Category: urbanism

Pop over to Clover for a popover

According to the Hobbits, second breakfast is the second most important meal of the day so when I found myself in Dewey Square one morning this week, it seemed only natural to get a food truck breakfast even though I had already eaten. I was tempted by Area Four’s breakfast sandwich, but it seemed on the heavy side for a second breakfast, so I returned to Clover for one of their massive popovers.

Clover Popover

A popover, for those unfamiliar, is a hollow muffinesque confection of egg batter. The name seems to have something to do with the gusto with which a popover overflows its muffin tin. At $2, it’s a nicely affordable (and surprisingly filling for being hollow) inflatable comfort food.

Free tree from a pocket park in a parking spot

In addition to National Poetry Month, April was also National Landscape Architecture Month. Who knew? Not I, that’s who, at least not until the very last day of the month when I noticed that two parking spaces on Portland street had been converted into a temporary park on the sunny side of the street.

Park in a parking spot Landscape Architecture Day

I parked myself on the bench and ate my lunch. I would happily have fed the meter if that were necessary, but the good folks at Stantec had done their permitting homework and the park was free and clear all day. And, they were giving away little pine tree seedlings!

People sitting in a public park that used to be a couple of parking spaces

This is not an isolated incident. There is a movement of a sort called park(ing) that temporarily (re)claims parking spaces as parks, and there’s even park(ing) day on the third Friday in September, so mark your calendar for 9/20/13 and stock up on quarters and astroturf.

Notice, by the way, what’s in this park, designed by landscape architects, that’s not in the North End pocket park I noted not too long ago: seating. Just a thought.