"Dirty Old Boston"

Charlie_mta said:
That's a great shot. It really shows the unique way Boston's skyscrapers in the Financial District are juxtaposed at myriad orientations, looking like a collage of photos mixed together, compared to the straight linearity of other cities' grid-based skyline.
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So true. There is nothing like it.
 
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Some "dirty old cars" in Somerville. Probably run on leaded gas, very dirty! 1970 VW Bus, late 60s Chevy pick up, early 80s Chevy pick up (Scottsdale?), ??? Early 80s Lincoln and ???


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dhawkins said:
Some "dirty old cars" in Somerville. Probably run on leaded gas, very dirty! 1970 VW Bus, late 60s Chevy pick up, early 80s Chevy pick up (Scottsdale?), ??? Early 80s Lincoln and ???


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That '80s Chevy Pickup isn't quite right, looks like it has the roofline of a more modern truck and they grafted the classic nose on.

Looks like a Mercedes SL behind it.
 
Nyeuthi said:
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What a great picture! I wonder how much pearl clutching there was when this was going up! Ditto for the taller Hancock and Pridential tower in the 60s
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Nyeuthi said:
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I could be wrong, but the pearl clutching/NIMBYism rose to significance later, in the late 1960s after the BRA's urban renewal projects thoroughly traumatized the public. Before that, I think Boston was pretty much forward-looking and open to new development. That said, I don't recall any opposition to the newer Hancock tower when it was proposed and built in the late 60s/70s.
 
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Trinitui said:
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Looking through this thread, it's amazing how this building on Milk St has survived so many changes to the area. (Taken earlier this year)
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In a very odd way, 177 Milk suffered significantly with the demolition of the Central Artery, in that it no longer had the platform for wrapping the giant Christmastime red ribbon around it each December. That was one of the more memorable branding gimmicks in late-20th century Boston that I can think of.
 
For what it's worth, the wrapping has continued long after the demo of the CA (the bow had to be updated when Beal changed its corporate name after a merger). It was quite visible from the surface arteries and Greenway, just no longer visible to auto traffic now routed through the tunnel. Insta of it from last November:

www.instagram.com

The Boston Calendar on Instagram: "A giant bow has been installed on the Flour & Grain Exchange Building for the holiday season 🎁 Happy Small Business Saturday, we rounded up over 30 holiday maker markets happening around the city now through Christm

9,624 likes, 15 comments - thebostoncal on November 25, 2023: "A giant bow has been installed on the Flour & Grain Exchange Building for the holiday season 🎁 Happy Small Business Saturday, we rounded up over 30 holiday maker markets happening around the city now through Christmas so you don’t...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
PercyL said:
For what it's worth, the wrapping has continued long after the demo of the CA (the bow had to be updated when Beal changed its corporate name after a merger). It was quite visible from the surface arteries and Greenway, just no longer visible to auto traffic now routed through the tunnel. Insta of it from last November:

www.instagram.com

The Boston Calendar on Instagram: "A giant bow has been installed on the Flour & Grain Exchange Building for the holiday season 🎁 Happy Small Business Saturday, we rounded up over 30 holiday maker markets happening around the city now through Christm

9,624 likes, 15 comments - thebostoncal on November 25, 2023: "A giant bow has been installed on the Flour & Grain Exchange Building for the holiday season 🎁 Happy Small Business Saturday, we rounded up over 30 holiday maker markets happening around the city now through Christmas so you don’t...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
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Key clarification! Of course I'd assumed the bow was discontinued decades ago after the Artery came down... I'm surprised they've stuck with it, given how the spectacle has gone from 10,000s of daily motorists, stuck in heinous traffic, staring at it daily, right at eye level, t/o December, to ... well, how many people do we think notice it every year, walking around on the street? A handful?
 
DBM said:
Key clarification! Of course I'd assumed the bow was discontinued decades ago after the Artery came down... I'm surprised they've stuck with it, given how the spectacle has gone from 10,000s of daily motorists, stuck in heinous traffic, staring at it daily, right at eye level, t/o December, to ... well, how many people do we think notice it every year, walking around on the street? A handful?
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Tons of people walk along the Greenway and adjacent streets during the day even in the holiday season.
 
The bottom ribbons of the bow extend halfway down the ground-level of the Grain Exhange building. When you're walking around, it's really pretty diffcult to *not* notice it (unless you're truly glued to your smartphone 100% of the time).
 
DZH22 said:
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The best way to improve transportation within a city is to eliminate the city. Sounds like an AI solution. Maybe AI develops time travel at some point and then goes back in time to the urban renewal era to whisper in the ears of planners.
 
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