PAX Centurion - September / October 2013

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • September/October 2013 • Page 35 Take a walk! By Patrick M. Rose, BPPA Secretary T he other night, after celebrating the careers of a couple dozen of our retirees, my wife and I decided to take a stroll downtown. After all, Boston is a walking city and it’s our city. Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in working in the city, we forget how great it re- ally is. We take it for granted or let our daily work as Police Officers dealing with the miscreants of society cloud our love for this place, our Boston. Anyway, the meal at the retirement party sucked, (just an opinion), so we decided, take a walk maybe grab an app and a drink somewhere, just enjoy the beautiful fall night. We ventured downtown and drove around. It was a Friday night and things were hopping around the Crossing (with new found res- taurants and clubs), Chinatown was busy and Faneuil Hall area was bouncing with literally thousands of people, but we were looking for something a bit more subdued, a slower pace. My wife, (a born and bred ‘townie’), suggested the North End. We haven’t been to the North End in quite a while. So, I drove over and actually found a parking spot. We parked the car and got out for a walk with no specific destination, again maybe a drink and an app. We ventured into the North End neighborhood, not Hanover Street but the back streets and alley ways. As we walked we passed several North Enders, (not the new yuppies), some of the old Italian fami- lies that are still there, (not everyone moved to Peabody with Mark Bruno ). Everyone we passed had a smile or greeted us with a simple hello or isn’t it a pleasant night, etc. We made our way over to the ‘Regina’, there was a very small line, maybe two couples ahead of us, so we said what the hey, haven’t been there in like forever, let’s get a pizza and a beer. As we waited, for a short time I might add, we en- gaged in pleasantries with others in line or passersby. It was a pretty good mix of new and old Bostonians. After a few minutes we were greeted by the manager who also subs as a cook, bus boy, waiter and any other duty to keep it all flowing. My wife, Fran and I sat down and just looked, looked around the small room, the tiny bar and took it all In. The place hasn’t changed at all. The same chairs, tables, pic- tures and I think waitresses, only kidding about the waitress, she was young and bubbly with the same smile the Pizzeria is noted for. We settled in and ordered a pie (that’s a pizza for you non-city folk) and a beer. The place was buzzing, again a mix of college kids, new North Enders, a couple of North End families and a few tourists. It was a fun atmosphere, flooding our memories and conversation of days gone by, of our previous visits with the kids years ago, etc. The beer was served and yes, it was cold and tasted great! After a while the pie came, half ‘roni’ and onions for me, half cheese for her. Absolutely nothing like it. Nothing, I mean nothing has changed, it was deli- cious! The crisp thin crust, the delicious tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, the crisp tasty oily pepperoni and the fresh onions. We can’t forget the bottle of seasoned oil on every table, it’s probably been fermenting for years, the best! Oh and yes, chased down with a Sam Lager! Boston at its best! It was loud, noisy and wonderful. It was fun and tested every sense we had; taste, sight, smell, hearing, touch and our foggy memories! Can life get any better? A cool night in the city, friendly people, good food and beer and sparking memories of old, unbelievable! After taking our time, not being rushed whatsoever I might ad, enjoying a few slices and a couple of beers, we wrapped up the rest to go. The waitress was atten- tive and full of smiles, she never seemed overwhelmed at the constant flow of customers coming and going and never passed the table with- out checking on us. I now remember why this little pizza parlor has been in business so long and will probably continue for another 100 years. We thought we wanted subdued, what we got was loud, noisy and fun, yes fun! As we said our goodbyes, the manager again came over, thanked us for coming and wished us a good night. Maybe it was the way we were dressed, coming from the retirement banquet, or maybe because we were a little older than most in the restaurant, but I really believe he treated and treats every customer the same, the same way people have been treated there for the past 80 years. We made our way back out to the street, the North End, the neighborhood. We walked hand in hand and reminisced about how we used to stop down here every week when we started dating thirty- seven years ago. We laughed about bringing our kids here for pizza and remembered when one of our daughters managed to get herself stuck behind a jammed door in the bathroom and and our young- est, (Heather), came running out announcing to the entire restaurant “Mom, Dad, Amanda’s stuck in the toilet crying and she can’t get out!”. We shared a chuckle over the memory that the entire restaurant erupted in laughter and stood applauding her as the staff pried open the old door to the stall and released her from her temporary prison. We walked and talked reminiscing about our past dinners at the old Polcari’s restaurant or our meals at any one of the dozens of small store front restaurants, some still there, most gone. We passed some kids passing a football around on the small streets at 11:00 at night without a care in the world. Families sitting on their stoops and lights decorating the row houses for Columbus Day celebrations coming over the weekend, some already adorned for Halloween. We felt whisked away to the sixties and seventies just walking, strolling, not concerned at all that were weren’t in our own neighborhood, not a thought about being harassed or nervous walking though the small streets and alley ways, because every where we looked it was the same, people and families talking, laughing just simply enjoying life, like it used to be and still is in the North End. My wife and I make it a point to visit every neighborhood in this great city, have a dinner, enjoy the atmosphere. Whether it’s Down- town or Chinatown, the Back Bay, Allston/Brighton, Southie, Rox- bury, Rossi, or JP, EastaBost, Dot, the Pan or Hyde Park, the South End, Charlestown or Westie, the NewWaterfront District and yes, the beloved North End. Do yourself a big favor, take a walk, enjoy our city. Even if you and yours moved out for whatever the reason, it’s still your city, go ahead, Take a walk!