boston architecture

i am always caught off guard by the gorgeous pieces of architecture in my back bay neighborhood. there is so much lovely detail in the most humble sections of many buildings i see around town. these examples are from the art deco former site of Shreve Crump and Low


and these are the tree grates from Copley Square..also from an earlier part of the last century.
it must have been a time when there was a budget that allowed for decorative detail on buildings, and also a time when the work of artisans came very cheap.