Nearby: Oldies Marketplace in Newburyport

When my mother came to visit a few weeks ago, I chose to take her to the little town on the North Shore that has recently taken my fancy: Newburyport. I took her so she  could see the lovingly restored homes of 17th and 18th centuries and the quiet beauty of its town center, composed of wonderful shops that few Bostonians strangely never seem to mention.  

One such shop, which proudly announces itself with its wild storefront and creative facade, is located on the rear of Water Street and goes by the name of "Oldies Marketplace." 

And what a place it is!

 We did not prepare to spend the better part of an hour there, but would have had it no other way-for there was too much to see and consider - too many objects to momentarily hold in our hands while questioning their possible place in our decorative lives. 

I left with a pewter creamery; my mother with a nautical print to give as a gift. 

The best thing about Oldies Marketplace is its size and its inviting layout. Naturally, one can easily find the good and the bad in places like these. But unlike other similar stores, Oldies effortlessly creates the desire in the visitor to stay and search. One is neither overwhelmed by the array of items available nor the dust that they may carry-one is only enthralled. 

And pretty soon, you have spent an hour collecting treasures you never expected to find in the old shipping center of Newburyport. 

Nearby: The Rooms of Blithewold Mansion

In New England, Blithewold is known for its gardens, and for good reason. Their beauty  covers 33 acres of land, much of which faces the calm Narragansett Bay. There are rock and water gardens, a rose garden and enclosed garden, and even a lover's lane. Like Tower Hill Botanic Garden, each spring promises an enchanted display of daffodils, and Blithewold always celebrates their arrival. But when I went, it was the rooms I adored.  These were my favorite out of the forty-five rooms the mansion holds, a mansion that was built not once but twice at the turn of the century (the original was destroyed by fire and luckily, the fire was so slow burning that most of the furniture could be saved). Blithewold, meaning "happy woodland" was the summer home of the prestigious Van Wickle family, who had made their money in Pennsylvania coal. Instead of Newport, they chose this wonderful spot in Bristol and hired a Boston architectural firm to build their home by the bay, in the English country manor style. Even inside, one is always reminded of the great outdoors beyond, for the place is filled with an abundance of light and views of the sea. Not surprisingly, Blithewold is a favorite wedding venue and in fact, one was in the works as my friend and I left.  Tourists race to Newport to see the mansions, but Blithewold is just as worthy for a visit, not only for its magnificent grounds, but also for the rooms that overlook them. 

The Waterworks Museum

 These days, it seems like we are in the age of the technological small. What was once large yet effective, is now clunky and cumbersome. The public wants their machines to be not only powerful but elegant, and elegance arrives in slender designs that fit into the palms of our hands. At the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill, however, I was reminded that the titan machines of our industrial past hold a beauty of their own. The museum shares the history of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and the pumping station that became an integral part of the city's water system. Built in the 1880s when Boston's population was rapidly growing, this Richardsonian Romanesque structure with its incredible machinery would help supply the city's new and old inhabitants with clean water. In fact, this site was one of the first in the country to regularly test the quality of the water.  For an entire century the waterworks served the citizens of Boston. Now, it embraces it's new purpose of telling the tales of our industrial roots by preserving these big and beautiful pieces of progress. 

Caffe Vittoria

One doesn't go to Caffe Vittoria to work. One goes for pleasure. One goes for the cappuccino and the conversation and perhaps the pastries as well. There are no laptops propped on tables or coffee drinkers with headphones stuck in their ears. There is no pretension here and no championing of elitism, as so often felt in other cafes.  Caffe Vittoria has already won the race against time, having established themselves in 1929 and still just as popular. You can linger in your seat for as long as you like, and when you are done sipping your cappuccino you can stare at the walls, covered like a gallery with the institution's most precious memories. Caffe Vittoria tries to be nothing but what it has been for 85 years, and what it has been is authentic, satisfying and successful. 

Nearby: Historic Salem

Salem is a place of many histories. The witch hysteria of 1692 is undoubtedly the most significant in our collective memory, but Salem was much more than Puritanical paranoia. At one point, Salem was the 6th largest city in the country, something of a shock when you actually visit the area today. As a once crucial center for the maritime trade, the city was like a younger sibling of Boston. That part of Salem history is preserved through the efforts of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site along with the Friendship, a replica of an East India trading ship which is available to tour. 

Naturally we also know Salem through Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings, and a visit to the the House of Seven Gables (pictured above) was a highlight of my excursion, so much so, that I have begun re-reading Hawthorne's novels with a newfound appreciation. To commune with the writings of Hawthorne is to grasp an indelible mood of our American past. 

But there is also Historic New England's Phillips House to visit and Pioneer Village, along with perhaps an over excessive amount of witch-related sites, not to mention the Peabody Essex Museum. 

There's comfort in Salem's expected gothic tone and even more pleasure by the surprise of colorful homes that you believe would be gray; and the visitor is reassured to find not only the reflected beginnings of New England in its streets, but also reminders of her subsequent development through the ages. 

Nearby: The Houses of Salem

 I was not fully prepared for the beauty of Salem. 

 When I left for Salem this past Saturday from North Station, I anticipated a typical exhibition of New England charm combined with an exceptional amount of paranormal kitsch. Without a doubt, there was quite a display of the latter (it is October, after all), but to my delight, I found such elegance in the streets that promised only a predictable quaintness. I found a wide range of early American architecture scattered throughout Salem's well-kept avenues, enough to keep any student of architecture satisfied. Perhaps my love for early America has me biased, but I left smitten with Salem, a place that felt even more impressive than nearby Concord or Lexington in terms of reflecting the early days of our country.  Even beyond Chestnut Street, affectionately described as "New England's Prettiest Street," I found style and significance.

 

Nearby: Castle Hill

This past Sunday I had the lovely pleasure to drive with a friend north to Ispwich to attend a 1920s themed party at Castle Hill on Crane Estate. When I visited Crane Beach several months ago, when warm weather was just beginning to arrive for the year, I saw the great mansion from a distance and hoped to return in the summer to witness its architectural splendor. This weekend I had that opportunity, made even more profound by a party which celebrated the traditions and style of its glory years. The gorgeous, rolling lawn was filled with picnickers dressed as flappers and their accompanying gentlemen, sipping sweet white wine as they listened to the band play light tunes that the brave and courageous danced to. 

Countless vendors set up their temporary shops while others played badminton and bocce as  casually as if they did so each day. The weather was as perfect as the estate itself and for the first time in a week the temperatures were low enough to enjoy the summer sun without broiling. The evening could not have been more enchanting. 

The Beginning of Commonwealth

The beginning of Commonwealth Ave starts where the Public Garden ends. Lately I've taken to walking from work all the way to Kenmore Station and my route takes me right down the Comm Ave Mall, past elegant townhouses that speak of another time and even another place. The boulevard, which was designed in 1856 by one Arthur Gilman, looks and feels very much like the Parisian boulevards that served as inspiration. The long grassy mall is dotted with statues along the way; including likenesses of Alexander Hamilton, William Lloyd Garrison and even Phillis Wheatley (and Samuel Eliot Morrison, pictured above). To walk down the Commonwealth Ave Mall is to be spoiled by the tranquility of the greenery and the splendor of the architecture. It is another representation of Boston's early dedication to sophisticated, natural spaces. The greenway ends near Kenmore but Commonwealth continues, through the world of Boston University to Allston (where my tiny abode is) until it reaches Boston College. There's not even the slightest bit of competition. The beginning of Comm Ave is my favorite stretch of the famous street.