Seaport Memorial Park | Parcel F @ Seaport Square | Seaport

[Sprngh2o]

+1

 

[whighlander]

I still think it's a failure of planning/coordination that we did not get a nice line of parks all the way from Summer St to the harbor. It would've defined the space so much better. Instead we have kind of overlapping areas which might still work when all lots are built out, but more likely it's going to be awkward...

Smartiro -- I used tho think that way too -- and then when I was thre for the dedication of the Fallen Heroes Memorial on Friday -- I realized -- that this park is Special for two reasons

1) It is the 'Village Common" for the Seaport ./ Innovation District -- a al Boston Common
this is reinforced by the 'District Hall being adjacent

2) Because of the significance of the Memorial -- you neeed something to isolate or separate it from the rest of things more mundane

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument is ideally located becaue its on the Common -- But -- not just anywhere on the Common -- its situated on a good size hill with a clear exposure from the western side. The other War Memorials in Boston are almost too isolated: in the midst of the Fens; just bayward of the Fort on Castle Island; and on a relatively anonymous pier in the Navy Yard

 

[timsox6]

Theres a park in the middle of the L 3-6 parcels, that leads directly down the pedestrian corridor between pwc and 121 seaport. Then you cross the street into the memorial or you can take a right through the M parcels plaza. Then after that theres another park directly on the water at fan pier or you can walk to the pier 4 park. Its gonna turn out fine. Other than the green way boston and cambridge are a collection of many seaparate parks and squares spaced out enough to keep urbanity but give small getaways in pockets all over the city. I think thats basically what theyre going for here. The greenway is the exception not the rule. Most of boston has many small parks and squares like post office square that are not connected to eachother but are huge assests to the immediately surrounding areas.

While I don't think a big linear park is a necessary feature for the Seaport, I do think it would have worked really well. And the Greenway is not the only linear park system in Boston: the Harborwalk definitely has elements of a continuous park, and then there's that big thing called the Emerald Necklace that Boston is kind of known for.

 

[whighlander]

While I don't think a big linear park is a necessary feature for the Seaport, I do think it would have worked really well. And the Greenway is not the only linear park system in Boston: the Harborwalk definitely has elements of a continuous park, and then there's that big thing called the Emerald Necklace that Boston is kind of known for.

Timsox -- don't forget the Esplanade -- its close to being linear and its defintly wide enough to be a continuous and contiguous park.

However, using a model of the Back Bay with the Esplanade for the Seaport is not too far off

The analog to the Esplanade is either the Harbor's edge with the Harborwalk, or the equivalent along the Fort Point Channel

There is not anything equivalent in the Seaport to Comonwealth Ave, with its trees and grass and lomg path in the median. However, the new park in the midst of the Seaport Square development is a farily good analog for Copley Square with the District Hall playing the role of the BPL

 

[stick n move]

While I don't think a big linear park is a necessary feature for the Seaport, I do think it would have worked really well. And the Greenway is not the only linear park system in Boston: the Harborwalk definitely has elements of a continuous park, and then there's that big thing called the Emerald Necklace that Boston is kind of known for.

I see what your saying, but the seaport will have a pretty nice harbor walk. The emerald necklace and esplanade are not going to happen in the seaport. Im just saying this is essentially a new business district and its kind of keeping with other business districts in Boston with the many small separate squares and parks surrounded by development.

 

[xec]

 

[stefal]

Nice pictures.. They almost look like renderings!

This park came out really nice. It's a great addition to the Seaport.

 

[shmessy]

Nice pictures.. They almost look like renderings!

This park came out really nice. It's a great addition to the Seaport.

For the folks who really like this park, I respectfully ask: Why do all those pictures show such a dearth of humanoids actually IN the park? Is it not yet open to the public? Is it just a piece of modern art to appreciate from afar?

I see those pictures and think 'Neutron Bomb'.

 

[stick n move]

It just opened, barely anybody even knows it exists, its not done yet, and the seaport is a giant construction zone. Give it time.

 

[JeffDowntown]

For the folks who really like this park, I respectfully ask: Why do all those pictures show such a dearth of humanoids actually IN the park? Is it not yet open to the public? Is it just a piece of modern art to appreciate from afar?

I see those pictures and think 'Neutron Bomb'.

We said the same thing about the Greenway. Over and over when it first opened. Wring hands, palpitate...

Just give it time.

 

[shmessy]

We said the same thing about the Greenway. Over and over when it first opened. Wring hands, palpitate...

Just give it time.

Actually, if you look back at it, the folks here did NOT say the same thing about the Greenway that they are saying about this park.

We COMPLAINED about the Greenway until major changes were made to it to become more the more human-friendly space it is today.

Folks here are a lot more sanguine about this park as it is now. It's just my opinion, but I like parks that people can actually use, not just look at like a museum piece.

I hope it CHANGES the way the Greenway did. And it probably will. I'm rooting for this space. But right now, that Emperor has no clothes on. I'm not wringing hands, I'm just pointing out the obvious, that right now, it's a largely humanoid-free museum piece. I look forward to the IMPROVEMENTS that will make it a living space.

 

[Equilibria]

Actually, if you look back at it, the folks here did NOT say the same thing about the Greenway that they are saying about this park.

We COMPLAINED about the Greenway until major changes were made to it to become more the more human-friendly space it is today.

Folks here are a lot more sanguine about this park as it is now. It's just my opinion, but I like parks that people can actually use, not just look at like a museum piece.

