Dorm Tower @ Emerson College | 1-3 Boylston Place | Downtown

Emerson can go fuck itself. I totally agree they're a cancer downtown. They transform everything they touch into safe sterile institutional space.
 
lexicon506 said:
Of course not, but their contributions to the city far outweigh the loss of some nightlife on Boylston Place.
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Seriously. Who cares that a handful of tacky sleazy grungy clubs were lost in Boylston Place? There's still only dozens of that exact same grope-y roofie coolatta ilk in the Stuart Street area. I mean, really.
 
KentXie said:
My thoughts is, while the alleyway still exists, fuck Emerson for literally turning what was once a stretched of lively nightlife to a boring pathetic college campus. They're top on my list of most hated higher education institution in Boston.
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In your mind, is every college campus boring and pathetic by definition? I'm in this alley a lot and I agree that while the work is high quality it's pretty sterile and if you aren't an Emerson student you feel unwelcome (and that's counting MassDOT's countering presence), but what school would have done differently? It's just a new use for the space.
 
DBM said:
Seriously. Who cares that a handful of tacky sleazy grungy clubs were lost in Boylston Place? There's still only dozens of that exact same grope-y roofie coolatta ilk in the Stuart Street area. I mean, really.
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It's not the clubs themselves, it's the loss of a unique, activated public space that's the problem. The businesses themselves come and go with time - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Now that the "tacky sleazy grungy clubs" are gone and replaced sterile institutional buildings, the potential for new businesses to come in and activate the space better (though Sweetwater, Remington's, and the Comedy Vault, are tough losses) no longer exists.

Equilibria said:
In your mind, is every college campus boring and pathetic by definition? I'm in this alley a lot and I agree that while the work is high quality it's pretty sterile and if you aren't an Emerson student you feel unwelcome (and that's counting MassDOT's countering presence), but what school would have done differently? It's just a new use for the space.
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Of course not every college campus is boring/pathetic, but there's a difference between Harvard Yard and an urban alleyway in the heart of downtown where you've pushed out private businesses and replaced them with campus functions that really do feel like they're exclusively for students. The school could have kept ground level retail spaces available like they do in some of their other buildings in the area.
 
Lrfox said:
It's not the clubs themselves, it's the loss of a unique, activated public space that's the problem.

The school could have kept ground level retail spaces available like they do in some of their other buildings in the area.
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Good distinction re: clubs/tenants vs. the ambiance of the overall place. And really, I was only ripping on that former Big Easy club, which [allegedly] strived for a New Orleans/Mardi Gras atmosphere but was just dingy, ratty, sad, pathetic. I don't think I ever went into the other ones--hopefully they were numerous cuts above the Big Easy.

Also, a lot of this is highly dependent on your generation. Boston-educated rock 'n' roller baby boomers like my parents probably think Boylston Place was on the downhill since oh, 1973 at the latest. Given that Van Morrison auditioned at Ace Records there in 1968.

Finally: let's see how Emerson does at developing the promised ground-floor retail/restaurant tenants at the renovated 80 Boylston...
 
lexicon506 said:
Huh that's funny, Emerson is near top on my list of most loved higher education institutions in Boston.

Their investments in the Theater District have been transformational and priceless. The Majestic, the Paramount, the Colonial are all the cultural jewels they are today because of Emerson. Their meticulous renovation of the Little Building also adds to the list of things I'm grateful for. Have they been perfect? Of course not, but their contributions to the city far outweigh the loss of some nightlife on Boylston Place.
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I do give them credit for renovating the Majestic, the Paramount, and the Colonial but they also sterilized an entire block of nightlife in a city who's nightlife pales in comparison to many major cities in the US. In the last decade, Emerson closed down the Estate, Liquor Store, and Whiskey Saigon on that block.
 
Equilibria said:
In your mind, is every college campus boring and pathetic by definition? I'm in this alley a lot and I agree that while the work is high quality it's pretty sterile and if you aren't an Emerson student you feel unwelcome (and that's counting MassDOT's countering presence), but what school would have done differently? It's just a new use for the space.
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Leave it alone. This is also my gripe with Northeastern which plans to take out Punter's Pub. I know they own the property but this is Downtown Boston and it just feels like they are turning something that used to cater to the public to something that caters to just their students.
 
KentXie said:
I do give them credit for renovating the Majestic, the Paramount, and the Colonial but they also sterilized an entire block of nightlife in a city who's nightlife pales in comparison to many major cities in the US. In the last decade, Emerson closed down the Estate, Liquor Store, and Whiskey Saigon on that block.
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In addition to the alley, I think Emerson also owns the building that formerly was home to the Mercury Bar and Remington's on Boylston St. (adjacent to the alley). I can't imagine Emerson will allow similar non institutional uses on the ground floor anytime in the foreseeable future.

Emerson has done much good, but much also has been misguided, for example their poorly thought out plan for the Colonial Theater was shelved only after the mainstream press caught wind of the plans and many voiced their displeasure.
 
BeeLine said:
New to the alley. What a great add, but this place really needs some greenery. Maybe a few of those big flower pots like they have at the Four Seasons.
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I agree, but along with the greenery, some bright colored umbrellas attached to the tables, and some of that festive/cafe white lighting strung above the alleyway will really make the space pop. I know that doesn't replace the clubs that were lost but at least give the new version of the alley the appearance of festive and welcoming, if only for a few minutes of walking through.
FYI I had no clue that Norman Lear was an Emerson graduate. Such a tribute to him, the statue and the set that was built in his honor! Some amazing talent at Emerson!
https://www.vdainc.com/viewpoints/norman-lear/
A bit of background info on Norman Lear. Such a nice guy!! https://today.emerson.edu/2018/10/05/emerson-honors-tv-legend-alum-norman-lear/

https://flic.kr/p/2gGBkor
 
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