Chinatown - Progress or Gentrification?

Is the area between Tremont and 93, Oak St and the Mass Pike officially considered part of Chinatown? It's, for my vote, the ugliest 4 blocks in all of Boston. Anyone have historical photos of what was there before?
 
It was a poor extremely dense extension of the South End (where all the servants and industrial workers lived), the Castle Square/NewYork City Streets/ Curve Street neighborhoods. Much like its counterpart Madison Square on the Roxbury border, it was obliterated for a combination of highway and housing projects starting in the 1940s.
 
Joe_Schmoe said:
Is the area between Tremont and 93, Oak St and the Mass Pike officially considered part of Chinatown? It's, for my vote, the ugliest 4 blocks in all of Boston. Anyone have historical photos of what was there before?
Click to expand...

I would extend it beyond that, to the area bound by E. Berkeley, Tremont, 93, and the Pike. Castle Square is predominantly Chinese occupied, and there is a large Chinese market on E. Berkeley between Washington and Harrison Ave.
 
The videos I posted quotes statistical data that Chinatown in the 1900's was 3/4's Chinese and 1/4 Syrian and Lebanese.

Learning about Chinatown and the immigration of the Chinese into Boston is a fascinating thing. I would imagine most people think the Chinese have been in America for centuries when in reality it didn't start until after 1870.

The Chinese population in Boston was under 10,000 well into mid-century.
 
Dear god, what have we done?

Boston, circa 1947 and circa 2010. You'll have to click through for full-sized images.

boston_1947-298x300.jpg


http://johnakeithrealestate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/boston_1947.jpg


boston_2010-300x118.png


http://johnakeithrealestate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/boston_2010.png
 
Quick: Get South Bay up and running as soon as possible !
 
I would imagine most people think the Chinese have been in America for centuries when in reality it didn't start until after 1870.
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Actually, most people think the Chinese being in America is a relatively recent thing; there's not much awareness of early Chinese migration during the 19th century, at least not outside the West Coast.
 
Indeed. I have a friend who told me a story about how when she was in high school, a classmate whose parents were from Eastern Europe somewhere told her to "go back to where she came from". Her response: "My family has been here for eight generations. What about yours?"
 
Updates on all District 2 (South Boston, Chinatown, part of South End) projects:

1. 120 Kingston ?Dainty Dot? went from about 147 units to 200 units by reducing unit size and shifting from condos to apartments. Construction may start in spring.

2. Kensington near China Trade Center. Started in 2003, still going through public notice of chnge. Moved from mix of units to all rental, reduced parking spaces, increased # units. Doing off-site contribution to Hong Lok House instead of on-site affordability.

3. Hong Lok House ? still involved in issues around design review.

4. Oxford Ping On project, tied to 120 Kingston. Increased mix to more 2-bedrooms, fewer units.

5. Parcel 24 ? working on notice of project change, going from market rate condos to mostly all rentals. Still have affordable condos. Switching architects.

6. 275 Albany Street, the Normandy Group, has been approved. Looking to add 408 hotel rooms. BRA thinks good for access to Convention Center, Hospitals, etc.

7. Harrison-Albany Corridor Strategic Plan ? hope by January to come up with urban design framework (including limits on height, massing) and transportation design.

8. Mary Soo Hoo Park ? delayed on start of construction this past fall to modify design after Lee family parcel no longer part of design. Present modified design to public after re-design.
 
That seems like all good news. High end condos always seemed a stretch in Chinatown. The area, and Boston in general, needs more affordable and market rate apartments. The condo boom was really just part of the whole sub-prime mortgage bubble. Glad people are changing their ways. I think it was John who said not everybody in America should own their own home (don't tell that to Republicans!)
 
Hi John, great info. I'll add a few more details.

1. Kingston St: green light all the way.
2. Kensington: (Additional info) Will contribute 7.35mil to Hong Lok House to fill financing gap to build 75 units senior housing. $400k to City Parks Dept. to renovate China Trade Center/Liberty Tree Plaza. $300k to Boston Common/Public Garden Tree Fund (designated for trees, flowers, or art). $70k to Emerson College to renovate the Paramount Theater. Some opposition but green light to go ahead.
3. Hong Lok House: Waiting for Kensington permit approval, once permits granted will receive the 7.35mil BEFORE Kensington construction.
4. Nothing more to add.
5. Parcel 24: Former architect was Goody Clancy, need new architect and switching to rentals will need updated pro forma. Number of parking spaces will be reduced and changes in design to park. Will file PNC in Dec. Probably a few more years away.
6. Nothing to add.
7. Harrison-Albany: This has been delayed for a year. Originally one single planning study area but was broken up into 4 areas.
8. Mary Soo Hoo Park: City should never have considered Lee family parcel in the first place. This is the same Lee family that has the former Dynasty Restaurant boarded up for years.

