Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
Reminds me of Battery Park City which is what I always assumed it would turn out like. Needs more residential to give it life at night but things are looking good.
Reminds me of Battery Park City which is what I always assumed it would turn out like. Needs more residential to give it life at night but things are looking good.
Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
You are being too kind. Battery Park City is much more impressive. I say that as a Seaport supporter.
You are being too kind. Battery Park City is much more impressive. I say that as a Seaport supporter.
atlantaden
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
With the opening of Seaport square and the completion of Parcels M1,M2, (Echelon), Pier 4 condos, and 50 Liberty, that should add another 1700 or so units within the next 3 years. Add to that hundreds more in the pipeline that haven't broken ground yet and there will be a few thousand more residents living in the Seaport.
With the opening of Seaport square and the completion of Parcels M1,M2, (Echelon), Pier 4 condos, and 50 Liberty, that should add another 1700 or so units within the next 3 years. Add to that hundreds more in the pipeline that haven't broken ground yet and there will be a few thousand more residents living in the Seaport.
stick n move
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
Again seaport blvd was an enormous construction site until like 1 month ago. All the best is still yet to come and the area is already amazing. The grid to me is one of the best parts. Its a relief when you get there at this point after winding through all kinds of shitty roads to get there. Once you get there and your on brand new roads laid out in a grid I get a sigh of relief. (Other Boston Wharf Rd next to PWC that road is a complete pile of shit that I think is going to break a piece of my suspension every time I go down it, that road seriously needs to be fixed.) Other than that most of the other roads are pretty good seaport blvd needs a lil TLC as well but all of those construction vehicles will tear up a road. Northern ave right next to 1seaport sq is bad too but the good roads in the area give me hope that once they're fixed they're going to be very good.
Its literally just beginning, the best construction is either just starting now or about to start soon. This is going to be a great neighborhood and nothing was torn down to make it so all of those great Boston neighborhoods are still there if you wanna go there. The recently planted trees have reallllllly pulled it all together along with a ton of projects just wrapping up now. From this point out it finally feels like a neighborhood and will start to fill in more and more. Prior to this it hadn't yet been built out enough to give any unbroken street walls.
Again seaport blvd was an enormous construction site until like 1 month ago. All the best is still yet to come and the area is already amazing. The grid to me is one of the best parts. Its a relief when you get there at this point after winding through all kinds of shitty roads to get there. Once you get there and your on brand new roads laid out in a grid I get a sigh of relief. (Other Boston Wharf Rd next to PWC that road is a complete pile of shit that I think is going to break a piece of my suspension every time I go down it, that road seriously needs to be fixed.) Other than that most of the other roads are pretty good seaport blvd needs a lil TLC as well but all of those construction vehicles will tear up a road. Northern ave right next to 1seaport sq is bad too but the good roads in the area give me hope that once they're fixed they're going to be very good.
Its literally just beginning, the best construction is either just starting now or about to start soon. This is going to be a great neighborhood and nothing was torn down to make it so all of those great Boston neighborhoods are still there if you wanna go there. The recently planted trees have reallllllly pulled it all together along with a ton of projects just wrapping up now. From this point out it finally feels like a neighborhood and will start to fill in more and more. Prior to this it hadn't yet been built out enough to give any unbroken street walls.
TheRifleman
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
Of course anything built from open space parking lots on the waterfront will look good. The question you need to ask is this what seaport vision should have been? The vision I see is a mixture between the Kendall square model without rapid transit for the public/with a mixture of a Burlington office park feel on the water.
The question you need to ask yourself was it worth billions of tax dollars? the so called innovation district is complete misrepresentation of the entire concept.
Cambridge and the surrounding areas evolved with natural capital& investments. It just seems the seaport is the political version that swapped natural progression.
The politicians gave unlimited tax incentives for prime property away to billion dollar Fortune 500 companies. How is that success for the overall public? When the entire area is geared for the rich community.
At least the greenway is geared for everybody. Not just a bunch of rich class of people
Of course anything built from open space parking lots on the waterfront will look good. The question you need to ask is this what seaport vision should have been? The vision I see is a mixture between the Kendall square model without rapid transit for the public/with a mixture of a Burlington office park feel on the water.
The question you need to ask yourself was it worth billions of tax dollars? the so called innovation district is complete misrepresentation of the entire concept.
Cambridge and the surrounding areas evolved with natural capital& investments. It just seems the seaport is the political version that swapped natural progression.
The politicians gave unlimited tax incentives for prime property away to billion dollar Fortune 500 companies. How is that success for the overall public? When the entire area is geared for the rich community.
