Avalon North Station | Nashua Street Residences | West End

[JumboBuc]

Maybe this is a bit premature, but I'm worried about the retail in there. Obviously things will look different once a few places open up; but It's a dead zone right now (that shot with one guy might as well be taken at 9am- nobody passes through there) and I don't know that pedestrian foot traffic patterns will really entice a lot of businesses to open up (let alone remain in business) in those spaces.

It's not intuitive for most pedestrians or train passengers to find their way in there. Most foot traffic comes from along Causeway street or Canal Street. The pedestrian passage under Avalon dumps pedestrians from the Garden right out onto Nashua near the Lomosney Way intersection. It's a dead zone. You've got the least active (and that's saying a lot) side of the O'Neil, lined with FPS SUVs, a whole lot of road/driveways, and a hulking parking garage (and of course, the last tenement). It's not, and probably never will be, a big pedestrian corridor. I think that will be an issue.

It's beautiful (aesthetically), and I hope I'm wrong, but I don't feel great about it. I don't think the Hub will help much either since this will essentially be a disconnected appendage as far as shopping corridors go.

I 100% agree that not very many people will pass through this building towards Nashua. But thousands of people come in-and-out of the Garden/North Station on the O'Neil side every day, and those doors lead right into this building. Currently, practically all of those pedestrians bang a left as soon as they leave the Garden and walk down to Causeway. Once retail tenants move into this building there will be a reason for some of those people to take a right instead.

That being said, most of the retail in this area caters to the 120-or-so days a year when there's an event at the Garden. I expect that the tenants in this building will be no different. If Hub on Causeway's planned entertainment venues are successful, that'll add a few more days a year when this location is a draw.

In this light, I'm sure the Tasty Burger slated to move in here this spring will do fine. A few other fast-casual spots to grab a bite or drink before-or-after the game or show or train will also likely succeed.

The western part of the pass-through that aims towards the last tenement will probably amount to little more than an extended lobby for the apartments above.

 

[palindrome]

There are a ton of MGH employees that walk through that way every day. A few of the North Station shuttles from Cambridge have started dropping off infront of 1 Nashua now too. I think the retail will do ok---especially if the garden ever gets off its ass and redevelops the old proshop to have outward facing doors in addition to interior.

 

[Man about town]

There are a ton of MGH employees that walk through that way every day. A few of the North Station shuttles from Cambridge have started dropping off infront of 1 Nashua now too. I think the retail will do ok---especially if the garden ever gets off its ass and redevelops the old proshop to have outward facing doors in addition to interior.

Yeah. I was through there recently. It's a neat little space, and could become more active if Hub orients something in that direction. But the big blank wall of the Garden/North Station is deadening. Put a restaurant in there or something with a door/windows to the outside...

 

[FK4]

Lrfox, the next couple years might be difficult - there are a lot of commuters who pass through but that might not be enough to sustain whatever opens there. In a couple of years, though, that area will be a lot more bustling… Just the presence of all of the new business on Causeway Street, and whatever eventually closes in the street wall on the stalled Lomasney project, will add a lot to the general area.

 

[ivyhedge]

FYI, I messaged Tasty Burger using the "contact us" button on their site last week. The PR representative who responded was very friendly and noted that the team expects the store to open "this summer".

 

[Czervik.Construction]

I have yet to see that passageway in person (probably never will), but it looks cold and unfinished. On the other hand, I love the white LED lights at night. About time Boston got a little cheeky. No need for Miami to have all the fun.

 

[stick n move]

foursquare.com

 

[ivyhedge]

foursquare.com

That north facing strip has been fickle. It was on continuously following its initial lighting, then mostly off for the better part of two business weeks; since that time, it has been on again.

Tonight, 22 Jun, at least one of the north balconies was dark: man, did that look bad.

 

[John0101]

Just wanted to provide some updates on the building as a resident.

The overall quality of construction doesn't seem great.
- The parking garage, p3, experienced leaking and they had to closed down an entire section
- The apartment below mine experienced constant water leakage
- The elevators tend to go down from time to time, and you'll have to wait a while.
- Finishes seem cheap, i.e. the hallways get hot and humid, no fan in the bathroom, etc.

 

[chmeeee]

Most of that seems like first year new construction woes. I lived in an Avalon building that was ~4 years old when I moved in. The reviews from when it was new showed a lot of complaints like that, but they disappeared after the first 1-2 years and we had no issues. The last one though - WTF? Bathroom fans are about $100.

 

[bakerm]

Just wanted to provide some updates on the building as a resident.

The overall quality of construction doesn't seem great.
- The parking garage, p3, experienced leaking and they had to closed down an entire section
- The apartment below mine experienced constant water leakage
- The elevators tend to go down from time to time, and you'll have to wait a while.
- Finishes seem cheap, i.e. the hallways get hot and humid, no fan in the bathroom, etc.

Agreed. I moved in during early February. We had crews in here cutting into the walls looking for leaks in April. The flooring in the units seem very low quality and scratch/scuff easily.

 

[John0101]

^ yea the floors are vinyl. They scratch easy and are replaced easily.

The last place I was at had engineered hardwood and scratched pretty easily as well.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Most of that seems like first year new construction woes. I lived in an Avalon building that was ~4 years old when I moved in. The reviews from when it was new showed a lot of complaints like that, but they disappeared after the first 1-2 years and we had no issues. The last one though - WTF? Bathroom fans are about $100.

No fan in the bathroom is a code violation; at least that is what I have been told.

 

[393b40]

I think you just need ventilation in the bathroom of some kind. I've seen plenty of old apartments with ventilation shafts + window in the bathroom rather than fans.

 

[fatnoah]

I've seen plenty of old apartments with ventilation shafts

I live @ Longfellow Place and we have no fans in the bathrooms, but there is a vent and constant negative air pressure. It works far better than any vent or window I've ever seen in a bathroom. A long, steamy shower never even fogs the mirror.

Longfellow clearly has been trying to modernize to keep up. Appliances and fixtures are new and are actually a grade above what seems typical for cheapo stainless upgrade. Not the quality that I installed in my house back in the day, but decent. Floors are a high-gloss cherry which shows every possible scuff and scratch.

 

[bigpicture7]

...we have no fans in the bathrooms, but there is a vent and constant negative air pressure.

^Yeah, this is typical in hotels and large apartment buildings. Just look for a small louver / vent inlet somewhere on the upper wall or ceiling. There's typically no switch or sensor in the bathroom...a large centralized blower unit elsewhere in the building is just always running.

 

[Boston02124]

 

[Arlington]

A very helpful building for wayfinding and knowing where North Station is.

 

[KentXie]

DSC03258 by Kent Xie, on Flickr

 

[odurandina]

Avalon against the Back Bay Skyline as you're crossing the Tobin Bridge at twilight is totally INSANE....

someone needs to get over there with some decent camera equipment and flash the yellow lamps, jump out of the car and get the shot..... maybe 4~5 photos to connect the full panorama from the North End to Back Bay....

When the 4 North Station towers are up you'll be able to get totally awesome, 3-mile-long skyline shot from the Bridge from a tall vehicle w/ open roof access. :cheers: