(NECN: John Monahan, Boston) - Boston is trying to get back to some sense of normalcy. However, the city is still on edge.
Close to the blast sites, there is a stark contrast between what’s open to the public and what’s still closed off.
Wednesday, bomb-sniffing dogs worked the lower end of Boylston Street on one side of the barricades while, on the other, customers just feet away enjoyed coffee as businesses like this Starbucks began to get back to normal.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect," said Starbucks manager Paul Halverson. "Usually, we are busiest in New England, but with nice weather we weren’t really impacted that badly today.”
In fact, Halverson says it’s almost as busy as a regular day despite a huge part of Boylston still closed off as a crime scene.
Next door, Au Bon Pain is also doing a brisk business. But the Sprint store across the street decided to stay closed, opting to open on Thursday.
All across the Back Bay, life is readjusting after Monday’s violent disruption. The double bombings also brought people here to pay their respects in some small way, as a memorial shows. 15 year old Shannon Walsh came to drop off some flowers.
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Walsh said she had to, “Just because if this had any direct correlation to me, I would want someone to show that they care.”
And many do care, including a group of New York Port Authority Police who brought food and will provide support to return the help they got from Boston’s Police Fire and EMS workers on 9/11.
Officer Brett Porigow is glad to return the favor.
“The little bit we can do to pay it back is immeasurable for us is a little bit of payback for us,” said Porigow.
So from the midst of Monday’s chaos, Boston slowly gets back on its feet, something Paul says is in Bostonians' blood.
“People in Boston are not gonna take it. We’re gonna show up to work. We gotta do what we gotta do,” said Halverson.
And that mentality is no more apparent than in the Back Bay. Places in Copley Square are still shut down, but officials are slowly opening up streets in this cordoned off area.