At least the greenway is geared for everybody. Not just a bunch of rich class of people
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stick n move
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
The labs, office towers, retail are for everybody not just the rich. Those are jobs. Seaport square with the movie theater, club...etc is for everyone. The waterfront, envoy roof deck, court, church......for everyone. I dont see it. The tax breaks Im with everyone on, but the rest of the complaints idk. When I would go down there and it was just 1MPD and a bunch of parking lots it truly was a sad place to be. Today its vibrant and new even though its (still) a construction site. The tax breaks are bad yes and its good to be proactive and hopefully stop them from continuing but the nonstop complaining isnt going to fix anything thats already built and its getting old. If you dont like the architecture go visit a different neighborhood, but whats built is built.
The labs, office towers, retail are for everybody not just the rich. Those are jobs. Seaport square with the movie theater, club...etc is for everyone. The waterfront, envoy roof deck, court, church......for everyone. I dont see it. The tax breaks Im with everyone on, but the rest of the complaints idk. When I would go down there and it was just 1MPD and a bunch of parking lots it truly was a sad place to be. Today its vibrant and new even though its (still) a construction site. The tax breaks are bad yes and its good to be proactive and hopefully stop them from continuing but the nonstop complaining isnt going to fix anything thats already built and its getting old. If you dont like the architecture go visit a different neighborhood, but whats built is built.
TheRifleman
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
What is the attraction in seaport for the average middle class family to actually afford? Nothing but high end restaurants---- Delfriscos?
Why is the seaport more focused on automobile access to the area?
What's the average price of a condo? 500-800k?
With properties so expensive outside of Boston why would they give developers and billion dollar corporations such great deals on the best prime development property the city has to offer?
Yes......I look at it that anything was better than the baron waste parking lots. So anything that got built would look like a success but the taxpayers and the overall vision got shortsited for the greatest development opportunity of a lifetime in the city of Boston. Instead the city and state gave it a way to a few rich corporations for peanuts.
The architecture does not look bad. It sort of looks like Kendal square. The seaport/innovation district never really naturally evolved. If you think about it,----the city and state can't even service downtown/greenway without creating BID, greenway tax but they give tax incentives to the seaport? Your robbing peter to pay paul. That's not natural economic growth.
What is the attraction in seaport for the average middle class family to actually afford? Nothing but high end restaurants---- Delfriscos?
Why is the seaport more focused on automobile access to the area?
What's the average price of a condo? 500-800k?
With properties so expensive outside of Boston why would they give developers and billion dollar corporations such great deals on the best prime development property the city has to offer?
Yes......I look at it that anything was better than the baron waste parking lots. So anything that got built would look like a success but the taxpayers and the overall vision got shortsited for the greatest development opportunity of a lifetime in the city of Boston. Instead the city and state gave it a way to a few rich corporations for peanuts.
The architecture does not look bad. It sort of looks like Kendal square. The seaport/innovation district never really naturally evolved. If you think about it,----the city and state can't even service downtown/greenway without creating BID, greenway tax but they give tax incentives to the seaport? Your robbing peter to pay paul. That's not natural economic growth.
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atlantaden
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
People complain about the tax incentives but I have to wonder how much new money in sales tax and property tax flows into the city and state from all the new buildings/restaurants/retail/etc. now in the Seaport that didn't exist 10 years ago? I look at the tax incentives as an investment that will be paid back ten fold over the coming years.
People complain about the tax incentives but I have to wonder how much new money in sales tax and property tax flows into the city and state from all the new buildings/restaurants/retail/etc. now in the Seaport that didn't exist 10 years ago? I look at the tax incentives as an investment that will be paid back ten fold over the coming years.
JeffDowntown
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
So what, pray tell, should the City have encouraged in the Seaport instead?
Split-levels with two car garages, a candle pin bowling alley and a Wal-mart?
So what, pray tell, should the City have encouraged in the Seaport instead?
Split-levels with two car garages, a candle pin bowling alley and a Wal-mart?
stick n move
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
They do have a bowling alley going in.
They do have a bowling alley going in.
type001
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
Rifleman - Stop regurgitating the same non-stop crap about your disdain for the Seaport. You're even throwing lame passive shade towards it in the Greenway thread now.
It's done, move on.
Rifleman - Stop regurgitating the same non-stop crap about your disdain for the Seaport. You're even throwing lame passive shade towards it in the Greenway thread now.
It's done, move on.
DominusNovus
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
As long as the Harpoon Beer Hall is there, I have a reason to go to the Seaport. That said, I'm upper middle class nowadays.
As long as the Harpoon Beer Hall is there, I have a reason to go to the Seaport. That said, I'm upper middle class nowadays.
