Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion

[RandomWalk]

For the past couple years I have noticed a plethora of college aged girls wearing jeans straight out of 1991. It's not a good look either, so not sure why those are back in style. As for the pictures you're commenting on, I think the quality of the pictures themselves makes them look much more dated than the actual subject matter.

For me, the haircuts and glasses in the photos did it.

 

[jpdivola]

A nice overview of developments in the area by the Globe.

View attachment 32183

The surge in Seaport construction continues - The Boston Globe

The cranes aren’t coming down anytime soon in Boston’s fastest-evolving neighborhood.

www.bostonglobe.com

Nice rundown of projects. Too bad there is virtually no housing construction in Seaport.

 

[Justbuildit]

Agree there isn’t enough housing in Seaport but this article doesn’t include Seaport Square parcels L3 and L6, both of which will contain housing. The massive Channel Side project just down the Fort Point Channel is also not included, and that will have close to 350 new units of housing, including affordable artist units. Neither site has broken ground so that’s probably why they’re absent. Also kind of strange that St Regis isn’t included here, since it’s still under construction.

It’s fantasy at this point, but there’s an opportunity for a few small infill projects on the rare surface lots still left on Congress, and some of the older loft building commercial space would make for great residential conversions (Thomson, Farnsworth, Congress). It’s all against trend at the moment but I agree it would add so much more to the neighborhood to have additional housing.

 

[dshoost88]

Nice rundown of projects. Too bad there is virtually no housing construction in Seaport.

The Seaport has literally added more housing units (*including affordable housing units) than any neighborhood in Boston during the last 10 years except possibly for Downtown, Allston/Brighton, and East Boston. And despite the lack of cranes/highlights for housing in Mr. Kirsner's Globe article, the approved development pipeline includes multiple other housing development opportunities.

Does the Seaport have a disproportionate share of new construction premium lab and office space? Of course--but they pay the bills in a significant way, which is great for all Bostonians. Housing is not a local problem, it is a regional and state-level one. Every corner of the region shares a responsibility to generate more housing opportunities (especially equity-building home ownership opportunities), and the data doesn't lie: the Seaport neighborhood has pulled its weight.

 

[DZH22]

The Seaport has literally added more housing units (*including affordable housing units) than any neighborhood in Boston during the last 10 years except possibly for Downtown, Allston/Brighton, and East Boston......

It's also the only Boston neighborhood that had about 5000 empty parking lots to work with, as opposed to already being mostly built up. I'd argue that for the land it had available and the scale of overall development relative to the other neighborhoods, it has NOT pulled its weight in the residential category.

 

[TC_zoid]

I don't see the appeal of living in the Seaport District. It's all so new--and nothing wrong with that--but it has no real community or history, unlike let's say, Southie, to the immediate south. I would think the area of Southie closest to the Seaport would be rife with acquisitions for fixer-uppers. I see substantial gentrification in its future. But gentrification with history is far better than not (e.g., The North End). And the "bodega" in the Seaport neighborhood will be antiseptic, sleek, and fully automated. Maybe a robot clerk with a swivel head will attempt some limited conversation, but that's it. I'm expecting this idea to fruition, via Amazon, as its building within the core is filling up with robotics and A.I. workers.

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

I don't see the appeal of living in the Seaport District. It's all so new--and nothing wrong with that--but it has no real community or history, unlike let's say, Southie, to the immediate south. I would think the area of Southie closest to the Seaport would be rife with acquisitions for fixer-uppers. I see substantial gentrification in its future. But gentrification with history is far better than not (e.g., The North End). And the "bodega" in the Seaport neighborhood will be antiseptic, sleek, and fully automated. Maybe a robot clerk with a swivel head will attempt some limited conversation, but that's it. I'm expecting this idea to fruition, via Amazon, as its building within the core is filling up with robotics and A.I. workers.

We (the greater Boston community) need to use every tool in our toolkit to attract people to live there. Not everyone cares about history (sadly) and newcomers might very much like the newness and opportunity for making their mark on the Seaport. Just saying!

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

It's also the only Boston neighborhood that had about 5000 empty parking lots to work with, as opposed to already being mostly built up. I'd argue that for the land it had available and the scale of overall development relative to the other neighborhoods, it has NOT pulled its weight in the residential category.

Could be true I’m sure. But I’m there ~3 days a week for the workday and it’s always buzzing with people eating, walking, shopping, working, touristing, etc. So, considering this as a ‘neighborhood from scratch, I’d say it’s off to a good start for creating street level interest, reason for staying there, reason for working there.

 

[jklo]

I'm expecting this idea to fruition, via Amazon, as its building within the core is filling up with robotics and A.I. workers.

