Tag Archives: Cambridge

The High Price of Elite Housing

One hundred thirty years ago, in 1891, Mr. A.E. Parker built a house at 60 Wicklow Street in Cambridge. A 2-1/2 story wood frame building that he shared with his wife. The building first appears in the 1894 Bromley Atlas, … Continue reading

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The View from the Nest

Springtime, and we just finished our move back to Cambridge. Jake and I winter in the Blue Hills. We’re not migratory creatures, but we tell our friends we need serious hibernation, clean away from humans. Truth is, we leave just … Continue reading

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Everything Wrong with this Country in Ten Seconds or Less

I came upon a most perfect example of civic disintegration today. Perfect not just because it exemplifies the brazen meanness of people with power, but also because the incident is so inconsequential, the only reason it could possibly occur is … Continue reading

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God is in the Detailing

Last month, when the clocks sprung forward but my morning yoga teacher did not, I wandered the blacktop of Fresh Pond Mall on a Sunday morning and discovered Aladdin Auto, as well as some remarkable sculptures and signs promoting thelighter.org. … Continue reading

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Spring Forward Yoga

We set our clocks ahead for spring on Sunday. But with the ground covered with several feet of snow, the roads covered with black ice and temperatures below twenty degrees, I couldn’t bike to yoga. So I walked. A single … Continue reading

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Cambridge May be Cushy, but We’re Not Afraid of the Cold

The thermometer dropped below zero last night, and the City of Boston closed public schools today. Really? There’s no snow on the ground, little ice and the sun is bright. One might have thought that the precious, coddled People’s Republic … Continue reading

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Our Shrinking Engineering Legacy

This essay was published in WBUR Cognoscenti on July 2, 2014. I took a walk with a friend through Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass., last weekend to enjoy summer’s long days and pleasant weather. Some of the cemetery’s most … Continue reading

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Free Stuff – It’s Moving Season

I am sitting in my study on a warm summer Saturday afternoon.  My third floor tenant is moving out.  I have offered to help, but he’s a big guy, as is his boyfriend, so they’ve got it covered. They load … Continue reading

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Wishing me Gone

Cambridge is a great bicycle city. We have more bicycle lanes per square mile than neighboring communities. We have protected cycling lanes, Hubway bike stations, designated parking areas, public repair stations, even a bicycle jug handle in Harvard Square.  I … Continue reading

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The Pergola

My neighbors use their back yard a lot; they have barbeques, they play games. I enjoy hearing their outdoor antics. This summer they built a pergola in the far corner of their lawn. Construction workers buzzed happy saws for a … Continue reading

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