Five Things I’m Going to Miss About Boston
As I illuded to back on my 5th blogiversary post, Hubby and I have some big changes coming up in our lives. We’re leaving our beloved Boston and moving to Cincinnati. If you’re friends with me on FB or follow me on Instagram, you have known this for a while, but the move has been in the works for almost 6 months now.
If you’ve been reading for a while, or have read my about page, you know that Hubby and I transferred to Boston from Cincinnati. We moved here for work and we’re moving back for work. The company that we both work for is headquartered in Cincinnati and the only other plant with engineers is here in Boston. When we moved here in 2007, we thought it would only be for 2-3 years and then we would go back to Cincinnati. I’m glad our stint on the East Coast extended to 5+ years.
So with bittersweet emotions, the big move date has arrived. My last day in the office is tomorrow and then I’m driving to Ohio on Thursday. I’m looking forward to my new job, re-kindling old friendships, and having a house with a yard (and a grill!) again, but I’m definitely going to miss Boston. I made a list of five things I’m going to miss the most.
Everything Boston
Living in a big city has spoiled us. Hubby and I share one car. Since we work at the same place, we commute to work together. Other than our daily drive to work, we really don’t use the car that often. We can easily get to 3 different T-stops within an 8 minute walk from our front door. We can be downtown on the train in 20 minutes and can even take the commuter rail to work if we want.
I love being able to walk to shops, the grocery store, the post office, restaurants, bars, and anything else I could need. Sure it isn’t as fun when it’s cold or rainy, but I love having the option.
Moving to Ohio is going to require that we buy another car and get accustomed to driving everywhere again. It’s also going to require me to control the inner food snob inside of me. We are very spoiled to live in a great food city and we definitely take advantage of it.
I’m also going to miss some of the great things the city has to offer. I have some great memories of going to Red Sox games at Fenway, Marathon Monday (my favorite day of the year in Boston), absorbing art/culture at a variety of shows, beer festivals, The Freedom Trail, and many other things that Boston has to offer that I just can’t think of right now.
The Ocean
I never thought I cared about the ocean that much. But having lived near it for five years, I really grew an appreciation for it. I’m not even a big beach goer, but there’s just something about the sound of crashing waves that is relaxing in a way that nothing else is.
Even the smell of the ocean is intoxicating. I work up in the north shore. I can see the ocean from work and often go to lunch at restaurants overlooking the water.
Being close to other things
I grew up in the Midwest, so huge expansive states are nothing new to me. In fact, I like to joke about how you can drive from one end of most states in the East Coast to the other on one tank of gas. Rhode Island you can almost miss completely. But having a bunch of small states, each with a variety of offerings, definitely has it’s advantages.
Hubby and I tried to take advantage of everything the East Coast had to offer. We took day or weekend trips to Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. Big cities and small. For sight seeing or just relaxing. We did it all. One of my favorite things to do is take the train to New York (with a bottle of wine in hand) and just enjoy the trip.
HC Studios and Marina
This might sound silly. but I’ve had an epiphany about my hair this year. I started coloring it red, which is really high maintenance, but I love it and it’s worth the effort. When I decided to start coloring my hair, I chose a salon based on recommendations (and it doesn’t hurt that they serve beer/wine/cocktails at the salon).
I got really lucky with the stylist since I just went with whoever was available the first time around. Marina cuts and colors my hair and it’s like we’re kindred spirits. I always look forward to my time in her chair because I know it’s going to be fun and my hair is going to look amazing.
I also took a blow dryer workshop at the salon and learned SO much about how to style my hair with just a blow dryer and a brush. That might sound silly to some, but it has made a world of difference in the time it takes me to do my hair and how it looks. I’m sad to be leaving HC Studios and Marina, and am hoping to find someone I love just as much in Cincinnati.
Friends and Family
I remember when we moved here and realized for the first time in my adult life that making friends can be tough. When I moved to college and then to Cincinnati after college, I was in a situation where everyone around me was trying to make new friends because we were all in an unfamiliar place. But when you pack up and move at age 25, other 25 year olds aren’t out looking for new friends. People already have their group of friends and don’t need to pick you up necessarily.
At the time, I was very active on a couple online forums and had started introducing myself to other Boston users to start to form some online relationships. Some of those relationships turned into real friendships that I still have today (that’s how I met Cara, in fact). I’ve also made some great friends through blogging here in Boston.
Lucky for us, Hubby’s college roommate lived in the Boston area at the time, so he helped introduce us to a lot of his friends and within a few months, we started to have friends. That was five years ago. At this point in my life, I can honestly say that the group of friends I have right now is like nothing I’ve had before. They’re like my family and it’s going to be really tough not seeing them all on a regular basis while I’m in Ohio. I’m sure I’ll make new friends again, but I sure am going to miss my Brookline crew.
I’m also going to miss my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and niece. They live in the suburbs and are the first in our family to have kids. It’s been great being able to see them on a regular basis and be a part of their lives. Thank goodness for technology these days so that will continue, but the in person interactions will definitely decrease.
As I said, Hubby and I are both excited about this new chapter in our lives. Boston has been great to us and I look forward to many return trips in the future!
