Dude, What Car?

Do you spend a large majority of your waking hours looking for parking, talking about parking, worrying about parking -or one of my best friend’s all-time favorites -telling really great stories about parking?

Well then maybe it’s time to lose your car!

Owning a car in downtown Boston can be time consuming and expensive.  It can be wonderfully liberating to live without a car.

Let me tell you why.

Four Reasons to Live without a Car in Boston

Reason Number One: No More Parking Tickets!

How happy would it make you to never have to pay a parking ticket again? Oh the things you might do, the places you might go –you’ve got extra spending money!

Reason Number Two: Say Goodbye to the Street-Cleaning Sweats

You know what I’m talking about.  Did you read that sign correctly?  Or did you read the wrong sign altogether?  Did a city ordinance have all the signs changed in the middle of the night?  Imagine not having to care one way or the other.

Reason Number Three: No More Snow Emergencies

You’re bundled by the fire after a day on the slopes, far from the city, only to realize your car is parked on a major artery back in Boston, and a snow emergency requires it to be removed.  Imagine not having to worry about where your car is, ever.

Reason Number Four: No More Registration, No More Insurance, No More Parking Stickers.

Enough said.

So, are you thinking the car-less life doesn’t sound too bad after all and want to learn more?

Well then read my list of . . .

Four Ways to get around Boston without a Car

Way Number One: You Can Walk Places.  Cardio is good for you and Grrrreat for the environment too!

Walking is liberating and fun.  You will see things you’ve never noticed before.   You can work on your waistline.  You experience Zen moments with the morning birds and squirrels before you get to the office.  And that’s all great for your health –but it doesn’t stop with just your well-being alone, it’s great for the planet, too.

Way Number Two: Tired of Walking?  Ride the T!

The T is still better for the environment than your car.  If your commute is too long to walk, you can combine walking with riding the T.  If you need to, you can drive to a T parking lot and then ride the rest of the way into Boston. Some things you can do on the T:

            1. You Can Meet New People.  You have at least one full stop to get them to like you and they are a conveniently captive audience.
            2. You Can Read That Book you started twenty times, but don’t have time to read at home.
            3. You Can Just Relax.
            4. You Can People Watch.
            5. You Can Check Out the Art!  (See picture to right.  That’s a wall painting at the Fenway T stop).

Way Number 3: Maybe the T’s not for you?  Ride a Bike.

Don’t have your own bike?  Don’t despair.  The Hub’s got a wicked new bike sharing program.  Check it out here: www.hubway.com.  PS: Don’t forget your helmet -it’s a matter of safety as well as a fashion statement.  Now get on your bikes and ride!

Way Number Four:  I Really Need a Car.  OK then, Just Zip It!

If you really just can’t live without the wheels, maybe you can at least live with –sharing the wheels!  Zipcar is a fantastic company that exists solely to get you from place to place in a car.  Just sign up for a membership then jump in a car wherever they’re parked. It’s that simple and cars are available all over town.

See how simple life can be?

Until next time,

Annie Bergen and the Marston Beacon Hill Team

City Living Got You Feeling Under-Nourished? Try Container Gardening!

Are you getting your greens?  Or are you green with envy?  If it’s the latter, then you better get your grow on!

City living is exciting and vibrant.  Still, some of the things that give it its allure are the same things that also make us itch (just on occasion) for the suburban life.  Do I have a yard?  Probably not.  A garden to stroll in?  Wouldn’t that be nice.  Luckily in Boston we are blessed with some lovely public outdoor spaces.  But unless you are also one of the fortunate ones who have snagged a community gardening patch to call your own, you can’t just wander down to the Public Garden, drop some watermelon seeds, and rest on your green thumb laurels.  The Parks Department is understanding, but not that understanding.

So what to do?  You’d love a little more green in your life.  A little more zest.  You’d like to grab a handful of your homegrown basil and drop it in your pasta salad on a steamy July afternoon.  Who wouldn’t?  Not to fear.  Container gardening to the rescue!

