My friend and I recently attended a public meeting convened by the Boston 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee. It was entertaining in so many ways. The cast of characters was impassioned, especially the opponents. One cute girl from Somerville—probably around 20…
Author: Karen Cord Taylor
Downtown View: Wish I Were There
A long time ago we decided we should try Florida for a couple of weeks in the winter. Other people seemed to like it. The place we are staying has drop-dead beaches, beautiful shells, a plethora of wildlife and an…
Downtown View: A New Snowstorm App
In a snowstorm, we’re lucky to live downtown. The electricity stays on. Many shops stay open. We don’t need to drive. Outside it is silent, at least until your neighbor starts to shovel. If you’ve got a fireplace, so much…
Downtown View: More Stupid Stuff
Sometimes as a community we don’t think before we act even though we spend lots of time in the thinking stage. Casinos are one example. This is not a column opposing casinos. Their benefits are probably over-rated, and so are…
Downtown View Mayor Walsh: We’re Okay with Bold
This is an advice column. To Marty Walsh. With pictures. The message: You’ve been bold. Expand your efforts. The mayor’s State of the City speech showed his intention to solve two of the Boston’s thorniest problems—housing and education. Downtown…
Downtown View: The Calm Month
Lots of people complain about January. It is dark. It is cold. It’s a day longer than some months. The hoopla about the holidays is over. Thank goodness. That is the beauty of January. It is not like autumn, the…
Downtown View: The More Things Change
At Faneuil Hall Marketplace, an out-of-town manager doesn’t understand how to run a Boston business. Local businesses are ousted to make room for chains. The manager believes the pushcart vendors, with their dubious tchotchkes, bring down the tone of the…
Downtown View: Disruption or Consequences?
Disruption was 2014’s trendy cliché. A new idea comes along and, poof, out with the old. Business school types are enthralled. New technology and new ideas are part of the disruption. But some businesses and industries are vulnerable, sometimes because…
Looking Back at the People and Events that made 2014
Most readers probably think 2014 has been a year of bad news and more bad news. I won’t bore you with the details. You know what they are. But there have been a few bright spots for Bostonians that should…
Children’s Books About Careers
When our children were young, they asked what their father, a lawyer, did at work. I told them, “He gives advice to people.” But that was hardly an adequate explanation. They eventually learned what lawyers do through family discussions, visits…