Photo of the Day, Boston Style - Part Deux

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The street formerly known as Dover.

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Shoebox cleaning done for now.
 
^ Amazing. Looks like Jackson Heights in Queens.
 
I wouldn't go that far. This was a pretty run -down neighborhood when the photos were taken.
 
The deadness of today versus the urban vitality of yesterday:

What it is today:

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What used to be:

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Where did I read recently that some group wanted to turn East Berkeley back into "Dover Street" between Albany Street and Tremont Street?
 
Dover Street, like the former Ann Street in the North End, now North Street, and like the former Templeton Street, now Msgr. Patrick J. Lydon Way in Dorchester had a reputation as a devious type of place. By changing the name to East Berkeley Street everything was supposed to get better, right?
 
The deadness of today versus the urban vitality of yesterday:

Looking at the above pics, comparing what was and what is now, I have to say that the above comment, IMO, should be the other way around....the deadness of yesterday over the urban vitality of today. Maybe it's just me, but I just don't see how the South End of the 60's and 70's was more urban than the South End of today. Gritty, definitely!

BTW, nice pics and congrats to the city and residents of the South End for turning a neighborhood in distress into one of the nicest neighborhoods in this city or any city.
 
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The printed book made for the MBTA prior to demolition of the EL has all the original drawings, competition drawings for the stations, assembly details, construction photos, historic photos, pre-demolition survey photos,etc. The original drawings and details for all the rivet patterns are actually quite beautiful. The State Transportation Library, BPL, Harvard, MIT, BU, NU libraries should actually have copies. I remember seeing a new copy late in 87 at the GSD.
 
atlantaden:

I noticed I had accidently deleted the photo of the East Berkely Street of today, which I've restored:

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I agree the South End has become a nicer, wealthier and safer neighborhood. What I was lamenting is mainly the loss of the elevated and the excitement, in my opinion, that it brought to the area. Comparing the two photos, the older one with the former elevated Orange Line looks like a pedestrian oriented, active urban neighborhood, while the new photo has the feeling of a car oriented suburb.

True, the Elevated line was dilapitated and noisy, but it could have been rebuilt to something more palatable. Chicago has rebuilt several of its elevated lines. The historical Washington Street el stations could have been restored and the line itself rebuilt into something less obtrusive.

I just think the area looks too genteel now. Guess I like gritiness, urban excitement and transit lines being routed along busy thoroughfares rather than on poorly located railroad corridors.
 
I live in Dorchester - we have plenty of "grit" and the Field's Corner Red Line is an "el" train.

I think a lot of people have a romanticized view of "old gritty Boston" and lament the clean, safe, generic look that has oozed throughout the urban core, but the reality is that "gritty" and "colorful" and "bohemian" areas are best looked at through rose-colored glasses, years after they've been sterilized through gentrification.

The reality is that to those of us who live in "gritty" neighborhoods, they are not pleasant and we would not miss 75% of the stores and would welcome a Starbucks with open arms. I feel like it's more the elitists who don't live in these neighborhoods that romanticize things like dirty diners, obsolete service stores (like a cobbler) and family-run corner convenience bodegas.
 
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