phantom tollbooths in Davis Sq. ...

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

apropos of nothing and not a serious proposal but I was thinking about sales taxes last night, the discussion of tolls on 93 south and something to do with all the border violence going on in the world these days. Suddenly I had this image of tollbooths/checkpoints on the roads entering Davis Sq. Weird but interesting to speculate on.

The growth in popularity of the sq. has brought higher rents and housing prices, higher prices in stores and bars and general gentrification. The city of Somerville and the property owners benefit but the residents don't. Would be interesting to have a toll that went to offset the costs of gentrification to people who actually live here.

Comments

Re: A healthy commercial district is a slow district

[komos.livejournal.com]

The merger is only one part of the problem, though. Every one of the avant-garde art displays represents an empty storefront. There's a failed mall that has been empty since it opened and then closed. There are rumors of Barnes & Nobles closing. Similarly, other stores that were originally geared to casual walkthrough traffic are being retooled as mattress vendors. What it has going for it is the systematic construction of luxury condos, the occasional big budget projects like the Opera House (which was entirely empty throughout the 90s...), and a captive audience represented by the thousands of office workers who work nearby.

I think it's easy to exagerate the pedestrian-friendly nature of the area, too. That's changed enough that I've seen police officers in their cruisers openly haranguing pedestrians for "not using the sidewalks." Yes, it's still a limited traffic area, but its status as such didn't really help it in the slump of the 90s and what recovery there has been can be attributed to other factors.

Re: Barnes & Noble

[ron_newman]

More than a rumor, unfortunately. Barnes & Noble did close on June 30.

Ironically, its opening in the late 1970s, in a former WT Grant department store, was considered a sign of Downtown Crossing's health at the time. I think it was the first B&N outside New York City.

The store was out of date and getting pretty dowdy, overshadowed by both the gleaming Borders two blocks away, and the new B&N at the Prudential Center.

Re: Barnes & Noble

[komos.livejournal.com]

Huh. I suppose that's what I get for taking the side streets in. ;P

I think, though, that "out of date" and "pretty dowdy" describe a problem that may be general to the area. There have been some attempts to modernize, but it's been with mixed results. Since I'm down here every day, I'd like to be able to say that it's a great shining example of successful urban development, but the pessimist in me thinks that it will be years of increasingly mixed results that may hinge on the success or failure of luxury housing being put up.

Re: Barnes & Noble

[turil.livejournal.com]

Mixed use is definitely necessary for that area. The other problem is the lack of a grocery store. Maybe the Barnes and Noble could be turned into a Trader Joes...

Re: A healthy commercial district is a slow district

[turil.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I think you are right that it's becoming less pedestrianized these days, defeating the whole purpose kinda...

As I said, when done right, it's a big improvement to an area. Obviously, when done wrong or halfassedly, it can hurt an area.

Re: A healthy commercial district is a slow district

[ron_newman]

There is no good reason for police cruisers to be in Downtown Crossing at all -- or in Davis Square, for that matter. These areas should be patrolled on foot.

Re: A healthy commercial district is a slow district

[komos.livejournal.com]

If it's not the cruisers, it's the ambulances. If it's not the ambulances, it's the delivery trucks. If it's not the delivery trucks, it's a whole host of otherwise motorized traffic that needs to be dodged. It's not Tremont Street by any stretch, but it definitely doesn't have the same feel as a pedestrian-only area.