These are a few of my favorite things (about my neighborhood)
Posted by Jenny on 06/11/08 in Boston, Daily
There is this man who lives in my neighborhood. He’s an older man, who is slowing with age. Nevertheless, he walks from his home to the neighborhood corner store every day with his dog. A giant dog. Literally, one of the biggest dogs I’ve ever seen. Also the most slobbery, but in a really cute way.
Every single day by 6:00 pm the pair make their way to the same corner, in front of the same store, on the same bench. They meet up with three other men, two other dogs, and smoke clove cigarettes (the men, not the dogs). It is the same exact scene, the same exact smell, every single day (even in the cold New England winter) and has been that way for all the years I have lived in my apartment.
They are a fixture in my neighborhood. Everyone knows them, or knows of them. If you thought you knew where I lived, but don’t recollect a man and his giant slobbery dog, you don’t know – that’s how much a part of the neighborhood they are.
In order to get home from work everyday, I have to walk on the sidewalk directly past them. I give the man and his friends a small head nod hello, and they return the favor. Sometimes I give the giant dog a quick pet on the head, but then I leave them to their clove-cigarette-smoking boys club.
Of course some of the people in the neighborhood stop to say hello, join in on the conversation, but they are of the “old school”. But then there are so many other people who have the same interaction with them as I do on a daily basis, I was never sure if I was as much part of their daily routine as they are of mine.
Until yesterday.
I was running a little late, rushing out the door and up my street towards the corner store and saw the man and his dog with their regular friends. I’ve always seen them, without fail, at 6:00 pm. I never realized they met up on weekday mornings too. I’m always long gone on my way to work by now.
As I passed by the man with the big slobbery dog said “I get to see you going the other way today!”
To be honest it kind of shocked me, because a.) we’ve never had an exchange of any kind and b.) he actually does know me.
On my way home yesterday, I actually said “hello” instead of my usual head nod. The men all reciprocated. I think I finally moved out of the “new school” category.
That consistency, that scene, is one of the things I really love about my neighborhood.
Now I want to know – what about you? What do you love about where you live? Paint me a picture.
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Ben | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
Every time that I walk out of my building onto a not-quite-gentrified urban jungle, I pass the same old man who sits on the same old stoop across the street. He’s homeless but he has made that stoop his home. He never seems unhappy, he never asks me for money, he ALWAYS says the exact same thing:
“My! Now that’s a cute little dog!”
Every walk. Every day.
My neighbourhood also comes with less friendly homeless people, the smell of weed before the smell of coffee in the morning, and the loud, rowdy parties held by the alcoholics of the Buffalo Chapter lounge down the street.
I hate my neighbourhood and am happy to be moving into my house in the suburbs in two weeks.
Your story is much cuter, I know.
Ben | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
I should clarify, I do indeed have a cute little dog. He is not crazy. Although there are plenty of those as well.
Jenny | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
Two weeks! So soon – congrats again! So exciting!!!
Evan | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
I live in the North End with my wife and daughter(17 months old). All the old Italian men and women whose families have lived there for generations know us, as we’ve lived in the neighborhood for 4 years.
Wherever we go, laundromat, corner store, coffee shop, green grocer, butcher, etc…everyone knows my little girl, my wife and I. It’s great to live in a authentic little neighborhood where you get to see the same folks everyday, have friendly little exchanges with them. I’ve lived in a lot of places in my 11 years here in Boston, the North End is the only one that seems like “home.”
On one corner (Salem st by Polcari’s store) in the warm months, a group of older gentlemen put out their lawn chairs and sit in the street, chatting w/ one another and smoking cigarettes.
One day there was one less guy there, but his chair was there, with a little AM radio playing Sinatra, etc… He had passed away the night before. The chair and radio stayed there all summer in memorium to him, and now there’s a little plaque on the wall of Polcari’s in honor of him. The other guys still sit out there, every single day.
I honestly believe that all my daughter’s interactions with so many different people on a daily basis has contributed an amazing amount to her happiness and socialization. I wouldn’t trade the North End for any neighborhood in Boston.
Accidentally Me | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
I love that the streets are so old that the trees have grown through the brick sidewalks. I love that it is quiet and peaceful and serene, despite the frantic hustle that is just one block over (thank God for all of these one way streets!). I love the energy of the city, the youth, the hope and inspiration. I love not having to drive anywhere. I love that my little sister can be so at home in a place that so many would find intimidating.
And, I love the two old ladies that live in the building and bake us cookies:-). They say they like to bake, but mostly I think they are just checking up on us.
Sarah | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
I love that when I open the windows in my apartment it smells like the ocean. I love the ghetto mart up the street where the old Greek guy who works there always remembers what kind of wine I buy and tells me when new ones are in stock that I might like (and who also makes the best feta cheese EVER). I love the view of Boston from the beach down the street AND the quirky purple townhouses across the street from it.
Hillary | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
Although I sometimes miss my gentrified hipster neighborhood in Los Angeles, I LOVE how quiet and polar opposite my new one is in Austin (no sirens, no speeding cars, no horns). It’s not really near anything of note, but the patio is lovely and it looks out onto a small forest. The other night I was out reading book and heard some light trampling out below. It was dark so I sort of thought it was a murderer, but as I peered out I saw a family of deer – Mom and babies. While I’m definitely missing the temperate weather of Los Angeles, the peace of Northwest Austin is nice. Also, there’s good Mexican food anywhere you turn.
Jenn | Jun 12, 2008 | Reply
I’m going to ignore the fact that we lost power the last 3 nights in a row because your question is what do I LOVE about my neighborhood.
So, I love 2 things about it a lot.
1. Living so close to Fenway Park. Literally, it’s maybe 500 feet from my front door. I’m not really the hugest sports fan in the world but it’s such a Boston institution that it really makes me feel like a part of the city to live so close. Also, we can hear the crowd cheering and singing Sweet Caroline from our apartment with the windows open.
2. Living across the street from The Fenway. Although every place we’ve lived in Boston has been fairly close to some kind of park (Brighton, Charlestown, Beacon Hill) this is the first time we literally walk out the front door and are staring at it. The best thing about this is that our grumpy old dalmation gets to walk on actual grass every day and sniff trees and often try to chase geese. He goes for long walks almost every day of the week. I’m really glad because he LOVES going to the park and deserves to be spoiled in his old age. Also, I love that the Victory Gardens are there.
Andrew Butler | Jun 15, 2008 | Reply
I love that when I get off the bus and look at my neighborhood it looks just like it did before World War II. I love that the governor lives nearby and belongs to our neighborhood association. It’s fun to go to his house on Halloween too (but he’s conveniently never there on Halloween). I love how we live on a major cut-through to 93 but the back of the house feels like the woods.