Downtown Crossing/Financial District | Discussion

Winter Street etc...

Those decorative tapestry/tarp concotions look ridiculous. I have a sinking feeling that the choice of street pavers will eventually be those crappy concrete things that crack and look like hell in a few years. The crosswalk by the orange line headhouse at the intersection of Franklin and Bromfield already looks lousy. The same will happen to the entire district if the do it on the cheap.
 
Anything you see now around Franklin and Bromfield is probably going to look very different once Filene's construction is finished.
 
Re: The BRA Brochure on DTX.
I laughed out loud when I read that they'd be nenaming Hobo Row, Shoppers Square.
 
I think that name (Shopper's Park) dates back to its creation, when Franklin Street was realigned to line up with Bromfield.
 
It was named that when Raymond's block was torn down for the new Woolworth building. It made a through-way with Bromfield Street and created a view towards the ornate Washington Street buildings. This was of course before cheap landlords started ripping off, rather than repairing, cornices and other ornament that were slowly making their way to the street below.
 
If I read any more stories that include a discussion of how to deal with the pushcart vendors, my head will explode!!!!

Jesus, there are a handful of them and they sell shit!
 
Actually, I looked at the DTX pdf brochure and outside of the fabric roof -- it wasn't bad

I like the idea of geting rid of the street curbs and paving the entire surface at a uniform level {obviously there needs to be slope for drainage}

I think Downtown Crossing will be fine -- its just going to take a few years as the Filenes development, Province Place, Haywood Place and Tommy's Tower join the Millenium Towers -- there will be substantial pressures on the other owners in DTX to either upscale or sell to others who will upscale and redevelop.

AS a reference point -- When I was a student at MIT in the 70's a lot of the now fully gentrified BackBay was occupied by students. Even Newbury Street except for the Taj (ne Ritz) block -- was a lot like the today's Mass Ave. There was even a student dive restaurant {I think it was called the Engliseh Tea Room or some such -- that served communal salad and rolls while you were waiting for your server -- and hence if you were a really poor student -- you could get fed for free} within steps of the then Ritz.

If you look at Newbury St. today -- a scant 30 years -- it's a lot closer to Ritz than English Tea Room

DTX will similarly eveolve in then next 5 years -- just hide and watch

Westy
 
Is that desirable? I want Downtown Crossing to be busy and occupied again. I don't want it to go upscale. We have enough upscale in our city.
 
I doubt that its Newbury St or Copley Place upscale - more of the Boylston St-level upscaling

It inevitable -- you put several fairly expensive hotels, bunch of condos and perhaps some apartments in the professional price-range -- you will get people who don't want to live or visit a low-brow dump and the landlords and developers will respond.

Of course due to the easy T access to the rest of the city, Cambridge, Arlington, Somerville, Medford -- the mix of shops and victuals purveyors will be more eclectic than just high-end upscale

Westy
 
I think part of it needs a glass roof, it'll keep heat in during the winter and draw costumers. In the summer its simply there (with proper ventilation).
 
Nothing drastic needs to be done to make DTX vital again. Re-open the streets to auto traffic and you'll see a difference overnight.
 
I don't understand why some people keep insisting that DTX should be reopened to cars. What in the world do you think that would accomplish?? We would have more pollution, more noise, more angry drivers, and yet another set of congested roads in Boston. If that sounds like a lively environment to you, then go ahead and reopen DTX. But if you ask me, cars have done NOTHING to help cities since their invention in the early 1900s...That's not about to change.
 
Cars add life just as people do. The problem is we decided that cars were better than people and started giving them more and more room. DTX does not have the room for a lot of cars so the traffic will always be manageable.

Think of it this way, if you made Newbury St pedestrian only the place would fall apart. I know it is hard for some people to see the point of cars in a city but they have just as much a right to be there as people, we just need to make the streets have a balanced approach to serving traffic.

Also remember people can be just as polluting. They throw their trash on the ground, spit gum, they can be really noisy (especially after last call).
 
lexicon, opening a couple streets isnt going to cause more pollution, but I understand your point. I dont think it needs to be opened to cars, the lack of cars is most definately NOT the reason DTX is struggling. And I think the whole idea of DTX being dead is comlpetely overblown. Once Filenes tower gets built and the basement is back, the area will revive itself. The corner mall has gotta go though, or at least a major overhaul. That place blows.
 
DTX does not have the room for a lot of cars so the traffic will always be manageable.
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That's exactly the problem. Why do you think Boston is considered to be one of the most difficult American cities to drive in? Because we don't have room for all the cars that come into the city everyday! Boston's narrow and crooked streets, especially in downtown, make traffic the opposite of manageable. Opening DTX would encourage more drivers to enter the city and eliminate one of the few spots downtown where you can get away from traffic.

lexicon, opening a couple streets isnt going to cause more pollution
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Stand at the middle of the intersection of Washington and Winter and take a gulp of air. Now, what would happen to the quality of that air if you were surrounded by cars, trucks, and buses?
 
Are you really gonna say that as you walk down the street in any part of Boston you notice how bad the air quality is. That actually goes through your mind? Of course crossing the street in between cars you can get a strong "gulp" of exhaust or when a bus/truck goes by, you might get a whiff every now and then... I completely agree with you about the no cars thing in DTX, but that's a very transparent arguement if you ask me. Who won't go to DTX because cars give off exhaust. come on.
 
Listen, all I'm saying is that every vehicle pollutes, and the more vehicles there are, the more polluted the air is. Are you going to deny that one too?
 
Most major world cities have at least one pedestrianized street. They are very common throughout Europe. I think the vision the mayor and consultants have is the right idea... getting rid of the curbs and adding outdoor seating should definitely help. Hopefully upgrading the public space will encourage more and better retail to locate there.

Here are some photos I took in Ireland of very popular pedestrian streets in Dublin and Galway:

Dublin

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Galway

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The Lincoln Rd Mall in South Beach could provide Boston with a good approach--allow the cross streets (Summer, Franklin) to operate undisturbed by remaining open to vehicular traffic while permanently closing Washington and adding benches, tables, restaurant and kiosk space, and vegetation. Make the mall itself the destination--retail will naturally rebound.
 
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