The New Retail Thread

datadyne007 said:
Are you serious? I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but of course we want tourists spending money here. Tourism is a critical aspect of our city.

I don't really understand how "Do you want tourists spending money here" is a logical response to someone asking you why you called them morons for not knowing something local.
Click to expand...
I guess that you took my sarcasm seriously. Wow.


My point to clarify was that if you honestly think that a bar that inspired a twenty-five year old sitcom was originally based in a tourist trap like faneuil hall, then YOU obviously don't know Boston. When I first came to this city, I assimilated to the culture. I found my way around easily. When you go into other countries, you have to know the lay of the land. If you don't then you look like a...well...tourist.
 
Mayor Menino's Crohn's said:
I guess that you took my sarcasm seriously. Wow.


My point to clarify was that if you honestly think that a bar that inspired a twenty-five year old sitcom was originally based in a tourist trap like faneuil hall, then YOU obviously don't know Boston. When I first came to this city, I assimilated to the culture. I found my way around easily. When you go into other countries, you have to know the lay of the land. If you don't then you look like a...well...tourist.
Click to expand...

People like us (internet savvy, detail-oriented people) typically have a superb sense of direction and location. Other people with different personalities, may not have these traits and might be a little more alike to the deer in the headlights when traveling. It still doesn't make any sense why you called them morons and it also makes no sense why you retorted back with that completely nonsensical sarcastic statement that doesn't answer the question.

Tourists often don't even have time to "assimilate." That's why they're "tourists" and not "locals." I'd say the average Boston vacation is 3-5 days from the people I've talked to while working @ Faneuil Hall for over a year.
 
datadyne007 said:
People like us (internet savvy, detail-oriented people) typically have a superb sense of direction and location. Other people with different personalities, may not have these traits and might be a little more alike to the deer in the headlights when traveling. It still doesn't make any sense why you called them morons and it also makes no sense why you retorted back with that completely nonsensical sarcastic statement that doesn't answer the question.

Tourists often don't even have time to "assimilate." That's why they're "tourists" and not "locals." I'd say the average Boston vacation is 3-5 days from the people I've talked to while working @ Faneuil Hall for over a year.
Click to expand...
Relax. I was just having a little fun.


Fine, I rescind my last statement. There it is folks.
 
If someone wants to spin this off into a different subject it may be better, but since we're discussing it here...

What DO most tourists do here for 3-5 (or even 7) days? What do you advise your friends when they come to visit?

Here's my typical guest itinerary, assuming nice weather:
Day 1: Duck tour from the Pru, and then walking through the South End, Chinatown and financial district back to Park Street/DTX to get on the Freedom Trail in the afternoon (spending time in Quincy Market and North End)
Day 2: Beacon Hill, Esplanade, Kenmore, Fenway Park, and Back Bay circuit (including BPL)
Day 3: MIT and Harvard in the morning; Lexington and Concord via Zipcar in the afternoon
Day 4: Gardner, MFA, and other museums
Day 5: Waterfront and whale watch and/or harbor islands tour.
 
MOFA can take an entire day, or at least most of one.
 
I've got it down to being able to show people the whole city in 1-2 days tops (okay, excluding museums). In half a day you can do a zigzagging walk from Back Bay Station to the North End and take in a lot, with time left over before dusk to go to Cambridge.
 
i bring friends (we all work in theater so we do boston cheep) from out of state in alot and i go:

*Copley square to a walk down a couple of blocks of Newbury street then eat a bag lunch in the public gardens.
*walk through the common then along the freedom trail to the Granary Burying Ground and the Boston Masacare site, then past city hall to Quincy market.
*next a stop at the fountain on the greenway (every tourist loves it), the free parts of the aquarium, and then over to the North End for Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church.
* Dinner at Ernesto's, desert at some bakery, T to harvard square to listen to the street performers.

The end
 
found5dollar said:
i bring friends (we all work in theater so we do boston cheep) from out of state in alot and i go:

*Copley square to a walk down a couple of blocks of Newbury street then eat a bag lunch in the public gardens.
*walk through the common then along the freedom trail to the Granary Burying Ground and the Boston Masacare site, then past city hall to Quincy market.
*next a stop at the fountain on the greenway (every tourist loves it), the free parts of the aquarium, and then over to the North End for Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church.
* Dinner at Ernesto's, desert at some bakery, T to harvard square to listen to the street performers.
The end
Click to expand...


I like it


On a side note: I'm going to Club Passim next weekend...Great food...music...
 
Bombay Club on Washington Street in South End has closed. The owner's other location in Faneuil Hall has also closed, according to the Globe.

So, we have seen the closing of three big restaurants (size-wise) in the South End, this year. Rocca on Harrison Ave and Ginger Park and Bombay Club on Washington.

Revolution Fitness, under Club Cafe, is closing at the end of this month.

Tico http://ticoboston.com has opened in the Cottonwood space at corners of Berkeley and St James.
 
