Two Peaceful Places Are Among the APA's 2013 Great Places

Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Springtime         All photos ©Lynn Schweikart 

Cambridge's Mt. Auburn Cemetery and the Norman B. Leventhal Park in Boston's Post Office Square have long been two of my favorite "peaceful places".  This year, both were recognized as Great Public Spaces by the American Planning Association (APA). This designation is part of the APA's "Great Places in America" program, which according the their website, "celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning". In my opinion, both Mt. Auburn and Post Office Square Park are perfectly wonderful examples of this.

Another view of Mt. Auburn Cemetery

As I describe the former in Peaceful Places Boston:

"The natural beauty of Mount Auburn--with its hills, dells, knolls, and ponds--inspires contemplative wandering. There are nearly 6,000 trees—600 varieties of 75 genera, most labeled and recorded—as well as some 250 species of shrubs and groundcovers. Awalk along Indian Ridge in spring is an olfactory delight as scents of magnolia, viburnum, lilac, and crab apple blossoms mingle in the air."

The fountain at Post Office 

Post Office Square is also a delight:

"The park’s 0.5-acre lawn is so lush that the groundskeeper at Fenway Park must be green with envy. Not only are you welcome to sit on the grass, but if you do, one of the helpful park attendants is also likely to hand you a cushion so you don’t stain your clothes. Someone was even thoughtful enough to install Wi-Fi! I haven’t experience such a meeting myself, but the scuttlebutt is that the park is a great place for single 24- to 32-year-old professionals to meet. Apparently more than flowers blossom here in Post Office Square." 

In 2010, another one of my Peaceful Places, Boston's Riverway, was honored with the "Great Places" designation.

Mindful = Peaceful = Good for You.

The Garden at the Gropius House, Lincoln, MA              Copyright Lynn Schweikart

When I began doing the research for my book, Peaceful Places Boston, I noticed that I'd often come away from my excursions feeling calmer, yet more alive. I was so focused on experiencing every place I visited on a deeper level than normal -- paying attention to the sights, sounds, and smells, as well as to the physical sensations I was feeling: the warmth of the sun, the softness of a sea breeze, the taste of salt air, the coolness of the grass beneath my feet. It was like I slipped into a heightened sense of awareness.  Of course, it was a different kind of awareness; it was mindfulness.

I've been reading a great deal about mindfulness recently. How mindful eating can help you with weight control. How mindful meditation can change the structure of your brain and reduce stress and increase well-being. And I've become more convinced than ever of the connection between being mindful and feeling peaceful. So next time you find yourself needing a little calm and tranquility, find a place where you can escape from the hustle/bustle and open yourself to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feel of the place, even for just 10 minutes or so. (My book can help you find more than 100 of them in the Boston area!) I think you'll find it can be very rewarding.

Why Can't We Give Peace a Chance?

If ever there was an incentive to wish for peace in the world, this sad, yet moving sight provides it. In commemoration of Memorial Day, 33,000 flags were planted on Boston Common; one for every soldier from Massachusetts who died in service of our country, from the Civil War to the present day.

Families and friends of the fallen are encouraged to visit during the weekend and place mementoes and photos beside their loved one's flag, adding a personal dimension to this stirring memorial. More than 200 volunteers from the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund spent most of last Wednesday putting the flags in place.

A Garden Spot in Copley Square

St. Francis Garden, Trinity Church  ©Lynn Schweikart

On my way home from a meeting, I paused for a few moments to savor one of my favorite peaceful places: the St. Francis Garden at Trinity Church.

I sat on the low stone wall at the garden's edge and watched the sparrows cavorting in the birdbath -- lots of chattering and splashing! The garden itself is a dazzling display of green and white. The roses are in bloom, the hostas and hydrangeas, in full bud, are getting ready to join the show.

This tiny oasis is planted and lovingly cared for by members of the congregation and the church's facilities staff. It's been regularly honored in the city's annual garden contest.

A few moments of quiet refreshment: listening to the fountain, delighting in the gentle breeze, and the coolness of the granite beneath me.

Best Places in Boston to Kiss

Photo: Copyright Lynn Scheikart

 

Today, Boston.com ran a feature on the 21 best places in the city to kiss. I was pleased to see that I'd already featured 18 of those romantic spots in Peaceful Places Boston. But if you want to steal a smooch in a place that's a little more off the beaten path--such as the Peter Fanueil House Garden on Beacon Hill, pictured above--you'll discover plenty of ideas in my book. (NOTE: This lovely garden is maintained by the Beacon Hill Garden Club. Part of the proceeds from their annual Hidden Garden Tour, held in mid-May, are earmarked to care for this special place.)

The Boston Globe Finds Four of My Peaceful Places!

Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham wrote an article in Sunday's paper profiling some of her favorite secret garden spots in the city.

I was interested to see that four of her five places are among the 121 that will be featured in Peaceful Places Boston: the Howard Ulfelder Healing Garden at Massachusetts General Hospital, pictured above; the atrium at 101 Merrimac Street, near North Station; the observation deck at Independence Wharf just off the Rose Kennedy Greenway; and the Cambridge Center Roof Garden, shown here.                                    

The fifth place, the Custom House observation deck, was one I'd considered but eliminated because there's too narrow a window of time to visit. Too bad, because it's a lovely, historic spot that should belong to us all. Here's a link to the article, Secret Garden Spots.