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Letter from Boston

On Charles Street

By MASAKO YAMADA


チャールズ・ストリート

日本から訪ねてきた友達だちと一緒にボストン界わいを観光して回ることにした雅子さん。ボストン大学からほんの少ししか離れていないのに、全く違った雰囲気の街を見つけました…。

When I was in Japan this summer, my friend Rie told me she would come to Boston for a week in the fall. So we decided to do some sightseeing together. I thought it could be nice to have an easy-going companion to explore the Boston area with.

One of the first things Rie and I planned to do was to go on a "Sunset Cruise" around Boston Harbor. Unfortunately, I literally "missed the boat," and Rie left without me. If it had been a date and the guy had left me behind, I would have been very insulted, but we both intuitively knew that Rie made the right choice. I simply went to a nearby cafe for some espresso and tiramisu, and I wandered back to the pier when the boat pulled in. Afterward, we went to Chinatown and Harvard Square.

On another day, Rie suggested we go to Charles Street. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't know where Charles Street was. Rie's guide book said it was a luxury residential area in Beacon Hill, along the Charles River, with beautiful old apartment buildings and lots of little cafes and shops. I knew where Beacon Hill was, but Charles Street caught me totally by surprise.

These days, when people think of "luxury apartment houses," they usually imagine looming, glassy, concrete and steel structures that have 24-hour bodyguards, health clubs and indoor atriums. The apartments around Charles Street couldn't be more different. They are very expensive, to be sure, but they are mostly not-too-large town houses made of solid red brick. Many of them don't even have backyards, but the streets are lined with trees, and there are many windowboxes filled with flowers. The street lamps are made of wrought iron, as they were when they were still gas-lit.

We decided to explore some of the side streets and found out that, as the area's name suggests, they are very hilly. We made some random turns and came upon a tiny alley between two apartments that was paved with brick and had grass growing through the crevices. An old American flag was waving in one of the doorways, and there were fresh flowers growing there. We were so delighted by the scene that we decided to take pictures of each other there, including the picture above.

This tiny area of Boston, surprisingly, hasn't been invaded by large commercial stores. I could tell that the area was being protected by some kind of public zoning law prohibiting crass buildings. Although there was a 7-Eleven right on Charles Street, it didn't have the standard glass and steel with the green and red neon sign. Instead, the building was made of red brick, and its sign was traced in subtle gold lettering. In other words, it was designed to blend into the atmosphere of the neighborhood. Other chains had similarly camouflaged exteriors to hide the fact that they were national franchises.

There were also a lot of unique shops as well. Many sold expensive antiques that were obviously not just remnants from a garage sale. Rie and I walked into one store that sold various paper products such as picture frames and cards. I wanted to buy a sheet of handmade paper to make something, but I realized I didn't have enough money. Most of the shops on Charles Street are not too expensive, but I really couldn't do much with only two dollars.

After we got to the end of Charles Street (it's not a very long street), we turned back and walked toward the main section of Boston. It's amazing how different the rest of the city felt after that little jaunt along Charles Street. That night, we got dressed up and went to a dance club near BU. It's hard to imagine that such different places are separated by only a 15-minute "T" ride, but that kind of variety is something that a historic, dynamic city like Boston can easily offer.


Shukan ST: Oct. 11, 1996

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