I used to talk so much shit about Boston.

"Not a real city" 

"Closes at 9"

"Nobody goes out in Boston"

That sort of thing.

Now, #1 is stupid and not remotely true.  Boston is a huge city that has everything a good big city has, from book stores, to libraries, to coffee shops, to public art.  The architecture is astounding, and the contradictory nature of old with brand new is refreshing.

#2 about Boston closing at 9...probably an exaggeration, but who cares? I go to bed around 9.

#3 How the hell would I know if people go out in Boston or not? I don't live there.

So I talk all this shit about Boston, because it can be a pain in the ass city for outsiders.  I don't need to reiterate the myriad challenges with navigating modern cars on horse cart paths and one-way roads 4 lanes wide. Plus people in New England mind their own business to the point of rudeness.  This isn't specific to Boston, but they are the center of this self-centeredness to my eyes.
In two days of bumping around Boston, here is what I found to be true to me:

• Boston Public Library is a gem of a building, beautiful and useful.  Public bathrooms real nice.

• North Station has accessible public bathrooms with urinals all caked in vomit.  Got the job done.

• The Aquarium movie theater building has really nice public bathrooms, very clean with Hammerhead sharks hanging from the stairway up.

• Trillium makes an incredible West Coast style IPA.

• Boston folks got some real fucking nerve - The Atheneum was a private club founded by and for slave traders and opium dealers, still open today...don't worry they got a painting of an abolitionist and a 12" plaque.  It's ok now.

• Cheers is only cool from the outside.  The inside is a bar.  Not a special one.