picturesque views of the financial center of Boston, which looks like a classic American city built up with skyscrapers…
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Skyline of Boston from Cambridge side. The building with the golden dome - Massachusetts State Capitol
... to Cambridge with its green (fiery gold and crimson autumn) embankment ...
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…and the Charles River itself, with sailboats and kayaks gliding across it.
The Harvard Bridge leads straight to one of the most colorful areas of Boston - Back Bay, where you can travel back in time and imagine what it looked like oldest city New England in the 19th century.
For a long time, the area, which today looks quite safe, was swampy, it was constantly flooded with the waters of the Charles River. It was only in 1857 that a large-scale project was launched to "create land" on which houses could be built. They filled up the swamp, erected a dam, designed and laid the streets from scratch, and built houses along them. This is how the Historic District was born, which has been preserved almost unchanged since the 19th century and is included in the US National Register of Historic Places.
Left Back Bay limited massachusetts avenue, continuing from Cambridge, from Harvard University itself. This highway definitely not only connects the two cities, but also emphasizes their close relationship, their common belonging to the state of Massachusetts.
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It is interesting that in Boston there are both yellow and pot-bellied "New York" traffic lights, as well as black and flat ones.
Boston, like Cambridge, has a namesake on distant overseas shores - in England, in the county of Lincolnshire, where some of the colonists who settled on the banks of the Charles River came from. In the Back Bay area, Boston is similar to Cambridge in its English features slipping in architecture, only the houses are taller and more impressive, and the streets and avenues are wider.
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From Massachusetts Avenue, we very successfully turned onto Commonwealth Avenue.
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Monument to Rear Admiral, writer and historian Samuel Eliot Morison - a native of Boston
Why is it successful? Because it was on this street, as it seemed to us, that the most beautiful and solid houses are located, in which not oligarchs live, but definitely people with high level prosperity. Upper middle class, as defined by the sociologist Max Weber.
And our feelings hit the spot. Commonwells Avenue is built up almost along its entire length with old mansions of the 19th century - brownstones, as the Americans call them. Brownstone is at the same time a building material, a luxurious house, and an aristocratic area built up with such mansions.
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The mansions look very solid, evoking persistent associations with a fortress - the walls are thick, the doors are strong and massive, you won’t get close. Ivy softens the picture, picturesquely twining the walls and doorways, flowerpots on the stairs, neat flower beds and trimmed bushes in front of the entrance.
Surely the condition of the houses is carefully monitored, and the appearance, its uniformity and maintenance are strictly regulated. No liberties, although the picturesqueness that plants and flowers give can be misleading about local practices.
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The only deviation from the "rules appearance These perfectly fitted mansions were just pumpkins, reminiscent of the recent Halloween. Neat and strict, like everyone around. But let's hope that on the holiday itself, the residents allowed themselves to relax a bit, and some even threw toilet paper at the neighbors' house, not getting sweets and making a nasty thing :)
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The style of all the houses on Commonwealth Avenue is unmistakably English. You can completely abstract from the fact that we are in America and mentally transport yourself in space and time to the British Empire during the reign of Queen Victoria. The long 64-year reign of the queen left such a noticeable mark on history that a number of social and cultural phenomena began to be called "Victorian". The Victorian style began to dominate in architecture, spreading everywhere both in the metropolis and in the colonies, including the former colonies.
The reason for its popularity is that it expressed all the "modest charm of the bourgeoisie." The wealthy bourgeois were very impressed by the respectability and restraint of the Victorian style, emphasizing in luxurious details the status of the owner (and their claims to privileges that had previously been available exclusively to aristocrats).
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When I read Theodore Dreiser's The Financier (which, by the way, takes place in Philadelphia, which disputes Boston's right to be called the "cradle of freedom"), I wondered why the main character's family, after the slightest improvement in financial well-being, first of all began to look for a new house on a more prestigious street. In fact, everything is natural. Not only the house itself is important, but also the area in which it is located, because this is an application for joining a certain social circle, an opportunity to make useful business contacts. A random person without sufficient capital could not afford to buy such a house. But serious and wealthy people invested in expensive real estate, which performed two tasks - strengthened social ties and openly demonstrated the status of the owner.
Interestingly, the word Commonwealth in the name of the street with brownstones is ambiguous. It means "state" (The Commonwealth of Massachusetts - the official name of the state of Massachusetts) and, for example, welfare, well-being.
And here you can really see the houses, literally screaming about the well-being of their owners. For example, this 1899 neo-Gothic mansion has been converted into five condominiums, each selling for $4.5 million.
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The husband was more relaxed, without much enthusiasm, about a walk along Commonwealth Avenue. But I photographed, photographed and photographed, I didn’t even notice how the battery in the camera was almost dead. Probably, this is all from an excess of impressions - I imagined what it would be like to live in one of these mansions. Interestingly, the situation is also somehow regulated, given that these are houses of historical buildings, or is the interior completely at the discretion of the residents?
Commonwells Avenue flows smoothly into a large and beautiful Copley Square, named after Boston-born artist John Singleton Copley. The square is unique in that it combines the past and the present: on a small patch of land, turned into a green oasis, there are nearby buildings of the 19th century and skyscrapers made of glass and concrete.
