Second of all, O.M.G., Florida is totally underrated. I appreciated it well enough when I lived there, but I didn't fully grasp the glory of the F state until last weekend when I left the ice-crusted soul grinder of the urban northeast and stepped into the summery eden of Florida's Treasure Coast. What a change going from the crooked, narrow, dirty, slush-lined streets of Lynn and Revere to the warm wide avenues of West Palm Beach and Vero. From run-down roast beef sandwich shops to charming open-air restaurants. From craggy skeletal trees to lush palms and Bougainvillea flowers. From paying $46 to skid down an icy hill on a snowboard to riding free over the warm ocean on my buddy's kiteboarding gear. From lonely bachelorhood to my girlfriend's sweet embrace.
Here's some recent pictures from before, during and after the recent Florida trip. This first one is from Logan airport on my way out. By some miracle my flight was one of the few that wasn't cancelled during that particular blizzard.
This next one is from Florida. It's Emily at her birthday lunch. Cute, huh? She's not actually Mexican, but she can speak Spanish and she enjoys guacamole and fiestas.
Back to reality again, these two are at the "Wonderland" subway station in Revere, Massachusetts. It's the nearest subway station to where I live in Lynn, but you still have to take a longish bus ride to get there. It's across from an abandoned dog-racing track. Yuck. Revere and Lynn are mysteries to me. I don't get how ideally located waterfront communities so near the thriving yuppie metropolis of Boston can maintain such a level of sleaziness.
This one is from my trudge home from the Lynn bus station. That's my luggage, which probably isn't designed for such challenging urban terrain and weather conditions. The snow pile alongside the road is over my head.
Wednesday we had another big snow. After I dug out of my parking spot the plow came and piled a bunch of snow in it so now I don't have anywhere to park where I won't get towed when it snows. Shucks. I actually like the snow, though. It's pretty. It's just the urban living that gets me down sometimes.
5 comments:
I agree !!! Living in the south is under apprietiated by most of us that have lived here all our lives.
When it is below 70 degrees we think it is cold. I like south Texas.
Well I'm sorry you don't like living here. I have lived in Revere for almost a decade, and I love it here. Revere and Lynn are many things, but neither city is sleazy.
Just a couple of corrections, the dog race track is not abandoned. Dog racing is no longer allowed in Massachusetts. Not sure if you were here in 2008 during the election, it was a pretty big thing. There are at least 4 groups who have plans for the site, everything from condos to a Purple line train station.
The picture you took at the Wonderland train station is of a local night club, also not sleazy. The fencing is from a new parking garage to be built at the station, bidding on the project was again NOT SLEAZY.
I'm trying to feel bad for you, but if you are that unhappy here, perhaps you should move.
Frank- It definitely seems to be easier to go South than to go North.
Fibro Witch- Sorry for my negativity. I'm probably just over-reacting to the gloomy winter atmosphere. I guess I don't really know enough about this place to be as critical as I have been. To be fair, I've met a lot more nice people here than sleazy ones, and I think it's cool that people are working to spiff up the place with real estate and infrastructure improvements like the ones you mention. The towns definitely have potential. :)
Hmm this is the second time in about a week that you put your foot in your mouth while rating something. I thought we learnt you how to stay out of trouble.
Here's the escape I was telling you about:
http://www.caribbeancottages.com/
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