"Dirty Old Boston"

1978

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Early 2000's

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Charlie_mta said:
Where is that? It is so different from today that it's hard for me to tie it into anything.
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I’m pretty sure The Great Fire of 1872 is why you’re having difficulty negotiating the streets compared to today. 80 percent of that area burned and nearly all of the remainder was ripped down and built up later. Could someone confirm that we are looking North East-ish at Old South Meeting House at the left center, with Milk Street curling up toward the water (which is now fill)?
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BeyondRevenue said:
I’m pretty sure The Great Fire of 1872 is why you’re having difficulty negotiating the streets compared to today. 80 percent of that area burned and nearly all of the remainder was ripped down and built up later. Could someone confirm that we are looking North East-ish at Old South Meeting House at the left center, with Milk Street curling up toward the water (which is now fill)?
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I think you're right. Long Wharf is on the upper left, and the curve of the streets matches what's there now.
 
I keep thinking of some mustachioed be-monocled dare-devil strapping a monstrous proto-camera to an untested balloon, rope-anchored somewhere close to where Charles St an Beacon meet, all launching with a huzzah and the throwing of topped hats, a nod to this feat of aeronautical fancy!
 
DZH22 said:
1980's Dirty
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As much as they tried to disguise the elevated Central Artery in that last photo, it still stuck out like a sore thumb. Thank God for Tip O'Neill, wheeling and dealing to get the funds to put the Central Artery under ground. Wish we had politicians like him today who could get things done.
 
Charlie_mta said:
Aerial of Cambridge from 1930. The Concord Turnpike (Rte 2) through the Alewife area to Lexington had not been built yet. The link to the photo for close up viewing is here.

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Never knew the mystic heading into medford had been straightened, and soo much. It used to be crazy squiggly!
 
stick n move said:
Never knew the mystic heading into medford had been straightened, and soo much. It used to be crazy squiggly!
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Yeah, when the 1st section of I-93 was built around 1962, the Mystic River was straightened out a lot to make room for the new interchange with Mystic Valley Parkway (Rte 16 to the west). I used to ride my bike as a kid in 7th and 8th grade from North Cambridge up to there quite a bit to check out the construction work. The Medford Branch (now gone) of the B&M RR was used to haul fill to the site. I remember seeing the train car loads of fill parked on the (long gone) RR tracks just east of I-93 being constructed near Medford Square. All of those kind of experiences inspired me to become a civil engineer.
 
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