The New Retail Thread

[whighlander]

Believe it or not -- It looks as though a Public Farmers Market may be approaching reality
http://www.bostonpublicmarket.org/?s=

Boston Public Market Association to Present Food Market Proposal at Open Meeting on March 13, 2012

http://www.mass.gov/agr/public-market/docs/3212-bpma-sectioni.pdf

The Commonwealth has confirmed that the future home of the Boston Public Market will be the large (30,000-square-foot), vacant first-floor retail space at the State-owned Parcel 7 facility, located downtown at the intersection of Congress and Hanover Streets. Parcel 7 is an ideal Public Market site: located between the city’s Financial District and North Station, it fronts on the City’s new Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, contains 325 on-site parking spaces, and features direct access to the MBTA’s Haymarket Green and Orange Line Stations. We recently submitted our proposal to operate the Public Market to the State’s Market Commission.

 

[statler]

I guess big red signs are a thing now?

There are worse trends I suppose.

 

[underground]

I'm pretty excited to round out my Ernesto's and Bova's diet.

 

[datadyne007]

The guy chillaxin' on the lamppost smoking the cigar is priceless.

I think a market is a great idea, but sadly nothing about the site says a food market is here. I would have preferred a spot on a Greenway parcel with some sort of architecturally iconic roof at least, if not a building.

 

[underground]

nothing about the site says a food market is here.

Other than all the signs that say "Market"?

 

[Hutchison]

It might not be iconic but it is certainly recognizable, my friends always call it the M building due to the venting towers

 

[whighlander]

The guy chillaxin' on the lamppost smoking the cigar is priceless.

I think a market is a great idea, but sadly nothing about the site says a food market is here. I would have preferred a spot on a Greenway parcel with some sort of architecturally iconic roof at least, if not a building.

data -- I think that guy is either:
a) Red Auerbach "returning through those doors" to lead the Celtics to another Banner
b) Fidel on his book tour incognito
c) Whitey Bulger -- out on a "good behavior" furlough
d) a tourist from Tokyo resting after having spent the morning fruitlessly searching for the Public Market
e) none of the above

The answer is d) -- he couldn't read the BIG RED Sign "Public Market" because it was not in Japanese

 

[datadyne007]

Other than all the signs that say "Market"?

If you put grass in there and put up signs up that say "PARK," does that make it a good park?

I personally think a market should be able to identify itself architecturally and contextually without the need for giant signs.

Edit:
But it's a fitout and this is Boston. So I'm asking way too much.

 

[HenryAlan]

And just across the street from the Ace Ticket demo, a banner promises that The Yard House will open on 03/11/2012, just in time for St. Pat's, and Opening Day.

I've only been to a Yard House once. It was the centerpiece of a rather joyless lifestyle center off of PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, the sort of place that Jim Kunstler loves. Dunno how this'll go over, 200 yards from Beer Works. I think I'll stick to Crossroads.

I've been to two of these, and the experience varied by location. The first was in an urban/water front location in Long Beach California (think SPID). It was a lot of fun, though I admit, I did not at the time realize it was a chain, which had I known, might have sub-consciously lessened the fun. The second was at Legacy Place, which is, unfortunately, at Legacy Place. The crowd was therefore very different, as was the atmosphere. Still had a good beer selection, though. A Fenway location is probably a good idea. First, BeerWorks is too crowded before games. Second, BeerWorks could use a shot of competition. They have not been nearly as good over the past few years as they once were. Third, if I'm just looking for a bar to hang out at, I'll agree with your Crossroads selection. The Cask used to be good when it was a dive, but now that it's a frat boy sports bar, it is the worst.

 

[underground]

I personally think a market should be able to identify itself architecturally and contextually without the need for giant signs.

So what exactly constitutes a market building looking like a market building? I must be missing something. Retail space, food, a sign.... and?

Sorry to have fun at your expense, but that's a wicked nitpick.

 

[Shepard]

Funny that nobody has yet commented on the apparently re-branded "Downtown Market District"

Actually, I think this rendering makes a good case for this building's potential. And the location across from the North End parks (Greenway parcels that actually work), the Blackstone block, and adjacent to a wide and triangular sidewalk (one of the few parts of the Greenway streets that provide this) make it quite ideal.

