Boston showed me some wonderful doors. These two on Newbury Street made me want to move to Boston, move into one of these lovely Boston Brownstones and just become a Bostonian. I did learn that there is no such thing as Brown Stone, it’s actually a rock, that is very granular and extremely porous and has the rather scary name of Triassic Sandstone…dinosaurs on the front steps anyone?
There were large deposits in the Connecticut River Valley and in early days, the cost of mining, and the abundance made it the building material of choice. However, the rocks are now scarce, and difficult to work with. Apparently if you don’t cut across the grain and something called laid ashlar— the grain has to run perpendicular to the building’s height- all too technical for me. The stone crumbles and breaks from not only the building’s weight, but from the New England weather with its famous freezes. So builders are importing the brownstone from Germany. All adding to the mammoth cost of purchasing a Brownstone and maintaining one. One can only dream…
A camera travels 
Having grown up in Boston, I am a touch more jaded than you about the place. In many respects, it is a small, insular city. It is also very segregated along ethnic lines, even today. i left as soon as possible. Your restaurant experience is not unusual; very long waits for less than outstanding food. Reservations are routinely ignored. When visiting now, I dine at small, out-of-the-way joints like diners. Who wants to wait two hours for a table and dull food? I live in NYC area and never have to wait for a table. And, the food is never dull.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I think we always are harder on places that we came from. I know I am. I am so sorry to hear about the ethinic division! Our differences makes us not only interesting, but my gosh what is the point of it all? It sounds like you’ve settled in and are a real New Yorker! I love NYC!!! Hope to get there soon!
Reblogged this on The Legion of Door Whores.
Love the color contrast of the two doors!
I like this photo, Susan. Oddly, I found myself looking at it as I do when looking at a spot-the-difference puzzle! Comparing the two. They are quite similar… yet totally different!
I loved that also! I have another shot of two red doors and it’s like Where’s Wally!
I never knew where the title ‘brownstone” came from!
Me too! I really thought it was BROWN STONE..still…I love them!
Triassic sandstone doesn’t have quite the same ring, does it, Susan?
Those are really lovely doors!
Hi Kate, It doesn’t have the same ring!