The NYC Marathon was yesterday which means it’s my favorite day in the city!
First, rewind to Friday. We were out late on Thursday night so we made Friday a night of doing nothing except drinking some wine, eating a cheese board and laying around.
We ate leftovers for dinner, watched This Is Us while eating ice cream + cookies that I made last week, and were falling asleep on the couch by 10pm.
I usually work on the blog and see clients on Saturday mornings. I spent an hour or so writing this week’s newsletter (sign up in the side bar if you’d like) and had a 9am client session. After, I made some oatmeal pumpkin pancakes. This recipe from Cookie and Kate was AMAZING. So thick and doughy. I added blueberries to some and chocolate chips to the others.
The secret to good chocolate chip pancakes is tucking the chocolate chips into the batter when you cook them so they don’t burn. Burnt chocolate…not tasty.
I worked for another couple hours on blog stuff and then around noon called it quits and headed outside for some movement. I walk/jogged to warm up for a bit and then went to our apartment’s gym and did a 20 minute strength circuit since that’s what I was in the mood for.
The afternoon was spent face timing by oldest brother and then researching neighborhoods and apartments in Boston. We thought we had an idea of where we wanted to live, but we also want to be really open to living anywhere. If you have any insight on Boston neighborhoods, please share in the comments!
Lunch was a green smoothie (1 scoop Vega one + frozen banana + frozen blueberries + frozen spinach + ground flax and almond milk) …
Plus popcorn popped on the stove with coconut oil (I buy this popcorn and this coconut oil and pop it using this method)
I also snacked on a piece of banana bread with Whole Foods version of nutella later in the afternoon.
Saturday evening I showered and put myself together as a presentable human for the first time all weekend. We decided to walk to Tribeca and stroll around.
The west side highway will never be the same. <3
We walked over to a wine bar we have been wanting to try called Terrior.
We ordered two different rieslings to share, pickles and hush puppies that we had heard were really good. The pickles were not a good pairing with the wine (acid + acid..not a good mix) but they sounded refreshing. But the hushpuppies were like a corn fritter with honey drizzle and cojita cheese and those were fab! What we learned in South Africa when wine tasting is to always pair fatty food with acidic wine (hello wine and cheese) since it balances out the acid.
We debated going to the Lower East Side to see some live music, but then got side tracked after bopping into a new to us wine shop that was doing a tasting.
So we bought a bottle instead and headed home to our patio to drink a glass. I threw together the last of some goat cheese + crackers + pumpkin butter.
I’m trying to soak up the every day things in New York that I know I’ll miss when we move. Like getting to look at the Freedom tower while sitting on our apartment building’s terrace on a random Saturday night.
For dinner we ordered takeout which was just okay. I was expecting fried spring rolls and dumplings and apparently this restaurant doesn’t fry anything. When I order dumplings and spring rolls I definitely want it fried.
We watched The Queen, which was so good. Highly recommend. I’m fascinated by the royal family and Helen Mirren is brilliant, so I loved it.
Cookie + milk snack before bed.
Sunday morning I was up by 6am thanks to daylight savings so I wrote some blog posts, including Wednesday’s post, while drinking coffee and snacking on a banana + pb. I do my best writing then. I don’t always get to write on Sunday mornings…but that’s the goal to avoid writing last minute posts …which happens more often than I’d like…
I threw together a mish mash breakfast (leftover pancakes, eggs + spinach cooked in butter and 1/2 bagel with butter + honey) and headed out to watch friends run the marathon!
I ran in 2015 and then watched last year for the first time and gahhhh I LOVE THIS DAY. The city is electric and unified and it’s cool to be a part of that. There are so many people from all over the world, a zillion different languages heard throughout the crowd and so much energy! Seeing the guides lead the blind runners always make my heart explode. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.
We had several friends running. It’s fun to cheer them on as loud as possible and cheer for everyone with the names on their shirt. Even though I know this is not the season to be running a marathon (we’re moving, it’s winter, etc) you can’t help but feel the itch when you watch others running.
It was wet and damp, but that did dampen (ha) people’s spirits. After our friends finished, we walked downtown to grab something to eat. All I was craving was soup. We stopped into Le Pain Quotidien for tomato soup + bread.
And then I hung out with my friend Ann in the afternoon. She just got back from a three month trip to Greece helping in refugee camps. She’s a social worker with the most selfless, loving and empathetic soul. I’m the first to admit I can get sucked into my own life bubble and become completely ignorant of everything else going on in the world. That’s something I want to change.
Church was at 5…I haven’t been in so long with all the travel and it was good to be back.
