Inner Harbor, Boston

Past, Present, Future. Revolution and Evolution.

Boston, Massachusetts. 6/22/2022.

Summer 2022, a journey of rediscovery.

After two years of disruption, it’s time to reconnect, rediscover and find new inspiration.  I began this process in late winter, the first of my staycations where I sought to rediscover my community on foot.  It was meaningful to revisit many local sites and find new haunts.  Recently, I gave this popular location in East Boston a try.

Within this frame, many glimpses of Boston’s past are seen alongside the present and hints of the future.  John Winthrop’s “City Upon a Hill” began as a British Colonial Era port, became known as the birthplace of the American Revolution, and now serves as a 21st century global hub of science and technology.  Perhaps the best way to conceptualize this evolving bayside community that is at once historic and modern is to think of a garlic or onion with its many layers.  One facet of its centuries long metamorphosis however, is that much of the City Upon a Hill actually sits on top of former salt marsh and tidal flats.

While the economic dynamism of the 21st century is difficult to ignore, new challenges have arisen.  Rising sea levels, housing costs, displacement and transportation are all challenges that will have to be met if this community is to continue thriving and evolving.  Will a city known for its ingenuity find solutions, or will the sea reclaim what is perhaps the most American of all cities?