Growing up in the state of Rhode Island, I learned to orient myself by the neighborhoods created by different cultures around the relatively small state. There is a major difference in the architecture and culture of neighborhoods in south county along the shore than there is in the city of Providence or in rural Exeter for example.
Since the time I arrived in Boston, I have began orienting myself around the city in a similar way. Getting to know the interesting collection of cultures and architecture of each neighborhood in Boston has given me a roadmap to being able to orient myself. The Longwood, Fenway and Mission hill neighborhoods were the first neighborhoods I explored and slowly became familiar with. Longwood has its collection of Hospitals, institutions and spots of Victorian homes scattered about. Mission Hill has an entirely different array of cultures and defined style of architecture, being mostly student oriented. Not far away, the South end speaks a completely different language, similar to Beacon hill in terms of its classic Boston look with its gridded brownstones and cobble stone streets, but more laid back and rich in art and design. Cambridge, just across the Charles river has a unique blend of cultures and architecture. The connections and comparisons between the different neighborhoods in Boston is what has allowed me to orient myself.
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