Boston Parks Questionnaire
The little survey asks some provocative questions like “what do you do when you visit parks in Boston,” and here’s a winner; “Do you notice a park rules sign in the park?” Oh look, no booze or hunting – I better put this keg and my shotgun back in the car before I enjoy my day on the esplanade! > Sarcasm <
Please be forewarned – the following commentary says nice things about New York City and is a little critical of Boston – call it tough love!
Here’s a suggestion to the mighty overlords of Boston’s trees and bees - make the parks accessible to those who live in the neighborhood and want to use them! The city has recently denied a permit to the Allston DIY Fest based on several noise complaints from neighbors. Um…what? “Several” complaints and they deny this neighborhood a permit!? So let’s get this straight: Boston Police have cracked down on Allston DIY rock shows (mostly in basements) because they are illegal, and then when the community tries to go through the proper channels to perform music (oh, the horror) they get denied. Of course, if the event was sponsored by New Balance or Verizon the city would lay down the red carpet and give out back rubs. Not allowing people who live in the neighborhood to use the parks as they see fit is a big fucking problem. This neighborhood is frequently referred to as Allston Rock City, as such…Ringer Park is probably not the appropriate place for a chowda fest or a chili cook-off. As it says on the page for the petition, "If the community can’t use the park, who can--and what is it there for?"
Petition for Allston DIY Fest
Allston DIY Fest 2012 - pretty fucking mellow if you ask me
My second piece of advice - take everyone who has anything to do with the planning of open spaces in Boston, put them on a bus and drive them directly to the High Line in New York City. It’s a great modern example of observing the environment first and then planning around and in between its features instead of trying to force a natural setting into a very urban space. I don’t want to call the Rose Kennedy Greenway a complete failure (although many do), but I think everyone can agree that it’s incomplete and lacking a soul. Here we had a perfectly stretched canvas across a large swath of downtown Boston, and what we ended up with was an unfinished painting without a frame. The vision of what the Greenway could become, was simply that, a vision (or maybe a fantasy) – and could not be realized due to poor management and lack of funds. The horticultural society’s garden under glass, the YMCA, the center for arts and culture and the Boston history museum all died on the vine. Meanwhile in Manhattan an abandoned railway line has become the centerpiece for revitalizing an entire neighborhood on the Lower West Side. When two guys noticed that the abandoned raised railway tracks that used to service the Meat Packing District were being reclaimed by nature in 1999, a group was formed to push the fauna in the right direction. What developed was the High Line, what made this vision successful was the proper funds and management to make it a reality. What it’s doing now is fueling development all up and down a full mile of real estate that was more or less a black hole just a decade ago.
Photos I took on the High Line in 2012
I recently strolled the Rose Kennedy Greenway on a late weekday afternoon on a 70 degree day in May. There were two memorable things that stood out - a farmers market and that crazy giant mural by street artist Os Gemeo in Dewey Square. Other than that, the entire Greenway, from Chinatown to the North End was a dead zone. And it’s no surprise, it’s almost like the City of Boston wants people to stay away! There are little to no attractions – so I offer our fair city some ideas : a bocce green, handball court, café, beer garden, live music, theatrical stage, more interactive art exhibits – fucking anything! The place is dull and dreary. Even homeless people avoid the place, there’s simply no one to hustle.
Mural and Farmers Market on the Greenway in Boston
The whole Greenway is devoid of anything representative of New England and its landscapes. For Chrissakes Boston, throw down a dozen huge granite boulders and a rock wall to fill in the blank spots. Go to the Blue Hills and grab a shit-ton of big-ass rocks from the woods – it’ll cost you like $500! And if the city can’t afford a museum, at least throw some artifacts around - a giant fucking rusty anchor would go a long friggin’ way on this barren landscape. Just…do…something.
Nothing to see here, literally - Greenway May 2013
With these obvious shortcomings, the potential for neighborhoods along the Greenway to flourish with new business is practically impossible. There are no new retail shops, bars or cafes to capture overflow that doesn’t exist. Maybe when the new Waterfront experiment gets stale (don’t get me started with that place) people will re-discover the Greenway and somebody’s vision will actually become a reality. The good news is that there’s plenty of open space just sitting there waiting for inspiration.
Plenty of room for improvement. What would you do?
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