First there is the look. Does the building look right? Does the neighborhood look right? We are mostly at Esther's front step, but Tim's house is nearby as well so we need to get a long view down the sidewalk to see both houses. Where is the sun and which direction will the shadows move over the course of an afternoon? Are there practical lights that we can make use of? In this case that would be street lights and lights on the doors.
The next thing to think about is the sound. How much traffic is on the street? Is it on the flight path for Logan? (This used to be a big problem when I was working at the Kennedy Center. It was impossible to do interviews on the terrace, which was beautiful, because every 3 minutes planes went by on the approach to National Airport.) Are there highways near enough to hear? There is one neighborhood I like a lot, but Interstate 90 is just across the way and it's always loud.
And then there is the issue of feasibility. How wide is the sidewalk? Is there space enough to work? If we have to block off the sidewalk we will have to get permits from the city and hire a police officer for the duration. We are going to be there from 1pm to 11pm for 4 days in May. Will whoever owns the property be willing to give us permission for that much time?
We've been driving around a lot over the last month or so. Here are some highlights. The first couple are Beacon Hill, which would be lovely, but not feasible. We wouldn't just have to close the sidewalk, we'd have to close the whole street. The next one is Jamaica Plain, which, for all that it's in Boston, doesn't look urban enough to me. The Brookline location could be a possibility, but as it's an apartment building I don't know if that makes it easier or harder to get permission. The last two photos are the most promising because almost every building on the street is owned by the University. I'm leaning toward 156 at the moment, but almost any spot along the street would work.
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