The New Retail Thread

The Natural History museum (still standing, most recently Louis, now Restoration Hardware) was next door to MIT (demolished in order to build New England Life building, now The Newbry)
 
This is actually Restoration Hardware's second go-round in Back Bay. They used to be at Boylston and Exeter.
 
The DTX BID wants to be rid of the push carts:

The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District is shuttering a pushcart program that has operated for more than three decades-- a move that is angering many of the 26 vendors who have stuck through Downtown Crossing’s difficult transition.
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More at the Globe

It isn't clear, though, whether they are eliminating them, or just retooling the permitting process.
 
Here a comment from the Globe site responding to the article from someone claiming to be a vendor:
melacap said:
melacap
03/08/2013 01:59 PM
I am a vendor in Downtown Crossing. I work nearly seven days a week, twelve months a year. Tomorrow morning I will be down there with a snow shovel clearing out my location of snow. For 22 years I have been a perfect tenant. I pay my rent every month and I do whatever is asked of me by the Business Improvement Distric (Downtown Crossing Association) Landlords and always have. The pushcart I am forced to use was the one the association gave to me. The green roof on top was the one they picked out.
I provide a product that the public wants. I know this because I have been able to keep my head above water (barely) and take care of my family (2 children) through some of the worst times I have ever seen. The recession put empty storefronts all over the DTX neighborhood but I survived. The Filene's building was torn down and a hole in the ground was my neighbor for five years and still I am here open for business every day from 10 to 7.
Now things are looking up. Mayor Menino says he wants the DTX to become a neighborhood where people want to visit, work and live. It looks like it may happen.
So why would an organization want to remove some of the only business owners who have proven they can succeed under any conditions? An experienced, intelligent individual would go to these business owners and thank them for their support and if they had a budget the size of the BIDS (3 miilion), they would upgrade the vending program they already have and continue down the road to success with the support of the people.
Why go out of your way to consistently alienate the people you claim to be doing all this for? You should be building bridges not tearing them down. Keep the vedors that want to stay and help. Those that don't say goodbye. Do the right thing Mr. Mayor.
We've earned the right to be a part of the future.
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It would be a ridiculous move to remove the street vendors...what would be the motivation for this?
 
There was a picture in the Globe of Jeremy Renner at the opening party.
 
I get that some of the vendor carts are downmarket, but there has to be a better solution than just kicking them out.
Plus, for as long a the Filenes hole is there, they will never successfully rebrand DTX.
 
Does anyone know why the old Barnes and Nobles site has sat empty for well over 2 years now?
 
Twitter says they aren't leaving, Just being moved around because of the burnham building construction.
 
'Twitter' doesn't say anything, as such -- can you link to the tweet and tell us who sent it?
 
12345 said:
Twitter says they aren't leaving, Just being moved around because of the burnham building construction.
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As I said, the article wasn't clear. If this is really the case, then the Globe did a recklessly bad job on this story.
 
Boston Business Journal's report is similar to the Globe's. If two different news organizations are reporting this, I tend to believe them.
 
So, according to the Tweet, the BRA is directly contradicting the Globe article. Did the Globe just not seek the BRA's comment on this issue or what? Seems like it may be a case of extremely sloppy journalism. Another nail in the Globe's coffin?
 
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