I had to be in the Seaport area today with my husband and son, and all three of us are disenchanted, to say the least. It looks like a gigantic version of the upscale malls you're seeing in Newton and Dedham, and has next to nothing of any local character. Which makes sense, because up until the last decade it was a mostly industrial area. Those areas have been known to become havens for artists and other people on a tight budget, but this area did not develop organically. So...one of the few times where there was gentrification without displacement?
These areas fill me with horror; most people see large, shiny residential buildings and assume wealth, but I see credit and debts. What can I say, I've lived through one too many bubbles. Obviously, not everyone there is living past their means, but I will not be surprised to hear it's more than half.
I waited for my son in Tatte--of course it was a Tatte--and overheard two younger men talking about how ridiculous it is to utilize the Seaport, the MBTA, and Boston in general. One of them was also hoping for a housing crash, presumably so he could afford to buy something. I resisted the urge to tell him to be a little more patient, because one is inevitable.
You know you've reached some nth level of degradation when people are openly hoping for a short of their city.
Deb in the City
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