(We’re On) The Road To Nowhere
My neighborhood (the North End), despite being the first settled neighborhood in Boston, is in a significant state of transition. Actually, it has been for the past 15+ years as the Big Dig project has submerged a 6 lane elevated highway that cut through the heart of the city. Over the past two years, the final sections of elevated highway have been removed and the city has begun piecing the urban fabric back together again.
Technically, this area is known as the Bulfinch Triangle and the highway separated that area from the North End. But I walk by this area daily to get to and from work (oh, who am I kidding, I walk by it everyday to get to and from anywhere). Much of the highway’s old path is going to become parkland (too much green space, if you ask me). But in my area, they are going to make it a neighborhood again. I tried importing an on-line map here (skillfully shaded in green using Microsoft Paint) but this damn program won’t accept it. Ugh.
Anyway, with the highway finally gone, the size of the area appears quite large. Just over the past few months they’ve finally begun putting in a small park at the tip and have now started putting in the sidewalks and streets that will someday be occpuied by condos, shops, restaurants and a much needed market.
But right now it just looks odd. Here we are in the one of densest neighborhoods of Boston (North End) and we have this enormous swath of dirt and sidewalks and streets leading to nowhere. I should probably take some photos this weekend. It’s really beginning to take shape – I’m quite happy. Now if I could only afford to BUY in this neighborhood.
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Ah! but it’s your own fault that prices in that neighborhood are so high. Why so? Well, because we all know that when the gays move in the neighborhood, the prices go through the roof. 🙂
Yeah, ’cause you’re always fancying things up and, like, trying to make everything look better. And bringing in “specialty shops” and stuff. Thank god I live in a town filled with 7th Day Adventists! Well, it meant my house was a steal anyway.
Too much green space? Come on – there’s concrete aplenty. I’m fairly certain that residing in the vicinity of a grassy park is not going to render you a country bumpkin. You’ll get to retain your city boy rights.
But isn’t it Karl’s fondest wish to be a white trash hillbilly? So bring on the green grass.
OH, I don’t want to be a white trash hillbilly (though I already may be white trash)…I want to be WITH a white trash hillbilly like Earl!
As for the parks….Boston is going the wrong direction with all of these useless new parks in undesirable locations (like the two big ones right next to the Zakim Brige where there is no peace..just the constant whrrrrrrrrrrr of highway traffic.
The big problem with the old central artery highway was that it disconnected one part of the city from the rest because of the barrier (the highway).
Now there’s another barrier – senseless green space that keeps the neighborhoods divided.
Propertly placed, and properly scaled (Post Office Square, Esplanade, Harborwalk) parks are an asset.
If you used MS paint, it probably saved as a bitmap, and many web programs won’t let you upload them. You can likely save-as or export as a jpeg, and upload the map then.
Reading these comments, I’ve got “squeal like a piggy!” in my head now… Sigh.