Re: South Boston Seaport
What I honestly think should be done is to just build tons of loft buildings. They can either be used for residential, office, or industry. They are all purpose and can easily be adapted depending on what is needed.
You know, I agree to this. At least, over in the Fort Point section, this is what should be built-lots of brick warehouse-type buildings that could become anything the user wanted. Residential? Sure. Offices? Sure. Retail or Restaurants? Sure.
I also believe that this could survive as a type of entertainment district that is distinctly different from the Back Bay. Back Bay to me has always seems like a very local area. Financial-types wives from Marblehead went to shop on Newbury, while Pops worked in the Pru. It is all super elegant, but it always seemed very local. Lots of colleges around, near Fenway, older buildings...I don't really know, but it sure as hell never felt too touristy to me.
I think that's what SBW should become-the touristy part of Boston. Sure, they'll want to visit all the historical stuff, but at night they'll go back to their moderate to semi-upscale hotels, shop in semi-upscale shops after getting ideas the day before on Newbury, and eat in decent restaurants (Legal, for example...even my dream of getting an ESPN Zone). This also fits the WTC and BCEC being there, because (hopefully) many business people will come into town and support these business hotels, and not excellent but not 99 restaurants. It is close to the Financial District, be easily connected with Logan, and with that brand new elevated monorail, it will be connected with the rest of the city. Then, locals would come in to the residential at Fort Point and Fan Pier, biotechs would build offices in some of the parcels left off of the hotel, BCEC, gov't, and cultural/entertainment developments.
I guess, in dream-world, it would all fill in very nicely, complement the rest of the city, and allow Boston to grow without neighborhoods fighting over business.