One Year Ago: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies and Beef Stew
Three Years Ago: S’mores Cookie Bars and M&M Surprise Cookies
Four Years Ago: Black Bean Cakes and Cinnamon Pork with Sweet Potatoes
Five Years Ago: Pizza Roll and Frito Candy
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
What a great and yummy idea! I wish I lived closer and could have joined. I need to research the bakeries in Phoenix and find some delicious cupcakes.
What an amazing idea and post, awesome.
what a great post and a fun idea!
You did SUCH a great job with this. I’m so happy it went well for you! And no rain? Double bonus!!!
How neat, all the cupcakes look yummy to me!
Very cool! Your group must have been exhausted at the end of the day. I am from Boston but now live in PA, your post made me want to head home for a visit. 🙂
Thanks everyone. We definitely lucked out with the weather. It was a bit hot, but not unbearable.
It was an exhausting day. I think we left the last bakery around 8:30. Hubby and I grabbed some dinner and got home around 11:00. We were exhausted!
I am jealous! This is right up my alley. I need to get myself out to Babycakes ASAP!
I used to live in Quincy and a stop into Babycakes was mandatory at least once a week for DH and me.
i live in the north end and have been wondering about the new lyndell’s!! great info for a fellow bostoner!!
What a great crawl! Glad to see you had fun and I hope to make a stop to check these out when I’ll be visiting in a few months! I’ve been on a slight commenting hiatus with my busy schedule lately… but it’s great to catch up and see what’s cooking in your kitchen!
Such a fantastic idea – I love Boston… and cupcakes.
What a great idea! I am in Boston and I am amazed at all of the cupcake shops that keep popping up. And another one: I just read that Todd English is opening “Curly Cupcakes” on Charles street!
kitchenbelle.com
fabulous idea for 24,24,24! i’m hungry for cupcakes now….
Great post! I can’t wait to try some of these places out the next time I’m in Boston.
Love this idea! Great post and pictures. The straw in the Pink Lemonade cupcake at Sweet is so cute!!
Thank you SO much for this! Although, I wish I had all of this info on Friday when we were wandering around town just for fun! I am SO going to have to try some of these places!
I love the fact that you did this crawl – I wanted to do the same thing after reading a Boston.com article a few months ago but never got off my lazy butt to do it. You’ve inspired me to start visiting some of these places.
From a wedding standpoint, I love all the pictures of the cupcakes – this is because I want them as a part of my wedding reception and need to find the right bakery to get them from.
As always, great post!
You forgot to try the the only cupcake store that would have scored a 5.0. Sensational cupcakes in saugus just 10 mins from boston. You really should try them they are simply sensational. http://Www.sensationalcupcake.com
Thanks for the note about Curly Cupcakes, I’ll have to check that out too.
As mentioned in the post, we were only trying cupcake bakeries that were accessable via the T. We wanted to be able to rate bakeries that anyone could get to in the city. There are quite a few other bakeries that don’t meet that criteria. I’ll definitely have to try Sensational Cupcakes next time I’m in the Saugus area though.
you should have gone to Lyndell’s – the *real* Lyndell’s – in ball square close to Davis. their cupcakes are great. there is also an adorable cupcake-related story about Lyndell’s: http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/homepage/x418534015/Groom-to-be-My-love-is-like-a-Lyndell-s-cupcake
I agree with everyone that this was a great idea and I love reading the reviews. I also second the idea of going to the real Lyndell’s in Somerville, it is the same place, but the original store. However in my opinion the best thing at Lyndells is their black and white cookies. They are like flat cupcakes more than cookies and the frosting on them is at least an inch thick. Their chocolate frosting is A-MA-ZING!!!
I have to give a nod to Lyndell’s in Somerville.I ended up with a ton of goods from them at The taste of Somerville.
If you’re out on the T again you have to check out Sweet Tooth in South Boston just up Broadway from the Broadway T stop. Their cupcakes are enormous and are the absolute best I’ve ever had.
http://www.sweettoothboston.com/
They are also available at Lamberts in downtown Boston.
I love the idea of the Boston Cupcake Crawl. All the cupcakes look amazing and makes me want a cupcake!
VERY cool! I haven’t been to a bakery for cupcakes (anything, really) here in FL.
Have you come down off your sugar high yet? 🙂
~ingrid
It sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks for the recommendations and ratings – it’s always good to get another perspective (other than yelp)!
that’s the cutest idea ever!!!
i really enjoyed one of kickass cupcakes vegan pumpkin spice cupcakes once, and I hear that sweet has vegan offerings on Mondays! I can’t wait to check it out!
How fun! Man I wish we were neighbors. I’d love to cupcake crawl with you! I totally have to jank this idea for my hood. Complete with your cute little scorecards and goodie bags. J’dorable!
/Clara
Please come see me as part of your next cupcake crawl, Sugar Bakery… I am the cupcake lady ask for me. Always loooking to know if people enjoy my cupcakes:)
Please come by sugar bakery ask for me, I would love to be part of your next adventure. Always looking to see what people think of my cupcakes 🙂
What a great 24,24,24 theme!!
I just got selected for this month and am very excited!
I also just got back from Boston where I did a great walking tour of the North End Market area:
http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/08/north-end-market-tour-boston-1.html
(and the two posts that follow it!)
What a brilliant idea! I think I’ll try and organise a cupcake crawl now! Loving the little bags you made 🙂
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