Boston snow day: Sledding, skiing, slipping, sliding and cocktailing

There’s no denying that Snowstorm Juno walloped Boston, but despite the power outages, travel headaches and shoveling, the blustery blizzard did something magical.

It turned the city into a snowball-loving, all-bundled up, slipping around like we don’t-give-a-damn winter wonderland.

A travel and parking ban meant anyone brave enough to bare boots and venture out on Boston’s white-coated streets had free reign to release their inner child.

Roommates Jennifer Xia, 24, Lex Verwick, 24, Charlie Yaeger, 25 and Ray Xia, 23, laughed without abandon as they climbed atop a snow pile on a Boylston Street, corner pelting each other with oversized snow balls and slipping face first down the 10-foot mound.

“We’re having a snow day. Not working. We just decided to come out and have some fun,” said Yaeger, gearing up to chuck another ball of perfect snow as his friends.

“I don’t think it takes a lot to bring out our inner children,” added Yaeger.

On Massachusetts Avenue, Berkeley School of Music student Brandon Hassan, 18, patrolled the streets with his bright orange sled – a recent purchase he made specifically for Juno.

“I’ve seen snow before, but never like this,” said the Dallas native, lamenting his fellow students’ lack of playfulness.

“The only downside is no one wants to sled with me, so I have to sled alone. It’s kind of lonely,” said Hassan. “I’ve been asking my friend, ‘Hey come out with me,’ and they’re just like, ‘dude…'”

Since the busy street is fairly flat, Hassan improvised. He gained momentum by running then propelling himself knees-first onto his sled, rocketing a few feet before slipping off and garnering laughter from snow-loving strangers.

Robbie Nicholas, 22, strode confidently on his cross-country skis near the Longfellow Bridge. Nicholas said he had skied from Porter Square in Cambridge, about three miles away – and that he had seen plenty of others on their skis.

“I cross country skied in upstate New York so I thought I’d carry on the tradition,” said Nicholas. “It’s been great. It’s perfect when there’s just about an inch of snow on the road.”

Nicholas planned to stop by his friend’s house before heading back to Porter.

“This is fun. I don’t have to work today,” Nicholas said before taking off.

The blizzard also brought out the good samaritan in many Bostonians. It wasn’t an uncommon sight Tuesday for bystanders join forces and help free vehicles that had become stuck in the snow. Even a Boston Police cruiser required help from a Metro photographer to get dislodged on Beacon Street.

Not surprisingly, many city dwellers felt more comfortable seeking the shelter of the city’s many taverns – those that remained open, anyway.

Take Andrew Dore, for instance, a man who had icicles in his beard. Dore ducked into Kenmore’s Eastern Standard around 12:30 p.m. to get cozy at the bar and indulge in some of the eatery’s renowned fare. Except he wasn’t exactly in the mood for a hearty winter meal.

“I thought I’d come out and get oysters, and this seemed like the place to be” said Dore, a 7-year Boston resident.

And his blizzard drink of choice? No Hot Toddies for this guy. Dore opts for tiki drinks.

“I don’t know, it just brings you back to a warmer place” he said. “I grew up in Massachusetts. So snow isn’t exactly a new thing.”