Top Boston Post of 2020

This year was a challenging year for the Boston Blog content. I haven't been to Boston much since early March. Most of the content was things that I had in the backlog to post someday.

I'll be discontinuing blogging about Boston places for a while. I hope that I can get some new content by the Summer of 2021.

Top 10 Blog Post

Samuel Adams Gravestone - Interesting facts about Samuel Adams Gravestone at the Granary Burying Grounds.

Spanish/American War Cannons - Located on the State House Lawn. This was a hard piece to put together since I haven't been able to get an up-close look at the cannons.

Paul Revere Statue - Interesting Facts about Boston's Paul Revere Statue in the North End.

Emancipation Group - Facts about the Boston Statue people suggest to take down. The statue was taken down on December 29, 2020.

Sacco and Vanzetti Plaster Sculptor Mold - The Plaster Sculptor Mold at the Boston Public Library remembering the events around Sacco and Vanzetti trial and execution in Boston.

Queen Elizabeth II Plaque - Queen Elizabeth II visited Boston in 1976. There is a plaque at the old North Church remembering her visit.

Edward Cohen Plaque - Special Plaque in the Statehouse that took nearly 100 years to be placed. Commemorates the work of a person that was killed at the State House because of mistaken identity.

Zakim Bridge - A landmark bridge in Boston skyline located near the Boston Gardens

Ted William Red Chair - Fun Facts about the most famous seat in Fenway Park.

Elephant Memorial at Fenway Park - Largest Crowd at Fenway Park happened when people want to see the elephants that the children of Boston adopted.

Boston Graphic Updates

Happy Christmas Eve!

A couple of quick graphic updates from posts done in 2013:

Huntington Avenue Grounds - Fixed the header graphic to show the homeplace and the statue at the former Red Sox stadium - before Fenway Park.

Common Mistakes new Commuter Rail riders make everyday - just fixed the graphic for desktop and mobile users.

Enjoy the day with your family!

Boston Blog Update

Today I updated some classic Boston Blog postings. These two are located near where I worked at the Prudential Center in Boston.

Duck Pond on Botolph Street

Updated some content on the Duck Pond on Botolph Street post from 2015. I remember walking by this duck pond every day for about 3 years. It was fun seeing the changes the owner did for each season.

• Updated the graphic for desktop and mobile users
• Fixed Spelling

Mystery Rails on Ring Road

Updated some information on the Mystery Rails on Ring Road that I wrote back in 2013. This is one of my all time favorite blog titles.

• Updated the graphic for desktop and mobile users
• Fixed Spelling and formating

More updates coming next week, and then on the 31st, a look back at the best Boston Blog postings of 2020.

Boston Blog Fixes

Continuing the task of fixing some old blog posts....

Mass General Laws - Posted January 21, 2013

Made some minor changes to the Mass General Laws blog post

• Fixed the post styling
• Added a new graphic for desktop and mobile
• The law still applies today. You can be fined just for carrying a cigarette.

JP Morgan Corporate Challenge - April 5, 2013

This is a post that I made in 2013 after I signed up for my first 5k race for the 2013 JP Morgan Corporate Challenge.

Post Updated with:

• Better graphic for mobile and desktop. (Best header for the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge!)
• Added a Teaser which shows up when the post is referenced on Facebook and Twitter.
• Link to the Running Category that I created from future 5k notes.

Cleaning up Old Boston Posts

Since March 13th, I have only been to Boston once -> October 12. So it's been challenging to post content without actually visiting sites.

Usually when I post something, I try to visit the site and get some information about it.

Since I am working from home, I haven't been able to get any new pictures.

Updating Content

Throughout December I'll be updating many old Boston blog posts. Some of these were using old image formats and had some pretty bad spelling mistakes.

I am not sure what will happen in January. I may take a pause on the Boston post for a while, just until I can get more relevant content.

Until then every Thursday, I'll randomly pick a couple of Boston Blog posts that I think should be updated.

Bad Seats At Fenway

Section 5 in Fenway Park - I updated the main graphic so it loads for desktop and mobile. I also did some spelling/grammar check. I had a hard time trying to find the picture that I used for that post.

The picture was taken at a company outing.

Strange Trees Over Street

Harcourt Street - I fixed the image and the spelling/grammar. (using Grammarly)

The picture was really hard to find. This post was from 2013 and I take way more pictures now than I did in 2013. Luckily I was able to find it in Google Photos. I just searched for "St Botolph St 2013" and found it in a few minutes.

I think the picture helps describe what's unique about the location.

Boston View from Duck Boats

One of the popular Boston tourist attraction is the Boston Duck Tours. You get in a bus line vehicle and get a tour of the city. Towards the end, the vehicle goes in the water for some spectacular views of Boston.

This is a great opportunity to get pictures of Boston.

It will be impossible to do group photos as the driver and guide ask people to stay seated when the vehicle is on the water.

The vehicle heads towards the Massachusetts Ave bridge and returns back towards the Museum of Science. You should have plenty of time to take pictures of the Boston skyline.

The Duck tours do sell out during the summer peak season. Reservations are highly recommended.