The most notable building on Copley Square is the Episcopal Trinity Church ( Trinity Church, a recognizable and striking landmark of Boston. The image of the Trinity Church is placed on postcards and guidebook covers. This is the only church in the United States and the only building in Boston that is included in the top 10 most outstanding buildings in America and is considered a masterpiece of American architecture.
Although the Church of the Trinity cannot be called the most beautiful and certainly not elegant - the "heavy" neo-Romanesque style affects, it attracts attention like a magnet. Near, almost right next to John Hancock Tower. Also an outstanding building, but in a different sense. This skyscraper is the tallest in Boston and in all of New England. The church is reflected in its mirror surface, which looks fresh and unusual from the outside. This is an example of a successful combination of old and new.
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Of course, we could not help but look into the most famous church in Boston, admire the unique stained-glass windows of the 19th century and the old organ. But, unfortunately, the entrance turned out to be paid - 7 bucks, so we preferred the free one to the paid church Boston Public Library (Boston Public Library), which is exactly opposite, across the road. More precisely, one of its buildings is the McKim Building, the most remarkable from a tourist point of view.
I read about the opportunity to visit the library in one of the reviews about Boston and immediately realized that this was a good idea, because in autumn the weather is unpredictable, it can rain or get cold. In this emergency, the library would be our salvation.
Despite the fact that we were exceptionally lucky with the weather - it was not at all warm and sunny like in November, we still went to the library. And they did it right.
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Above the entrance is written "Free for all". And the inscription does not deceive. Entrance is absolutely free and free
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The names of great writers are carved on the walls
We have already been to the US Library of Congress in Washington. Having visited the Boston Library, it is safe to say that it is almost as beautiful as the first one in terms of the beauty of its interiors. If Trinity Church looks massive and more like medieval castle, the Boston Library, which is considered one of the best examples of neo-Renaissance architecture in America (the architect, in turn, was inspired by the best examples of buildings in Rome and Paris), looks like an exquisitely furnished aristocratic mansion.
When this building was first opened, it was immediately nicknamed "the palace for the people." And the Boston Library really looks like the beauty and luxury of the interiors of a palace, the difference of which is that its treasures are not hidden from prying eyes behind a high fence. On the contrary, the library is open to everyone, including tourists. Entrance is free and unhindered.
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The Boston Library, the third largest collection in the United States, has several floors and occupies quite a large area. On the upper floors there are more familiar reading rooms, albeit decorated with sculptures and paintings…
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But on the ground floor there is a reading room of extraordinary beauty, Bates Hall. Coziness and a touch of nostalgia for the "good old days" are given to it by table lamps with green lampshades. I wanted to join the readers or look at old filmstrips in the solemn silence of the library (the rustle of turning pages does not count), but time was running out. Still, half a day in Boston is very, very little.
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There is another notable historical building − Old South Church (Old South Church), belonging to the United Church of Christ - one of the oldest American religious communities (how many of them are there in the States? All these currents and leaks of Christianity simply cannot be counted). It is noticeable due to its high bell tower, which can be seen for several blocks.
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My attention was drawn to the No Skateboarding sign, located right in front of the church. It's funny that a couple of meters from her on the steps of the Boston Library was a kid with a skateboard and did not blow his mustache. I wonder if there are any fines in the States for having a skateboard in the wrong place?
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At this point, the battery of my camera finally died. The husband's canon turned out to be more persistent and he continued to take pictures further.
The pace of our walk became a little more relaxed as soon as we reached the park (and began to feel tired from having backpacks on our shoulders). More precisely, there are two parks in the heart of Boston - Public Garden and Boston Common, one is adjacent to the other.
In the center of the Public Garden is a fairly large and picturesque pond framed by trees, where you can feed the ducks and admire the swans (although we did not see the latter).
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At the entrance to the Public Garden, a curious interactive thing is installed - an empty frame for a picture, but without the picture itself, and the frame turns in different directions, so you can choose a background for your "portrait".
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Fountain "Boy and bird"
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Monument to George Washington
Across the road is the second, more famous park - Boston common, which is part of The Freedom Trail, which combines 16 Boston attractions related to the history of the city, the American Revolution and the struggle for independence from the British Empire, as well as the Civil War.
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The park is very nice (if you don’t know that public executions were held here until the 19th century, and even worse during the time of the first colonists, women accused of witchcraft were hung (not burned) right on the trees, even before the famous Salem witch case): trees in colorful autumn colors, a green lawn, a playground with slides and carousels, and even a baseball field…
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There is even a Frog Pond in Boston Common, on the shore of which two cute frogs are bored.
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Monument in memory of soldiers and sailors (Soldiers and Sailors Monument), who died during civil war between North and South
Our strength was exhausted by that time, and we, having finally thrown off our hated backpacks and settled down right on the lawn, took sunbaths, lazily watched the game on the neighboring baseball field and reinforced our strength with Alenka chocolates, a strategic supply of which was made in our homeland especially for such a case.
I didn't want to go anywhere or see anything. The deceptively soft surface of the lawn beckoned to linger here longer, and in the sun it made me sleepy.
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At that moment, as luck would have it, my husband's camera also died. The last, most persistent gadget capable of taking pictures was my smartphone, and this was already a signal to take a break - to restore energy with a portion of more serious food than candy, and at the same time recharge the cameras.
Due to our relaxed state (but mostly from fatigue - yesterday's moves and the not very comfortable night in the room still affected