Back Bay Fens

January 28, 2008

Duck in the Muddy River, Back Bay Fens, Boston

I was walking through the Fens during sunset this evening, and found a group of ducks floating near a footbridge over the Muddy River.

Downtown Crossing

January 27, 2008

Washington Street, Downtown Crossing, Boston

We had a few inches of snow today. I was downtown this afternoon and shot this picture of Washington Street. To the left is the Old South Meeting House, built in 1729. It is well-known as the organizing spot for the participants of the Boston Tea Party on December 17, 1773. This building is one of the oldest in this area, mainly due to the valiant efforts of the firefighters that saved the building from destruction during Boston's Great Fire of 1872, which destroyed over 750 buildings and flattened 65 acres of the city.

Janurary 26, 2008

Harvard Immunology Program Recruitment Dinner, Newton, MA

Here are six members of Harvard's faculty in the Immunology Program. As part of recruitment weekend activities, where candidate PhD students are interviewed and make decisions on whether or not to become a part of the incoming 2008 class, we took a bus to Newton, MA for dinner at another faculty member's house.

Now that recruitment weekend is over, things are a bit less crazy, and I can devote more attention to this blog.

Back Bay Sunset

January 25, 2008

Sunset over Back Bay, as viewed from Harvard's New Research Building, Boston

Here's an interesting view of Boston as seen from the 8th floor of the New Research Building near Harvard Medical School's Longwood Avenue campus. As you can see, the last few seconds of daylight are making their way across the city...Fenway is the foreground is now in the dark, while the taller buildings of Back Bay in the distance still reflect the evening sunset.

Sunset from Apartment Window

January 23, 2008

Sunset view from my apartment window

Since I've had a horrendous week, and it's only going to get busier before it all ends late Saturday night, I have been hard-pressed for time to snap pictures. Hence, the lack of a January 22 post.

I did manage to arrive home tonight for our spectacular sunset, which was described on the news as a nice ending to a "pleasant day", pleasant by Boston's standards in mid-January. Anyway, this view looks westward from my bedroom window. The construction of 1330 Boylston Street dominates the view in the distance. While it has destroyed my view of the impressive Art Deco Landmark Center, once a Sears Roebuck store and warehouse and recently redeveloped into a giant retail complex, this new construction between Landmark Center and my window is yet another step towards the remaking and gentrification of Boston's Fenway neighborhood.

Prudential Tower from West Fenway

January 21, 2008

Prudential Tower, as viewed through the Bacy Bay Fens from Park Drive, Boston

I took this upon arriving home this evening, just after sunset (this is pretty much the view I see when I walk out of my apartment building). The highrises of Back Bay can be seen reflecting the dusk sky, which is to my back. I was especially struck by the size and position of the moon at the time.

Jillians

January 20, 2008

Hollywood Lanes at Jillians, Boston

I was at a birthday party this afternoon, and we all met at Jillians for a few rounds of bowling, followed by beers and food at the Boston Beer Works. Above is my friend Matt going for a strike. The after-game special for the Patriots' win appears above the lanes.

Many do not know that the building that houses Jillians was originally built as the Park Riding School at the turn of the 20th Century. The field used for equestrian sports is now where Fenway Park lies. The adjacent buildings to Jillians were horse stables for the riding school...the site of the recently closed superclub Avalon was a stable housing delivery team horses for Jordan Marsh, a department store than operated at Downtown Crossing before it was taken over by Macy's within the last 10 years.

Newbury Street

January 19, 2008

Newbury Street at Berkeley Street, Boston

This view looks southwest from the corner of Newbury and Berkeley Streets in Boston's Back Bay. The brick building in the foreground was built in 1863 as the New England Museum of Natural History; it now houses Louis Boston, the creme-de-la-creme of Boston department stores. The massive block to the right of it is the New England Building. The larger tower with the arched top is 500 Boylston Street (it may look familiar to those who watch the show "Boston Legal". Finally, the glass tower behind it is the 790-foot Hancock Tower, New England's tallest building.

