Today is the official start of summer and many of my neighbors have already left the city. I like a good beach day too, but summer in Boston has always been one of my favorite things. Parking is easier because many people are away, restaurants line the streets with tables covered by umbrellas and strung with white lights (lovely to dine at, or even to walk by), window boxes are bursting with bright summer flowers, sailboats float lazily down the Charles River. And people, more relaxed now than during the rest of the year, lay down blankets in the park, reading books, listening to street musicians, and lolling around as the day fades into night. It can get hot, yes, but there is so much to like.