am i blind?

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

i drive past porter sq every day, and i just noticed today that there appear to be solar panels all along the top of the shopping center. are these new? it would be very cool if they powered themselves. the mcdonald's also seems to have been replaced by another restaurant. that's the first time in my entire life i've ever seen a mcdonald's franchise disappear. hope i wasn't seeing things.

Comments

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

The solar panels have been there for at least a couple of years. I had never noticed them until I started working out at Healthworks and staring across the lot at them.

The McDonald's is gone, you weren't hallucinating. Haven't tried the Qdoba yet.

[moireach.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that's right, I'd forgotten it was a Qdoba going in there! I adore them.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

i've never heard of them before. now i feel really out of touch *laugh*

[moireach.livejournal.com]

They have one on Huntington, near Northeastern, and one in the Prudential Center, that I know of. Very very yummy!

[roblem.livejournal.com]

Not new, the solar panels have been there since the 1999-ish redesign. Here is an article about them. http://www.seacoastonline.com/1999news/11_1_sb2.htm There is also this strange metal flower thing that has solar panels built into the base, although I have never seen it move.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! I can't believe the panels only produce *one third* of the electricity for just the common areas. Guess all those flood lights use a lot of energy. Really glad to hear they have a water reclaiming process. That was unexpected. Hope it's still working/in use.

They've been there

[trysha.livejournal.com]

They were there when I lived in the apartment building behind the shopping center about 5 years ago.

I was suprised to see the mcdonalds go away, but I am not surpised.
It was nearly always empty.

[roblem.livejournal.com]

No Problemo. GraveStar seems to have their act together with not just the solar panels but all trees and other "unnecessary" changes they made to the site. It really made a big difference to the area. I’m hoping that they work going on now http://www.cambridgema.gov/TheWorks/departments/engnr/portersquare.html will help make the area more like davis.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

i don't know about making it more like davis.. mass ave is a big road. I'm having trouble visualising. giving porter a real heart would be wonderful though. i hope they progress along quickly - part of the aim being to make it more pedestrian-friendly, but the construction and crazy lane patterns and lack of crossing grids has made it look really dangerous for the pedestrians trying to get around the jersey barriers and such. and, well, the traffic sucks worse right now.

[ert.livejournal.com]

I think that the size of Mass Ave is a problem, but when you think of the five spokes converging on Davis the three that meet at Porter aren't that much. I think it's more that the pedestrian mall area is next to the T stop and Lesley, but isolated from almost all the stores and restaurants. In Davis people just hang out in the pedestrian area. In Porter it's pretty much just people waiting for the Bus.

There's also the big parking lot that means that a large percentage of people in the area aren't walking from the T to somewhere, they're just traversing the parking lot to one of the stores in the strip mall and back.

[ert.livejournal.com]

Wow. I ask and I receive. They're putting outdoor seating area by the Healthworks. Check it out.

http://www.cambridgema.gov/%7ECDD/et/infra/psq/psq_plaza.html

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

i'm psyched that a qdoba is going in the old mcdonald's spot, it's good food. they have one in the food court at the pru. it's like a tex-mex fast food joint, and their taco salads are really good.

[alierak.livejournal.com]

kareila decided to check it out a couple weeks ago and got a taco salad for lunch. After work, the same day, she sent me out for two more. Yeah, that good.

[stariel25]

That's funny, yesterday when I noticed the McDonalds was gone I told my friends that I had never seen a McDonalds go out of business. Looks like you had the same thought!

Mexican food @ Porters

[prog.livejournal.com]

While Qdoba > McD's, I also recommend Tacos Lupita at Wilson Square (where Somerville Ave. meets Elm Street). Fresh hot tortillas that can't be beat.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Tacos Lupita is the best. Qdoba is a pleasant fast-food experience, though.

[olszowka.livejournal.com]

There's a kiosk in front of Tag's which has a touch screen that's supposed to report on the state of the solar panels. The computer hasn't worked in years. I hope that computer isn't the one which actually manages the solar panels.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The McDonald's now in Davis Square is the second McDonald's to be in Davis Square--there was another one where the Burren is now, many years ago. That was the first McDonald's I ever saw close.