Seaport Square (Formerly McCourt Seaport Parcels)

I like the way you guys think.

Expanding on my phone booth idea, perhaps the curatorial staff could do a riff on the MoS's "hear what your voice really sounds like" telephone. At Mass MoMu, you speak clearly into the phone and authentic Hyde Park gibberish is spoken back to you.
 
The museum must include self-cleaning public showers for bicyclists and to expand on the phone booth idea, one of them should be a WiFi hotspot. I do like the "hear what your voice really sounds like" phone though.
 
Last edited:
The more I look at this project, the more I like it. I've only looked at the first presentation so far, but it looks like they're going to be building the type of neighborhood we all want for SBW. From some of their street renderings, it looks like T-Stations are around...is there any word on whether they plan to keep the buses or if they're going to step up and put in some light rail?

Regardless, I really like the way this project has been presented. Hopefully they'll spend the money for decent enough materials to prevent it from being a Precast Palace. I'm sure there will be plenty of precast, I'm just hoping there will be enough of a mix of materials that it isn't overwhelming.

Also, it would be cool to see if some of the universities expand some of their stuff into this area.
 
From some of their street renderings, it looks like T-Stations are around...is there any word on whether they plan to keep the buses or if they're going to step up and put in some light rail?
Click to expand...

It's going to be buses for the foreseeable future. They're going to drop an extra $600 million to either destroy existing light rail tunnels and replace them with bus tunnels, or dig beneath existing rail tunnels to link up the two sections of the Silver Line. That's one hell of a nonsensical commitment to mediocrity if I've ever seen one.
 
I have to say, I like this more after seeing the street level renderings. I'm still not a total fan of the architectural style, and varying the buildings more might help a lot, but their hearts seem to be in the right place.

I'm a little skeptical, however, of any attempt to simply construct street life out of nothing. All those pictures include lots of people visiting, and they can't build that. The whole thing also has a lifestyle center look that I'm not completely sold on.

Nonetheless, it's certainly better than parking lots, so way to go.
 
This development kind of reminds me of the power and light district in KC. Good to see they are finally putting stuff in those worthless parking lots. Theres no better way to encourage global warming then a mile of parking for one little courthouse.

For the most part, i like the builidngs, although most of them are just generic modern glass buildings, nothing special about them. I do like that hotel one, and i would like to see what they make out of that grey oval shaped one next to the hotel.

EDIT: Is that a...wait...it is! ESPN ZONE!!!
 
So, any idea when construction will start? It will be exciting seeing this and fan pier soar ;) at the same time.
 
ESPN ZONE!!!
Click to expand...

Finally, Boston will have a corporate sports bar district. The days of waiting for a giant restaurant that serves nothing but wings, fries, and Harpoon IPA with the Sox and Pats on the big screen are over.
 
^^^ What a relief...although since it's a newly developing area, I would be willing to bet nearly every Bar/Restaurant built will be some form of chain. It'd be nice if they put a Texas de Brazil there. Anyone else ever been there?
 
tmac9wr said:
It'd be nice if they put a Texas de Brazil there. Anyone else ever been there?
Click to expand...

No, but I used to work down the street from one, and it's nothing short of fantastic according to everyone I know who set foot inside.
 
tmac9wr said:
I would be willing to bet nearly every Bar/Restaurant built will be some form of chain.
Click to expand...

That, sadly, probably has some truth to it. What non-chain restaurants there are will likely be outposts for celebrity chefs or Lydia Shire-type Boston chefs looking to open a new spot.

Though I'm quite bullish on Seaport Sq and Hynes as a developer on the whole, any culinary whitewashing will only be helped by Tommy "72%" Menino's Putin-esque apparent attempt to muscle out one of the few restaurants in the area that won't be sleek and institutionalized and actually says "Boston," rather than "Anywhere, Earth" to customers.
 
itchy said:
Though I'm quite bullish on Seaport Sq and Hynes as a developer on the whole, any culinary whitewashing will only be helped by Tommy "72%" Menino's Putin-esque apparent attempt to muscle out one of the few restaurants in the area that won't be sleek and institutionalized and actually says "Boston," rather than "Anywhere, Earth" to customers.
Click to expand...

I've grown convinced that Menino doesn't really want Boston to be Boston-like anymore. Just a generic, homogenized area with no character. A place that could exist anywhere in the country. Where all unique influences are squashed, and what's left is safe and comfortable to suburbanites looking to drive their cars to chain restaurants and stores.
 
The day Boston stopped being "different" was October 27, 2004.

redsoxscaryguy.jpg
 
^^

Are you seriously waxing nostalgic for Boston's unique culture of miserable failure? I'll take an ESPN Zone that comes with a couple of World Series any day. It's so annoying that Sox fans aren't allowed to be happy we win, on pain of becoming "bandwagon" fans.

Seriously, Boston's had some beautiful things get torn down. The curse ain't one of them.
 
shouldn't the ESPN zone be next to Fenway Park or the Garden rather than in the Seaport?
 
Ron Newman said:
shouldn't the ESPN zone be next to Fenway Park or the Garden rather than in the Seaport?
Click to expand...

No, it wouldn't need to be. Besides, both of those areas already have several well established bars. Almost all of the ESPN zones aren't located near a sports venue. the zones in NYC, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and Chicago all are not near stadiums or arenas.
 
ESPNzone always seems to locate where it's going to get the most steady, year round traffic. Baltimore's is another situation like mass88 mentioned. It's on the far end of the Inner Harbor area when it could have been easily located next to the Camden Yards area (with the Raven's stadium and Oriole Park).

In New York City, the ESPNzone is in Times Square. It's far away from the stadium areas (which, aside from MSG, are in Queens, The Bronx, and East Rutherford, NJ). Washington's is in the center of town, near the Mall, not anywhere near the stadiums. Vegas, hell, Vegas doesn't even have a major sports franchise.

Still, Seaport Square doesn't exactly follow ESPN Zone's trend of building in already very well established locations. Maybe they're hoping this area ends up like Baltimore's Inner Harbor? I don't know, but I'm not going to complain if they do locate there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top