{"id":10038,"date":"2010-06-24T01:28:00","date_gmt":"2010-06-23T17:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/?p=10038"},"modified":"2010-06-25T20:38:46","modified_gmt":"2010-06-25T12:38:46","slug":"blues-bed-and-breakfast-a-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/2010\/06\/24\/blues-bed-and-breakfast-a-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue\u2019s Bed and Breakfast \u2013 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"blog-2010-boston-OLYP1797-Blues-flickr\" For those of us who read our blog, you might have noticed that throughout the posts on the Boston trip so far, I\u2019ve not specifically identified the place I\u2019m staying at outside giving broad indications that it\u2019s in Cambridge and near Harvard University.<\/p>\n

To be sure: it was a conscious decision on my part to not identify by name in our very public blog here the home I\u2019m staying at. It\u2019s one thing to write about a hotel or a resort, but something else to blog and put up pictures about a person\u2019s private <\/em><\/strong>home that I\u2019m guesting in.<\/p>\n

Over breakfast last week though, the innkeeper asked if I would post up a review on Tripadvisor, a request I readily agreed to oblige. I\u2019ve had such a wonderful experience so far staying here that it would had been really odd if I didn\u2019t write in a public space about this experience.<\/p>\n

So here it goes: I\u2019ve been staying at Blue\u2019s Bed and Breakfast<\/a>, a home along Avon Hill Street. It\u2019s the residence of Mary Blue Magruder, a Harvard\/Radcliff College graduate and who now works at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and her husband John \u2013 and no I didn\u2019t ask for complimentary admission to the Museum.:)<\/p>\n

One of the things I was (privately) hoping for in my trip here was not to stay in a hotel actually. I mean, 3 weeks in a small hotel room would drive me nuts! And unlike the just one week long San Francisco trip, I wanted a more grounded feel of the United States. As luck would have it, that the trip departure dates were firmed up fairly late meant that the MIT dormitories weren\u2019t available anymore and that I could look for my own accommodation.<\/p>\n

One of the more highly regarded Bed & Breakfasts establishments as advised at Tripadvisor was Blue\u2019s. The place has received glowing endorsements from most guests who\u2019ve stayed there, with the exception of one person which wrote such a scathing review it was scary. I wasn\u2019t particular too concerned about that critical review though. I think it\u2019s all about expectations (more on this later) and what you want to get out of the experience of living in someone else\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

Vacancies at the B&B residences go out very fast in this area though \u2013 considering the relatively high costs of hotel accommodation in Boston \u2013 and especially for this time of the year too; summer and all, with many visitors to Harvard and MIT on conferences, symposiums or project attachment trips like mine.<\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-OLYP1477-cambridge-B&B\"<\/p>\n

Living room<\/span><\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-DSC_8525-cambridge-B&B\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Dining room<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I think I was really lucky that Blue\u2019s home had vacancy for the period I would be in Boston. A room change about mid-stay was initially noted, as someone else had already booked the slightly better guestroom (\u201cThe Studio\u201d) in the second half of my stay. Not that I minded at all \u2013 because staying in a different guestroom for the second half of my stay is only adding variety to the experience. The room change turned out to be unnecessary, though I was still given the option to (I didn\u2019t take it up to save Blue the inconvenience).<\/p>\n

Unlike several other Bed&Breakfast places, staying at Blue\u2019s means you are staying with an incumbent family. There are several issues immediately in view of this. The most important one being that you\u2019re not staying in a compartmentalized accommodation which starts and ends at your doorstep. Here, everything you do has an effect on the larger residential unit. That I\u2019d be living with others under one roof was quickly apparent from the introductions and briefings I received on my first night of arrival. There were house rules to follow \u2013 e.g. no smoking, home security \u2013 other procedures, e.g. breakfast timings, laundry \u2013 and advice pertaining to communal living \u2013 e.g. respect for other guests \u2013 and respect for the antique furniture.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example of one such advisory that caught me off guard. My Lentor parents have remarked on more than one occasion years ago that I walk purposefully, which is a polite way of saying that when I walk, I don\u2019t tiptoe. I don\u2019t consciously stomp my feet of course, but I do tend to walk with a heavier gait than others.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t an issue at our Rivervale home, given the use of concrete, steel and vibration-absorbing tiling all over our apartment block. But in a 100 year old house that uses a lot of wood, it is an issue, the more so given my weird sleeping habits (i.e. sleeping or waking up at 3:30 AM) even in Boston. Blue gently reminded me one morning that I had such a purposeful way of walking that my footsteps woke up others!<\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-OLYP1492-cambridge-B&B\"<\/p>\n

Staircase that leads up to the upper floor rooms<\/span><\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-OLYP1487-cambridge-B&B\"<\/span><\/p>\n

