Encore Boston Harbor Casino | 1 Broadway | Everett

[F-Line to Dudley]

Hey F-Line, I know this is beating a dead horse, but I figure you can provide the answer quickest (and my apologies if you did so recently).

Could a CR station fit on the bridge itself, in theory?

No. For same reason as it not being able to fit near the casino coming off the bridge, the track incline on the bridge itself is too steep for an ADA platform. You're only allowed a maximum 2% gradient on a platform to stay within ADA compliance. The bridge is a 3% grade (a couple tenths of percent steeper still on one side, but can't remember if that's Everett or Somerville). Not only is it too steep, but you can't ugly-hack it by giving the platform a lower grade than the track because it'll make the platform edges askew with the doors and violate the ADA a different way by breaking level boarding.

You won't even get issued a permit to spraypaint the first dig spot with such a large discrepancy vs. federal law. There's only 2 other spots on commuter rail with ADA-violating grades: Wellington tunnel approaches on Haverhill/Reading (3.5%), and the Neponset River Bridge on the Old Colony (3%). The Old Colony duck-under of the Red Line in East Braintree comes close at 2% on-the-button. Everywhere else it's less than that, so this is a very rare occurrence overall that just so happens to unfortunately occur right in front of Encore.

 

[DowntownDave]

They really do stack the deck there:

 

[tangent]

Since the infrastructure is very crowded here, I crayoned up an illustration of what we're dealing with:

End of bridge incline to start of the Sweetser Circle curve--the two geometric variables that matter for train traffic--is 1300 ft.

Everett Jct. start-to-finish stretches 1200 ft. between first crossover and last junction switch.

An MBTA platform runs 800 ft.


To make this work you would have to compact the junction into 400 ft., because the split-off isn't happening on a curve with the derailment risk and isn't happening on the commuter rail's second-steepest incline. Pretty much the only way to do it is to delete the two crossovers, which is a terrible idea for resiliency and would outright torpedo mid-afternoon schedules so Pan Am could crawl wrong-rail back to Somerville. Earthen berms?...awesome, you get a platform right behind the casino but kick the can on doing 725 more feet of descent onto the top of Everett Jct. where the traffic effects are just as punitive and no-go.

Encore fun bux isn't going to make the very bad tape-measure readings here suddenly look good. I think we're looking at building out Silver/UR and that's it.

Thanks for the discussion... I apologize if I missed this, but is there a regulation that prevents a crossover along a station platform?

 

[stick n move]

So they should put the station further up the line by 2nd street and then just have a very short bus ride from the station to the casino and then mbta buses can pick up and drop off there also. Then theres an enormous amount of room over there for Everett to build up around the station over time as well.



Or

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

So they should put the station further up the line by 2nd street and then just have a very short bus ride from the station to the casino and then mbta buses can pick up and drop off there also. Then theres an enormous amount of room over there for Everett to build up around the station over time as well.

That's in literal eyesight of Chelsea Station. Why even bother?

 

[stick n move]

Yea right now not really necessary but in the future with electrification and nsrl I think it would be. It wouldnt be any different than Boston Landing and West Station.

https://treetop100babynames.com/exotic-baby-names-boys

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Yea right now not really necessary but in the future with electrification and nsrl I think it would be. It wouldnt be any different than Boston Landing and West Station.

Umm...BL and West are close to a mile apart. 2nd and Everett are 2 blocks apart for where you'd have to position 800 ft. platforms around obstructions. Big freaking difference. This is B Line-level spacing the likes of which we're trying to consolidate our way out of.

 

[stick n move]

Umm...BL and West are close to a mile apart

Thats why I put the marker because theres no actual street to place it at. But yea it is tricky, itd be nice to put it next to the casino but you already detailed why it cannot thats the only reason I was suggesting maybe try further up then.

 

[shmessy]

As a child of the '70's, sometimes, I just have to step back, smile and enjoy that we are having these types of discussions about Chelsea/Everett. Progress is good.

 

[tangent]

Well, anyway.... it is not our proposal. It is Encore's proposal to put a new station there. If they can work with the stakeholders to get it done then it seems like a good idea to me. Then this development area gets a direct rail service and also if the pedestrian bridge moves forward then pretty good walk-ability to the Orange line.

Opens up the possibility for more density and mixed use in the shopping area especially. Traffic hasn't been terrible at the casino I don't think, so I don't think there is a lot of pressure there except that they own a lot of property across the street that could benefit from being closer to transit.

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Is it still opening day madness over there at Encore or have things settled down a bit?

 

[datadyne007]

Is it still opening day madness over there at Encore or have things settled down a bit?

I haven't noticed the traffic jams we were seeing the first two weeks lately. I think things are cooling off and possibly because a lot of people have visited it and not been happy with the experience. I've heard from a number of people from this area that they are still going to travel to Foxwoods or Mohegan to gamble and not go to Encore.

IDK how viable the casino is in the future, but the hotel tower is really where the value to the metro area in Encore lies. A vital injection of hotel rooms to a hotel starved market.

 

[Lrfox]

I've heard from a number of people from this area that they are still going to travel to Foxwoods or Mohegan to gamble and not go to Encore..

