Cambridge Crossing (NorthPoint) | East Cambridge/Charlestown | Cambridge/Boston

Stlin said:
Unless I'm mistaken, that site got its initial approvals in May 2022, before Cambridge eliminated all parking minimums citywide in November 2022. Keep in mind that the memo notes that the CX permitting process related to parking started way back in ~2015. Consequently, when first permitted, it had gotten a special permit for the then in-force requirements. Since that parking condition had been written into its approvals back then, prior to the elimination of citywide parking minimums, it needs this amendment before they can proceed. Given that, I don't see any reason the city wouldn't grant this request.
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Cambridge Parking + Transportation Department endorsed the request to remove Parcel R's parking requirement (Page 2):

The question goes to the planning board tomorrow (6/18):

2024/06/18 06:30 PM Planning Board Planning Board Meeting - Web Outline - Cambridge City, MA

cambridgema.iqm2.com cambridgema.iqm2.com
 
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They threw in flex posts over the weekend around the PBLs surrounding my favorite park. A friendly driver has already given us their opinion
 
stick n move said:
Maybe they should put a joint with a spring in it so if they get run over they spring back up vs having to be torn out and replaced.
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I believe these do actually spring up if a car passes over them but this person I think ran a tire over the center and broke it in such a way that it’s destroyed
 
I was here with a few (millennial) friends this weekend to grab a drink and there seemed to be an uninformed yet resounding and confident agreement that Cambridge Crossing ("CX" as they were saying) is different from the Seaport or Assembly, etc. It mostly seems to stem from the park space. I opted not to digress further about the general livelihood of things around the neighborhood or the design of some of these lab buildings, and instead nodded/soaked in some positive architecture/development comments from friends for once... Usually, it's the other way around...
 
stefal said:
I was here with a few (millennial) friends this weekend to grab a drink and there seemed to be an uninformed yet resounding and confident agreement that Cambridge Crossing ("CX" as they were saying) is different from the Seaport or Assembly, etc. It mostly seems to stem from the park space. I opted not to digress further about the general livelihood of things around the neighborhood or the design of some of these lab buildings, and instead nodded/soaked in some positive architecture/development comments from friends for once... Usually, it's the other way around...
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I do think that once the big bar opens under Park 151 (construction of it seems to be moving fairly quickly) hopefully the neighborhood will feel a bit more “lively”. That plus the ice cream place opening under the Zinc, the new Bon Me, and the coffee place opening in the BMS building.
 
CX is too small to compare to either. Nobody knows someone who lives there so you can’t stereotype it. We all know what kind of guy hangs out in the seaport. What would a CX Head look like? Maybe if there was more mixed income housing
 
Longfellow said:
CX is too small to compare to either. Nobody knows someone who lives there so you can’t stereotype it. We all know what kind of guy hangs out in the seaport. What would a CX Head look like? Maybe if there was more mixed income housing
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My partner and I spend a fair amount of free time there (granted, we live a 10 min bike ride away, so it is close for us). Cafe Beatrice is a great people-watching spot from outside on a nice day, with lots of folks coming off the Community Path. Lamplighter is great. But what we really like is the park space. I run through it all the time, and it's a decent place to relax and watch birds. Especially ducklings--there were maybe 20-25 of them in the pond this year!
 
poppycot said:
I do think that once the big bar opens under Park 151 (construction of it seems to be moving fairly quickly) hopefully the neighborhood will feel a bit more “lively”. That plus the ice cream place opening under the Zinc, the new Bon Me, and the coffee place opening in the BMS building.
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How are you getting updates on retail openings? I think CX will finally reach its potential once those small retail spaces along the path across from REI are open. However, I never see any progress in the ground floor retail.
 
Longfellow said:
CX is too small to compare to either. Nobody knows someone who lives there so you can’t stereotype it. We all know what kind of guy hangs out in the seaport. What would a CX Head look like? Maybe if there was more mixed income housing
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What is the acreage of CX compared to Assembly? They feel about the same, but CX is so much better designed (albeit I’m sure it’s smaller).
 
Badusername said:
How are you getting updates on retail openings? I think CX will finally reach its potential once those small retail spaces along the path across from REI are open. However, I never see any progress in the ground floor retail.
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I just live here now and I’m nosy. The Bon Me just opened this week. The Scoop N Scootery (Zinc) is fully built already & should be opening pretty soon. And there’s definitely been a bunch of progress on the Tap 151 bar which is supposed to open in a few months.

I’m looking forward to Parcel R hopefully starting construction within the next decade. Walking past all the big barren plots every day that are supposed to be housing is pretty frustrating.
 
Badusername said:
What is the acreage of CX compared to Assembly? They feel about the same, but CX is so much better designed (albeit I’m sure it’s smaller).
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I'm not sure that's a fair comparison quite yet - Assembly needs to break up the marketplace before it can really be judged...
 
#bancars said:
My partner and I spend a fair amount of free time there (granted, we live a 10 min bike ride away, so it is close for us). Cafe Beatrice is a great people-watching spot from outside on a nice day, with lots of folks coming off the Community Path. Lamplighter is great. But what we really like is the park space. I run through it all the time, and it's a decent place to relax and watch birds. Especially ducklings--there were maybe 20-25 of them in the pond this year!
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Was pleasantly surprised a couple weeks ago to see that some shade was already being provided by the baby trees
 
Equilibria said:
That park is also a situation where the (dis)urban form actually helps - the big, wide walls probably block a lot of highway noise and keep the park feeling quiet and contained.
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100%, the 3-4 times Ive been to the park I completely forgot its next to a highway as there's zero noise from my memory
 
Longfellow said:
CX is too small to compare to either. Nobody knows someone who lives there so you can’t stereotype it. We all know what kind of guy hangs out in the seaport. What would a CX Head look like? Maybe if there was more mixed income housing
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At the moment, CX seems mostly like an office park, that happens to have a rail rapid transit station and be located 5 minutes from downtown. It should be so much more than just an office park. My experience with the area comes mostly from biking through with other destinations in mind, but I have a few times tried to just hang out there. When I've done that, I found that the businesses I patronized were pretty empty. The park does seem to get some decent use, though, and I could certainly see things begin to feel more vibrant with a few more destinations and residential developments. It's not there yet, though.
 
I wanted to hate it but I actually like it design wise. Its like a well done tower in the park theme and the landscaping is really top notch, like NY high line level. Now in terms of the program, its way too office heavy vs residential and the residential should be much denser, same complaint with all these large projects.
 
I have been championing this space for over a decade; it's fabulous that so many ABers are visiting and enjoying our backyard!

Of note, a number of the remaining parcels are slated to be residential, but DivCo West has a reputation of building (successfully) when needed. Since 151 just opened within the last two years (it is not yet near 100%), and another plot soon to begin construction, there is no intent to arbitrarily build on A, B, and C (or the remaining signature property, Treeland).

Folks like our ducks (my partner helped rescue one earlier this season from being stuck in a poorly construction-masked drain) and restaurants (Starbucks has been open for two years but folks routinely miss it, Lamplighter is often packed, even during the winter, and Bon Me finally opened almost exactly one year late). BTW, folks interested in tracking CX progress can use the application, or follow various related groups. We have some nice retail spaces (adjacent to 151's podium) awaiting assignment and Lot U just opened last month - with evergreens!

Cheers.

Hydrobus said:
I wanted to hate it but I actually like it design wise. Its like a well done tower in the park theme and the landscaping is really top notch, like NY high line level. Now in terms of the program, its way too office heavy vs residential and the residential should be much denser, same complaint with all these large projects.
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