Filed under: architecture, featuredarticle3, history, outdoor recreation, park, restaurant, top-feature
The Boston Common
If you are planning to follow the footsteps of America’s Founding Fathers, then you must start at the very beginning. Almost as old as Boston itself, the Boston Common (bordered by Beacon, Park, Boylston and Tremont Sts.) (Map) is located in the heart of downtown.
The Commons, as it is called by Bostonians, is the nation’s oldest public park; as far back as 1634 it was used for grazing cattle, as a “trayning” ground for militia and as a place for public hangings. Today the Boston Common serves as an urban oasis, a huge neighborhood park, a tourist destination, and as a place for political rallies. If you sit and stay awhile, you will find plenty of entertainment — both intended and unintended. Or you can meander along the paved pathways that criss-cross the park and discover some of the assorted statues and historic monuments that honor three hundred-plus years of Boston history.
The most prominent feature of the Boston Common is just beyond it. The golden dome of the Massachusetts State House (1 Ashburton Place) (Map) was designed by Charles Bulfinch and is said to be the model for many U.S. state capitol buildings.
Directly on the Commons, opposite the State House, is a beautiful high- relief bronze memorial. The Shaw 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial (Beacon and Park Sts.) (Map) honors one of the first African-American Union regiments to fight in the Civil War. Led by abolitionist Robert Gould Shaw, the story of the regiment inspired the movie Glory. This is also the first stop of the Black Heritage Trail.
Directly under the Boston Common is Park Street Station (Map). Constructed in 1897, it is one of the original stations of America’s first subway line and it is the main transfer point for the entire T system. Just outside the station, office workers eating lunch and the homeless coexist peacefully in the shadow of the fanciful bronze Brewer Fountain which depicts Poseidon and his minions. Newly restored in 2010, it was brought to Boston in 1868 by Bostonian Gardner Brewer after seeing it in the 1855 Paris World Fair.Don’t leave the Park Street station area without looking for the Grillo’s Pickle Stand. The local pickle purveyor has a cult-like following- 2 dill pickle spears are just a $1, making commuting bearable for legions of local workers.
Follow the path to the Boston Common Visitor Information Center (Tremont St.) (Map) where you can pick up Freedom Trail maps and general tourist information. This is also the starting point for the Freedom Trail Foundation’s excellent “Walk Into History” public walking tours. There are public restrooms here too.
The Parkman Bandstand, near the center of the Common, dates from 1912 and hosts concerts and plays. Flagstaff Hill is the park’s highest ground and is well-known among local children as a great sledding hill. Here you will find the Common’s tallest structure, the 1877 Soldiers and Sailors Monument, a beautiful granite and bronze victory column which honors Civil War troops. Walk north toward Beacon Street and you will come across the “Founder’s Memorial”, erected for William Blaxston , Boston’s first European settler.
Families will want to head towards Frog Pond a concrete basin that was originally a salt marsh. In the winter, take a spin on the ice. The surface is refrigerated from November -March for near-perfect outdoor skating conditions. You can rent skates and buy hot chocolate at the on-site kiosk. In the summer, the pond becomes a giant wading/spray pool. When weather permits from April-October, the Frog Pond Carousel delights. And the adjacent Tadpole Playground is one of the best -equipped playgrounds in the city with multiple play structures and fanciful bronze frog statues.
Within the Common you will even find a graveyard. The Central Burying Ground (intersection of Tremont and Boylston Sts.) (Map) dates from 1756 and is the final resting place for British soldiers for the Battle of Bunker Hill and Colonial-American artist Gilbert Stuart. Stuart is best known for his portrait of George Washington that eventually became the model for the face of Washington on the US dollar bill.
For destination dining in Boston, you cannot do any better than No. 9 Park (9 Park St., Boston) (Map). In a charming townhouse setting, chef/owner Barbara Lynch has created a country Italian/French menu that dazzles. The signature dish here is an appetizer — the prune-stuffed gnocchi with foie gras is a knock-out.
Just desserts? Le Patissier (140 Boylston, Boston) (Map) is a darling evening-only “desserterie”. Sublime creations all –purists will want to go for the chef’s choice of chocolate tastings ($13.75). Paired with a nice port, it is dessert bliss!
As the city transitions from day to evening, head for drinks at blu (4 Avery St., Boston) (Map). Located on the fourth floor of the Sports Club/LA, blu offers some of Boston’s best cityscape views with floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Commons. The glam cocktails and gourmet bar eats match its sophisticated setting.
Image Credits: Boston Common: Massachusetts Travel and Tourism, Frog Pond: Boston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
