Boston — pleasure in simple things

Tag: Boston

a flirty restaurant

August

For me, this may be the summer of visiting restaurants with beautiful wall paintings! In my last post I showed you some beauties in Connecticut and today I want to share some I found in Massachusetts.

I found these paintings on a recent trip to Boston, when I had dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Coquette at the Seaport in the Omni Hotel. The food was fabulous and the aesthetics were just as great.

Right in line with the restaurant name (translating as flirt), the vibe was definitely flirty! My favorite part of the décor though were the paintings on the wall.

How pretty are these walls?

And, I had a major crush on these light fixtures!

Some other favorite décor details:

The chandelier in the main dining room, some of the large-scale paintings that truly added to the feel of the place, the ceiling above the bar, the toile wallpaper in the restroom, and the seahorse doorknobs!

If you should ever be at or near the Omni – even if you don’t eat at Coquette (which I highly recommend) – I would peek inside and check out the décor!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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boston’s courtyard tea room

April

One of the great things about living in the Northeast is being able to visit some fabulous city libraries. Boston, New York, New Haven, Philadelphia…all locations of wonderfully historic libraries! Today it seems appropriate to have a library related post during National Library Week!

Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library (BPL) has the added distinction as the first large free municipal library in the United States. The present Central Library in Copley Square has been home to the library and has served as its headquarters since 1895, when Charles Follen McKim completed his “palace for the people.”

The champagne cocktails served in the Courtyard Tea Room are subtly infused with tea!

Though I have visited the BPL many times, until very recently, I had never attended an event held in the library. This changed when some special friends invited me to attend a baby shower in the library’s Courtyard Tea Room!

I was so excited, not only to attend an event in the Tea Room, but also to spend time with friends as well. A literary themed baby shower! How cool! My love for old books was set into overdrive!

I would need to wrap the gift I brought on theme, of course! I also ordered a book in the shape of the baby’s initial to include with my gift. I love that all the invited shower guests were asked to bring the baby a book in place of a card! (So hard to choose just one!)

Overlooking the beautiful Italianate Courtyard in the Boston Library’s historic McKim building, this stunning venue is the perfect location for a grand occasion!

The newly renovated Map Room adjoining the Tea Room is also a great spot to visit as well! The Map Room serves wonderful tea infused cocktails with a literary theme like ‘tequila mockingbird’ and ‘catcher in the rye.’ Look at the stunning overhead view in the Map Room!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are inspired to celebrate National Library Week in a special way!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fall on beacon street

November

There are certain things you can do more than once while visiting a favorite city. In Boston, one of these things is taking a walk up Acorn Street.

Acorn Street is said to be the most frequently photographed street in the United States. This narrow lane, paved with cobblestones, is located in the scenic and historic neighborhood of Beacon Hill. The beautiful Federal-style row houses of the area add a unique charm to this quaint New England neighborhood.

For today’s Friday field trip, since it is Thanksgiving week, I thought some fall shots of Beacon Hill and the infamous Acorn Street would be appropriate.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. My favorite Beacon Hill reference is in the story of Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Most of the story in the children’s picture book is set at the foot of Beacon Hill and it is commemorated every year in May by a parade through Beacon Hill to the Boston Public Garden, where the mallards nested.

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just do it chandelier

April

I know my life runs in themes – either that or, my attention to detail just seems to make it easy to create themes in everyday life!

On a recent trip to Boston, I made a visit to the global headquarters and flagship store location of Converse (a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc.) It was of particular interest to me on this visit because I had just decided to start reading the book Shoe Dog – a memoir by Nike’s creator, Phil Knight -and I was completely immersed in all things Nike.

My favorite part of the headquarters décor, and what I want to share with you today, is the fabulous Chuck Taylor sneaker chandelier installation in the Converse lobby!

The creation is so amazing and so absolutely perfect for the headquarters!

This creativity gives just a tiny hint of the immense amount of creative talent housed inside the building!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this super cool chandelier!

Converse Blank Canvas is a unique customization experience only available at the flagship store location. With the help of a designer, visitors can customize and embellish sneakers they purchase at the store.

A view from inside the Converse global headquarters, located at Lovejoy Wharf, a historic waterfront area and part of Boston’s iconic Freedom Trail.

Check out my newest Chuck Taylor (Chuck 70s) purchase (I also got a coordinating sweatshirt!) from the Converse flagship store in Boston. I’m really loving the reverse terry fabric!:

See more views of my new kicks on my Instagram!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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get out of jail free

June

Attending an event in Boston recently was exceptionally interesting because it was held in The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles Street – the original site of the Charles Street Jail!

The hotel design retained much of the historic structure, including the famed rotunda. For me, the rotunda, making up the hotel lobby, is the most fascinating part of the current structure.

The hotel did a fabulous job of staying on theme with the original use of the site, including names like ‘Alibi’ for a bar and ‘Clink’ for a private dining area.

The Charles Street Jail, designed by architect Gridley James Fox Bryant and prison reformer Rev. Louis Dwight, was considered a model prison when it opened in 1851. The building’s high windows and wealth of natural light were part of the reason, and the original 33 foot-high windows in the hotel’s lobby are breathtakingly unique. The building is listed on both the state and national Registers of Historic Places.

In the 1970’s, the facility had become overcrowded and was declared unfit for occupation. The jail finally closed in 1991, and the adjacent Massachusetts General Hospital later acquired the property. It was redesigned and reopened in the summer of 2007 as a 300-room luxury hotel.

The hotel is also the site of the restaurant Scampo. If you follow all the food and cooking shows, like I do, you probably have heard of its famed, James Beard Award-winning chef, Lydia Shire. With Italian-inspired cuisine and a mozzarella bar, this restaurant has received many accolades, including the best Italian restaurant in Boston, as well as one of the best restaurants in the country.

I hope I have inspired you to make a visit to The Liberty Hotel on your next visit to Boston!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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