General Boston Discussion

Hubman said:
In case anyone was wondering, Google Earth just updated its imagery for Boston, including new Lechmere Station, the Red Bridge and the new State St tower.
Click to expand...

Noticed that as well! Also the BU Data Sciences Center
 

Brian Golden stepping down as Director of the BPDA. Some staggering numbers over the past 8 years at the helm, with these being my highlights:

1. 90 million sq ft of development
2. 49 million sq ft of residential (46,000 housing units)
3. 11,000 affordable units
4. Last year, 35% of all units approved were affordable
5. "Boston has a higher percentage of income-restricted affordable housing than any other city in America."

What a career!
 
That was announced last year, and they lumped their previous 2018 commitment in MA in with the rest of their investments in the announcement. Not sure how many times they can keep recycling this MA headcount expansion on PR pieces and whatnot, but we are approaching the halfway point of the "initiative," and its still being announced as news...
 
Serious question: Are lab buildings easily converted to other uses? I'm thinking that the former industrial buildings downtown presented a challenge for conversion and many of them simply were torn down. Are all these lab buildings purpose-built or can they change use once the lab-mania dissipates somewhere in the future?
 
New report paints Boston as burgeoning cybersecurity hub

vclsocial3*1140xx1200-675-0-377.png
Year-over-year funding to Massachusetts cybersecurity companies increased fivefold last year, the report found.

“While Greater Boston may not yet be the nation’s premier cybersecurity center, a new report highlights the region’s role as a fast-growing hub for this in-demand technology.”

“The report found that Greater Boston’s cluster of companies, universities, research organizations and investors have bolstered the local cybersecurity industry, even in the face of a global pandemic and shift in workstyles. Funding continues to flow to Boston-area cybersecurity companies, and analysts from this report expect numbers to remain high in 2022…”


https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/...2/05/11/boston-cybersecurity-report-2022.html
 
Life Coach Mike said:
Serious question: Are lab buildings easily converted to other uses? I'm thinking that the former industrial buildings downtown presented a challenge for conversion and many of them simply were torn down. Are all these lab buildings purpose-built or can they change use once the lab-mania dissipates somewhere in the future?
Click to expand...

Cubes yeah. Housing, Retail no.
 
DZH22 said:
Article about housing issue.
www.bostonglobe.com

The housing divide is pulling Massachusetts apart - The Boston Globe

In areas where people talk a lot about fixing inequality, like Boston, real estate prices have erected higher and higher barriers between existing and aspiring homeowners.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
Click to expand...

They nailed it with that article. Power was taken from the states and given to the towns/residents in response to urban renewal bulldozing neighborhoods of the 60’s, but like anything else this power is now being exploited by home owners to increase the value of their nest egg at the expense of everybody else who doesnt own a home. The first step is recognizing the problem and calling it out. Charlie Bakers controvercial bill is another important step now that the conversation is happening toward making real changes. Im honestly surprised it came from him, but its about time.
 
Did anyone go down to see Copley Square connected to the BPL?
 
Now is your chance to voice your opinions to the Aquarium on Reddit

"I work with the Aquarium, we're sponsoring an initiative to redesign the Downtown Waterfront area to make it more accessible and inclusive - we've been handing out a quick survey on why people do or don't go to the waterfront and we're looking for as much input as possible (we even got Elliot Davis) "
 
xec said:
Rather flattering portrayal of Boston in the NY Post. The author laments that NYC isn't like that anymore. Both the author and the article get eaten alive in the comments, though.

https://nypost.com/2022/07/10/boston-shows-new-yorkers-what-their-city-could-be-like
Click to expand...
The article is right. Boston is a very nice city, with relatively little homeless on the streets, tent cities, widespread graffiti, and boarded-up storefronts, etc. that plague many US cities it's size or larger. Go to the downtowns of Portland, San Francisco or Seattle and see the type of dystopian nightmare that Boston is not.
 
Charlie_mta said:
The article is right. Boston is a very nice city, with relatively little homeless on the streets, tent cities, widespread graffiti, and boarded-up storefronts, etc. that plague many US cities it's size or larger. Go to the downtowns of Portland, San Francisco or Seattle and see the type of dystopian nightmare that Boston is not.
Click to expand...

Reading those comments was VERY interesting to say the least! I recently had a convention to attend in Anaheim where I flew into LAX. The Uber to Anaheim seemed kind of expensive, so I took the Light Rail from LAX to Norwalk. It was mid-day around 2pm. I noticed a lot of sketchy looking people that seemed either homeless or on drugs. Yes, Boston might have some sketchy characters too......but take the Red or Green line at 2pm, and you'll find regular people for the most part exactly how the author states in the article. Despite people complaining about the T around here, I do think the attitude is that it's relatively safe and EVERYBODY uses it from rich and poor alike. I've had lots of family and friends visit from the Midwest, and they ALL comment how safe and clean Boston seems. Yes, we have a lot of issues like any other big city, but we are doing a lot right as well.
 
Regarding downtown cleanliness, I need to shoutout the men and women working for the Business Improvement District. The work they do emptying the trash, cleaning the sidewalks, helping and welcoming tourists, and being first on scene when there are emergencies is invaluable.
 
Will the cost of housing tank the Massachusetts economy?

“Another, even broader, issue here. The cost of housing may threaten the economic future of Massachusetts.”

“We are facing a potential “brain drain,” says Michael Goodman, a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. In this hub of intellectual firepower, our most potent natural resource isn’t land or oil; it’s talented people. And when they can’t afford to live in the state, that’s a problem.”

“When the Roundtable surveyed members this year, they found the single biggest reason companies gave for reducing their footprint in Massachusetts was the “cost of living.””

“Most of the Greater Boston communities just don’t want housing,” he said. Residents often resist more kids in the schools, more pressure on public resources, more traffic. Many towns, he says, have sought to reduce the number of residential units that developers can put in building projects, instead preferring lab and retail space.”

“Afordable housing regulations have little impact, if a town is willing to endlessly litigate, or to incur whatever penalties or fines might come their way. Indeed, he’s come to believe that a massive expansion of public transportation may be the only viable option remaining.”

“The fact that decision-making about housing is so decentralized doesn’t bode well for change, though the state does have the ability to reclaim a good deal of authority, if it wanted to.”

- - I did not know about this. Were literally in an emergency right now, may need to look more in to this.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/01/business/will-cost-housing-tank-massachusetts-economy/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top