Downtown Crossing/Financial District | Discussion

Boston arrives as an international shopping destination

the UK Telegraph has this headline:
Christmas shopping guide: London, New York, Paris, Boston and Rome....

At this time of year some of the world's most exciting cities have a special sparkle – a perfect reason to combine a mini-break with a Christmas spending spree. Our experts tell you where to shop and stay in London, New York, Paris, Boston and Rome.....It's happening all over again. Christmas lights are shining out on Regent Street, cheesy Santa advertisements are popping up on television and early bursts of Slade and Wizzard can be heard in pubs and shops. Unless you're one of those annoying people who polishes off all the Christmas shopping by September, you may be feeling very un-festive at the prospect of trudging up and down your local high street or trawling the internet for hours to buy presents.
But there is an alternative. Use that present list as an excuse to plan a glamorous city break and combine your shopping with a London show or exhibition, a romantic dinner in Paris or Rome, or sightseeing in New York or Boston. Here, Telegraph experts tell you where to shop in each destination to find the best buys and bargains – both at Christmas and year round.......
BOSTON
Candlelit windows in Georgian brick homes; trees festooned with lights; carol singers on every corner: a Christmas shopping break in Boston is much more than just ticking off gifts on a list.

The city is more compact than New York, and according to the Post Office survey offers even better prices, and is easily explored on foot. It's also only a seven-hour flight from Britain and, best of all, sales tax is lower than in the Big Apple, so your dollars go further. The day after Thanksgiving (Nov 25) opens a five-week shopping spree, with reductions before Christmas and bigger ones from December 26, a working day in the US....
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the Telegraph is confused if they think November 25 is the day after Thanksgiving.
 
Ron Newman said:
the Telegraph is confused if they think November 25 is the day after Thanksgiving.
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RON-- very perceptive -- While it took the UK a quite long time to adjust to the introduction of the Roman Catholic Gregorian Calendar [story of Ben Franklin's two birthdays]

This is one of simply finding a story from an earlier year [2011 perhaps] when Thanksgiving in the US fell on Nov 25 -- Google is great at mixing up chronologiies
 
MDFO closing...what's the deal? Are we looking forward to another vacant storefront?
 
As this area changes, more stores will turn out. Hopefully though, these storefronts won't stay vacant long like they have been in recent history, but get filled up fairly quick.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
As this area changes, more stores will turn out. Hopefully though, these storefronts won't stay vacant long like they have been in recent history, but get filled up fairly quick.
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I would say exhibit "A" in this regard is the Old South Building--the one directly across from Walgreens mega-store, adjacent to Spring Lane. That Cheeseboy, Cakeology, and David's Tea rapidly replaced--in less than 18 months, I'm guessing--the three businesses that closed there just as quickly (can't remember what they were).

If those three businesses had closed just a few years prior, those vacancies would have stayed vacant a lot, lot longer...
 
Yeah what's up with that block? I was just thinking about it - never seems to be able to make a store work there, although fortunately for all of us, there's a shitty 7-Eleven there now.
 
The Godfrey (the boutique hotel coming to Washington & Temple). These are a great couple of buildings; such happy fabric (so to speak). I'm thrilled to see the renovation happening.



 
I find that apparatus rather fascinating. Perhaps this has been addressed already here, but what is it doing/why is it shaped that way?
 
Coyote137 said:
I find that apparatus rather fascinating. Perhaps this has been addressed already here, but what is it doing/why is it shaped that way?
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It's a dumpster chute. It makes it easier for the gutting of the interior on each floor.
 
ledjes said:
The Godfrey (the boutique hotel coming to Washington & Temple). These are a great couple of buildings; such happy fabric (so to speak). I'm thrilled to see the renovation happening.



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Ledjes === They are fine oldish buildings with definite Chicago commercial style roots
 
As long as they get rid of the rollers and make the street level something besides black nastiness I'm good
 
I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but I can't think of anywhere else to ask. Does anyone know what's going on at School Street? For the past 2 days the street has been closed of with digging going on and lots of utility vehicles. Judging by the types of vehicles it appears to be some sort of sewer issue.
 
Mongo said:
As long as they get rid of the rollers and make the street level something besides black nastiness I'm good
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The Wine Cellar moved around the corner, so you can get your overpriced rollers there.
 
ftran999 said:
I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but I can't think of anywhere else to ask. Does anyone know what's going on at School Street? For the past 2 days the street has been closed of with digging going on and lots of utility vehicles. Judging by the types of vehicles it appears to be some sort of sewer issue.
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Correct--it's part of that same seemingly-interminable sewer line rehabilitation that's been going on for ages. You can tell because of that big, yellow, pipe/cylinder thingie that billows steam all-day-long right by the trenching.

Most of the time, the pipe/cylinder thingie is positioned by the side of King's Chapel, just past the Old City Hall property line. Which I guess makes sense, assuming that King's Chapel's 350-year-old basement plumbing is the "weak link" in School St.'s sewer infrastructure.
 
Any renderings available for the new travel agency building almost completed on Wash. St. across from Macy's? It's a shame it's barely three stories and could have been a handsome infill building at 6-10.
 
DBM said:
Correct--it's part of that same seemingly-interminable sewer line rehabilitation that's been going on for ages. You can tell because of that big, yellow, pipe/cylinder thingie that billows steam all-day-long right by the trenching.

Most of the time, the pipe/cylinder thingie is positioned by the side of King's Chapel, just past the Old City Hall property line. Which I guess makes sense, assuming that King's Chapel's 350-year-old basement plumbing is the "weak link" in School St.'s sewer infrastructure.
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I believe that it is actually Veolia steam line work. The yellow stack usually denotes steam work, because the exhaust is hot. (One of the main downtown steam connectors runs down School Street. They have been fighting minor leaks on the street for years.)
 
Padre Mike said:
Any renderings available for the new travel agency building almost completed on Wash. St. across from Macy's? It's a shame it's barely three stories and could have been a handsome infill building at 6-10.
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I think part of the reason it didn't go higher is that the buildings on either side now have windows facing toward this building, and I'm guessing those occupants would have made a big stink if they lost their windows.
 
MBTAddict said:
I think part of the reason it didn't go higher is that the buildings on either side now have windows facing toward this building, and I'm guessing those occupants would have made a big stink if they lost their windows.
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The building on the south has no windows facing the Liberty building. The building on the north does have windows facing the Liberty building, but Liberty could have gone up another 3 or 4 stories before blocking them. Six or seven verses a 3 story cavity. Another lost opportunity.
 
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