Given the long hours that Amazon workers work... I'm sure it's nice to be able to walk home. Especially when it'd be too late for the T.

 

[Justbuildit]

I guess I wonder if there’s a “new” neighborhood that Bostonians do like? I don’t hear a lot of praise for Assembly (that ain’t Somerville!) or West End high rises, but maybe the area around Fenway is better received?

Everyone is entitled to their own aesthetic opinions, and it’s not shocking that new construction waterfront real estate is expensive, but the absence of colonial buildings or canted triple deckers seems to have broken a lot of brains in the Seaport Discourse. Any time I’ve been down there in the last 6 months it’s absolutely buzzing with foot traffic. Seems like something the people want.

 

[stick n move]

I don't see the appeal of living in the Seaport District. It's all so new--and nothing wrong with that--but it has no real community or history, unlike let's say, Southie, to the immediate south. I would think the area of Southie closest to the Seaport would be rife with acquisitions for fixer-uppers. I see substantial gentrification in its future. But gentrification with history is far better than not (e.g., The North End). And the "bodega" in the Seaport neighborhood will be antiseptic, sleek, and fully automated. Maybe a robot clerk with a swivel head will attempt some limited conversation, but that's it. I'm expecting this idea to fruition, via Amazon, as its building within the core is filling up with robotics and A.I. workers.

Thats whats great about Boston, the diversity of neighborhoods. Lots of people do like brand new neighborhoods full of condo towers and those people have a place to live in the seaport. Other people who would rather live in old brick townhouses have the north end, back bay, beacon hill. Some people would like to live in your avg new england triple decker neighborhoods and we have plenty of those in allston, brighton, somerville, dorchester etc. Recently were also adding new neighborhoods of brand new low rise condo 5 over 1 neighborhoods in chelsea, everett, somerville.

None of those old neighborhoods had to be torn down to build the seaport, theyre still there for everybody to enjoy, so overall its a net gain. Seeing that what was replaced was parking lots it only strengthens the city by making the availability of neighborhood types that much more diverse. Not everybody has to like it, but its still a net positive by being a place for those that do. Boston is a better city today because of the seaport and the new/different opportunities it brings to an already great city.

 

[KentXie]

I don't see the appeal of living in the Seaport District. It's all so new--and nothing wrong with that--but it has no real community or history, unlike let's say, Southie, to the immediate south. I would think the area of Southie closest to the Seaport would be rife with acquisitions for fixer-uppers. I see substantial gentrification in its future. But gentrification with history is far better than not (e.g., The North End). And the "bodega" in the Seaport neighborhood will be antiseptic, sleek, and fully automated. Maybe a robot clerk with a swivel head will attempt some limited conversation, but that's it. I'm expecting this idea to fruition, via Amazon, as its building within the core is filling up with robotics and A.I. workers.

I can provide my POV since I stayed at my brother's place who used to live in the Seaport.

There are a lot of fun adult things to do in the Seaport now. Clubs, bar, restaurants, bowling alley, movie theater, mini-golf, parks, shopping, museum, all of which are just mere steps away. A lot of millennials don't care about the history and many of us moved from a different place anyways. In fact, the community is there, a bunch of transplants or graduates just entering their career; it's like an adult college campus. I think your thinking is a very old-school type of thought which might resonate with some millennials and Gen-Zs but a lot of them are here for the excitement and energy of which the Seaport has a lot.

 

[DZH22]

12/28 From Piers Park.

IMG_0300 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0302 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0303 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0324 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0325 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[DZH22]

1/7

IMG_0012 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0018 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0021 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[Smuttynose]

Never noticed these banners before on the Artists Cooperative building on A Street right across from the planned Channelside development --

 

[Justbuildit]

The sound and the fury from…some people

 

[BronsonShore]

The sound and the fury from…some people

Here, I'll help you: people being pushed out of a neighborhood they helped keep alive when the rest of the city didn't give a shit about it.

Christ, and you're going to quote Shakespeare to mock them? Which side do you think he'd be on? I'll give you two damn seconds to think about it.

 

[Justbuildit]

I’ll encourage you to read the public comments for the new A street development and find a difference between those and many classic NIMBY impulses. Working to retain a 6 acre surface lot and a small number of trees (and their view) instead of a 1+ acre park plus intense use of undeveloped land is problematic.

And regarding my takes, shall I compare them to a summers day? They can get hot sometimes

 

[urbanmansprawler]

Me thinks you all complain too much.

Seriously, can the prattle about what makes a neighborhood be moved off the main thread?

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

Looks like the Tidal Flats sidewalk is done.