My one complaint about the location is that there's currently a hedge fence blocking pedestrian access into the North End parks from Surface Road - that strikes me as awkward. If I grab a few things from the market and want to eat it in the park then I'd want to be able to jaywalk/sprint across the street (and expect that traffic is calmed and slow enough to allow me to do so) [/entitled bostonian]

 

[whighlander]

Originally Posted by datadyne007
I personally think a market should be able to identify itself architecturally and contextually without the need for giant signs.

Ah, I see. Just like all those other markets in the North End that are in special market buildings.

Sorry to have fun at your expense, but you're doing some next level nitpicking.

Under -- these days since a lot can't read or can't read English -- perhaps a sign could be created that was a pictograph:

a) large basket with fruits and vegetables -- how to distinguish from Haymarket?
b) a cornucopia -- same problem
c) Mike Dukakis with some Belgian Endive
d) none of the above

The answer is c) Mike Dukakis and the Endive

My personal favorite would be a weather vane with an arm in the shape of an artisanal baguette with a pointer looking like a wedge of a raw sheep milk smoked Gouda and the vane itself a butcher knife with an ornamental kale hanging from it

 

[briv]

Whighlander, you have the internet equivalent of diarrhea of the mouth. Give it a rest, will you? You're really making this forum unbearable.

 

[datadyne007]

So what exactly constitutes a market building looking like a market building? I must be missing something. Retail space, food, a sign.... and?

Sorry to have fun at your expense, but that's a wicked nitpick.

Welcoming facade, natural lighting, double-height space, etc... I picture a market as more of a pavilion event.

I'm just bitter that we can't have Santa Caterina in Boston. (something of the magnitude)

I'm very happy this is happening, but I'm just saying that I think it could have been done much better on one of the million empty Greenway parcels. It will be nice to have this kind of life actually interacting and happening around the currently boring and dead building. The signage and life indicated in the rendering is great and shows the potential of the Market and building.

 

[HenryAlan]

Santa Caterina, awesome though it may be, would be completely wrong for Boston. We have a different climate, different culture, needing a different type of market building.

 

[Bos77]

Whighlander, you have the internet equivalent of diarrhea of the mouth. Give it a rest, will you? You're really making this forum unbearable.

+1 Like

 

[datadyne007]

Santa Caterina, awesome though it may be, would be completely wrong for Boston. We have a different climate, different culture, needing a different type of market building.

So under a parking garage is completely right for Boston?

Why couldn't an iconic public market (that takes the climate into consideration by being able to be closed off) be built on one of the parcels or even on City Hall Plaza? In the nicer weather, it could be opened to whatever space adjoins it so life can happen inside and out.

Perhaps I'm just biased because a public market was one of my design projects.

PS. I agree with the Whigh comments. The lists and songs are really getting unbearable.

 

[HenryAlan]

So under a parking garage is completely right for Boston?

Why couldn't an iconic public market (that takes the climate into consideration by being able to be closed off) be built on one of the parcels or even on City Hall Plaza? In the nicer weather, it could be opened to whatever space adjoins it so life can happen inside and out.

Perhaps I'm just biased because a public market was one of my design projects.

A purpose built market that screams "market" might be a nice goal, but there's no reason that we have to start there. Here's a picture of my favorite public market, and I've been to many:

As you can see, the fairly nondescript exterior does not affect the bustle inside:

Last pic I throw in is the Angels' Flight, which my google search turned up even though it's not at the market or even directly nearby. The picture is too good not to post, and it's definitely another part of the awesomeness in downtown Los Angeles.

 

[datadyne007]

I just hope it turns out looking like this inside.

 

[czsz]

Surprised no one has mentioned what a ripoff the sign is of the iconic ones at Pike Place in Seattle:

I kinda wish this were branded in a way that tied it into Haymarket rather than made Haymarket seem subordinate to the more generically-named "Boston Public Market" or the "Market District".