The Hub on Causeway (née TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

In this day and age, it seems like a better idea to just keep refurbishing the old arena. Where else could they put one if they wanted a new one? It's already in the perfect location.
There was talk of building a Celtics Arena in the Seaport but that idea quickly fizzed out. And I think you’re right. The TD Garden will be there for years to come. Which is fine by me. They can utilize that big barn for years to come and refurbish it for life. They have the footprint.
 
There definitely is no better location. If they were to build something new, it's probably possible to again do what they did in the 90s, which is to say build the new one behind the current Garden. It would have to be a bit taller, to accommodate not only the North Station platforms, but also the Zakim bridge ramps.
 
To be honest, I never liked the TD Garden from the time they opened it to a few years ago. I thought the yellow seats looked cheap and tacky.

I do like the new black seats - they give the arena a sleak, fresher look. I also felt that the yellow seat drew more attention when someone left their seat.

I wish they would do something with the exterior of the building to make it look less boring. I like the new Causeway St. entrance a lot, but seeing it from the highway is kind of blah.
 
There was talk of building a Celtics Arena in the Seaport but that idea quickly fizzed out. And I think you’re right. The TD Garden will be there for years to come. Which is fine by me. They can utilize that big barn for years to come and refurbish it for life. They have the footprint.

I agree. I think they can keep renovating and rehabbing that concrete shell basically forever.
 
Definitely. In seattle they put the key arena roof of jacks and built an entire new stadium underneath it. With modern construction methods they should be able to renovate this buiding forever. Theres no reason that they couldnt also freshen up the rest of the building exterior at some point, they could put up hangers on that concrete box and hang an entire new facade on top of it for the next refresh.
 
IMG_5281.JPG
IMG_5282.JPG
 
@chrisbrat - that first picture tho. 🔥

So hard to imagine that was once a seedy stretch of Causeway with a clunky old El train running through it.
Don't I know it! My mom's company had season tix to the Celtics when I was in 4th-7th grade (which just so happened to be '83-'87ish, so that kinda worked out really well for young me) *and* my HS had tennis and raquetball practice at the building with the puffy, inflatable "roofs" which got replaced by The Alcott, and my early bands played the Penalty Box (RIP) and Bulfinch Yacht Club (good riddance), so I'm very familiar with the "seedy, old Causeway." Liked the old, appreciate the new. Fun times to be had in each era.
 
Last edited:
Is the old McDonald’s still there? I worked there 5 years ago and it was still just a blank wall. Would love to see inside and shocked nothings been done.
 
Is the old McDonald’s still there? I worked there 5 years ago and it was still just a blank wall. Would love to see inside and shocked nothings been done.
pretty sure it's gone and the closest mc'd's is on washington st about a half-mile away. tasty burger is the current go-to near the garden for burgers.
 
1/28 From Larz Anderson Park, Brookline.

IMG_0461 by David Z, on Flickr
Nice photo and I appreciate it, but the residential tower stills looks unfinished and shoddy. The Verizon building is okay, but not the residential tower. It basically looks like a pile of crap to me.
 
If that sign had stayed any longer it would have become the latter day “If you lived here/You would be home now”.

Personally, I would have paid good money for a guerilla artist to rework the sign to say “NO P IN THIS OOL”
 
5/7 I think Verizon ends up being my favorite of the 4 North Station towers, followed very closely by The Alcott. It's a solid futuristic office tower. The crazy part is it evolved from almost being an afterthought to the largest building of the Hub complex.

IMG_0009 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0032 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0042 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0079 by David Z, on Flickr
 
5/7 I think Verizon ends up being my favorite of the 4 North Station towers, followed very closely by The Alcott. It's a solid futuristic office tower. The crazy part is it evolved from almost being an afterthought to the largest building of the Hub complex.

IMG_0009 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0032 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0042 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0079 by David Z, on Flickr

I agree it's my favorite by far!
 
5/7 I think Verizon ends up being my favorite of the 4 North Station towers, followed very closely by The Alcott. It's a solid futuristic office tower. The crazy part is it evolved from almost being an afterthought to the largest building of the Hub complex.
It's the kind of building that grows on you, similar in that regard to the BU Data Sciences Center. At first it's like aaaargh! But after awhile it settles into the psyche.
 
The best (and, by far) the most important part of the Verizon building is it's magnificent enlivening urban/dynamic ground portion. THAT builds dynamic cities. The height thing is nice, but most geared towards coffee table books (i.e. CSC Tower).
 
Last edited:
The best (and, by far) the most part of the Verizon building is it's magnificent enlivening urban/dynamic ground portion. THAT builds dynamic cities. The height thing is nice, but most geared towards coffee table books (i.e. CSC Tower).
Coommmmmonn Rapid7 - get your name up there! Let's get more homegrown companies up on the skyline - not one that makes you feel miserable like Verizon.
 

Back
Top