Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion

Java King said:
All these recent excellent pictures makes me wonder if the Seaport will go through another phase like Kendall Square? When I moved to the area in 1987, Kendall Square was pretty suburban with very little housing, restaurants, or retail. I'm encouraged by all the new development there being much more urban. I wonder if the Seaport will go through another transformation in 30 years to make it more dense, urban, walkable, and interesting? The Seaport is WAY better than Kendall Square in 1987, but it's not quite a cohesive neighborhood yet.
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll see any substantial changes in the Seaport area until Logan is either rendered obsolete, or there are fundamental changes to radar and air traffic control, or the runways are re-aligned, or planes start using VTOL technology. The neighborhood as it currently exists is basically built-out or has active proposals and there's not exactly an abundance of remaining open parcels once the full build out is complete except maybe the District Hall site.

We'll continue to see more development connecting the Seaport with South Boston over the next several decades especially around the back and sides of the BCEC.
 
I'm kind of digging the high-tech style the World Trade Center is taking on during the demo. Like a conservative Richard Rogers piece.
 
Java King said:
All these recent excellent pictures makes me wonder if the Seaport will go through another phase like Kendall Square? When I moved to the area in 1987, Kendall Square was pretty suburban with very little housing, restaurants, or retail. I'm encouraged by all the new development there being much more urban. I wonder if the Seaport will go through another transformation in 30 years to make it more dense, urban, walkable, and interesting? The Seaport is WAY better than Kendall Square in 1987, but it's not quite a cohesive neighborhood yet.
Click to expand...
Java -- if you walk about or look at the recent pix -- you will see that the Seaport [including Fan Pier and near-by Massport properties] in the modern connotation of "Dense, Urban and Walkable" -- its already there -- -and I think its even fairly interesting -- nothing at all like Kendal in the AI Alley era
 
whighlander said:
Java -- if you walk about or look at the recent pix -- you will see that the Seaport [including Fan Pier and near-by Massport properties] in the modern connotation of "Dense, Urban and Walkable" -- its already there -- -and I think its even fairly interesting -- nothing at all like Kendal in the AI Alley era
Click to expand...

I've walked around the Seaport area A LOT recently. It's not horrible, but I wouldn't really call it interesting or dense. Quick example: Just walk around Tatte Bakery between that building and the Pier 4 residential. It feels like a delivery alley to me. The wind was blowing and it was cold, and it certainly was NOT a space I wanted to linger in. That's just one example. I realize there are many excellent parts, but overall I'm just a little disappointed in the urban fabric of the Seaport.
 
Java King said:
I've walked around the Seaport area A LOT recently. It's not horrible, but I wouldn't really call it interesting or dense. Quick example: Just walk around Tatte Bakery between that building and the Pier 4 residential. It feels like a delivery alley to me. The wind was blowing and it was cold, and it certainly was NOT a space I wanted to linger in. That's just one example. I realize there are many excellent parts, but overall I'm just a little disappointed in the urban fabric of the Seaport.
Click to expand...
Java --its the edge of the harbor in February -- the North End is kind of clammy by the harbor as well

I suggest the walk be done in mid July toward sunset -- I did it last year and it was very pleasant
 
Whoa, Dimitri, you hit it out of the ballpark and right into the harbor with your first time post! Thanks for the pics.
 
parcel comparisons for reference

1615578653228.png

1615578665202.png


1615578692249.png

1615578786268.png


1615578870966.png

1615578936611.png


1615578988455.png

1615579044347.png


1615579069100.png

1615579119839.png
 
Anyone know what the activity on the eastern side of parcel G is related to? It looks like half the parcel has been fenced off. You can also see earth moving equipment and a couple of construction field offices. Seems to be a lot of pipes/tubes on the site. Infrastructure work??
IMG_4098 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_4100 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_4101 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
 
Drives me NUTS that they are waiting on Parcel G. Should have finished that first.
 
Totally random thought: Dry Dock No. 4 would be a really intriguing place to move the New England Aquarium. I imagine integrating a below-level harborquarium with an activated ground level park lining the perimeter (and extending the Harborwalk). It’s easily accessible from the interstates and would give the aquarium more space to expand.

The existing NEA site downtown could become a more purposefully-designed ferry terminal hub for Massachusetts Bay passenger ferry activity. It’s pretty fragmented right now and feels like it’s only accessible to “people in the know.”
 
Honest question asked in a Seinfeld voice: who are these people? Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I am surprised by how many people are out and about on a nice day. Are they all residents? Do they work there and come visit on the weekends? South End-ians wanting some Harborwalk action? Or is it just that the area has that new car smell and the trendy folk are drawn there? Are the harbor-facing parks that nice? Am I overthinking this and the area has simply reached a critical mass and this is perfectly normal for this kind of density??

I have a lot of disdain for the sterile new buildings there, and maybe that's kept me from really appreciating how people have taken over the streets and parks (that plus I wasn't down there at all 2015-20). I was there a month ago on a very sunny and warm day and I low-key couldn't believe how bustling the area was. Seaport, I guess I didn't know you had it in you.
 
kz1000ps said:
Am I overthinking this...
Click to expand...

Perhaps, yes. But I'd attribute it to slightly more than just density. Though some of the architecture is a bit sterile, the Seaport now simply contains a lot of interesting stuff, decent diversity of stuff, much enjoyment that can be had for free (harbor views, lawns to play on, nice landscaping, etc), and a decent number of businesses that have opened. The engagement with the ocean also distinguishes it from other neighborhoods. Even if the architectural styles that make up the urban fabric aren't your favorite, there nonetheless is now (as of the past year) a critical mass of urban fabric there. This is how I see the Seaport as distinguished from another clean-slate type multi-building development, Cambridge Crossing, which has nowhere near the variety and "density of experiences" (including storefronts) and places to explore that the Seaport has. The Seaport isn't perfect, but it makes sense to me why people want to hang out there (and it's why my wife and I hang out there every few weeks even though we don't live within a mile of it).
 
The Seaport has been packed most weekends during covid. It's near downtown, the views are incredible, and there's pretty good retail/restaurant density. The new buildings may be imperfect, but a lot of them are a heck of a lot more interesting than what's going up elsewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top