Finally stopped by today. And...well, there was an attempt.
The Bad:
I really hope they are just renting/leasing those Home Depot sheds and will come back with something better next year. They are even worse up close then from afar.
The shed placement is really weird. Some are lined up like little solders in perfect rows, while others look they were just dropped in random spots. Seemed really rushed and haphazard.
While I appreciate the attempt, City Hall Plaza will never feel like a winter wonderland without a major overhaul. The chipped and cracked red brick underfoot just takes you out of the setting. Not sure if they can put hay or mulch or something like that down to cover it, but it would go a long way. I could see that causing other problems. Not sure of a fix on that.
Not their fault and it won't be a problem at night or next year but sitting next to an active construction zone doesn't help.
The giant BOSTON sign is not as nearly impressive as it seemed in the renders.
The weird PVC pipe Christmas tree doesn't really work (it might be better at night?)
The Good:
The skating path looks great. Glad they invested in the glass walls. Makes a world of difference. Would love to see that at the Frog Pond.
The shops actually seems like small, local vendors. I was expecting to see some national brands, etc. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the shops. Not too much cheap junk, not too much fru fru crap. (your mileage may vary)
The "Lodge" actually seemed pretty decent despite being in a event tent.
So, for the first year, there are definitely some kinks to work out, some are easy fixes, some things probably can't/won't be fixed. My biggest problem was the sheds. They need to invest in better designed, higher quality 'chalets' for future events.