Dinner was leftover green curry from the freezer + rice. While the rice was cooking and curry reheating I made a batch of Oh She Glows vanilla coconut granola.
Then we watched an episode of this is us, ate ice cream and went to bed.
I know what you mean about the itch to run – I absolutely hate running, but whenever I go watch my mama run a big race I’m just like “omg yes that looks so fun I should start running!!” Its such a good energy on race day
HAHA yes it’s so easy to feel it
You’ll be able to watch the Boston marathon next year! Exciting! 🙂
I KNOW 🙂
Sounds like an awesome weekend! I was able to relax and do a bunch of cooking/baking this weekend which was refreshing compared to my usual craziness. We are hoping to go adopt our second dog this coming weekend so it definitely will be more hectic!
oh so fun! Good luck with the adoption!
Hi! I’ve been in Boston about a year and have some neighborhood intel for you (granted only from my experience/what I’ve been told)!
1) Cambridge/Somerville — I’m biased because I live there, but I love Cambridge, although Somerville is super charming too. Lots of great restaurants and cafes, very picturesque (walking/running along the Charles, hello!) and a good balance of busy and suburban mostly to do with the student/grad student population (Harvard/MIT/Tufts, etc.) As you can imagine, the closer to the T you are (particularly in Somerville, for someone looking to live in/near Davis Square for example) the more expensive it’ll be if you’re looking for something a little nicer. But both are on the red line which is very convenient for getting into downtown! If you’re looking in Somerville I’d recommend closer to the Cambridge line, or in and around Davis/Porter Squares.
2) Brookline — If I were to move to the other side of the river from Cambridge, it would be to Brookline. Has all the great things and beauty of Cambridge and a different set of students running around, from BU! Also there’s a fantastic barre3 studio in Brookline! Primary con: some people consider it “out of the way” but the green line runs through it so it’s really just a matter of whether you’re okay with a slightly longer commute, depending on where you’re working. A less expensive option on that side of the river is Brighton, but depending on where you are there’s not a lot going on public transit wise beyond buses.
*Note: to anyone who tells you the green line is worse than the red line…I tend to disagree basically because every line on the T has its bad days!
3) Beacon Hill — adorable, but pricey! Also I have friends who live there and they said that while the architecture is adorable, a lot of the buildings are on the older side and so have kinks/issues from time to time.
4) North End — #goals, basically. Pricey, for sure, and in terms of space it’ll be limited from a bang for your buck standpoint, but everyone I know who lives there loves it for obvious reasons.
5) Charlestown — closer to the North End without North End price — one thing I will say is that public transit wise it’s a little out of the way, and also a friend of mine who lived there said it’s not necessarily where you want to be if you’re a young person (he’s in his mid-twenties) in terms of activity level/energy…so up to you!
6) Southie — I know a lot of people who live there, and I would say population wise it runs young (although it’s getting pricier as it gets more gentrified, so wouldn’t be surprised if that changes). There are some nice parts, but it wouldn’t necessarily be my pick!
7) Jamaica Plain (JP) — I don’t know as much about this neighborhood but what I’ve seen, I’ve liked! Bang for your buck it’s definitely worth looking into in terms of space/quality of where you’d physically be living (i.e. your house or apartment). It’s a bit out of the way public transit wise, but it depends on where you work!
8) Back Bay/South End — also #goals, but the price tag, ohhhh the price tag. I go there for brunch, shopping and wandering down the streets with the brownstones instead 🙂
Good luck with your housing search!
Shannon this was SO HELPFUL. I sent your comment to Nick and was like “Look at all this insight!!” Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of this <3
Agreed with all this. I’ ve lived in Boston for almost 5 years and lived in Back Bay, Brighton (right on the Brookline line) and now East Cambridge. I have loved living in each of these areas for different reasons. I work in Southie and agree that it would not be where I would want to live but a lot of people love it (hence it’s getting so pricey). I’m currently in East Cambridge and think it’s under-rated. I’m a quick walk by the Science Museum to get into the North End and can still walk to Back Bay (around 2 miles) but can also easily access Somerville and other areas of Cambridge. I run along the Charles weekly and it’s wonderful. Excited you’re coming to Boston!
Your weekends are just fab, I love the wine/crackers/cheese pairings. After pregnancy, I can’t wait to get back to those pairings!
🙂 Hope you are feeling well!!
Hi Robyn! I live in Boston and have to say Shannon’s description above is 100% on point – I would say it really depends on where you are trying to work. I live in Somerville and absolutely love it, great transportation options but it definitely has a young population, similiar to Southie. Again I would consider where you are working. Many hospitals are near Brookline/Fenway/Brighton etc. (like Boston Children’s, Brigham and Women’s etc.) but Mass General is an easy commute from Somerville right on the red line – not sure if you are looking to work at a hospital 🙂
I am looking to work at a hospital I think. This is good to know thank you!!