Container gardening is a way of life.  It’s a philosophy.  It’s a secret club.  Ok, it’s not actually all that serious.  But if you do join the club, you can feel good about yourself.  It’s low-cost, healthy, and simple as pie.  Come to think of it, it’s simpler than pie, both the food and the number.  No baking involved and no discouraging decimal places.

Here are five quick and easy steps to get your green thumb thriving in the city:

FIRST: Upcycle!

I’d like to say just for the record that I don’t actually advocate killing birds in any way shape or form, but in this strictly metaphorical case, killing two birds with one stone is a good thing. you can use old household items to start your gardening adventure instead of buying new containers. This way, you’re de-cluttering, recycling, AND saving money all in the name of your new green thumb.  Go ahead, pat yourself on the back.  According to simple and concise diytogether.com, you can use old watering cans, old mixing bowls, cooking pots & pans, old metal or plastic bins, waste paper baskets, wooden boxes –in short, just about anything you have on hand to start your container garden.  Just remember to make drainage holes in the bottoms of things!

SECOND: Get Crafty

Finding it hard to contain your excitement whilst container gardening?  You’re not alone.  And the answer is don’t be afraid to let your creativity rule.  Go ahead and throw the traditional planter out the window (although be careful not to hurt anyone or get arrested).  Diytogether.com has the fantastic idea of making hanging baskets out of sieves, colanders, and lampshades …imagine that!  So don’t limit yourself to standard planting protocol, go ahead and hang some things over your head.  One day you’ll be walking across the room and when your hair gets caught in your over-exuberant spider plant, you’ll know you’ve really made it.

THIRD: Claim your new Hobby Spot …or better yet, Many Spots!

Why contain the beauty?  Spread your container gardening around!  If you have a coveted patch of green, a deck, or a patio, you can fill these spaces to your heart’s content.  But if you aren’t lucky enough to have these outdoor spaces, or as I like to advocate, you want to “spread the green,” you can install a window box, hang things from above as in tip number two, or even put a few containers on your front steps.  I once had an herb garden in a window box right outside my kitchen window.  It was SO easy and I could just go give Clive the Chive plant a haircut and toss the trimmings in my dinner whenever the spirit moved me.  Lots of local hardware stores and trusty Target sell little ready-to-go herb garden kits so you’ll be up and running in no time.

FOURTH: Think this is all well and good, but worried you just don’t have the time?

Set up your plants to water themselves!  Seriously.  Check it out here on diytogether.com.   And if you’ve read this far and feel the excitement, but just can’t imagine getting started, then go ahead and hire some help!  You can find gardening pros in any city, but if you’re right here in Beantown with me, give Boston City Gardens a call (www.bostoncitygardens.com) and they’ll sign you up for a free consultation to get up and running with your container gardening.  Once they’ve done all the hard work, you can just roll on maintenance mode.

FIFTH: Enjoy Year-round Nourishment AND Make Your Containers Double as Art!

No matter what kind of space you have for your containers –a balcony, a patio, even just a doorstep or window box –you can grow your edibles and florals outside when it’s nice and then whisk them inside when it turns chilly out there.  That’s a plus one for the portability of container gardening.  And while you’re moving your containers around, why not use them as conversation pieces too?  The fantastic Etsy arts & crafts site has beautiful gardening accessories from artists all over the world.  Check out this pretty Etsy planter.  Oh and while you’re there, how can you resist these adorable herb garden kitchen towels!?

And there you have it.

See how simple it is?  And inspiring?  Go ahead, take care of your City Self.  If you’re having trouble getting closer to nature, bring nature closer to you.

I will leave you with a handy list of some great edible container gardening instructions from About.com’s Container Gardening Guide, Kerry Michaels.  Click below if you want to know more about . . .

Think the blog links are nice, but you’re secretly a bookworm like me and prefer to have a good study before diving in?  Check out The City Gardeners Handbook by Linda Yang.

And you know where I work, so please don’t be bashful about dropping off some of your prize-winning container vegetation.  I will ooh and ahh and my mother will be so happy I’m eating your greens!

