Holidays in the City

I remember the first time I saw the building at 94 Charles Street, the townhouse that is now the Charles Street Inn. It was after a Nor’easter, the street bathed in white, and the whole scene looked like something out of Dickens: piles of fresh snow, gas lamps alight, the sidewalks shimmering red brick where they had been shoveled, people hurrying with life’s daily business. It had a look and a feel unlike any other American city I had seen. A few years later, when we began creating the inn, it was that feeling and elegance we tried to capture. I still think the holidays are the best time to experience the beauty of city life in Boston.

Like many of you, I love the holidays, the chance to gather with family and friends, to reflect and celebrate our time together. For those coming to Boston for family gatherings or having family visit from far away, we hang out our welcome sign to you all! There’s nothing like a fire on a cold day, or a cozy gathering with friends in the comfort of one of our rooms. But I also know the strain of the holidays— running over hill and dale to spend the requisite half hour with every living relative, packing kids and gifts and heading out into what one hopes will remain a small, isolated snow squall. Yes, holidays can bring a special stress all their own. So when you’re ready to get away for a night— maybe when you need that night away— come check out our reasonable mid-week rates, or extend for an unwinding weekend. Soak in the whirlpool tub, relax in front of the fire. Let those shoulder muscles relax, the ones that usually stay tense through March. We hope we can serve folks who need a short break from the holidays as well.

Speaking of the holidays, if you haven’t heard, Bob Dylan has released a holiday album. No, seriously! An interesting segue into the last third of life, I’d say. If there was a “voice of a generation” for my (boomer) generation, it would have to be Bob; not that I ever cared for his voice, but his ability to simultaneously lead and sum-up the mood of American youth in the sixties and seventies was almost uncanny. So Dylan is in Boston for a series of concerts, November 13, 14, and 15.

The Celtics are back and bringing it on the hardwood again this season. They’ve added perennial NBA bad-boy Rasheed Wallace (older and wiser, the bean-town media assures us!). Their November opponents at the Garden include the brash, young Atlanta Hawks, the Phoenix Suns, the Magic and the 76ers. Later in the season, don’t miss big battles in Boston against the Cavaliers (now with Shaquille O’Neal) and the defending champion Lakers of Los Angles.

Well, it’s late on Halloween as I wrap this up, and the Hill is crawling with ghosts and ghouls— children and adults alike. People here go to great lengths decorating their homes with colored lights, long strands of cotton cob webs, and all manner of rubber bats, spiders and other Halloween ickies. For me, I love to take in the electric atmosphere of the city and the way it blooms with each new season.

Looking forward to welcoming you soon!

LV