The Davis Square Community

This might not be a bad thing as a big box store is not the best thing for that site.

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prunesnprisms.livejournal.com

I'm disappointed by that.

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gingicat

To be fair, Assembly Square is all big box stores *now*.

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Perhaps, so then it is doomed continue to be so? Given the huge opportunity, as stated in the article, "perhaps the largest mixed-use, transit-oriented, smart-growth development project on the East Coast", is devoting 12 acres to a huge furniture store and its attendant parking really "smart-growth" ?

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ron_newman

I'm wondering if that land might be a good place to put the Revolution soccer-only stadium? It's much less logistically daunting than the previously suggested Inner Belt-Brickbottom area.

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cos

On balance I think I'm glad. We could see a better use of that site, and there's already too much traffic there.

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eveninparadise.livejournal.com

I'm a little disappointed. From redoing a kitchen to getting rugs for several rooms, I could really use easy access to Ikea. Stoughton is just far enough and stressful enough to get to that I rarely buy anything from that store.

Still, I'm sure there are better uses of the Somerville space. I never understood why a huge Ikea complex was going to be positioned in such a dense area. Someplace like Waltham would've made more sense. (The Wellesley idea was just weird.)

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somerfriend.livejournal.com

While the current Assembly Square is big box stores, the new adjacent large development underway is not (other than the potential IKEA). There is the potential for rezoning for the existing Assembly square down the line.

I would prefer that something better than IKEA come along. I would be happy if they located in a more northern suburb, and I think that would be good for them too to make the 2nd store a little farther than the first.

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mockingbird39.livejournal.com

Another store closer to Boston - even a smaller one - would take some of the pressure off the Stoughton store, too, and make it less of an ordeal. I'd love to see a Camberville store specializing in smaller housewares and such, the more compact furniture with Stoughton continuing to carry the full line of kitchens and bigger stuff.

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emcicle.livejournal.com

I agree with this. Especially being zipcar dependent, it almost never seems worth the effort, time, or cost of going to ikea when it's so far away.

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farther than the first? So it is even more impossible for those of us who are dependent on transit to get to? So that even those who do have private transit will still need to spend 60-90 minutes just to get there?

In Toronto, there are two IKEAs; they were both not only public transit accessible by bus, they offered shuttles to the train system. The Stoughton location is actually an anomaly for IKEA, who has an urban core demographic, and generally tries to be accessible and integrated in their community. Stoughton is one of their poorest performing stores because it is pretty antithetical to how they operate.

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Every Ikea I've been to has been in a Stoughton like area. There used to be a shuttle from Downtown Xing to Ikea but I think they nixed it in favor of special zipcars.

Vaguely transit accessible would be somewhat nice, but I was carless for the past 10 years and getting to that Ikea was never a huge issue for me--if I needed to rent a car for something I would add it to the day's agenda.

For the Boston Market, I kind of feel like the Stoughton one is enough. If anything, they should consider putting one up in Manchester, NH if they need another one in the area.

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That would actually be rather great.

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I don't really think the Stoughton store needs any pressure taken off--it's rarely exceptionally packed these days.

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eveninparadise.livejournal.com

Part of the problem is Ikea's maze-like structure, but it is always jam-packed on the weekends, seemingly with families looking for something to do with their kids. I have the patience to drive to the airport in rush hour on a Friday but the Stoughton Ikea makes me homicidal.

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I dunno--I bought a house a year ago and have been to Ikea maybe 10 times, usually on weekends, and I don't remember it being particularly bad.

Last time, my wife and I went on Monday morning and it was so amazing :)

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My only concern would be how the space get utilized during off days/season. Fenway is used 40 times over six months. The Garden 80 times, plus all the other shows/ events there. How many home soccer games are there, ~15?

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thetathx1138.livejournal.com

Or, you know, they have a website.

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ron_newman

Fenway hosts 81 regular season Sox home games each year (plus playoffs, but those aren't likely this year), plus a few concerts and other special events.

Looks like there are 17 Revolution home games, so yeah, you'd want to fill that stadium with lots of other events the rest of the time.

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which does not actually have about half their stuff. Most Marketplace stuff and all of the food items are not available through it. Less than a third of the fabrics are. And the website does not tell me what the practical feel difference is between a three inch and four inch mattress, and whether the $60 price difference is worth it to me. Because I am economical, my first look is always in the As-Is section, which is likewise not on the website. And shipping costs on things like bookcases are insane.

You are making an assumption about how I shop at IKEA (and indeed, how IKEA markets itself in every other country). When I lived in Toronto, I was there once or twice a month; I did not bother with most other box stores; it sells me craft projects, furniture, food, housewares, etc. In case of zombie apocalypse, I have no idea why anyone would go anywhere other than an IKEA to hunker down.

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yes, sorry. 80 games.

And use less space for surface parking. Multi-story garages. I am always amazed at how many people will drive to Fenway or the Garden and pay exorbitant parking fees when so may mass transit options exist (although they are jammed). So whether you locate this inside 128 or out, folks will still be tempted to drive if you allow them to park.

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ron_newman

With its proximity to the Orange Line, there should be no need to have any parking at all for a soccer stadium.

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addendum: none of the fabrics are available online. you can look at them, so when I saw them in the gallery I assumed they were available, but you need to go to a store to purchase anything.

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ron_newman

Will they deliver these after you buy them in the store?

Edited Date: 2012-05-07 05:36 pm (UTC)

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would it matter? if I cannot get to the location (and I cannot get to the location), I cannot buy them. Carrying 10 years of fabric is not the issue, I can do that. But you need to go to the store to purchase them.

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I'm sure a small stadium like that could attract quiet a bit of other activity.

Fenway is open to tours every day, and all sporting events in turn attract businesses that primarily depend on the venue, but then make the location a destination on its own. I'm not under the illusion that a revs stadium will have that sort of cache, but if it adds a bit of flavor to the area I think it'd be great.

Ikea just isn't that special any more.

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Two words: CLOWN RODEOS

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avjudge

I so want to have a Somerville Ikea so I can visit the As-Is section regularly!

I don't like the hassle of driving through Boston for anything, even Ikea, so I rarely go to Stoughton. I get there a couple times a year, and have a couple of As-Is finds to show for it (along with whatever specific purchase I went for), but am frustrated that more often than not I strike out, when there can be such great bargains if you hit it at the right time.

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avjudge

For you. A stadium isn't special for me - I can't remember the last time I went to one. (Hmm, maybe never - and I'm 50.)

I want the Ikea as-is section where I can stop in for a little browse (not just when I'm making a major shopping trip).

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