Newbury Street is a favorite spot for shoppers...stores ranging from Burberry and Brooks Brothers to Condomworld and Urban Outfitters offer something for everyone.

Harvard Medical School

January 18, 2008

Harvard Medical School, Longwood Avenue, Boston

This is a ground-floor passageway that connects all 5 original buildings of Harvard Medical School's quadrangle. These buildings were constructed in 1907 (we celebrated our centennial this past year), and, clearly, these hallways are a reminder of how the buildings once looked. Imagine the famous doctors and surgeons who once used these lockers.

View from Mission Hill

This picture doesn't do this view justice. I was on Mission Hill this afternoon, directly next to the Basilica (which I blogged about a few weeks ago), and couldn't resist snapping a photo of the Boston Skyline. Most prominent are the Prudential Tower, 111 Huntington Ave, and the Hancock Tower (the rectangular building), which looks shorter in this view but is actually the tallest building in New England...50 feet taller than the nearer Prudential Tower in this view.

We may have snow in the Boston area, but it sure does boast great architecture!

Ramler Park

January 16, 2008

Ramler Park, West Fenway, Boston

I was walking to work this morning and decided to stop by Ramler Park to snap some pics of our recent snow. While it is still cold outside, the temperatures have reached levels during the afternoons that have allowed the formation of icicles. Click on the above picture for a close-up!

Ramler Park is located in the West Fens, between Kilmarnock Street and Park Drive along Peterborough Street. This is a beautiful patch of land, surrounded by apartment buildings, that is well-maintained during all months of the year. I even saw some people trimming some bushes and small trees yesterday, after Monday's snowfall. This plot of land was recently developed into an urban park, since I moved into the neighborhood 4&1/2 years ago.

Emmanuel College

January 15, 2008

Emmanuel College, 400 The Fenway, Boston

This picture shows the main administration building of Emmanuel College, a small, 4-year liberal arts school founded in 1919. Originally a female college, it became coed in 2001 and has experienced major growth over the past 5 years. Perhaps its most famous graduate is Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.

A discussed a number of aspects of this school's growth in a previous post about the Merck Research Laboratories, which was built on Emmanuel's land as a way of pumping money into the school.

Snow in the Fens

January 14, 2008

Muddy River and Back Bay Fens, Boston

A total of over 6 inches of snow fell in Boston overnight and today. It was of an unusually sticky type that accumulated easily onto the trees, making for a beautiful sight.

The photo above was taken from a small patch of the Back Bay Fens, part of Frederick Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace, between Park Drive and the Fenway (the road by that name) near Simmons and Emmanuel Colleges. The body of water is part of the Muddy River, which largely runs through underground culverts in this area, to emerge into the open as a series of ponds, like the one above.

Harvard Stadium

January 13, 2008

Harvard Stadium, Allston, Boston

Harvard Stadium was constructed in just four months and opened in 1903. Seating a total of about 31,000 spectators, it was the first major reinforced concrete structure in the world. Currently, it is the home of the Harvard Football Team and the Boston Cannons, our Major League Lacrosse team.

The stadium is located in the Allston section of Boston (also home to the Harvard Business School) and approximately 1 mile across the Charles River from Harvard Yard, the central campus of Harvard University.

South Street, Jamaica Plain

January 12, 2008

Insurance Agency on South Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston

This cat is enjoying a mid-afternoon nap, shielding its eyes from the afternoon sun, in its favorite spot - the street-front window of an insurance company on South Street, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. A black-and-white framed photograph of this cat, staring eye-to-eye at a dog on the sidewalk outside, hangs next to the cat's sofa.

