East Boston Infill and Small Developments

Lighten up, it was joke. This site is a better place when Beton is posting. Especially in this thread since EB is his hood.
 
Thanks, Briv. And no one needs to lighten up -- I've a dark sense of humor, and I know it's not for everyone.

With that said, there actually was a subtext to my comment about the questionable design ethos of this proposal. By my assessment, this proposal suffers from a personality disorder. The brick region of the facade looks for all the world like sad, generic post-WWII public housing that we see across greater Boston. The clapboard-and-mansard (likely to be executed in HardiePlank and asphalt shingles) belongs on a low-budget movie-set.

No less an architect than Frank Gehry gave license to this sort of design psychosis. But Gehry's a brilliant, broad-minded man, and his buildings are jammed with *subtext and social commentary. In the hands of a lesser architect, this approach results in a facade has all the continuity of an extortion letter.

*Whether or not architecture is an appropriate venue for this sort of discursive expression is a different discussion, and one well worth having -- I'll bring a good bottle of whisky.

Roxxma said:
So, do bougainvillea trees grow in New England?
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They actually do -- there are cold-tolerant varieties indigenous to higher elevations that will survive our winters. I have three of them in my yard.
 
Beton Brut said:
Thanks, Briv. And no one needs to lighten up -- I've a dark sense of humor, and I know it's not for everyone.

With that said, there actually was a subtext to my comment about the questionable design ethos of this proposal. By my assessment, this proposal suffers from a personality disorder. The brick region of the facade looks for all the world like sad, generic post-WWII public housing that we see across greater Boston. The clapboard-and-mansard (likely to be executed in HardiePlank and asphalt shingles) belongs on a low-budget movie-set.

No less an architect than Frank Gehry gave license to this sort of design psychosis. But Gehry's a brilliant, broad-minded man, and his buildings are jammed with *subtext and social commentary. In the hands of a lesser architect, this approach results in a facade has all the continuity of an extortion letter.

*Whether or not architecture is an appropriate venue for this sort of discursive expression is a different discussion, and one well worth having -- I'll bring a good bottle of whisky.



They actually do -- there are cold-tolerant varieties indigenous to higher elevations that will survive our winters. I have three of them in my yard.
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Thanks... as I said the first time, in general I don't believe in censorship or "you shouldn't say x" comments but I work in the field and it is something I wanted to say... Whitewashing language is in general a BS endeavor that does little to effect meaningful change. Still, some groups are easier to make humor out of then others, and that's worth keeping in mind. But yeah, I get the subtext...

Worth discussing here? I'm a firm believer that anything is worthy of discussion! But I do like whiskey. Perhaps the Winthrop side of the Belle Isle Marsh with a flask in December would be an appropriate time and place to contemplate the architectural disasters of our city, language, and other important matters.


briv said:
This site is a better place when Beton is posting.
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Like I said, agreed.
 
FK4 said:
Perhaps the Winthrop side of the Belle Isle Marsh with a flask in December would be an appropriate time and place to contemplate the architectural disasters of our city, language, and other important matters.
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One of the most surprising skyline panorama's available. I almost prefer it to the ocean view.

Hope you like Lagavulin.
 
BeeLine said:
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This is quintessential Eastie, right down to the DirecTV dishes hung haphazardly on the roof (I'd say East Somerville too...but they're less discerning over there about hanging dishes atop of awnings and Virgin Mary lawn ornaments).

Only thing that's missing are the peeling remains of some dirty old 1980's cigarette ad on the billboard.
 
Beton Brut said:
One of the most surprising skyline panorama's available. I almost prefer it to the ocean view.

Hope you like Lagavulin.
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It is as you say and more -- one of those only in Boston [or in this case Winthrop] views -- as you spin around for the full 360 effect thanks to the magic of Google -- you could be down on the Cape.

Start with the houses on the hillside clustered above the Salt Mash -- keep turning cross the local road and the Ocean VIEW APPEARS with the hedland curling away in the distance. Keep turning and the Open Ocean stretches over the horizon. Then as you keep turning you see the near shore and the road rising up to the headland. Cross the road again back to the Salt Marsh -- and then Voila out of nowhere the towers of Downtown Boston appear

and all of it is available to you one Blue Line ride from State Street

c'est magnifique :D
 
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Is Eastie zoned like Southie? Will we be seeing lots of small as of right infill development here?
 
^ Yes, with the expected envelope-pushing for scale, and reduced parking counts at transit nodes (that aren't always pleasing to some of my neighbors).

As the content of my posts likely bear out, my main concerns have always been with the overall quality of design and execution of new construction.
 
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Beton Brut said:
^ Yes, with the expected envelope-pushing for scale, and reduced parking counts at transit nodes (that aren't always pleasing to some of my neighbors).

As the content of my posts likely bear out, my main concerns have always been with the overall quality of design and execution of new construction.
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For some reason, I feel like the overall quality of the infill in Southie is better than the infill in Eastie (from an architecture standpoint -- and not every project!). Perhaps it is because East Boston is still behind South Boston in property value?
 
JeffDowntown said:
Perhaps it is because East Boston is still behind South Boston in property value?
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Perceived value, driven by the real barrier of the Harbor.

Many newcomers to East Boston have been priced out of Somerville, Cambridge, Charlestown, and South Boston. The first wave, rolling back ten years, were folks who work in the non-profit sector. With new construction, there'll be a wave of higher-income residents. The discussions about gentrification and displacement (of the largely Latino community, representing over 50% of East Boston's current population), have been ongoing for several years.

Like any urban neighborhood, this one is complicated. The presence of Logan, a spectrum of other historically malignant land-uses, and unflattering attitudes from some on the other side of the Harbor add to the complexity.
 
^ The presence of Logan issue has always been a puzzle to me (as in why that is such a negative). Logan seems to have a much larger impact on the quality of life in South Boston and Winthrop than in East Boston.

Or am I missing the issue of traffic and access to the city (backups in the tunnels)? I tend to miss that since I see East Boston as very accessible (via subway!).
 
I live a block off of Saratoga Street in Orient Heights, on the Winthrop side of the Blue Line tracks. I love my back porch, and in the summer, it's filled with plants -- come by my place for a beer some evening, Jeff -- you'll figure it out with the quickness.

Flights departing on Runway 4R/22L are constant companions -- I can wave to the pilots. Flights departing om 22R/4L (in the opposite direction) stack up a dozen or more deep on Taxiway November before they slip their brakes and dump the throttle. Folks living on Eagle Hill have a similar landing and takeoff overflight experience with 15R/33L.

Or just look at a map.
 
^I think Jeff was thinking of Jeffries Point/Maverick. Basically no airplane noise there (though that area is gentrifying).

The BDPA approved 301-303 Border Street. This project includes 64 apartments and ground level retail.
 
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