Where to get the Duck Boats

You can catch the Duck Boasts at the Prudential Mall. Tickets are available across from Barnes and Noble inside the mall.

The Point Boston Sign

One of the oldest streets in Boston is Marshall Street, near Fanuel Hall and Haymarket. At one time it featured many small businesses trying to make it in Massachusetts. Today there are popular restaurants and night clubs.

One of the popular night clubs is The Point. They feature popular New England dishes such as New England Clam Chowder, Classic Cheese Point Pub Pizza, Bullfinch Basic Burger, Fish and Chips and so much more.

Great Photo Spot!

Next to their entrance is a painted Boston sign that's perfect for selfies or group photos. The sign is big, so unless you have a super long selfie stick, you should ask someone to take your picture.

While this isn't a Boston Historic Landmark, it's one of the few places where you can show that you're in Boston with the words Boston in it.

Don't worry about the lighting at night. The street lights will help make sure you get a great picture!

Finding the Sign

The official address to the Point is: 147 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02108

Take the Green or Orange line to Haymarket. Walk out of the station towards Quincy Market, you'll see signs pointing to Quincy Market. You'll see the Union Oyster House, look for a small side street next to the restaurant. Walk down that street, and the brick sign will be on your left.

Boston Brownstone

Boston is well known for the historic brownstones. They are beautiful to look at when you see them together.

Some people will walk around Beacon Street and Commonwealth Ave area looking for the best houses. However, there's a better location that offers better picturesque opportunities.

Streets of South Boston

One of the best set of streets that has a lot of brownstones with stairs is Pembroke, West Brookline and Newton St, which are located next to each other in South Boston.

Usually, local residences will put flowers and seasonal decoration which can help make the pictures that much better..

These streets are located between Tremont and Columbus Ave.

The streets are not really accessible via public transportation. The best way to get there from the Prudential Mall is to walk down W. Newton Street to Harriet Tubman Square. Then walk around the streets to find the perfect view.

Just remember these homes are privately owned. Please respect the property and privacy.

The Barking Crab

Every Thursday in November, I'll be featuring unique photo spots around the City of Boston. These are great for background photos and perfect for those Instagram Stories.

Wall of Wooden Buoys

Near the Children's Museum is the Barking Crab. They have been in business for 26-years serving some of Boston's best seafood. They have a clam shack type of restaurant serving many popular dishes including lobster and clam chowder.

If you go to the backside of the restaurant, towards Fan Pier, you'll encounter a wall of Wooden Buoys! What a great picture spot!

One of the best times to be here is in the morning before the restaurant is open. The morning sun will provide the perfect lighting for your photos!

Bring a portable tripod if your taking group shots. You won't find anything to hold your camera.

Finding the Barking Crab

They are located at 88 Sleeper Street Boston, MA 02210. Right off of Seaport Blvd.

The best way via public transportation is to take the Silver Line to the Court House. Once you get up at Street level, walk along Seaport Boulevard towards the high rise buildings.

Bartholomew Gedney

At the King's Chapel graveyard is the place of where many early colonials are buried. You may find former Governors, Revolutionary War heroes, and more.

One grave that stands out as you walk into the graveyard is Bartholomew Gedney.

Interesting Facts about Bartholomew Gedney

Bartholomew Gedney was born on March 22, 1698, and died on July 16, 1762.

He was a merchant of Boston.

His gravestone has an armorial tablet with three eagles. This is the family Coat of Arms of the Gedney family. There is no significant value to the armor engraving on the gravestone.

Gravestone location: Sec D, Row 16, Grave 387

If you look at the top of the gravestone to the left of Bartholomew you can see a letter "M".

To the right of the words Gedney you can see some numbers: No. 9 (There are more numbers but it's hard to make out.) Maybe it was a different grave number? I guess it would be better to see in person?

Some people may confuse this person with Bartholomew Gedney of Salem, Massachusetts. He was a magistrate to the Salem witchcraft trials and is not the person buried at the King Chapel Graveyard. The magistrate is buried in Salem, Massachusetts.

Nathaniel Lewis Gravestone

As you walk around Copp's Hill Burying Ground in Boston's North End. You'll encounter some notable gravestones. There are a lot of unknown people buried in this historic graveyard.

Nathaniel Lewis

There isn't much that I could find out about Nathaniel Lewis.

• He died on May 12, 1778.
• There's no birthdate, based on his age it would be sometime in 1736
• He was a Merchant. In the 1700s the would buy farmers surplus products and extend credit so the farmers could afford to buy supplied.
• A flag is planted at his gravesite, which indicates that he was involve with the revolutionary war.
• At the gravesite you can see a smaller gravestone that contains very little writing.

His Gravestone reads:

Here lies interred the Body of Mr. Nathaniel Lewis Merchant of Great Yarmouth in the Country of Norfolk Old England who departed this Life May 12th, 1778. Age 42.

The bottom of this gravestone has this quote:

This is a poem from a famous english poet - Alexander Pope ( May 21, 1688 - May 30, 1744).

Prudential Mall

On Monday, I took a trip to the Prudential Mall in Boston. This was my first trip to the mall since the pandemic had begun.