To me, this picture exudes everything that is JP - quaint, artsy, quirky, unknown to much of Boston's population. South Street runs through the center of the southern part of JP. The Green E Line ran down this narrow yet heavily trafficked street until the mid-1980s. The trolley tracks are still visible...a reminder that this neighborhood is a relic that hasn't succumbed to over-gentrification and modernization, or a sign that the hope of bringing back the Arborway Line is still alive?

The street, and nearby Centre Street, are a favorite area for artists, collectors, and fans of camp - the stores HoneySpot and Gadgets are worth a look for anyone desiring a gallery of reasonably-priced curiosities, from kitschy wrapping paper, vintage tin toys, nifty kitchen items, a T-train magnet, or an anatomical model to grace their coffee table.

Happy Hour at Dana Farber Cancer Institute

January 11, 2008

Friday Afternoon Happy Hour at Dana 14

I crashed the happy hour of Dana Farber Cancer Institute's 14th floor this evening. It's held every other week, and since I have a number of close friends that work on this floor, I often stop by for a beer (or four) to kick off the weekend.

I took one of my more interesting courses in this conference room a few years ago on the subject of autoimmunity. The research that happens on this floor is incredible, and it's nice to see such a close-knit group talking science and gossip over a few pints and good food every once in a while. The few of us that are left in the above picture are those who usually stick around to finish off the remaining alcohol, all thanks to the good folks of Dana 14.

Clemente Field, Fenway

January 10, 2008

Clemente Field, West Fenway, Boston

I took this photo on my walk home this evening from the Longwood Medical Area, as a gloomy twilight befell the city. Since a local (and recently mentioned - in this blog) biotech company decided to permanently block my usual back entrance to my lab, this will be a frequent sight for me from now on, since I now have to walk this way home. 'Not a bad view, however...the stands of Clemente Field are seen in the foreground, with the Back Bay skyline appearing in the distance, a little less than a mile away. As usual at this time of sundown, the Prudential Tower is reflecting the sunset.

Clemente Field is used for practice by the Boston Latin School's football team, as well as for leisurely baseball, basketball, and kickball games by the locals. It is actually located in the Fens...the Museum of Fine Arts is directly behind it on the other side of the park, in the East Fenway neighborhood.

Glass Window Pane

January 9, 2007

Glass pane of rear stairwell door, 31 Park Drive, Boston

I took this picture this evening just outside of my apartment doorway. This glass pane is part of the door to the rear stairwell to my apartment building. I especially like the spider web pattern - clearly something that wouldn't be a first choice for ornamentation in today's current buildings. My apartment building was built over 90 years ago, on the other hand....

Evening Sky from Brookline Ave

January 8, 2008

Brookline Avenue near Kenmore Square, Boston

I shot this on my way from work to Kenmore Square this evening around 4:30PM. We had an unseasonably warm day that reached about 65 degrees...made for a very pleasant stroll down Brookline Avenue from the Longwood Medical Area to the Square.

'Yet another evening view with my crappier camera...I can't wait for the days to get longer once again.

Merck Research Laboratories

January 7, 2008

Merck Research Laboratories, 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston

The building to the right was completed in 2004 and houses Merck Research Laboratories in Boston's Longwood Medical Area. Work here concentrates on drug development for cancer and neurodegeneration.

This building is credited with saving a nearby institution, Emmanuel College, from financial collapse. In 2000, the cash-strapped school was looking for a developer that would build on its land as a last resort. Merck swept in, and that year, signed a 75-year lease for $50 million, no strings attached. The result: the construction of the building, and the pumping of money into the historic private school. Since 1999, Emmanuel's endowment has soared from $8.6 million to $85 million. Enrollment has increased from under 500 students in 1999 to over 1700 in 2007. The school enrolled its first coed class in 2001. It is presently building a massive science center, adjacent to the Merck building, slated for completion in 2009.

In the distance is Harvard Medical School's New Research Building, which opened in 2003 and houses some of the best modern architecture on the medical campus, a large state-of-the-art cafeteria, and FitCorp gymnasium.

