The building on an angle at the end of the street is on Beacon Street. Worked in that building on the 8th floor for several years. It is still there.

The narrowness of the street looked Old World to me. I was at this scene just last summer--the old City Hall has been beautifully preserved, and from a seat in the Ruth's Chris bar, you can see the King's Chapel graveyard right outside the window.

The building on the right, behind King's Chapel, is the Albion Building. It was one of several adjacent buildings owned by the Houghton & Dutton department store, a major retailer in downtown Boston at the time. The Albion Building was torn down in 1913 and replaced with a structure that "fit in" better with the rest of the H&D complex. The entire area is now occupied by the One Beacon skyscraper and expanded public sidewalks.

In the event of hard times, I can just cut a neck hole in the center and have a spiffy poncho!

This is one of those streets in Boston (there are lots of them) where today you can still capture a feel for the turn of the (previous) century. The Parker House is still there, although it has been extensively remodeled and expanded. The open plaza on the right, behind the big square granite pillars, is the front entrance to the old City Hall, which is still there, largely untouched (at least from the outside). Today, there is a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (with a beautiful bar) on the first floor. The building on the left side of the street, just past the Parker House on the other side of Tremont Street, is still there, although an additional two floors have been added to the top. And last, but certainly not least, is King's Chapel (overlooking the City Hall plaza on the right side of the photograph), which was constructed in 1754, is still a vibrant congregation, and rings a bell in the steeple every Sunday morning that was cast by Paul Revere almost 200 hundred years ago.

Great shot!

The quote I used for the subject line of this post is what I thought of when I read, on Google Books, Sigmund Krausz' 1896 "Street Types of Great American Cities." Thanks to Dave for steering us towards that book, from which the text block and photo were taken in his post below.

Certain portions of the book will make today's readers wince but it is authentic and was not intended to be more than an accurate and generally affectionate reflection of its people and times. Good book and quite interesting.

I want candy.

Staute on the right remains as does the parker house and at least one other building.

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From the Cambridge Chronicle, 20 February 1915, page three.

The "Genuine French" kind.

This photo was taken just mere moments before that scoundrel coming out of the alley just past the Parker House was apprehended for not wearing a hat. Oh the nerve of that man.

Boston citizens are still talking about this day in 1906.