When I\u2019d like breakfast.:)<\/span><\/p>\n

Breakfast timings are routinely between 7 to 8 AM, and guests generally write on a little chalkboard the timings they would like for breakfast. Again, in hotel accommodation, breakfast at the restaurant goes for hours and you can start anytime during their breakfast window as you please. At Blue\u2019s, breakfast is prepared specifically for you and at the time you\u2019ve requested. That means you need to exercise some discipline and not disrespect the system by coming too early, or worse, much later than the time you\u2019ve indicated.<\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-OLYP1790-Blues\" I don\u2019t normally have breakfasts in Singapore, but in Boston, I really look forward to trying out different American cuisine each morning, and I availed myself to Blue\u2019s cooking and bakery skills. I had quiches, pies, pancakes, eggs done in different ways, toast \u2013 whatever comes from her kitchen, I eat and enjoy, and have already tried all sorts of different things!<\/p>\n

The one exception is the morning beverage though: and on that, I still cannot go without Earl Grey tea. I\u2019m the only tea drinker for the stay so far. Blue puts out a new pot for me each morning, and its volume is well in excess of what a coffee mug can hold. That basically means I have more tea in my portable mug to go each morning if I want to.<\/p>\n

Unlike hotel accommodations too, there\u2019s no daily housekeeping. Your room is what you make of it. The bed linen is impeccably clean, the bed very comfy, and I have many pillows \u2013 hooray! Ling will tell you this thing I\u2019ve got about sleeping sandwiched with pillows.:)<\/p>\n

The guestrooms are cleaned by housekeeping services once a week, and they will replace the variety of towels each time. They are more than sufficient unless you\u2019re a sweaty camel \u2013 of which you\u2019d want to supplement with your own then. The other amenities are all there too: including cable TV with more channels than I need (Matt reacted in horror when I told him I was watching the Disney channel: \u201cOh my, Disney is horrible \u2013 their shows are putrid.\u201d), high-speed wireless Internet access.<\/p>\n

In a nice touch too; the bathroom is equipped with soap, shampoo and conditioner dispensers too \u2013 not that I need them though as I brought my own from Singapore. As I\u2019ve remarked in an earlier post, the summer I experienced in Boston hasn\u2019t been nearly as warm as in Australia. There\u2019s a very mild breeze that provides a small bit of air circulation through the windows in the room, but the ambient temperature of about 15 to 28\u00b0C means pleasant days and cool nights for my stay so far. The rooms are equipped with air-conditioning too and I have it on fan mode occasionally to keep the air circulating in the room.<\/p>\n

\"blog-Pana36\"<\/p>\n

Breakfast in the backyard garden. Panoramic composition here.<\/span><\/p>\n

The inn is also located in what seems to be a neighborhood resided by middle-income families. Mornings when I head to work are very quiet, with persons heading to work or school and the odd jogger on the street. The neighborhood bustles with more activity when I return after work, with the kids coming out to play. The neighborhood seems very safe, and while the house itself is within walking distance to the train stop (about 8 minutes walk away), it\u2019s still far enough from the main roads that you won\u2019t be hearing vehicular traffic.<\/p>\n

And best of is Blue\u2019s hospitality. Her appreciation and sensitivity towards different cultures comes through, and I think it\u2019s on account of the fact that she\u2019s traveled widely. Conversations over breakfast \u2013 when I\u2019m not in a rush \u2013 are always engaging, made the better over delicious breakfasts.<\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-OLYP1472-cambridge-B&B\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Staircase leading up to the third floor where the guestrooms are.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-DSC_8183-settling-in-flickr\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Studio\u201d. This was my night of arrival, so my luggage can be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"blog-2010-boston-DSC_1645-Blues-Pana38\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fireplace Room\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As these reviews go, I still need to put in constructive criticism for possible AOIs. That’s “areas of improvement” for those of us unfamiliar with the Singapore obsession for acronyms. Any sort of product or service we review is never ever a 100% endorsement with no reservations. It’s in our national psyche to say “It’s perfect, but can I suggest also…” etc.:)<\/p>\n

I had to think very hard of areas of improvement, but finally thought one up. The wireless connections work great, but I\u2019m a little nervous that it uses unsecured connections, the more so especially in this risky age of digital security. Granted; only the most sophisticated WPA2 protocols are really any good, but even the entry-level security mechanisms (e.g. hidden SSID) might at least deter the most casual of wifi snoops.\u00a0 That\u2019s a minor issue though and open public networks seem the norm here anyway.<\/p>\n

The coziness of the rooms and host hospitality has really given me a taste of what it\u2019s like living in a typical American home. I don\u2019t think Blue\u2019s is going to suit everyone: specifically those who\u2019d like to party on holiday or visitations, rule-breakers, or those who want to be waited upon and pampered at every turn. But for everyone else who\u2019d like a stay at a quiet neighborhood and experience the best of American home hospitality, this place is it.:)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For those of us who read our blog, you might have noticed that throughout the posts on the Boston trip so far, I\u2019ve not specifically identified the place I\u2019m staying at outside giving broad indications that it\u2019s in Cambridge and<\/p>\n

Read More Blue\u2019s Bed and Breakfast \u2013 Review<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,17],"tags":[469,137],"class_list":["post-10038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-photography-cameras","category-traveling","tag-boston-2010","tag-d300","wpcat-13-id","wpcat-17-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10038\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}