not quite Davis

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

This isn't technically Davis Square, I realize, but I'm sure most people who live in the area also frequent Porter Square and will be relieved to discover that the all that work on the new plaza or whatever it is will finally open in a couple of weeks. From the Cambridge city website:

Porter Square Opening and Dedication

Ceremony for the opening and dedication of the newly redesigned Porter Square plaza. Date: Thursday, June 1 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Comments

[sarah-raz.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank God. That construction has been such a pain.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's my birthday!

[ron_newman]

To my knowledge, there's no Porter Square or North Cambridge LJ community, so such announcements are welcome here.

mmm.....

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

Maybe the "plaza" will be a "good thing" but....

It's looking like so many other projects that probably looked good in the architect's models/presentation and in meetings but in "real life" are just stupid and pointless. The plaza at the Porter Sq. T stop - is that a piss-magnet or what? The only people I have ever seen sit there have shopping carts and are usually asleep on the benches. Hey, ok, I don't begrudge anyone a place to sleep but why not design it so they have some privacy and some facilities.

I was at Porter Sq. Books the other day and I had a vision.... (yes, I am prone to visions ;-)

What if... that entire, ugly parking area was put underground and there was a decent park on the surface level. Wouldn't that be grand? Porter Sq. Books (or the cafe there) has outside tables now. It could actually be a destination. Porter Sq. could actually be a square and not a traffic stop. These stupid "plaza" projects could just go away (have you seen those embedded rocks that are ripe to trip over?? And the stripes???).

So that was my vision. Not going to happen/cost a fortune but it would be nice it Porter Sq. was not a glorified strip mall...

Re: mmm.....

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

I don't care for the rocks, and the stripes only look cool from above, but I will be glad when the whole thing is done and open.

Now and underground parking garage and a huge greenspace would be miraculous. Another square that would actually have communal area!?!

Re: mmm.....

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

I really want to know whose dumb idea the stripes were - it makes it look like a permanent construction area.

Re: mmm.....

[ron_newman]

The Red Line runs under the parking lot, which might complicate underground construction there.

Re: mmm.....

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

Ah, true, but it's a beautiful vision nonetheless.

Re: mmm.....

[ceo]

Yeah, but it's like 150 feet down, so you'd have room for quite a few levels of parking in there.

Of course, then you'd have a giant underground piss-magnet rather than a small above-ground piss-magnet.

Re: mmm.....

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

That's okay, as a pedestrian, I prefer my piss underground.

Re: mmm.....

[ron_newman]

True, but you see those three or four parking spaces that are marked "Tow Away Zone, No Parking", where the surface is a metal grate rather than asphalt? That's some kind of emergency exit or vent for the Red Line.

Re: mmm.....

[twe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the rocks and stripes are quite baffling. I had a assumed from the drawings that the rocks would at least work for sitting on, but apparently, they're mostly just obstacles.

Re: mmm.....

[jennyelfenmass.livejournal.com]

Not only that, but there seem to be some rocks surrounding a tree right at the bottom of the handicap ramp. Somehow I think that's going to cause all sorts of problems in manuvering around there.

Re: mmm.....

[twe.livejournal.com]

The mind reels.

Re: mmm.....

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I walked by today and saw that after this comment and was like, oh geez, that is bad!

Re: mmm.....

[ron_newman]

If you know anyone at the agency that enforces ADA (I think it's called the Architectural Barriers Board), it might be a good idea to let them know and have them inspect the construction.