I totally totally know that itch to want to run a marathon when watching others run. There is so much joy in seeing people move and push and challenge themselves and run all 26.2 miles. It’s truly a huge accomplishment, and I LOVE seeing the variety of people who do it. That’s so neat that you’ve been able to participate and spectate during a few different years.
Your weekend looked so full of rest and good food. Those thick doughy pancakes sound delicious. Cookies n Kate does have some really yummy recipes. And it’s so fun that you and Nick like to stay in and just have fun nights with cheese and olives and crackers and all the snacky food; my family loves snacky food.
Hope you had a great weekend too Emily! <3
Those pumpkin pancakes and the view from your apartment look amazing! Cookie and Kate is my favorite recipe blog, I even was a taste tester for her new cookbook. This weekend I tried a new recipe she posted called Creamy Pumpkin Marinara. It was easy to make and really tasty. 🙂 Here’s the link to the recipe https://cookieandkate.com/2017/creamy-pumpkin-marinara-recipe/
Being a taste tester sounds like a dream! I’ll have to try the marinara
Yay! I’m slightly obsessed with the Pinch of Yum blog now and tried her potato soup yesterday — divine!!!! So simple, but SO good for the soul! 🙂
All her recipes are amazing right?? We made the Alfredo on Monday and loved it!
I love that you still drink milk! I have heard differing opinions on drinking milk, saying both that is healthy long term for calcium intake, as well as the opposite effect in terms of nutritional information and adult body needs. What are your thoughts on milk and what the best way to get the maximum amount of calcium for a strong body?
I think milk is a healthy part of any diet if your stomach feels good drinking it 🙂 Good bone health is so much more than calcium intake…vitamin D, estrogen and weight bearing movement all are key too.
I recommend living somewhere on the Red Line – it’s fast, direct, and less prone to delays related to sports. Do NOT live on the B-line unless you plan to drive or bike everywhere anyway; it’s so slow and stops every 10 feet! I second most of what is written in the long comment above about neighborhoods. I lived in Davis Square in Somerville and generally really liked it, but would probably opt for a quieter street with more trees next time. Depending on where you end up working, you might like North Cambridge (beautiful/proximity to the Charles and parks/pretty convenient), but if you want more restaurants and nightlife, the South End or Back Bay might be good choices. Since Boston is such a college city, you’ll want to stay aware of which colleges are in the areas that you’re looking at since it will affect rent and also the noise levels and vibe. That being said, there are plenty of spots near Harvard Square in particular that have the best of both worlds.
Apparently the red line is key! Thank you for all the insight Liz!
I live in Allston so I’m biased, but Brookline is adorable. It’s not too far out of the main city and excitement of everything. There’s a great tapas restaurant too with incredible wine. If you ever need a new friend to explore restaurants with, I have an ever growing restaurant bucket list!
If you’re referring to Barcelona — 100% agree!!!
Thank you Megan!!
I don’t live in Boston anymore, but I lived in JP while I was there and loved it! Very reasonable prices and definitely calmer than other parts of Boston. If I moved back, I’d live there again or on the Red Line in Cambridge Or Somerville. I personally would avoid the green line (especially the B line!), but I definitely agree with earlier posters that Brookline is great.
Since it sounds like you and Nick want to have a car and you want to live somewhere a bit calmer, I think you would prefer those neighborhoods over the South End/Back Bay or the North End… they are all GREAT neighborhoods but definitely more busy, crowded, and touristy. Southie is fun and close to the water, but not as public transportation accessible. In general, as someone who also lives in NYC, i’ll Warn you that the T is nowhere near as reliable or convenient as the subway, but with a car, Boston becomes so much more manageable! Good luck with whatever you all decide!
Have to comment again and agree – the T can basically ruin your day haha. Especially the green and blue line – it literally stops every minute and it’s brutal. Red line is the best!
After my hellish relationship with the subway, I’m planning on using the T as a last resort ha 🙂
We are realizing that now that we have a car (and want one!) that South End and Back Bay might be a bit trickier. Lots of people seem to rave about Cambridge so that is high up on our list. The T I’m hoping is a last resort based on my current relationship with the subway ha. Thank you for all the info Megan!
I just love how you guys love wine and cheese as much as my boyfriend and I do! So cool about the marathon– so stoked for the winner!
it’s life 🙂
I made Butterfinger Fruit Dip this weekend! https://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2014/01/17/butterfinger-fruit-dip/
I dipped apples and graham crackers in it and even put it on toast this morning!
wait WHAT? bookmarking this!
