South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

stick n move said:
Well youre in luck because we just so happened to get exactly one skinny tall tower at one dalton. Surprise!
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I meant downtown/financial district, amongst all the fat rectangles, to offer some differentiation. Not way over in Back Bay, far away from the fat rectangles.
 
No such thing as fat geometry - just healthy proportions. ;/

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dotdude78 said:
I meant downtown/financial district, amongst all the fat rectangles, to offer some differentiation. Not way over in Back Bay, far away from the fat rectangles.
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One IP is pretty skinny. Certainly not fat or squat. Custom House tower.

But I hear ya.
 
Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
cool historical pics
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I've never seen that pic of the old waiting room before. So much better than the waiting space now.

I was just kind of musing before, but I'll be more emphatically critical now. It's really bad that all this construction doesn't seem to add to the basic amenities people could want from a train station, like indoor space, places to sit, or bathrooms. The same goes for the bus station expansion, so far as I can tell. These are really small asks to make pubic transportation much more comfortable. And that can be really important if we want to convince more people to stop using their cars --- their well cushioned, climate controlled cars.
 
ritchiew said:
I've never seen that pic of the old waiting room before. So much better than the waiting space now.

I was just kind of musing before, but I'll be more emphatically critical now. It's really bad that all this construction doesn't seem to add to the basic amenities people could want from a train station, like indoor space, places to sit, or bathrooms. The same goes for the bus station expansion, so far as I can tell. These are really small asks to make pubic transportation much more comfortable. And that can be really important if we want to convince more people to stop using their cars --- their well cushioned, climate controlled cars.
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The bus station is getting a pretty serious upgrade, IIRC. You also list off those things as if South Station doesn't already have them - it does, though they certainly need some polishing.
 
Equilibria said:
The bus station is getting a pretty serious upgrade, IIRC. You also list off those things as if South Station doesn't already have them - it does, though they certainly need some polishing.
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It is, because that's within Hines' puriew, whereas, if I'm not mistaken, the existing rail waiting area/food court is long-termed leased by another entity who is running that. I think this is mainly a jurisdictional boundaries issue. I would imagine Hines would want to upgrade the entirety of SS if they could.
 
Equilibria said:
as if South Station doesn't already have them
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Sure, South Station has those amenities. But in my (very dated) experience, not nearly enough. A decade ago, when I used the station a lot more, I remember the few benches filled up quickly and lots of people standing, cramped waiting for a train. There was more seating with the restaurants but those would be closed off if you were there too early or too late. Bathrooms would have long lines out the door at certain times of day. I remember frequently sitting on the ground of the bus terminal waiting for a Greyhound or Chinatown bus. I don't have fond memories of the time I had to spend at South Station.

Others will know better if the situation has improved. But with all the plans for increased train/bus capacity, I wish there was also plans to account for the greater numbers of people going through.
 
ritchiew said:
Sure, South Station has those amenities. But in my (very dated) experience, not nearly enough. A decade ago, when I used the station a lot more, I remember the few benches filled up quickly and lots of people standing, cramped waiting for a train. There was more seating with the restaurants but those would be closed off if you were there too early or too late. Bathrooms would have long lines out the door at certain times of day. I remember frequently sitting on the ground of the bus terminal waiting for a Greyhound or Chinatown bus. I don't have fond memories of the time I had to spend at South Station.

Others will know better if the situation has improved. But with all the plans for increased train/bus capacity, I wish there was also plans to account for the greater numbers of people going through.
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If you read the panels that @Dr. Rosen Rosen posted, there is one labeled "South Station Revived" I remember that well. I moved to Boston in 1987 and I remember my first time at South Station, it was a 1-story concrete temporary structure while they created the concourse space we know today. The upgrade was a welcome addition and it's been a nice experience for over 30 years, but it CERTAINLY needs a refresh!!!! I travel to London frequently, and the main train stations encircling the city are hubs of activity with coffee shops, restaurants, stores, plenty of tables, and generally really nice amenities. I would use that as an example of what South Station should be.
 
ritchiew said:
I've never seen that pic of the old waiting room before. So much better than the waiting space now.

I was just kind of musing before, but I'll be more emphatically critical now. It's really bad that all this construction doesn't seem to add to the basic amenities people could want from a train station, like indoor space, places to sit, or bathrooms. The same goes for the bus station expansion, so far as I can tell. These are really small asks to make pubic transportation much more comfortable. And that can be really important if we want to convince more people to stop using their cars --- their well cushioned, climate controlled cars.
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Agreed. If I had my way, any redevelopment of that hideously bland landscraper, also known as 245 Summer, would require recreation of that wing of South Station with the waiting room (in exchange for air rights above).
 
ritchiew said:
Sure, South Station has those amenities. But in my (very dated) experience, not nearly enough. A decade ago, when I used the station a lot more, I remember the few benches filled up quickly and lots of people standing, cramped waiting for a train. There was more seating with the restaurants but those would be closed off if you were there too early or too late. Bathrooms would have long lines out the door at certain times of day. I remember frequently sitting on the ground of the bus terminal waiting for a Greyhound or Chinatown bus. I don't have fond memories of the time I had to spend at South Station.

Others will know better if the situation has improved. But with all the plans for increased train/bus capacity, I wish there was also plans to account for the greater numbers of people going through.
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I commuted through South Station in the 70’s and 80’s. Before the renovation the place was a dump. The only two businesses I remember were a bar called “The Side Car” and a coffee and bakery stand.
 
Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
There’s some cool historical pics and factoids plastered up around the project .

View attachment 37100
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We talked a few pages back about the arches themselves: what form they would take, which iteration of renders would come to fruition, with concern that the grandiose arches most recently rendered may not be what's being built today.

I wonder if this particular poster provides confirmation (or maybe just hope) that they are in fact being built as most recently rendered?
 
ritchiew said:
I've never seen that pic of the old waiting room before. So much better than the waiting space now.
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Agreed, but just to be clear I believe the old waiting room still exists. It is just the Amtrak lounge now. The yelp page actually has some nice pictures and you can see the ceiling details and arches.
www.yelp.com

Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge - Boston, MA

AMTRAK METROPOLITAN LOUNGE, 700 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110, 14 Photos, Mon - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Tue - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Wed - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Thu - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Fri - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Sat - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Sun - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm
www.yelp.com www.yelp.com
 
aycaramba said:
Agreed, but just to be clear I believe the old waiting room still exists. It is just the Amtrak lounge now. The yelp page actually has some nice pictures and you can see the ceiling details and arches.
www.yelp.com

Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge - Boston, MA

AMTRAK METROPOLITAN LOUNGE, 700 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110, 14 Photos, Mon - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Tue - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Wed - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Thu - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Fri - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Sat - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm, Sun - 5:45 am - 9:30 pm
www.yelp.com www.yelp.com
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Myself & a friend of mine waited there for the train to Chicago 2 years ago!!
 
I didn’t know that what is now Fidelity HQ was actually where the original South Station building continued. That section was apparently torn down and the land was sold…crazy.

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bigpicture7 said:
by another entity
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Which just happens to be Ashkenazy, aka Evil Incarnate. For those unfamiliar, before Ashkenazy acquired the SS operator/leasing rights, it was chiefly famous around here for instigating a witches' brew of hostility, resent, and toxic tension at Faneuil Hall, all while gleefully extending a perpetual Eff You to the City in the form of its $10/year lease.

*Understandably pleased with the impact its management of the storied colonial-era marketplace has had on its local brand/reputation*, Ashkenazy decided to double-down on its *genius strategy*, when it comes to operating South Station. What a swell bunch of fellows!
 
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