Until next time,

Annie Liza Bergen and the Marston Beacon Hill Green Team

Spring has Sprung! Is Your Small Space Living Putting a Spring in Your Step?

Spring Has Sprung! - Photo by Annie Liza Bergen

Ahhhh, it’s that time of year.  Birds singing.  Flowers blooming.  People laughing.  Just one walk down the street, and you can renew your entire mindset for the day –some mental spring-cleaning, if you will.  And as these carefree thoughts float through your mind, they might just stumble a bit upon reaching the idea of all the clutter at home.  The stuff that won’t fit.  The room that just won’t look inviting no matter how you arrange the furniture.  The light that . . . what light?

Ok, so you live in a tiny, dark apartment or condo in Boston!  We are right there with you.  Our office is tiny too –but SO inviting.  Why? It’s all about getting your small-space-living groove on.  How is your furniture arranged?  What are your paint colors?  Do you have some mirrors to help open things up?  And don’t forget your space is a living thing –don’t let it get stale, don’t be afraid to move things around every month or so.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life –there’s a reason this saying’s so trite . . . it’s true.

Well that’s all poetic and nice you might be thinking to yourself, but where do I start?  What do I do?  My mother is coming on Sunday and it looks like I live in a Middle Earth dwelling decorated by Frodo Baggins!

Have no fear, we at Marston Beacon Hill know your pain and have searched high and low for some of the best decorating and DIY tips for small space living.  And yes, we’re going to share them with you right here, right now.

Let’s get started!  Read on below . . .

  1. First, Prepare yourself for some fun!  This step is important and often overlooked in the land of DIY and home decorating.  The idea of “spring cleaning” can often conjure up heavy-lifting and long days of fruitless sweating.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  Take a deep breath and remember you don’t have to do it all at once.  Start small.  One small change today.  Another small change tomorrow.   It will all add up!
  2. Decide what your priorities are.  Do you need more light?  More charm?  More visually appealing storage?  Don’t think about this too much, just go with your initial gut reaction.
  3. Once you’ve grabbed your gut reaction, go ahead and scan the list below of fantastic ideas we’ve pulled together for you and choose just one to get you rolling –just in time for the visit from Mom.
  4. Then make a commitment to just do that one thing!  Just tackling and completing one small thing has away of inspiring enthusiasm –you’ll be surprised at the domino effect.
  5. And last but definitely not least, celebrate!  Sit back and relax.  Give yourself a pat on the back.  Curl up with a good book for an hour and glance at your achievement every now and then with pride –after all, Mom might finally approve, but that’s just a bonus.  The real (and most important) recipient of this gift is YOU.

Great Links for Setting You on the Right Path to Optimal Small Space Living

ORGANIZE THE LITTLE THINGS (and get crafty):

  • My [jewelry, watches, cuff links, etc.] is driving me nuts.  It’s all tangled and mismatched. Help! Check out this easy peasy diylife.com jewelry organizer you can make yourself.

ORGANIZE THE BIGGER THINGS (on a budget):

DECORATE LITTLE BY LITTLE (quick and simple)

PAINT WITHOUT PAINTING (great for renters!)

  • My walls are so blah, but I can’t (or don’t want to) paint. How about a stylish folding screen? Or make your own fabric wallpaper! Rentaldecorating.com admittedly has some typos, but their easy no-paint tips are simple and painless.

BIGGER ROOMS WITHOUT MOVING (mirror, mirror on the wall)

  • Who has the largest room of them all?  You will soon!  Wikihow.com’s entry, How to Use Mirrors to Create More Space, gives you the scoop on how to place them, hang them. light them and even serve your coffee on them (all with the aim of creating the feeling of more space).

Well there you go.  That should be enough to get you started!  And not too much to overwhelm you, we hope.

Happy Spring!  . . . and Here’s to Your Small Space Feeling Bigger Each Day . . .

Until Next Time,

Annie Liza Bergen and the Team at Marston Beacon Hill