Best pumpkin pancakes ever! I’ve been so obsessed with red lentils lately and especially dahl! It’s so comforting, so yummy, and soooo easy. I made a big batch last night that’ll last throughout the week. It’s also super cost effective!! Highly recommend anything with red lentils mmmm. https://www.deliciouseveryday.com/red-lentil-dal/
I forgot about red lentil Dahl!!
What an awesome weekend and thank you for all the wonderful recipes! I bookmarked them all hehe 🙂 My weekend was really nice; I visited a friend at Swarthmore!
I agree with what a lot of the above commenters are saying re: Boston neighborhoods. I’ve lived here my whole adult life – three different apartments in Cambridge, one in Beacon Hill and one in Brookline. I think being on the Red Line is the most convenient T line to have access to (so – Cambridge, Porter/Davis, Beacon Hill, Southie) unless you are working in the Longwood Medical Area, in which case you likely want green line or Central Square (Cambridge) has easy access to the 47 bus.
Besides T lines, every neighborhood has it’s pros and cons. Beacon Hill/Back Bay/South End all beautiful and so many cute shops and restaurants but very very expensive. Brookline is really nice, Coolidge Corner has tons of stuff going on, but I have always felt like it is super out of the way.
Allston/Brighton you’ll get more space but they feel further out and are SUPER collegey.
I don’t know a ton about Southie and it really depends where exactly you are in Southie but my friends that live there all love it.
But alas, I am totally biased towards Cambridge. I absolutely love living here. I love being near Harvard/MIT (even if you’re not a student, the two schools have so much to offer). I love the restaurants and bars in Cambridge, you’re likely very close to the Charles River which is great for running. It has lots of young people but also many families and a decent amount of socioeconomic diversity which I appreciate. And regardless of where you live, you have to try out Life Alive, it’s the best vegetarian food in the whole wide world.
Anyway, I have lots of opinions and lots of information, feel free to follow up if you have any other questions!
thank you for so might insight into so many different areas Emily! I have heard so many people RAVE about Cambridge, that we started focusing our apt search there and are seeing what we find …we would appreciate some socioeconomic diversity after living in Battery Park this year. And Life Alive is now on my list! Thank you thank you <3
this bolognese was one of the higlights of my weekend…so yummy!
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slow-cooked-bolognese-sauce-recipes-from-the-kitchn-69968
looks delicious!
I agree with a lot of the other comments on Boston neighborhoods, but I’ll add a plug for JP, since that’s where I live! We chose JP over Somerville and Southie because my husband works downtown and the orange line is the p runs from JP straight into downtown. I find JP very accessible public transit-wise as you have the orange line and also many bus options (the 39 bus goes right to the Longwood medical area). It’s a very green and park-filled neighborhood (bordered by the Harvard Arboretum!), and while you don’t have the river or the ocean, Jamaica Pond is gorgeous, and definitely satisfies the need to be near water. You can get more space for less money, and the homes are super cute (classic Boston triple deckers). Lots of young people, including young families live in JP, and almost all of the shops and restaurants are locally owned. People have a lot of neighborhood pride, and there is a funky and artsy vibe. In many ways, it feels to me like a little slice of Charlottesville in the midst of Boston!
Hope you guys are able to explore a bit to get a sense for what you are wanting! It’s really all about where you work, since different transit options work better for getting to different parts of the city.
I’ll second that Arboretum is the best, as a former JP resident.
I haven’t heard at lot about JP so this is good insight Lindsey – thank you 🙂
If it’s anything like Charlottesville…<3
I lived in Brookline when I did my dietetic internship in Boston & loved it! Someone mentioned Barcelona tapas/wine bar – it’s delicious. I thought Brookline was great to live in – easy to get into the city on the T, very walkable around Brookline/near the hospitals as well, and good grocery stores, restaurants, and some yoga studios/gyms. The Chestnut Hill Reservoir by Boston College is such a beautiful place to walk/run as well.
This is going to be so hard between Brookline, Somerville and Cambridge people rave about them all 🙂
Did you mean the weather didn’t damper people’s moods? You wrote “It was wet and damp, but that did dampen (ha) people’s spirits”.
ha. yes. oops.
SO COOL you got to watch the marathon! I can’t wait to read about your adventures to Boston 🙂
Somerville and Cambridge!! I have lived in Somerville for the majority of the past ten years, mostly around Davis Square and love it. If you plan to have a car it’s also pretty easy to park and also close to public transportation. Best of luck with your move, Boston is an amazing place to be!