I hope it CHANGES the way the Greenway did. And it probably will. I'm rooting for this space. But right now, that Emperor has no clothes on. I'm not wringing hands, I'm just pointing out the obvious, that right now, it's a largely humanoid-free museum piece. I look forward to the IMPROVEMENTS that will make it a living space.

4 days. It's been open 4 days. It's surrounded on half its sides by construction sites.

 

[datadyne007]

While it has only been open for a few days, I'll note that this "park" will likely suffer from the same design choices that the Fan Pier "park" does. Like at Fan Pier, there was an intentional design choice to prevent people from having any sort of fun on the grass by means of creating physical barriers between grassy segments. This prevents/discourages anyone from getting together with some friends to kick around a soccer ball*, throw a frisbee, football, etc. The space just isn't appealing for people to inhabit beyond walking *through* or just sitting on a bench on the hardscape. The design language of this "park" makes it clear that the grass is for looking at, not inhabiting.

For a district that is branding itself as young & innovative, there's a shocking lack of space where young people (who like outdoor recreational activities like soccer) can go outside their $3000/m apartments and have some fun.

*Note, I'm not talking about setting up a full pickup game with nets or a place to practice free kicks. You need a large open space/field for that. I'm just talking about a place where you can hang out with friends and kick a ball around.

 

[quinninin]

I think we need to realize that this is not yet complete, as they still need to complete the side buildings that will have an interactive memorial component and retail space.

 

[whighlander]

While it has only been open for a few days, I'll note that this "park" will likely suffer from the same design choices that the Fan Pier "park" does. Like at Fan Pier, there was an intentional design choice to prevent people from having any sort of fun on the grass by means of creating physical barriers between grassy segments. This prevents/discourages anyone from getting together with some friends to kick around a soccer ball*, throw a frisbee, football, etc. The space just isn't appealing for people to inhabit beyond walking *through* or just sitting on a bench on the hardscape. The design language of this "park" makes it clear that the grass is for looking at, not inhabiting.

For a district that is branding itself as young & innovative, there's a shocking lack of space where young people (who like outdoor recreational activities like soccer) can go outside their $3000/m apartments and have some fun.

*Note, I'm not talking about setting up a full pickup game with nets or a place to practice free kicks. You need a large open space/field for that. I'm just talking about a place where you can hang out with friends and kick a ball around.

Datadyne -- by becoming the home to a very likely quite actively frequented memorial -- this park moved away from the kind of recreation about which you are talking

A few posts back -- I suggested the Falen Hero's as an analog to the Soldiers & Sailors monument on the hill in the Common -- but its been so many years since the Civil War that the S&S is just generic monument now -- so you can play frisbee without disturbing someone seeking some sort of solace

Howerver, Seaport Square Park and the Fallen Heros Memorial are so intimately connected and the timing of the events are so recent in the past that this is a different kind of place

Try the Lawn on D for frisbee

 

[CSTH]

"Get off my Lawn"

 

[KentXie]

They could at least put a picnic table or two there.

 

[shmessy]

Datadyne -- by becoming the home to a very likely quite actively frequented memorial -- this park moved away from the kind of recreation about which you are talking

A few posts back -- I suggested the Falen Hero's as an analog to the Soldiers & Sailors monument on the hill in the Common -- but its been so many years since the Civil War that the S&S is just generic monument now -- so you can play frisbee without disturbing someone seeking some sort of solace

Howerver, Seaport Square Park and the Fallen Heros Memorial are so intimately connected and the timing of the events are so recent in the past that this is a different kind of place

Try the Lawn on D for frisbee

Then, it is not a park for relaxation and recreation, it is a memorial. There are those here arguing the opposite, but the way this is designed, I cannot see it. As Datadyne put so well, aside from the Fallen Heroes aspect, it seems to have been a conscious design choice.

 

[Equilibria]

While it has only been open for a few days, I'll note that this "park" will likely suffer from the same design choices that the Fan Pier "park" does. Like at Fan Pier, there was an intentional design choice to prevent people from having any sort of fun on the grass by means of creating physical barriers between grassy segments. This prevents/discourages anyone from getting together with some friends to kick around a soccer ball*, throw a frisbee, football, etc. The space just isn't appealing for people to inhabit beyond walking *through* or just sitting on a bench on the hardscape. The design language of this "park" makes it clear that the grass is for looking at, not inhabiting.

For a district that is branding itself as young & innovative, there's a shocking lack of space where young people (who like outdoor recreational activities like soccer) can go outside their $3000/m apartments and have some fun.

*Note, I'm not talking about setting up a full pickup game with nets or a place to practice free kicks. You need a large open space/field for that. I'm just talking about a place where you can hang out with friends and kick a ball around.

Okay, but how many spaces like that are there, really? Near my (sub-3k) apartment in Cambridge, we've got the Library park, and that's about it. Walk a mile, and you get to Sennott. Walk a mile in a different direction, you cross the town line to get to Lincoln Park. Unless you count Harvard Yard as a park (or the Cambridge Common, I guess), those are pretty rare spaces, and all owned by the public.

These parks are meant to be more like Post Office Square in the long term - places for office workers to eat their lunch, maintained by the companies that pay them. As Shmessy points out, it's also a memorial space.

This neighborhood has its expanse of lawn across Northern Ave. from the Memorial, and will have more open green space on the rear L parcels once those are built up (with the lion's share of the Seaport's apartments, no less).

 

[Justin7]

I'd expect the desired effect would be to have something similar to Post Office Square, though this obviously lacks the warmth.