JohnAKeith said:
Updates on all District 2 (South Boston, Chinatown, part of South End) projects:

1. 120 Kingston ?Dainty Dot? went from about 147 units to 200 units by reducing unit size and shifting from condos to apartments. Construction may start in spring.


2. Kensington near China Trade Center. Started in 2003, still going through public notice of chnge. Moved from mix of units to all rental, reduced parking spaces, increased # units. Doing off-site contribution to Hong Lok House instead of on-site affordability.

3. Hong Lok House ? still involved in issues around design review.

4. Oxford Ping On project, tied to 120 Kingston. Increased mix to more 2-bedrooms, fewer units.

5. Parcel 24 ? working on notice of project change, going from market rate condos to mostly all rentals. Still have affordable condos. Switching architects.

6. 275 Albany Street, the Normandy Group, has been approved. Looking to add 408 hotel rooms. BRA thinks good for access to Convention Center, Hospitals, etc.

7. Harrison-Albany Corridor Strategic Plan ? hope by January to come up with urban design framework (including limits on height, massing) and transportation design.

8. Mary Soo Hoo Park ? delayed on start of construction this past fall to modify design after Lee family parcel no longer part of design. Present modified design to public after re-design.
Click to expand...
 
Parcel 24: Former architect was Goody Clancy, need new architect and switching to rentals will need updated pro forma. Number of parking spaces will be reduced and changes in design to park. Will file PNC in Dec. Probably a few more years away.
Click to expand...

Shame, GC does good work. But good news about parking.
 
Joe_Schmoe said:
Is the area between Tremont and 93, Oak St and the Mass Pike officially considered part of Chinatown? It's, for my vote, the ugliest 4 blocks in all of Boston. Anyone have historical photos of what was there before?
Click to expand...

Tufts University has an archive of South Cove (Chinatown) photos from their planning department. Supposedly, there are 2 archives ? one at Tufts Medical Center (formerly T-NEMC) and Tufts Univ.

Tufts University Digital Archive
 
Joe_Schmoe said:
Is the area between Tremont and 93, Oak St and the Mass Pike officially considered part of Chinatown? It's, for my vote, the ugliest 4 blocks in all of Boston. Anyone have historical photos of what was there before?
Click to expand...

Before you consider this area completely moribund, take a walk down Oak Street between Washington and Harrison. The new Metropolitan complex with it's garden courtyard frames the 1830 late Federal Row Houses on Oak very nicely (the row houses form the 4th wall of the courtyard). And the streets maintain their tight historic grid (since 1830!) (Oak, Pine, Maple, Johnny Ct.).
 
JeffDowntown said:
Before you consider this area completely moribund, take a walk down Oak Street between Washington and Harrison. The new Metropolitan complex with it's garden courtyard frames the 1830 late Federal Row Houses on Oak very nicely (the row houses form the 4th wall of the courtyard). And the streets maintain their tight historic grid (since 1830!) (Oak, Pine, Maple, Johnny Ct.).
Click to expand...

Also, the area is considered part of Chinatown. It is often called Residential Chinatown, and is part of the Chinatown Master Plan. (Historic name is South Cove)
 
The RKO Keith's theatre in photo #3 still exists and is now called the Opera House. It really needs to get its marquee back. During the heyday of the Combat Zone, this was a Sack first-run cinema, the Savoy. To my knowledge, it never showed X-rated movies.

The Pagoda theatre shown in the video clip still stands today but has been converted into a large Chinese restaruant, the Emperor's Garden (or Empire Garden; different signs have different names for this). This was never a 'Combat Zone' theatre; it showed Chinese martial-arts films.

The now-demolished Publix (Gayety) was also never a 'Combat Zone' theatre; it was a grindhouse showing double features of third-run B-movies, and I think also some Chinese films.

The Pilgrim theatre, most definitely an X-rated business, was demolished and is now the site of Archstone Boston Common apartments.

What is the large church being demolished in photo #1 (and why)?
 
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It's the Old Howard Theater in Scollay Square
 
oh! I was wondering where in Chinatown or the Combat Zone such a large edifice could be.
 
When the Orange Line was relocated in 1987, the Essex stop was renamed Chinatown. This was part of a conscious strategy to encourage Chinatown to expand westward to Washington Street, as a way of reducing and displacing the Combat Zone.
 
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