Green Ribbon

I was back in Boston today. It was dark and rainy much of the day, but I didn’t let that stop me from exploring. Starting in Seaport I zig-zagged through the downtown area and eventually ended up in North End, the Italian neighbourhood. Unfortunately I didn’t leave enough time to explore that area thoroughly so I’ll go back on another day. I had a very late lunch at Quincy Market where I indulged in a lobster bisque in a sour dough roll - delicious, though I still thinks that the clam chowder is my favourite.

By this time it was raining - light but steady, but I still chose to walk back to the hotel. I had already crossed sections of this Boston green space, but now I wanted to walk most of its length.

This is the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway - a long ribbon-shaped park which was created after 40- year old elevated highway was moved underground. This construction project was known as the ‘Big Dig’ and took place between 1991-2007. It is considered one of the biggest and most complicated and challenging highway projects in US history.

While the land left behind was considered prime urban land, ripe for development, it was eventually decided that 75% of it would be dedicated to public open space, creating a series of parks and gardens snaking through the urban landscape. The park covers 17 acres and is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length. There are fountains, places to relax and play, a farmers market, free fitness classes, rotating public art, food truck competitions, an outdoor beer garden, summer concerts, outdoor cinema and over 400 annual free events. The park is one of only a handful of organically maintained urban parks in the US. The plants are healthier and the lack of herbicides and pesticides means that the Boston Harbour doesn’t get polluted and the green spaces are safer for families and pets to play on the lawns.  

There weren’t many people playing on the lawns today however, except for some ball throwing for dogs who didn’t care that it was raining!  As you can see the spring flowers are beautiful right now in Boston - lots of different kinds of daffodils and tulips. There are some wildflower meadows and lots of ‘bug hotels’ dotted around. I found two of these ‘Little Free Libraries’ - sadly a bit sparsely stocked - I really should think about donating some of my own books to them! (More info here)

The park at the top of the collage is in the Armenian Heritage Park, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923, also acknowledging the history of Boston as a port welcoming immigrants worldwide. The park contains a labyrinth as well as the abstract sculpture which with the help of cranes every spring, has its two halves pulled apart and made into a new shape.  

The art at the bottom of the collage is the current art installation by Daniel Gordon. His work is featured at several points along the Greenway. ‘Blue Poppies’ bottom left and ‘Still Life’ bottom middle.

I look forward to visiting the park on future trips to Boston, hopefully in the sunshine next time!  I eventually made it back to my hotel, rather damp, but was happy to discover that I’d accomplished over 15,000 steps on this rainy day!  I had a nap for a couple of hours and then got ready for the 11 o’clock flight back to London.