Chanelle+Brown2

Chenelle Brown Prof. Kingsley English 101



Saving the excitement for the end… Newbury Street is surely the most famous street in all of Boston. It’s located in the heart of “Back Bay” one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in town. This area was designed in the late 1800’s to reflect a classic European aesthetic. “In a nutshell” it is two miles of beautiful stores, restaurants and people. This space is divided by eight cross streets or eight blocks each having a character all it’s own. The last block of Newbury Street has a very spirited tone. The last block of Newbury Street is between Gloucester and Hereford Streets. It’s about a quarter mile in length with extra wide sidewalks that make it easy for crowds of people to traverse comfortably. Like the rest of Newbury Street it’s lined with trees and has many shops and restaurants. Part of the reason the ambiance here is upbeat is because so many young people, mostly college students spend time here. This block is just steps away from The Berklee School of Music and it’s eclectic mass of students add vigor and spirit to the street. these students often travel in small groups and you might one standing outside of //Diesel// **, ** a store known for it’s high-end denim and active-wear. On a warm, sunny day, you might spot a group lounging around //J.P Licks//, the popular ice cream shop with the hard to miss, black cow painted on it’s window. If you’re lucky, you might get to experience an impromptu concert being performed live by a group of //Berklee// students or maybe some other young artist/musician who decides to offer a free performance on the sidewalk. There are a few other schools as well in the area, whose students similarly contribute to the streets pace. In general, those who spend a lot of time here, are younger than those that frequent the other blocks. The trendy stores and restaurants present here, probably have the greatest impact on creating the lively tone for this block. The stores on this section of Newbury Street are quite different from those on the first blocks. On the last block of Newbury Street, stores feature mostly casual, sometimes colorful, often bold reasonably priced clothing that is especially appealing to young, active, adults. In contrast, most stores on the first blocks feature very high-end European Designers including Chanel, Valentino and Giorgio Armani, usually offering premium professional attire, and formal-wear. These stores are also reasonably priced, well, that is if you’re a millionaire! This section of Newbury Street has a stronger appeal CEO’s, celebrities, and other “V.I.P’s”. //Urban Outfitters, Army-Navy,// and //Be Be// are just a few of the stores, that keep the last block filled with an eclectic mix people. These stores cater to many different aesthetics and budgets. At night, //Capitol Grille// and //Sonsie// are probably the most popular and expensive restaurants on the street. They do for evening, what the //Starbucks// across the street does for day, draw a diverse crowd of people to this section of Newbury Street.

Sonsie, is the most popular of the two. On warm summer nights the front window pane is opened allowing fresh air to flow through and provides a better chance to “see and be seen”. It is a place known to attract celebrities, professional athletes and many aspiring actresses and models. Along with this classy crowd this is also a place to check out the latest shiny sports cars and other luxury vehicles. On many evenings motorcyclists also gather here or nearby. It’s a real show, all for the price of a glass of chardonnay.

//Capitol Grille// is located next door and is very popular as well. It is actually a place that could easily fit the mode of a business on the first block of the street. Although, this restaurant is known to attract a wealthy and powerful clientele it still carries an air of mystique. Unlike most other restaurants, you cannot see the inside unless you actually go in. They don’t have the typical floor to ceiling window facing the street. What on-lookers, like myself, see is the two parking valets standing in front of it’s name-in gold letters. Consequently, It serves as a reminder to every around- They are still on Newbury Street. This block is the most fascinating to me because it embraces the youth culture of Boston. It is trendy, loud and liberal which really challenges the reputation of the other seven blocks of Newbury Street.