We’ve heard good things about both those areas!
I agree with most of the above comments. I have lived in MA my whole life, and in Boston/Newton since 2003 when I started college at BU. Currently, my husband and I live in Newton (suburb very close to the city) but on the Brighton line. I love this area, but the one downside is that it is not on the T. There is an express bus though that goes directly down town from basically our doorstep, so that is great. My husband works in the city and has an easy commute. it’s also great because we have a driveway. I lived in the city with a car for years, and it was so annoying to have to find street parking, deal with people who don’t know how to park and hit your car, break ins, and move your car for street cleaning… You can always rent a parking spot though, it can be pricey. Newton is also great if you plan to have kids anytime soon because the schools are great and it’s certainly not as loud or college like as a lot of the moderately priced areas of Boston. We even have a yard with a garden, which I love being able to do.
If you do want to live in Boston proper though, I lived in Kenmore and it was a great location and reasonably priced. It’s close to the back bay but without back bay prices. Very walk-able and on the T. When I had a car there though, I was always getting frustrated when the Red Sox played because it was so hard to park or get in/out of the area!
Whatever you decide, there are pluses and minuses to every yarea. I think you’re in a good position because you’re not trying to move September 1st. While there are probably less options, you’re not having to compete with college kids! Boston is great though! Sounds like there are a lot of Boston readers on here! Maybe a Boston meet up is in order!
That is good to know about Newton – we know very little about that area! Thank you for all the insight Alie! And I think that a meet up is a GREAT idea, I didn’t realize how many Boston readers there were either!
Hello! My husband and I have lived in Boston for almost 7 years. I came from Nebraska and had no idea what I was getting myself into! We lived in Cambridge for 4 years and loved it! We lived between Central and Harvard Square. It was a great location, close to the redline (one of the better lines) and we loved the neighborhood, great public library, a trader joes near by, close enough to the Charles River Route (for running, not sure if that is the actual name of the route) which is great for running. The parking isn’t great, but that is to be expected in a city. We paid $1600/month for a 600 square foot, OLD, apartment, but it worked for us. Now we live in East Boston. We bought a condo there almost 3 years ago. I feel like East Boston doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It is on the blueline (another good line) and more affordable than other neighborhoods. It is across the water near the airport. It has GREAT views of the city, amazing food and a good community feel. We live right on the border of Jefferies point. Admittedly there are a couple disadvantages of living in East Boston. The only way to get to the city is on the subway, there is a not a pedestrian bridge or anything to get over the water. While the neighborhood is definitely up and coming, there ware some more dangerous areas (but honestly all neighborhoods have places to avoid), I have never felt unsafe. Although I love East Boston, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for first time Boston folks, because you will want to experience the city city. My vote would be for Cambridge or Southie. Good luck!
I have lived in Boston for the last 10 years and I LOVED living in Brookline! It’s close to the city and accessible to all sorts of other places. Boston is really a pretty small city, so everything is closer than you think! Easy to bike and walk places, which is so nice! And amazing food!!!
I think that’s what we are excited about most – smallness compared to New York! WE CAN’T WAIT!
Hi! my husband and I have lived in Boston for 3 years, and while neither of us had aclaimed to being’city people’ we absolutely love it here! I grew up on the East End of Long Island and always considered myself a New Yorker but have found myself right at home. We moved to Boston kind of suddenly, as it was due to a promotion/relocation for my husband’s job. I’m not sure if you’ve found this yet but September 1st is THE day to move in Boston and many rentals line up that way. We only had two weeks prior to Sept 1 to find a place and we’re kind of scrambling for the last scraps. However we were able to find a really cute place in Back Bay, which was surprising because we thought it would be too pricey. Our landlord ended up coming down on the price for us since the unit would have gone unrented for the Sept 1 date otherwise. We love living in Back Bay because it’s very central to everything. You have walked to every single part of the city at one point or another. My husband actually works outside (South) of the city so needs a car, and we never have really had too much of a problem being able to park it on the residential parking streets that surround us.
We have considered moving a couple of times when our lease has been up, but never have pulled the trigger. We have considered Brookline, the South End, and Charlestown though, which are all very nice. Unfortunately for us, living north in Cambridge/Somerville doesn’t work since my husband works south of the city.
Overall I have loved the Back Bay, and although the green line is awful we carry a love/hate relationship! I actually work in East Cambridge and it takes me the same amount of time to walk (about 40-45 mins) as it does to take the T …. so there’s that 🤷🏼♀️ Haha.
I hope your search goes well, we will be so happy to have you join us here!
Thanks so much for all your insight Kailey! Very helpful 🙂 Hopefully we will love it just as much!