Walk the [Red] Line

Some of the most enjoyable, most accessible community paths in and around Boston have been constructed on or near rapid transit lines, as is the case with the Red Line Linear Park bike path.

Take the Red Line to Davis station in Somerville. Exit through the Holland Street headhouse, and you'll be right at the start of the short but enjoyable bike path.

Facing away from the road, you will see a brick paved path going toward the nearby residential neighborhood. This is the Red Line Linear Park, constructed with the subway extension from Harvard to Alewife in the 1980's. This path runs almost entirely above the Red Line tunnel, so you'll come across some emergency exits and ventilation grates here and there, which add to the interesting scenery.

Not too far into your walk, you'll come across the North Cambridge Carhouse, home of the small but popular trackless trolley fleet that covers routes in Cambridge, Watertown, and Waltham. (See image above, from Google Earth)

After crossing Massachusetts Avenue, continue on the path, soon veering to the left to weave through the Russell Field athletic area. Take a sharp right and you'll see the Alewife station complex directly in front of you!

At this point, you can re-enter the subway at Alewife (there are restrooms and a Dunnkin Donuts inside), or you can continue, on the brick path, under Route 2. Walk around the subway entrances and through the "busway", making your way onto the Alewife Station access road on the other side (see image to the left, also from Google Earth). Take a right, and you'll soon run into another bike path which crosses the Alewife Brook. This path will lead you back under Route 2 and on to the Minuteman Bikeway, one of the most poopular in this area, which travels through Arlington, Lexington and on to Bedford. Enjoy!

Posted byMike Prescott at 10:28 AM 4 comments  

Tasty Bread in Brookline


One of my favorite local bakeries is hidden away among houses and side streets in Brookline, and wouldn't be discovered by the average passer-by. Locals know, and love, Clear Flour Bread, and I'm sure you will too after a taste!

The small, easy-to-miss storefront is located at 178 Thorndike Street in Brookline, within easy walking distance from Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Street. Once inside, you'll find a very small browsing area filled with as much breads, pastries and other goodies as is possible. From fresh-baked cookies to breads from around the world, Clear Flour Bread offers upscale selection with down-scale prices.

Breads vary by day, as they bake on a rotating daily schedule (found here). Stopping by before a holiday will ensure a treat, as they cook up different variations of their recipes, and holiday classics, just for the occasion. Visit their web site at www.clearflourbread.com for more information.


Clear Flour Bread is accessible via the Green Line's B/Boston College branch. Take the trolley to the Packard's Corner stop, walk "outbound" on Comm Ave about two blocks, and take a left. The bakery will be on your right at a 5-way intersection, in a one-story retail building (see map). Enjoy!

Images from Clear FLour Bread and Google Maps

Posted byMike Prescott at 11:09 AM 5 comments  

The "Fun" of Logan Airport

Going to Logan is typically a chore reserved only for those unfortunate enough not to fly out of another regional airport, but I often find enjoyment out of just meandering through its corridors. Granted, current security regulations have placed large amounts of the facility "off limits" to those without tickets, but there is plenty to see and do outside of the security lines.

Grab a Silver Line bus out of South Station and take the quick ride out to the terminals. Getting off at Terminal A lets you walk in a loop around the airport, starting either by walking to Terminal E over the footbridge/moving sidewalks, or heading to terminal B through interior and exterior walkways.

If you're hungry, or want to browse some shops, Terminal C offers the most to the non-flying crowd, with several food counters (Burger King, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, pizza), shops (Borders Books, Staples, Hudson News) and a restaurant (Sam Adams).

If you like watching plane action, check out a neat, somewhat hidden concourse between Terminals B and C, complete with rocking chairs and large viewing windows. The footbridges between the terminals and central parking also provide some neat views.

Enjoy, and see you out and about!

Images from Massport.com

Posted byMike Prescott at 12:50 PM 63 comments  

Welcome

Welcome to "Lost in Boston," a blog though which I hope to "find" and expose Boston's hidden jewels, from parks to small businesses to remnants of yesterday.

One of my favorite activities is to wander the streets of Boston, with no particular purpose, and find things that most would walk past, or never see to begin with. I have shown life-long Boston natives things they had never seen, and so I hope to show you some of the lesser known things that make Boston, "Boston."

And if you've arrived from somewhere else on the web, be sure to check out my website and other blogs, at www.transithistory.org. The genre of public transportation history is actually quite similar to that of this blog.


Mike

Posted byMike Prescott at 9:27 AM 0 comments  

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