I am excited to share the news that I am writing No Access Boston: Beantown’s Hidden Treasures, Haunts and Forgotten Places (Globe Pequot) for publication in December 2018.

No Access Boston is all about places in the city that are unknown and or/have a hidden history. Did you know that Boston has a Puppet Library?  Sara Peattie is a nationally acclaimed puppeteer and is responsible for many of the life-size puppets that are associated with Boston’s First Night celebration.  You can see the First Night puppets at the Puppet Lending Library in the basement of Newbury Street’s Emmanuel Church.  The library’s entrance is on Public Alley 437 -behind the Taj Hotel and past the dumpsters. You’ll know that you have arrived when you see the hobbit-size wooden door and bell pull.

I’ll also be writing about things like the  “Behind the Scenes Tour” at Old North Church immortalized in Longfellow’s poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” which allows visitors special access to both the bell tower and its basement crypt.

And I’ll be exploring sites like West Roxbury’s  now deserted Brook Farm. Once the site of  a 1840’s utopian society experiment founded by the Transcendentalists, Brook Farm offers today’s visitors walking  trails through a pastoral setting of rolling hills and forests -if you don’t mind bushwhacking it !

And then there are Boston’s secret gems, like having afternoon tea at the Boston Public Library. Served daily overlooking the library’s magnificent courtyard, afternoon tea at the Boston Public Library is one of my all-time favorite indulgences.

No Access Boston is meant to be both a hands-on travel guide for the experienced Boston  visitor and  arm-chair reading for those who love Boston and its history.  No Access Boston will also feature lots of color photograph – the kind of “Insta-gram worthy” photos that will make it a great gift book.  Thankfully, I have been given wide-latitude to decide what “no access” in  Boston should be, but if you  have any ideas for places that I should include, I would love suggestions!