May 2012
4 posts
Banned in Boston: the 20th Century Edition
I have started writing for the online edition of Boston Magazine, and here’s my first piece for the site: a inside look into the books and such that were “banned in Boston” back in the early 20th century.
Enjoy!
Mad Men Landscapes Out in The Suburbs: A...
I’ve always been interested in the built environment, and when I stumbled upon Professor Louise Mozingo’s recent book Pastoral Capitalism: A History of Suburban Corporate Landscapes, I knew I had found a kindred spirit.
Her work traces the history of places such as Bell Labs, Microsoft, and General Motors, and the book offers great insight into the origins of these somewhat overlooked...
Getting out and about on Boston's waterfront
What can you do on Boston’s waterfront? Oh, there’s plenty of wonderful distractions, and here are my suggestions for a day or two out and about during any season.
Enjoy!
"A New South City": A Conversation with Jim Crooks...
On my last visit to Jacksonville to explore the city and give several talks at the library, I got time to sit down with Jim Crooks. We talked about the history of Jacksonville and its transformation over the past century. Jim is a thoughtful and interesting scholar, and I knew I wanted to talk with him about his second book on the city, “Jacksonville After the Fire, 1901-1919: A New South...
April 2012
8 posts
The Trees of New York City: A Conversation With...
The ubiquity of trees, like other parts of the landscape, causes some casual wanderers to overlook their presence. This is most decidedly not the case with Leslie Day, a native New Yorker, whose passion for trees extends from the Bald Cypress to the Norway Maple. Recently, she wrote the Field Guides to the Street Trees of New York City, a work which is beautifully illustrated by her friend and...
Some Books I've Loved: The Urbanology Edition
Much of my professional and personal life is spent thinking about cities. The sight of a curious architectural ornament or an unusual plaque in my travels often sparks a visit to a bookstore or a library to get more details.
It is exhilarating, and whether I’m in San Francisco or Sheffield, I can always find something new to think about in terms of urban planning, architecture, geography,...
Three by Three: Los Angeles
I’m starting a new feature on my site and I’m calling it “Three by Three”.
Three great websites, three great books. That’s it.
The focus? History, geography, planning, architecture, and other things that fall into my roundhouse of urbanology.
I’m going to start with America’s Second City (apologies to my own sometimes home of Chicago)
Here goes...
A Tale of a Whale(rs)
Amidst the urban core of Hartford, Connecticut there is a Whale of a Tale or Two, and this on involves the migration of warmth-seeking people from the Northeast to the fast(er) growing regions of the American Southeast, the wide, wide, world of American professional sports, and of course, a Well-Heeled Team Owner.
This tale begins with the New England Whalers, an upstart professional hockey team...
What does it mean to be a Nutmegger? Or is it a...
When you close your eyes and think about Connecticut what comes to mind?
Growing up in Wisconsin and Washington (the state, not the Seat of Power), I did not think about Connecticut much. My first direct and immediate experience with the Constitution/Nutmeg State was when I took my first trip on Amtrak by my lonesome at age 15. After a memorable experience visiting Washington (the Seat of...
Massachusetts Maritime Moments: An Appreciation
There are many wonderful maritime destinations in Massachusetts, and here are a few of my favorites. If you have any suggestions, please let me know, as there’s always room for more.
The illustrations for this piece were done by the fabulous Regina Jay, who is one of my former students at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design here in Boston.
Enjoy!
Miya's Sushi: A Literary Menu That Should Be...
Today I consider it almost a minor sacrilege against the local foodstuffs of my Seattle upbringing that between the age of 9 to 18 I refrained from all fruits of the sea. While my mother took us out digging for geoduck (correctly pronounced “GOOEY-DUCK”) on the beach along the gloomy coast of Washington and such, I was content to sit at home and ponder the possibility of a hamburger...
The Last Day of March, The First Day of Hartford
My first introduction to Hartford, Connecticut came as part of my education at the University of Chicago in the late 1990s. The class was “Historical Geography of the United States”, and in between commentaries on agricultural production and the toll road system in colonial New England, Professor Michael Conzen mentioned something about Hartford being one of the fire capitals of the...
March 2012
3 posts
A conversation on Chicago, wandering with a...
This Sunday, I got to sit down and talk with RIck Kogan, one of Chicago’s most celebrated storytellers and journalists. We met years ago at the Billy Goat Restaurant, and we spent a few hours talking about Chicago history, politics, and our favorite neighborhoods over a drink or two and a cheeseburger.
Rick was kind enough to have me on his radio program on WGN after this first meeting, and...
The A To Z of Travel: A New Series
I was inspired to start this new series after a fortuitous conversation over blueberry pancakes at a wonderful bed and breakfast in Amherst, Massachusetts. I couldn’t decide whether to kick things off with a piece on “Airports” or “Airplanes”, so I went with the letter “B”….
B: The Bed & Breakfast
In the 21st century, most people do not have...
