Cape Cod, the islands and much of the New England coastline officially opens for the summer this weekend. It is also traditionally the last weekend most college students hang around in Boston.The combination of the coastline welcoming summer visitors and college students leaving town is tough not to notice if you live in the city. Bostonians head for the coast in mind boggling numbers creating terrible traffic snarls up and down I-93 and filling ferries leaving from Long Wharf and the Seaport to the brim each Friday and returning late on Sundays or early each Monday morning. As the summer slips into full-tilt the city seems like its in a full slumber. Going out on Fridays I'll be more inclined to bump into someone visiting from out of town who has flown in to head to the Cape for a week long rental (most rentals run from Saturday to Saturday).
This is just another side to my hometown - one which I'm very use to and look forward to every year. While it can still be tough to grab a clutch parking space on Newbury Street and reservations at good restaurants are still expected - its noticeably easier to do both, and the affect on Bostonians is palpable. We walk more slowly down the street, we're more inclined (mind you I said more inclined) to say "Hello, how are you?" and genuinely mean it. This only lasts a couple of months each year, but it makes such a difference.Tomorrow, Friday is the start of Memorial Day and although the summer doesn't officially start until later in June - I'll be dreaming of summer.
1 comment:
Yay for summer! When I was a kid I lived outside of Bofton (I say Bofton sometimes because the old-fashioned s's look like f's, you know what I mean) for a short time. South Acton to be precise.
I also remember on summer that I spent a few touristy days in the city and it was one of the hottest, humidest times I can remember.
Beautiful city; I'd like to spend more time one of these days.
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