Welcome to Boston –
Home of the UUA and the 2003 General Assembly

by Dan Harper

In just a few days, the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association will open in Boston. What will visitors and General Assembly delegates find when they arrive in the city?

Megan Selby, a new Youth Programs Specialist at the Unitarian Universalist Association, has just moved to Boston -- and so far she has found the city a great place to live in. One of the first things she did was take a trolley tour of downtown Boston. "I like history a lot, so it was really interesting," she said. "The guides knew lots of little tidbits about Boston. And it was a great way to figure out the layout of the city."

History is everywhere in Boston, and it's one of the main reasons the city is a tourist destination. You can walk the Freedom Trail and see historic sites from Paul Revere's house to the site of the Boston Massacre to the memorial honoring the 54th Regiment, the first African American regiment of the Union Army in the Civil War.

Boston is thick with Unitarian and Universalist history, too. The Rev. Stephen Kendrick is the minister at First and Second Church , a Unitarian Universalist congregation only a few blocks from Boston Common. The history of First and Second Church goes back to 1630, and one of its most famous ministers was Ralph Waldo Emerson. "You do feel the hand of history here, but it's not a heavy hand," says Kendrick. "It's invigorating for me to take the ideals of the Transcendentalist movement and convert them for 2003."

Two other Unitarian Universalist churches lie within walking distance of Boston Common. King's Chapel , at the corner or Tremont and School Streets, declared itself Unitarian in 1785, the first congregation in North America to do so. The magnificent stone building, dating from 1754, is one of the stops on the Freedom Trail.

Arlington Street Church , directly across from the Public Garden on the corner of Arlington and Boylston Streets, represents the merger of the Unitarian Federal Street Church and Second Universalist Church. None other than William Ellery Channing was the minister of the Federal Street Church, and Hosea Ballou , one of the greatest Universalist ministers, preached at Second Universalist. Arlington Street Church is also famous for its Tiffany stained glass windows.

Of course, any Unitarian Universalist who visits Boston for the first time makes a stop at 25 Beacon Street, the headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association. 25 Beacon Street stands at the top of Beacon Hill, adjacent to the Massachusetts State House and across Beacon Street from the Common. When you tour the building, the sense of history is almost palpable. Yet John Hurley, archivist of the Unitarian Universalist Association, points out that the present building dates only to 1926.

" 'Old 25,' a beautiful three-story brownstone building, stood on the corner of Beacon and Bowdoin Streets," notes Hurley, and the Unitarians had headquarters there beginning in 1886. Hurley adds, "The Universalists for many years had their headquarters at 16 Beacon Street." Nevertheless, Unitarians and Universalists have been a presence on Beacon Hill for more than a century and a quarter, and that's the history you feel when you walk up the steps of today's 25 Beacon Street.

Boston is home to more recent history, too. On Sunday, June 29, at 10:00 a.m., the Service of the Living Tradition will be held in the Fleet Center , as a part of General Assembly. But the Fleet Center is better known by its former name, Boston Garden, when it was home to Boston Celtics players like Larry Bird. The Rev. Gary Smith, senior minister of the First Parish in Concord, Mass., will be preaching at the Service of the Living Tradition, and he calls the Boston Garden "sacred ground."

"I grew up in Waterville, Maine," says Smith. "Clearly Boston was the big city for us, and that [Boston Garden] was where we went," not just to see the Celtics but also to go to the circus and to see ice skating shows. "I've got a lot of memories," Smith adds. Sports fans may also want to make the pilgrimage to Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox , but unfortunately there are very few seats left for the games during General Assembly.

Megan Selby points out that Boston is a pleasant city to spend time in. "I like the parks," she says. "The Public Garden is really nice, especially the Swan Boats ." A summertime institution in Boston, the Swan Boats glide over the pond in the middle of the Public Gardens, carrying tourists and native Bostonians alike. There are parks throughout Boston, says Selby. "You can find these big grassy spots among all the houses and buildings where you can just lie on the grass or toss a frisbee around."

It's also a city made for walking. "It's really easy to get around," says Selby, who doesn't own a car. "Having a car in Boston is just ridiculous. Public transportation is easy to figure out, and I can take the bus and subway anywhere." All the sites for General Assembly lie just a short walk from a subway station.

The main site for General Assembly is the Hynes Convention Center, near the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, and only three quick stops on the subway from the Public Garden. Newbury Street, one of the premier shopping destinations in Boston, is just a five minute walk from the convention center. Art galleries, trendy boutiques, and even toy stores line Newbury Street from the Public Garden to the convention center. Megan Selby warns that stores and restaurants on Newbury Street can be expensive. But even window-shopping on Newbury Street is an experience not to be missed.

Walk four blocks up Boylston Street from the Hynes Convention Center , and you'll find yourself in Copley Square . The Boston Public Library , housed in a building designed by the famous McKim, Mead, and White architecture firm, stands at the foot of Copley Square. "I hung out at the library last week," says Megan Selby. "It was a nice place to spend some time." Two other architectural masterpieces stand at the other end of Copley Square. The Hancock tower, tallest building in Boston, was designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei. And then there's Trinity Church, designed by Henry H. Richardson, and considered by some to be the most beautiful church building in the United States.

There's a Unitarian Universalist church right on Copley Square, but you won't find it unless you're looking for it. The Community Church of Boston has its unpretentious home upstairs over the White Star Tavern on Boylston Street. It was founded by Universalist minister Clarence Skinner, who was more concerned with social action than with trying to get a church building.

The many restaurants reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of Boston's residents. From lobster to falafel, from Irish pubs to Vietnamese restaurants, you can find just about any kind of food you want. Those who want to splurge on a fancy meal might try the winding streets of the North End, the Italian neighborhood just north from the Fleet Center. Those looking for more moderate prices can try Chinatown, Boston's most densely populated neighborhood. Those on a budget have many choices, too, from fast food to cheap Asian noodles. Boston’s landmark Durgin Park, located in the Faneuil Hall area, offers another ‘taste of Boston’ with its baked beans and roast beef dinners that fall off the plate. Megan Selby, a vegan, adds that there are lots of options for vegans, especially in the many Asian restaurants.

Boston is also known for its arts and cultural institutions. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of Fine Arts are just two of the world-class cultural options in Boston. But the real charm of the city can be found in the small galleries, concert halls, and nightclubs. There's Wally's Cafe, for example, a short bus ride down Massachusetts Avenue from the Hynes Convention Center. A small, smoky nightclub, Wally's has attracted some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world. Musicians and music students from Boston still flock to Wally's to hear everything from fusion to jazz standards.

Culture, food, history, and even pleasant grassy parks where you can toss a frisbee -- Unitarian Universalists, coming from around the country to be a part of General Assembly, will find that Megan Selby is right. Boston is a great place to be. So welcome to Boston! Welcome to the largest General Assembly in UUA history!

The Rev. Dan Harper is Interim Religious Educator for the Church of the Larger Fellowship, and a member of this year’s GA Web staff.

Web Design by Julie Albanese