If I Couldn't Live in Boston. . .

Photo Credit:  Landscape Online

Last week Daphne and Etan became homeowners. The home is what realtors in Atlanta call a 3-3, meaning 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and it’s a craftsman style bungalow. I’m happy for my daughter and her husband, and sent them an early Valentine with a little gift inside as a symbol of my love and support.

Dennis and I won’t visit just yet, as I think the kids need time and space to adjust to their new lives. Since going off to college, Daphne has lived in St. Louis, different sections of Manhattan and Queens, Williamsburg, VA, and Orlando. More than two weeks ago, she gave her notice at the Orlando Sentinel, and will now be exploring new opportunities in Atlanta. Etan has already settled in to a job he loves at CNN International.

I’ve always believed that whom you’re with matters more than where you are. Still, surrounded by my husband’s oil paintings and some large, framed photographs I’ve taken in the course of my travels, I notice that most of them depict people surrounded by water. Casting aside any of those elements considered when magazine polls report best places to live, such as taxes, cost of housing, heat or air-conditioning, I offer my own selections if I couldn’t live in Boston:

• Philadelphia boasts Boathouse Row, the Schuylkill River, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Call me a bobo if you must. But the last time I was there, I took great pleasure in getting coffee and a scone at a wonderful bakery on Rittenhouse Square after I ran each morning. The historic buildings and row houses remind me of Boston. Philadelphia also happens to be conveniently close to one of my favorite vacation spots, Cape May.
• Though I make no pretense of following the Texas Longhorns, I have great affection for Austin. Lady Bird Lake, a prime rowing venue, also provides superb running trails. The Four Seasons Hotel offers sun-dried tomato scones with creamy butter, and lunch is available on a patio overlooking the lake. Though this last note may strike you as just too bobo, I can’t help noting that the Whole Foods in downtown Austin – with its wine section, nut-roasting bars and enormous bakery – makes other Whole Foods stores seem deficient.
• Despite winter weather equally brutal to that of Boston, Chicago offers a superior public transportation system. The running path along Lake Michigan -- with its charming urban beaches -- reminds me a bit of Barcelona without the flashers. I’m a big fan of Second City and Jilly’s Piano Bar. Thank goodness the Chicago Jazz Showcase, where I got to hear Scott Hamilton and the legendary David “Fathead” Newman, has found a new home. The Magnificent Mile is my venue of choice for significant clothing purchases. 
• Only 2.5 hours away from my other beloved vacation spot, the Outer Banks, Williamsburg, VA sounds like an odd choice for a woman who claims to be so enamored of urban life. Maybe I’m nostalgic for this place because I think it’s where Daphne grew up in so many ways – knowing not a soul when she first moved there, but ending up playing on a women’s tennis league and getting involved in the life of the community. Like the above three choices, it’s a visually beautiful university town, and it reflects a sense of history. 

 When Daphne and I were in Paris, she asked if it would be o.k. to move me close to where she and Etan live if I reached a point in life where I couldn’t take care of myself. I’ve been to the High Museum and the Alliance Theatre. But among the things I like best about Atlanta are Mid City Kitchen, the Noguchi Playground at Piedmont Park, and the prospect of getting a personal tour of CNN from Etan – followed by an introduction to the city’s jazz scene.