Boston, Big name- little city.

Boston is a big place. I am not sure how many people live here, but do know there are 300,000 college students alone. The great thing about Boston is how small it is despite its size. I think there are two reasons for this. One, different parts of Boston have their own names and attitudes. For instance I live in Brookline Village, or just "the village". Its mostly Jewish upper middle class. We have tons of restaurants and small shops. Some other places are Washington Square (heavy Russian influence) Back Bay ($$$) The North End (little Italy) Cambridge (Harvard and MIT, what more do I need to say) Roxbury (don't go there) Jamaica Plain (Artists, big houses) South End (Irish) and so on. People take pride in where they live, which promotes solidarity. And the second reason there is an intimate feeling is that people are forced to be near each other. If you commute, you see the same faces on the train. It becomes rude after seeing the same face everyday not to say hi. Having laundry in your building is a luxury. So again you see the same people week after week (or month after month in my case) washing their drawers. And what’s more intimate than washing your undies with your neighbors. Because most people walk, they use places that are convenient. Same grocers, same banks, same delis, same coffee shops.

The catalyst for this rant is that I actually ran into the same girl three times yesterday, in three different places. First she was in the laundry mat, then in the coffee shop, and finally in the restaurant where I had dinner. But I don't live in Wyoming or some other tiny place. I live in Boston. And yet I run into the same people all the time. Sometimes its old friends but often it’s a familiar face, who becomes a new friend. If you approach someone friendly they are very likely to reciprocate. So the next time you find yourself stuck in line try saying hello to someone.