Museum of Fine Arts

January 6, 2008

Boston Museum of Fine Arts - European Masters Room

The William I. Koch Gallery in the MFA houses European art from 1500-1700, and is one of the MFA's grandest galleries. The original part of the MFA, which includes this room, was opened in 1909 on Huntington Avenue ("Avenue of the Arts"). The central rotunda contains murals created by John Singer Sargent, who also painted the walls of McKim, Mead, & White's Boston Public Library in Copley Square.

The museum has been expanded numerous times over the years, and the building is currently undergoing a massive expansion that will provide much more gallery space for the now-crowded museum collections.

Frog Pond, Boston Common

January 5, 2008

Boston Common - Frog Pond Ice Skating Rink

The Frog Pond is an artificial structure in the northern part of Boston Common. Originally, it was a natural, low-lying marsh in the middle of the Common. However, as early as 1848, it was artificially constructed and filled with water from Cochituate Lake near present day Natick, MA.

In the summer months, the concrete pond is filled with water to a depth of about 6 inches to a foot for use as a children's splashing pool. In the winter, as shown above, it serves on one of Boston's only outdoor skating rinks.

Mission Church from Park Drive

January 4, 2008

Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (AKA "The Mission Church"), as seen from Park Drive in West Fenway, Boston

The Basilica shown above is only one of 34 in the United States (there are 11 of them in Rome itself). It is located on Tremont Street, in the Mission Hill section of Roxbury, Boston. Built in 1876 of Roxbury Puddingstone (the twin towers flanking the original cupola, seen in the picture, were added in 1910), the church was elevated to the title of Basilica in 1954 by Pope Pius XII during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

This view through the barren trees was taken from Park Drive in the West Fenway neighborhood, in front of my apartment building. I have lived at this location for over 4 years, yet I have never noticed that the church was visible from my street, no doubt because it is obscured by the trees during the warmer months and that i rarely face this direction from this exact location. The church is located 0.8 miles away SSW from this location, by the way the crow flies. Standing next to the church at the Mission Hill Playground, which sits atop Mission Hill, offers one of the best views of Back Bay and Downtown Boston as far as Southie.

MBTA E Line

January 3, 2008

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green "E" Line, Boston

One of 4 streetcar lines (the "Green Line") that converge underground in the "Downtown Subway", the E line runs from Lechmere (see 12-30-07), underground through Downtown Boston, and emerges from the tunnel along Huntington Avenue ("Avenue of the Arts") to an area of Mission Hill near Jamaica Plain. The Green Line operates trolleys that run on overhead power lines. This view was taken from the Longwood Medical stop, just north of Brigham Circle, and looks northeast towards Northeastern University. The main building of MassArt appears to the left of the photo.

This was a particularly cold evening , with heavy wind gusts and a temperature of approximately 10 degrees at the time the photo was taken.

Christian Science Mother Church

January 2, 2008

Christian Science World Headquarters "Mother Church", Boston

Founded in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy, the Church of Christ, Scientist currently holds a worldwide membership of upwards of 400,000. The building above is the Mother Church, the headquarters of this religious sect. It was built in 1906 as a much larger addition to the original Gothic structure (1894), peeking from behind the massive domed building to the right of the photo.

In the 1970s, I.M. Pei and Associates designed an enormous plaza behind the domed church, including a reflecting pool, a colonnade, a Sunday School building, and a high-rise administration building.

The Prudential Tower (see January 1, 2008 post) appears to the right of the church in the distance.

Prudential Center

January 1, 2008

Prudential Center, Boston

A view of the 750-foot Prudential Tower from the Huntington Arcade of The Shops at Prudential Center. With its avocado and fair blue paneling, the tower is widely considered to be the ugliest building in Boston (City Hall tops the list).

The center is home to over 75 retailers, the Prudential Tower itself, the Hynes Convention Center, the Sheraton Boston Hotel, and Panda Express.

Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling are experiencing their last days before being taken down for the season.