A Tale of Two Public Spaces: The Jacksonville...
Before I visited Jacksonville, I asked a couple of friends if the city had much going on downtown. Some of them had grown up on the Naval Station, and said they never had much occasion to go downtown for any reason, though they had visited the Treaty Oak, which I found reassuring.
As many people did during my visit, these friends mentioned two things which were repeated to me in a mantra-like...
The History (and Future) of Jacksonville: A...
When I started thinking about my visit to Jacksonville, I knew I needed to locate an expert on the history of Florida’s largest city. I talked to people at the Jacksonville Public Library, and they said “Definitely talk to Jim Crooks”. A local B&B owner said: “Don’t forget to drop a line to Jim Crooks”. That works for me, so I set out to locate Jim...
February 2012
4 posts
Rock Chalk Edition of "37 Hours": Lawrence, Kansas
To the uninitiated traveler who spends all of his or her time someplace on one of America’s Coasts within the confines of New York, San Francisco, or Boston, Lawrence, Kansas may not fall within their cultural purview. That is an absolute shame. Fine by me though. More Lawrence for the rest of us, says I.
As part of my life as a public speaker and writer, I recently found myself in this...
Civil Defense Architecture and a Culture of...
I first picked up David Monteyne’s book “Fallout Shelter: Designing for Civil Defense in the Cold War” in Skylight Books on Vermont Street in Los Angeles. The cover art featured a cut-away of a proposed fallout shelter, and inside the people seemed to be just going about their business, blissfully unaware of the possible destruction that might be headed their way, courtesy...
What I'm Reading (and What I've Read): The Urban...
Much of my professional and personal life is spent thinking about cities. The sight of a curious architectural ornament or an unusual plaque encountered in my travels often sparks a visit to a bookstore or a library. It is exhilarating, and whether I am in San Francisco or Sheffield, I can always find something new to think about in terms of urban planning, architecture, geography, or the broader...
January 2012
8 posts
Talking about Washington's U Street: A...
Despite my love of American cities, big and small, I have spent precious little time in Washington, DC. Recently, I found myself turning the pages of Blair Ruble’s book “Washington’s U Street: A Biography”, and found myself much more intrigued by our nation’s capital. He’s got a unique and thoughtful perspective on the city, some of which is informed by his...
37 Hours in Manhattan or "36 Hours Plus One"
Bagels and a Teardrop (Park) 9am
Stop by Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish (146 Chambers Street) for a bagel & coffee and walk a few blocks over to Teardrop Park at the corner of Warren Street and River Terrace. This tiny park is nestled in between four residential towers in Battery Park City, and it includes a wonderful rock wall (no climbing, sorry) with sedimentary stones stacked to...
Notes from the Philadelphia Travel Show or...
This past weekend found me in Philadelphia to give a talk at the Philadelphia Travel Show. I was excited about my talk on exploring Boston and New York, but I was really jazzed to finally meet Arthur Frommer of the famous Frommer’s guides. I wrote a book for the Frommer’s imprint a few years back (“24 Great Walks in Chicago”) and it was a delight to meet the Father of...
Going to the Movies, Chicago Style
By the time I moved to Chicago at age 18, I had fifteen solid years of movie-going experience under my belt. My father had shown movies in a series of cavernous lecture halls at the University of Wisconsin for years before I was born, and he continued to do so for years after my brother and sister were born.
From time to time I would help out with distributing popcorn to hungry patrons, and my...
Orange Groves of Times Past and Other Pieces of...
Recently I was down in Florida to give a talk at the Orlando Public Library so I picked up a copy of Steve Rajtar’s “A Guide to Historic Orlando” to prepare for my journey down to Central Florida.
After I was done with the book, I had many questions: Are there any orange groves left in Orlando? Does Orlando have any great Art Deco architecture? What should I see on an afternoon walk through...
A Conversation with Duncan J.D. Smith, Urban...
Recently I came across an interview with Duncan J.D. Smith about his travels, and I was inspired to reach out to offer a hearty “Kudos” and to talk with him about his life and work.
Born in Sheffield, Duncan has spent a half-century exploring urban places all over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He has translated his informed and erudite observations about the places and people he has known...
Talking about "Intelligent Travel" with National...
Through the miracle of the Internet, the good folks at National Geographic’s “Intelligent Travel” got in touch with me for an interview about my approach to learning about city life, travel, and my favorite city blocks in the United States.
Here’s the interview, and thanks again to Karen Carmichael and Marilyn Terrell of National Geographic for reaching out to me.
Rising From The Ashes: The Return Of The...
Dear friends,
It’s a new year here in New England (and everywhere else, I’m guessing), and it’s time for a new start. Two months after my site was hacked, I’m rebuilding things, and stories new and old from travels new and old will reappear here over the coming days and weeks.
Feel free to chime in with comments, suggestions, complaints, bits of doggerel, and gold...
December 2011
2 posts