I haven't been yet, but I've heard mixed reviews too. Out of curiosity, were the people who said they were going to continue to travel to Foxwoods/Mohegan people who were looking more for the overall experience (gambling along with nightlife, dining, shopping, entertainment, etc.) or people who were looking just at the gambling side of things?

I've heard from many people that there's not "enough" to entertain someone who isn't there just to gamble. I've also heard from people who like to gamble that it's pretty good.

 

[BosDevelop]

I haven't been yet, but I've heard mixed reviews too. Out of curiosity, were the people who said they were going to continue to travel to Foxwoods/Mohegan people who were looking more for the overall experience (gambling along with nightlife, dining, shopping, entertainment, etc.) or people who were looking just at the gambling side of things?

I've heard from many people that there's not "enough" to entertain someone who isn't there just to gamble. I've also heard from people who like to gamble that it's pretty good.

I heard far more negative comments than positive in terms of the restaurants. Overpriced, below average food for the cost with ridiculous waits for tables in partially empty restaurants.

 

[datadyne007]

I haven't been yet, but I've heard mixed reviews too. Out of curiosity, were the people who said they were going to continue to travel to Foxwoods/Mohegan people who were looking more for the overall experience (gambling along with nightlife, dining, shopping, entertainment, etc.) or people who were looking just at the gambling side of things?

I've heard from many people that there's not "enough" to entertain someone who isn't there just to gamble. I've also heard from people who like to gamble that it's pretty good.

Both from my personal/anecdotal sample. Some were looking for experience and others were gamblers who weren't really satisfied with what Encore was offering in terms of gaming. I think at least in my sample, the overlap between those two things is pretty strong; gamblers who also like some sort of experience, namely at least eating a good dinner, which Encore doesn't seem to be providing for many.

 

[George_Apley]

Echoing my sentiment about the Grand Junction, I wish time wasn't being wasted on unlikely locomotive access in lieu of other transit options...

 

[falcon42]

I haven't noticed the traffic jams we were seeing the first two weeks lately. I think things are cooling off and possibly because a lot of people have visited it and not been happy with the experience. I've heard from a number of people from this area that they are still going to travel to Foxwoods or Mohegan to gamble and not go to Encore.

IDK how viable the casino is in the future, but the hotel tower is really where the value to the metro area in Encore lies. A vital injection of hotel rooms to a hotel starved market.

I've heard quite the opposite, mainly from the gambling perspective. Random people that walk in probably won't be happy with the high minimums they have right now. Overall a lot cleaner and NO SMOKING which is a major plus over the CT joints.

 

[dshoost88]

Is it still opening day madness over there at Encore or have things settled down a bit?

I haven't noticed the traffic jams we were seeing the first two weeks lately. I think things are cooling off and possibly because a lot of people have visited it and not been happy with the experience. I've heard from a number of people from this area that they are still going to travel to Foxwoods or Mohegan to gamble and not go to Encore.

IDK how viable the casino is in the future, but the hotel tower is really where the value to the metro area in Encore lies. A vital injection of hotel rooms to a hotel starved market.

I haven't been yet, but I've heard mixed reviews too. Out of curiosity, were the people who said they were going to continue to travel to Foxwoods/Mohegan people who were looking more for the overall experience (gambling along with nightlife, dining, shopping, entertainment, etc.) or people who were looking just at the gambling side of things?

I've heard from many people that there's not "enough" to entertain someone who isn't there just to gamble. I've also heard from people who like to gamble that it's pretty good.

Hello! Resident self-proclaimed Degenerate and Encore-fan, here!

Opening day madness has definitely cooled off, but the place has been steadily busy. If you're not a fan of crowds, then definitely avoid the weekend evenings.

I've lost count, but I've been quite a bit. Frankly it's just a convenient choice for me to go to--I can walk to the casino from home, and it's become a nice alternative to take the 'premium water shuttle' for $7 from Long Wharf to the casino, grab a bite, win $35 on the slot machine to pay for dinner/the ferry, and then walk home... done that a few times the last month.

I actually stayed at the Encore in Las Vegas less than two weeks after the Boston one opened, and will corroborate that the table minimums at the Boston location are aggravating. In Vegas--whether at the Encore/Wynn or any other Strip resort--you could always find at least one blackjack, roulette, or craps table starting at $15. In Boston, I have never seen these tables below $25... even during weekdays or early morning weekends.

I wrote a review a while back of several restaurants and still have to eat at Sinatra's, Rare, and the Burger Bar, but right now I've been most impressed by Waterfront & Mystique. Waterfront is the best to just chill out at with a friend(s) and have a beer. Same with the Garden Lounge upstairs.

More entertainment options down the line would definitely be welcome...
Wynn Controlled Land in Everett by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

 

[jass]

$25 roulette minimum?

Oh my.

 

[HenryAlan]

The minimum bets are always too high at stand alone casinos for the casual gambler. I like black jack but I'm not so good at it that I can count on winning or breaking even. A $25 minimum effectively puts the game out of limits for me, because I can very quickly lose what I'd budget for the evening's entertainment (ie how much I'm willing to lose), whereas a $10 table can entertain me for a few hours. You only get $10 tables in Vegas (where you can even find $5 if you look hard enough), but that's what they have to do to keep people in the room when there is another casino next door, across the street, etc. The casinos in New England do not have that issue.