Five Things I Learned

I visited on Columbus Day, usually a busy time for the mall. I get that the pandemic has caused people to avoid the mall, but it seemed much quieter than expected.

The Starbucks at Copley was closed. This is surprising since the pre-pandemic it was always busy. I think that it must be closed because of the holiday.

Some stores were enforcing the number of customers in the stores.

The parking lot was very empty. Thankfully it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to park there for 3 hours. It cost $15 to park. Personally, they should lower the parking rate to encourage people to visit the mall.

A couple of stores were closed since I was their - David’s Tea and the Microsoft store.

Samuel Adams Gravestone

When you are walking around Granary Burying Grounds your encounter many famous gravestones. One gravestone that stands out is Samuel Adams - it's located along Tremont Street.

Looking at the gravestone, against others in the cemetery, it makes you wonder what is special about this marker. Why was it chosen and is there anything special about it.

Fun Facts About Samuel Adams Gravestone

Samuel Adams died on October 2, 1803.

For 95 years the gravestone was a simple in-ground marker. It wasn't visible from the street as people walked by.

He was buried in the tomb of his relatives, the Checkley family.

His grave was unmarked and only had the inscription: No. 63 Richard Checkley 1737. This was the property of Samuel Adams's wife.

In 1898, a bowlder of Roxbury stone was placed on to of the grave of Samuel Adams

The bowlder weighs about three tons. It comes from Roxbury, Massachusetts where

The grave marker was unveiled on April 19, 1898, by the Massachusetts Society Sons of the Revolution. It was the One Hundred and twenty-third anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord.

The Samuel Adams tomb was last open on March 26, 1808. It was open for identification purposes.

Gravestone Text

This is the text on the gravestone:

At the bottom:

Massachusetts Society Sons of the Revolution 1898

Top 5 Underrated Places in Boston to Have a Perfect Date

Boston is the capital of Massachusetts, from which the historical origins of America began. Kilometers of streets and visits to the sights of Boston are turned into emotions, impressions, and thoughts. Regardless of the purpose of the visit, any couple in love will choose for themselves what to see in Boston and its environs.

Feel the romance in the Boston public garden

Do you know that many Ukrainian brides for marriage consider it boring to go to the park when you have a date? But still, this one is probably the most picturesque and most crowded park in the city. Boston’s main city park is considered to be the oldest in the USA. And, although it is not the largest, still, it has the status of the best park in such a large country as the United States, and it deserves attention. It is located in the heart of Boston. At the main entrance to the park, visitors are greeted by a statue of George Washington on horseback. A lot of people are sitting or lying on the grass. People in love can often be seen bringing food and having picnics in the park. So, it is a quite romantic place.

Look at the city at Skywalk observatory

For stunning panoramas of Boston, visit the observation deck called the Skywalk Observatory. It is located in the Prudential Tower. From the indoor observation deck on the 50th floor of the building, you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the city’s skyline. At nightfall, you can admire the pictures of sparkling Boston from a bird’s eye view, and in the daytime, it is better to go to the observation deck on sunny days when the city buildings are more clearly visible.

Visit Boston zoo at Franklin park

A visit to this zoo will bring joy even to adults. It covers an area of about 29 hectares and is located just a few kilometers from the center of Boston, in the historic Franklin Park. The zoo employees see their mission in inspiring people to preserve and protect the world around them. In support of the nature conservation program, the zoo regularly hosts exciting events and exhibitions dedicated to animals from different continents, as well as charity concerts. The zoo’s inhabitants include a wide variety of animals: lions, tigers, ocelots, tapirs, lemurs, mandrills, giant anteater, kangaroos, emus, tropical birds, and many other representatives of the fauna. If your girlfriend adores animals, then visiting this zoo is a must!

Get inspired in Harvard art museum

In 2014, the Harvard Art Museum building was renovated and expanded. As a result, it became possible to place a huge collection of three museums of 250,000 works of art under one roof. An Italian architect was the author of the project. The exposition of the museum covers a wide cultural and historical period â€" from antiquity to the present day. Separate collections are dedicated to the culture of people from all parts of the world â€" Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The rich collection of works of art of European modernism attracts special attention.

Go to a concert at the Hatch Shell and eat in Faneuil Hall

Relax by the river while musicians show their creativity to the city. At this venue, you can meet many of the local pop stars. After the end of the concert, take a boat ride or just enjoy the good weather.

Anyone visiting Boston should have a meal at Quincy Market at least once. Order food in one of the many restaurants and go outside to enjoy the street musicians and other talented people who perform a real show there. Well, if you prefer to eat in a restaurant, then you will find many cozy places in Faneuil Hall.

Spanish/American War Cannons

On the Massachusetts State House front lawn, you may notice a cannon near the West Entrance.

Prior to September 11, 2001, people could walk up and look at the cannon, but the lawn is closed to the general public and only the John F. Kennedy monument is available to see on the tour.

This cannon is from the Spanish/American War. It was taken in 1896 by the American forces in battles in Cuba. This cannon was officially assigned to Massachusetts by the Navy Department on July 24, 1901.

Today the closest you can to the cannon is via Joy Place, which is one of the side streets next to the state house.