South Boston Infill and Small Developments

cden4 said:
Southie needs more restaurants and shops. I'm really glad to see all the new infill housing. And I'm always looking for new places to visit (especially restaurants.) But it seems like Southie has very few, especially for the number of people who live there.
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Good amount on the way on the west side:

- Coppersmith (west third)
- Worden Hall (west broadway)
- TBD Italian Restaurant from Loco, Lincoln owners (old Dollar store, west broad)
- TBD Coffee Shop (next to Pizza 260, west broadway)

Plus multiple mix use projects in development with proposed restaurant space (old liberty bell, corner of wb and D, cornerstone, etc) Not to mention, prime commercial real estate now vacant on west broadway including Rent A Center and Radio Shack.

The shops/restaurants are slowly on their way!! If only we could ban future hair salons from opening..
 
Looks like the west side (West Broadway) will be the commercial district of Southie. Makes sense given the T and access to the city. Is the Burger King drive thru still there?
 
I'm pretty certain it's the liquor license schemes of or Puritan overlords that prevent streets like West/East Broadway from turning into a never ending strip of yuppie bars (a la 5th Ave in Park Slope)
 
Or because of lack of liquor license supply leads to a proliferation of bars like “Tavern in the Square” or large sports bars which are formulaic and will guarantee profitability. But at the cost of uniqueness/intimacy.
 
Site prep is underway for Liberty Bell development - 33 condos, restaurant space.

170wbway.jpg


http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/projects/development-projects/170-west-broadway
 
^Not the highest quality rendering, but that looks nice.
 
That block of West Broadway will be quite different once the Liberty Bell project is completed and once the lot next door, the auto-repair shop, is replaced by housing (that project is still in the approval stage, I believe?).
 
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These sidewalks may be legal but they sure as fuck shouldnt be

19406981692_632a56e513_c.jpg


Uh, major ADA violation? You cant have a sidewalk go up and down like that anymore, this isnt 1961.
 
My two cents:

The bottom photo, the 'sidewalk' may not be a public way, and, if not, likely not subject to ADA. (The 'street' actually looks more like an alley.)

In the top photo, the building was probably grandfathered to the original lot lines. If the city wanted a wider sidewalk, they'd have to do a taking.
 
These are prime candidates for 'shared street' or woonerf treatment.
 
Most of those streets (Silver, Gold, Athens, Bolton, etc) don't have compliant sidewalks to begin with. There are signs, hydrants, and light poles blocking them. I'm pretty sure they aren't actually sidewalks, but rather paved areas between the curb and property line. Too narrow to ever be an official sidewalk, but it would be weird if they City left them as grassy areas.
 
jass said:
19411193265_2308e13d84_c.jpg


These sidewalks may be legal but they sure as fuck shouldnt be
.
Click to expand...

Well, when you park cars on the sidewalk, like in the image to the left, it kind of negates any ADA aspects anyway, right?
 
Cars, portable toilets, etc - store whatever you want on sidewalks, because who needs them. And besides, can't block any of the street - that's only for driving motor vehicles. Oh, and storage of private property (so long as it's a car).
 
Never thought of it like that before, but it is temporary storage of private property to park on the street, isn't it!
 
Anytime you hear a NIMBY whinging about "privatization of public space! waa waa waa" do take a moment to remind them that on-street parking is precisely privatization of public space.
 
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