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| North Bennet Street School's new location on North Street in Boston |
We are now more than a month into the school year and I thought it would be a good time to reflect on North Bennet's Street School's new location in Boston's North End and my second year of training in the Preservation Carpentry Program.
To be perfectly honest, I had mixed feelings about returning to school this year. By the end of the summer, I was making good money, had earned the respect of my fellow carpenters, and was learning a great deal by working in the industry. The thought of dipping into the red again for similar experiences seemed like a bit of a risk. That being said, I don't back out of a commitment and if I can learn as much in the second year of training as in the first, I think the financial trade-off will be well worth it.
For the Preservation Carpentry program, which was previously run from a spacious satellite location in the suburbs of Boston, on the surface, the much hyped move to a more compact space in the city's core seemed like a deep sacrifice. For those of us who transport tools and materials on a daily basis and enjoy the convenience of driving to school, the downtown Boston location seemed logistically illogical. A month later however, I can happily report that many of my most serious concerns about the new building have been quashed. I'm also really enjoying the cross-inspiration from different programs that are now all under one roof.
Pro's
-Dedicated shop for the Preservation Carpentry program
-New, quieter dust collection system
-Access to public transportation
-More interaction with other programs, more involvement with school activities
Con's
-No Parking
-Logistically difficult to move materials and tools into and out of the city
-Smaller shop with much lower ceilings
-Some construction unfinished as of November 1
Here are some pictures of the new shop
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| The view from the loading dock at the back of the shop |
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| Main PC shop |
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