Downtown Crossing/Financial District | Discussion

I'm blown away that travel agencies are anything more than rooms filled with computers for people to access Kayak.
 
Evidently their business is mostly large corporate clients, and the storefront is more of an advertisement than a retail operation.

I actually sort of like the way it looks. Bare minimum it's not the same old same old. I'll give them a pass on the two stories since it was a rehab and not a complete rebuild.

But yeah, it'd be nice if it was taller and if it was more useful to the average DTX shooper.
 
Walked home via DTX last night (~8pm) and there was a ton of pedestrian traffic out and about through there. But most shops not open. Go figure.
 
honestly I really think the modern look of that building improves the pedestrian experience in this area, plus the big led screen inside stays on all day/night brightening part of the dark streets of downtown crossing.
 
MBTAddict said:
I'm blown away that travel agencies are anything more than rooms filled with computers for people to access Kayak.
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Believe it or not, there is still a decent population of people that prefer to sit down and speak to someone about their trip. I am surprised people still use agencies, but they still do.




One thought I have when walking through DTX at night is that the street lighting in some areas is very poor, and pretty good in others. One way of making the area feel alive after 8 pm would be some solid street lighting.
 
Someone a while back asked about the Stuart Theatre. I don't think any trace of it remains after it was converted to a McDonald's. In its final decade or so, it was renamed the Pussycat.
 
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I read that the hotel project--two buildings further down the street from Liberty Travel in the above photo--is going to restore the first two stories of the building facade, continuing the original columns down to the street. That will be a great architectural crime undone, and the hotel should have a very positive impact on Washington and the Ladder District. Now if only Macy's would get a re-do, and preferably get replaced by a department store that's doing more than scraping by.... While we're at it, it would be nice if they got rid of curbs and raised sidewalks on this section of Washington up to the new tower, as well as along Winter and the first block of Summer.
 
chumbolly said:
I read that the hotel project--two buildings further down the street from Liberty Travel in the above photo--is going to restore the first two stories of the building facade, continuing the original columns down to the street. That will be a great architectural crime undone, and the hotel should have a very positive impact on Washington and the Ladder District. Now if only Macy's would get a re-do, and preferably get replaced by a department store that's doing more than scraping by.... While we're at it, it would be nice if they got rid of curbs and raised sidewalks on this section of Washington up to the new tower, as well as along Winter and the first block of Summer.
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I'd love it if they moved the curbs to make a 16' wide roadway. This would be perfect width for a two-way cycle track, but also wide enough for emergency equipment. Retaining curbs would also signal to pedestrians to stay out of the little strip.

As for the Macys facade, I had half-jokingly said they should have moved the 1906 Filenes facade over there instead of demolishing it.
 
I'd love to see the DTX pedestrian zone expanded to included Temple Place, while allowing for the Silver Line to keep operating there. Temple Place has some great food options, and I think a ped zone with some nice big outdoor seating areas would do wonders.
 
MBTAddict said:
I'd love to see the DTX pedestrian zone expanded to included Temple Place, while allowing for the Silver Line to keep operating there. Temple Place has some great food options, and I think a ped zone with some nice big outdoor seating areas would do wonders.
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A couple of us on here go for lunch at jm Curley and Stoddards all the time! =)
 
Suffolk 83 said:
^ I go drinking at both of those. Hold the food.
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Both have great food for a workday lunch gathering! I definitely agree on the untapped potential of Temple Place though. It could be a great gateway to that end of DTX with some reworking of the streetscape and outdoor seating at the local bars/restaurants.
 
There's going to be a Painted Burro in the old Windsor Button too. And I gotta say, Curley's is one of the best restaurants in the city. They're doing stuff no one else in Boston is doing. Always inventive too. Their new one Merrill is also great. Agree on Stoddard's though. Good for pub food, but yeah, nothing amazing.
 
I've been saying it for years (decades?) but Downtown Crossing needs some entertainment options beyond bars, restaurants and nearby theaters. A small/mid size live music venue would be nice. A place to shoot some pool would be nice.
 
BosDevelop said:
I've been saying it for years (decades?) but Downtown Crossing needs some entertainment options beyond bars, restaurants and nearby theaters. A small/mid size live music venue would be nice. A place to shoot some pool would be nice.
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OOOHh a multi-level pool hall would be great! Maybe bowling too? Basically "Jillian's DTX".
 
Scholar's has a bunch of pool tables. I'm not sure there will ever be a small or mid-sized venue down there though. Rent is too high. There's a reason the best small venues around here are in Allston, Somerville, Central Sq., etc. They did run shows at the Limelight Karaoke place by Emerson for a while, but it never really caught on. Other than that, you've got shows in Jacque's every once in a while, and electronic shows at Good Life (not my scene, but supposed to be good).
 
Scholars has great tables. Also Beantown Pub has a bunch of mediocre ones.
 
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