Padre Mike
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
After visiting and seeing the success (I believe) of the Greenway, regarding the maturing and varied plantings, the benches with solar energy ports, and the excellent maintenance, I look forward to the green spaces in the Seaport developing in a like manner. There's still much potential there as the entire area evolves with new retail and the development of new concepts for the areas set aside. Hopefully private/public partnership will prevail to finance these efforts.
After visiting and seeing the success (I believe) of the Greenway, regarding the maturing and varied plantings, the benches with solar energy ports, and the excellent maintenance, I look forward to the green spaces in the Seaport developing in a like manner. There's still much potential there as the entire area evolves with new retail and the development of new concepts for the areas set aside. Hopefully private/public partnership will prevail to finance these efforts.
Suffolk 83
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
+1. City Tap is kinda meh, not on Mead Hall's level
+1. City Tap is kinda meh, not on Mead Hall's level
Man about town
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
The Seaport will evolve over time as things age, but right now, yeah, there's really nothing there for you unless you're upper-middle-class (at least) and probably childless. It lacks the diversity (economic, social, architectural) that makes so much of the rest of Boston so interesting.
But that's natural when you build everything all at once, especially at our high land and construction costs. It's not really fair to compare a neighborhood that has developed over a decade to ones that have evolved over 100 years or more. They're just different animals.
The Seaport will develop more texture as businesses come and go and prices soften. That's what cities do. Ten years from now I suspect it'll just feel like an extension of downtown, which it basically is.
The Seaport will evolve over time as things age, but right now, yeah, there's really nothing there for you unless you're upper-middle-class (at least) and probably childless. It lacks the diversity (economic, social, architectural) that makes so much of the rest of Boston so interesting.
But that's natural when you build everything all at once, especially at our high land and construction costs. It's not really fair to compare a neighborhood that has developed over a decade to ones that have evolved over 100 years or more. They're just different animals.
The Seaport will develop more texture as businesses come and go and prices soften. That's what cities do. Ten years from now I suspect it'll just feel like an extension of downtown, which it basically is.
JeffDowntown
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
A lot of families with kids flow into the Seaport fast casual restaurants after their trip to the Children's Museum. It is not like Fort Point is miles away!.
A lot of families with kids flow into the Seaport fast casual restaurants after their trip to the Children's Museum. It is not like Fort Point is miles away!.
TheRifleman
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Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
How about real capital investment on prime property and leniency on the zoning developments for developers.
The only thing the city & state, MBTA, BRA should have been focused on is connected Seaport to Downtown with a better transit access. Something that flows smoothly back & forth. Build a strong foundation and they will come.
All that open space to the ocean is now walled off from the main strip. Should have developed a better plan to connect the main strip to the open ocean.
There are a lot of things that could have been done.
Like I said OF COURSE the SEAPORT is success in everybody's eyes they built something that was originally parking lots.
The question is did the taxpayers/public get their money's worth for the Innovation district.
Cambridge has evolved from a ghetto from the 70-80's to what is today. Mostly built because of a strong foundation regards to the red-line and MIT, Harvard investments. "I'm not crazy what is going on with Harvard Square. " It's definitely lost its uniqueness but the property was never given away.
How about real capital investment on prime property and leniency on the zoning developments for developers.
The only thing the city & state, MBTA, BRA should have been focused on is connected Seaport to Downtown with a better transit access. Something that flows smoothly back & forth. Build a strong foundation and they will come.
All that open space to the ocean is now walled off from the main strip. Should have developed a better plan to connect the main strip to the open ocean.
There are a lot of things that could have been done.
Like I said OF COURSE the SEAPORT is success in everybody's eyes they built something that was originally parking lots.
The question is did the taxpayers/public get their money's worth for the Innovation district.
Cambridge has evolved from a ghetto from the 70-80's to what is today. Mostly built because of a strong foundation regards to the red-line and MIT, Harvard investments. "I'm not crazy what is going on with Harvard Square. " It's definitely lost its uniqueness but the property was never given away.
Re: Innovation Dist. / South Boston Seaport
Seaport needs a couple of dive bars and a few cheap Chinese restaurants to give it some extra character. Gotta be a few people still alive from Whitey's old crew that can re-enact the Triple O's or the L Street Tavern before it went hipster. Whatever it is needs either the cider block windows or be in the basement with bars on the windows even if the neighborhood has little crime beyond the price of parking. Some of the Fort Point buildings would be perfect.
Seaport needs a couple of dive bars and a few cheap Chinese restaurants to give it some extra character. Gotta be a few people still alive from Whitey's old crew that can re-enact the Triple O's or the L Street Tavern before it went hipster. Whatever it is needs either the cider block windows or be in the basement with bars on the windows even if the neighborhood has little crime beyond the price of parking. Some of the Fort Point buildings would be perfect.