Downtown Crossing/Financial District | Discussion

No doubt Mr. Jay Bildner, I mean, Mr. Wegman will be the second coming for the aspiring class.
 
HenryAlan said:
I'm sure he's just being folksy. But still, to even be able to come up with a line like that requires a range of experiences I'd rather not have. But it's not just BosWash, there are other parts of the country where people walk to get things and take trains.
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Henry -- where he's from they walk around with a snow shovel on their shoulder like we carry a musket

Last time I was out that'a way it was a lot more like the Midwest than the Bos-Wash Corridor

On the other hand the Wegmans that dropped in on Northborough is in the midst of a fairly sophisticated techy crowd and its been highly successful. It also very large and very complete -- Whole Foods and Trader Joe's can be lost inside of the Northborough and presumably the Burlington Wegmans

Burlington NW park is opening next year and a smaller-more urban Wegmans-Jr is opening in Chestnut Hill

Here are a couple of Wegmans images:
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Hilltop Village Center Store front in Hunt Valley Maryland Credit: Wegman's
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Northborough store

Her's what they offer to their customers:
Market Cafe
Sushi Bar
Pub
Nature's Marketplace
Floral
Kosher Deli
Pharmacy
Wokery
Beer
Catering
Patisserie
Wine & Spirits Shop
Pizza
Bakery
Sub Shop

Services
Redbox
Coinstar
Wi-Fi Internet Access
MoneyGram


And here's a review of the Northborough Wegmans
http://www.visitingnewengland.com/Wegmans_Northborough_MA.html
Does Wegmans Northborough MA Capture the Magic of the Legendary Rochester NY-Based Grocery Stores?

A detailed analysis of the first Wegmans in New England
Article and photo by Eric H. (posted on Oct. 26, 2011)
Wegmans, a Rochester, N.Y.-based grocery chain, recently opened its first New England supermarket in Northborough, Mass. I've read many media articles about the supersized square footage of Wegmans, the unbelievable crowds of people inside the market, and drivers waiting 25 minutes to find a parking space.

When venturing to Wegmans in Northborough yesterday, I had only one question: will this Wegmans capture the magic of its Rochester area stores that I knew so well as a child while visiting my cousins in suburban Penfield?

The answer turned out to be an enthusiastic "Yes!" Once stepping inside the Northborough Wegmans, I experienced that warm, largely unexplainable feeling that I knew back in the day at the Penfield Wegmans. So what brings on these feelings? Is it just that Wegmans was a novelty as a kid -- an alternative to the rather plain markets we had in the Boston area?....
I believe Wegmans, ultimately, rises above the rest by showing boundless pride of ownership. Let's start with the food. Wegmans has a knack of not only carrying everything you need -- and not running out of items -- but also making sure that the quality of the food is beyond reproach....
The Wegmans Northborough expands on this tradition and celebration of good foods with its wide offerings at the butcher area, seafood counter, bakery, natural foods isle, myriad food stations and take home foods section (Italian, Asian, Dim Sum only, chicken wings, vegetarian, etc.). For lunch, I opted for some spicy chicken and vegetables with vegetable fried rice that was worthy of the best area Chinese restaurants. For dinner, we feasted on some fabulous chicken Parmesan, a truly tasty asiago cheese artichoke cake and a mound of spaghetti at $8 a person. (that's another great Wegmans selling point, good value for such an upscale grocery experience!)...
Before arriving at Wegmans, I thought that perhaps the size of the place (about two football fields), that we live in an era where friendliness and values are on the decline, and businesses routinely cut corners would create a different kind of Wegmans. Sort of like quaint, close-knit Bailey Falls becoming a depressed Pottersville in "It's a Wonderful Life." Not the case here, for sure! Leaving Wegmans, I thought "This is everything I remember, and actually, a whole lot more. They haven't compromised a thing, and have actually built greatly upon a solid premise. Good for them. I love it!"

Wegmans sure has come a long way since 1916 opening as a Rochester area food cart. Or, for that matter since I was a kid visiting my cousins in the 1970s in dear, old Rochester! The magic has remained with a few more tricks added through the years to keep this legendary supermarket chain relevant and so incredible!
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Stupid question about this pediment:

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It is cast concrete, correct?

Would the casts have been made custom for this project or would it have been pieced together from catalog pieces?
 
statler said:
Stupid question about this pediment:

It is cast concrete, correct?

Would the casts have been made custom for this project or would it have been pieced together from catalog pieces?
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I think it's Terracotta. Catalog kit bash given the modularity of the blocks. Look at enough period buildings of the same material in the North East and you'll likely start seeing repetition of the elements.
 
This is the Boston Opera House on Washington Street. I'm pretty sure it is not cast concrete, but cast from marble dust.
 
^beautiful old building hopefully they'll restore the two bottom floors!
 
This could be fantastic. A hotel front and center is what DTX really needs.
 
datadyne007 said:
This could be fantastic. A hotel front and center is what DTX really needs.
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I have been saying this for years. If this happens it will certainly take away some of the sting of the Filene's development having ZERO hotel component. Now we need some entertainment options in the area beyond theaters whether movie or shows. How about a jazz club or mid size (maybe 500-600 capacity) live music venue?
 
BosDevelop said:
I have been saying this for years. If this happens it will certainly take away some of the sting of the Filene's development having ZERO hotel component. Now we need some entertainment options in the area beyond theaters whether movie or shows. How about a jazz club or mid size (maybe 500-600 capacity) live music venue?
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I used to envision LaGrange St. becoming a music street with jazz and cabaret (not nude dancing, but old style cabaret lounges) clubs running between Arlington and Washington St. I think it would work and could be sort of a mini Bleaker St. type atmosphere, particularly if it wrapped around the corner and headed down Washington.
 
HenryAlan said:
I used to envision LaGrange St. becoming a music street with jazz and cabaret (not nude dancing, but old style cabaret lounges) clubs running between Arlington and Washington St. I think it would work and could be sort of a mini Bleaker St. type atmosphere, particularly if it wrapped around the corner and headed down Washington.
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I'd rather see a nice live music venue in the heart of DTX say, in the old Barnes & Noble space smack across the street from Filenes.
 
BosDevelop said:
I'd rather see a nice live music venue in the heart of DTX say, in the old Barnes & Noble space smack across the street from Filenes.
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What about this one just around the corner?

http://www.orpheum-theater.com/orpheum_theater_boston.php

venue_orpheum_bost.jpg


Only problem -- the Orpheum needs a pedestrian connection direct from Washington or Winter St. to the Theatre lobby -- otherwise it seems isolated from the now "burgeoning" DTX population of residents, "soon to be hotel visitors" and students

This is what the 'Orpheum" looked like when it had a Marquee on Washington St.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mit-libraries/3382500304/in/photostream/
 
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That area's probably cost prohibitive for new music venues. Plus, not sure how it could compete with either the old established money makers like the Orpheum, Wang, and Wilbur, or the cheaper spots further away from the city center like the HoB and Middle East. Best bet would be something smaller like the live Jazz at Kingston Station or the DJ scene at Good Life. Neither of those venues is that large though (and both are primarily restaurant/bars). If you wanted to create a neighborhood centered around music venues, your better bet would be in a place like Allston, Davis Square, Union Square (Somerville version), or Central Square. In fact, what you're looking for more or less already exists in those spots.
 
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The Orpheum used to have pedestrian connections to both Washington and Winter streets. The Winter street entrance now goes to the Corner Mall, and the Washington Street entrance was most recently Aldo shoe store.
 
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