Sad; Bombay Club had just moved to the South End after many years in operation in Harvard Sq.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Bombay Club on Washington Street in South End has closed. The owner's other location in Faneuil Hall has also closed, according to the Globe.

So, we have seen the closing of three big restaurants (size-wise) in the South End, this year. Rocca on Harrison Ave and Ginger Park and Bombay Club on Washington.

Revolution Fitness, under Club Cafe, is closing at the end of this month.

Tico http://ticoboston.com has opened in the Cottonwood space at corners of Berkeley and St James.
Click to expand...

Rocca is back open under another name though, right? I was under the impression that the "closing" was a financial flim-flam to write off some debt.
 
I have a reservation for Tico this saturday. Will post on how it was.
 
I went to the Bombay Club right after it opened. It was just ok, not as good as good as Mela, two streets away. I've thought of going back many times just to support a neighborhood restaurant but they suffer from what most Boston/Cambridge Indian restaurants suffer from, arrogant waiters. It's not my fault you have a PhD in economics.

I never went to Ginger Park because I went to Banq too many times, way over priced for what you get. I'd sit there saying I'm paying for that ceiling instead of good food. After that I was never inclined to go back to that site.

There is a lot happening the South End right now so I would expect most of these sites will be filled. Only 35 West Newton will remain empty and I know they have turned down many opportunities including Joe V's. That's non profit thinking or you.

Rocca's weekday business died off, probably because of the recession. In spite of what you may hear in the papers it's not that safe an area. I've gone to a lot off police meetings. SOWA(hate that name) needs more of a draw. With all that space they should have build a black box theater or space for art exhibits perhaps even a new institution to replace the 'old ICA'. As a collecting museum it can't fulfill the exact same mission it did a as a non collecting institute. These things could have brought people in 7 nights a week. While the Boston Conservatory theater was being rebuilt they shifted their programing to the new black box theater in Fort Point Channel. That would have been a great fit for SOWA. Sundance once planned to open in SOWA, maybe that plan can be revived.
 
Want to instantly revitalize SoWa in this economy? Relocate or dramatically reform the Pine Street Inn. Business and real estate is taking a hefty blow from the safety, drugs, and prostitution issues stemming from that facility at night.
 
SoWa has enough places to exhibit art (that seems to be its main purpose these days), but a performance space would be a welcome addition.

I'd leave Pine Street entirely alone unless you want to gentrify SoWa's entire existing set of residents and businesses out of existence.
 
PaulC said:
I went to the Bombay Club right after it opened. It was just ok, not as good as good as Mela, two streets away. I've thought of going back many times just to support a neighborhood restaurant but they suffer from what most Boston/Cambridge Indian restaurants suffer from, arrogant waiters. It's not my fault you have a PhD in economics.
Click to expand...

An interesting take on waitstaff, PaulC. You may wanna check out Rani in Coolidge Corner. Bukhara on Centre Street in JP is also quite good. Chill atmosphere, great food. I'm lucky enough to have Mehak (Indian/Pakistani) on Sumner Street in East Boston.

PaulC said:
I never went to Ginger Park because I went to Banq too many times, way over priced for what you get. I'd sit there saying I'm paying for that ceiling instead of good food.
Click to expand...

And what a ceiling it is...I loved Banq, but it was "experiential dining." The shortribs were off the hook!
 
JohnAKeith said:
Bombay Club on Washington Street in South End has closed. The owner's other location in Faneuil Hall has also closed, according to the Globe. http://ticoboston.com has opened in the Cottonwood space at corners of Berkeley and St James.
Click to expand...

I only went there occasionally for their trivia night. The food was decent enough, but man were they struggling. The place was empty most times I would walk by, even on the weekends. The good thing is that the Red Fez picked up their trivia guy (who does his own game and format, not part of one of the trivia companies that many bars use).
 
I thought that a curated exhibit space would bring a lot more people to sowa. I heard a lot of suburban people moved into the area and quickly move out. I talk to one woman who won't go out at night when the restaurants are closed
 
SoWa just isn't safe at night because of the Pine Street Inn. Whining about gentrification doesn't change the fact that people living the area, and very importantly start up restaurants trying to get customers, have to worry about homeless drug addicts, violent convicted felons, and sex offenders attacking people.

Look up the 30 day stats and sex offender locations on:
http://www.crimereports.com
If you don't believe me. There's a lot of crime which never makes the news.
 
^ My roommate and and a close friend were mugged in the SOWA district. One had his iphone taken, the other almost had his taken, but escaped. Another friend was attacked outside of Meyer's and Changs. None of these incidents had to do with Pine Street Inn clients. It really isn't the safest area. I live in the SE and was uncomfortable walking to my office behind Gaslight at night.

I was once in Flour Bakery when a young man grabbed/stole the tip bucket, pushed everything on the counter into the staff, and then ran. I asked them to report it to the police but they wouldn't. I believe there's a lot of unreported crime in the area.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top