Sunday, September 4, 2011

Boston Massachusetts: Final Days of Summer

As summer is coming to a close, I reflect back on the time that I have spent in Boston this summer. It has not been nearly as much as I would have preferred, but it was time well spent. Last week I was in the city for three days. I arrived on Tuesday and was gone by Thursday. Time passes by fast when you are having a great time. The photos that you will see in this post are made on Tuesday. From the afternoon until early evening I spent my time with my friend. I am working on a project that brings me to the city and to my friend Krzystof. Krzystof is legally blind with very limited sight. He is a focus of a year long documentary project. This is my first "public" introduction to this project. I am going to be making a much more comprehensive post about this in the very near future. The purpose of writing tonight is to more-or-less express that summer is coming to an end and there is a new season approaching. Every day since last Wednesday I have been thinking about how we spend a few hours running on the Charles River. We began in Boston and did the Forest Gump thing, we just started running. 11.7 miles later we were crossing the Charles by the Charles MGH stop on the Red Line. That run was one of the best runs we have ever had. Our goal was to do the 17. something, but we fell short. It truly was a New England summer day. We could not have asked for a better temperature, or better day to run. In reflecting those moments our shoes met the ground, I am thinking about how the warmth coming off the pavement and concrete sidewalks will soon be replaced by the sounds of leaves crunching as people stroll by, hand in hand, pushing strollers, taking their dog for a walk, a break from work, or their children to play at the playground. Soon enough, after a few short weeks of some warm days, hoodies and hats will replace sunscreen and shorts as people stroll the Charles. The skyline views of Boston and Cambridge are breath taking, even on a warm summer day. As the leaves change colors, a new aesthetic will flourish. Like a clock, the new aesthetic will roll in like years before brining in those moments of a fall day in New England. I have found a few spots along the Charles that I will undoubtedly visit and make some images. My project with Krzystof will be opening this December. Over the next few weeks and months I will be visiting Boston and "these spots," I speak of both to complete the project and to enjoy the moments of a fall day in New England. Boston, like Holyoke is home. I get the same feelings in Boston as I do when I am in Holyoke. It is home and a piece of my heart is in both places. In 2009 when I lived in Cambridge for a short period of time, I fell in love with the surrounding area. I spend as much time there as I possibly can. But, again, not nearly as much as I would like.

 

DSC 0013

DSC 0015

DSC 0017

DSC 0020

DSC 0021

DSC 0023

Visiting the North-end always guarantees a great lunch. We have a few places that we prefer and like to go to. It has become habitual, any time we are in the city, we go to one of our usual places. Of course, we do fall victim to the touristy, Mikes Pasties, you can not go wrong with a famous canoli.


DSC 0033bw

DSC 0040

DSC 0041

DSC 0045

DSC 0046

DSC 0047

 

Even police cars can be given parking tickets for "parking" where they aren't supposed to be.

 

DSC 0051

DSC 0054

DSC 0056

DSC 0060

DSC 0062

DSC 0065

DSC 0066

DSC 0070

DSC 0072

DSC 0076

DSC 0081

DSC 0085

DSC 0089

DSC 0091

DSC 0092

DSC 0095

DSC 0097