{"id":67,"date":"2012-06-29T00:35:03","date_gmt":"2012-06-29T04:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/?p=67"},"modified":"2012-06-30T10:42:38","modified_gmt":"2012-06-30T14:42:38","slug":"seaport-district-undergoes-a-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/seaport-district-undergoes-a-makeover\/","title":{"rendered":"Seaport District Undergoes a Makeover"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lesley Ta
\n(Photo by Shaniya Brown)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once an unforgiving and silent area, South Boston\u2019s waterfront has undergone a major makeover. For nearly fifty years, abandoned warehouses loomed over unforgiving streets as mobster James \u2018Whitey\u2019 Bulger stalked the region. Now hosting a collection of high end retail stores, classy apartment condos, and chic workspaces, the once dreaded area has begun to blossom.<\/p>\n

Renamed as the Seaport District, this strip of land has quickly evolved into a popular tourist attraction. Boston\u2019s historical roots have long provided adventurers loads to play with, however this community\u2019s roots are finally being nourished by the water. Now often referred to as the \u201ctrendiest\u201d place to hang out and relax, the Seaport is rapidly gaining popularity domestically and internationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do believe in urban renewal,\u201d Elizabeth Rankar, a Boston tourist visiting from New Bern, North Carolina, stated, while waiting for the trolley tour with her young niece and nephew at the New England Aquarium.<\/p>\n

Forty-five of the 266 redevelopment projects administered by the Boston Redevelopment Agency are based in South Boston.<\/p>\n

Southie has a history of being avoided for its crime. Whitey Bulger, now awaiting trial for numerous criminal indictments, reigned over Southie in the 1970\u2019s and 1980\u2019s with his infamous Winter Hill Gang. Bulger\u2019s disappearance for the past 16 years coincided with efforts to revive the territory.<\/p>\n

The Massachusetts Port Authority had zoned the grounds on the waterfront to be used for marine industrial use. Cars were popular imports and were also transferred from those ports. Lavish new development in places like Fan Pier include: high quality fabrics and clothing available at LOUIS, sophisticated dining at Sam\u2019s at LOUIS, Caffe di Marina, STREGA Waterfront, hotels & spas, and Fan Pier Marina, featuring varied recreational services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe area has been prime for development,\u201d stated Chris Busch, Boston Waterfront Planner for the Boston Redevelopment Authority.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is intended to be exclusive and inclusive, vibrant and diverse. It is intended for live – work, and [recreation],\u201d said Busch.<\/p>\n

Against a clear water backdrop and rolling blades of grass, the Institute of Contemporary Art\u2019s unique glass architecture operates as the heart of Southie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a space of opportunity. It centers the idea of sending a message. There’s no one single message,\u201d explained Nancy Vega, Teen Arts Council Member of the ICA.<\/p>\n

The council is hoping that the finished construction will assist in expanding their membership and significance to the district.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are in a hub that is being renovated and expanded every day. Changes are being made, restaurants, companies. It\u2019s pretty exciting,\u201d commented Gabrielle Wyrick, Massachusetts resident and Associate Director of Education at the ICA.<\/p>\n

Fan Pier is The Fallon Company\u2019s brainchild. Built in 1936, the ICA\u2019s massive crystal design influenced modern day construction of Fan Pier\u2019s surrounding vicinity. The existing edifices have set the foundation for the proposed framework ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not a historic neighborhood, it is a blank slate out there. There is opportunity for designs that are maybe more modern, [and we get to] utilize different building materials that complement the ICA,\u201d added Busch.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople enjoy the view, the area,\u201d and \u201ccome back and explore,\u201d said Vega as she motioned to the seascape through the ICA\u2019s glass windows.<\/p>\n

The new Seaport is also seen as a way to connect different neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not embedded in any neighborhood. [It\u2019s] a site for gathers,\u201d so it is \u201cnot segregated or defined by any neighborhood,\u201d stated Wyrick.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lesley Ta (Photo by Shaniya Brown)\u00a0 Once an unforgiving and silent area, South Boston\u2019s waterfront has undergone a major makeover. For nearly fifty years, abandoned warehouses loomed over unforgiving streets as mobster James \u2018Whitey\u2019 Bulger stalked the region. Now […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":148,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-boston","category-full"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/seaport.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":310,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions\/310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehsjc.org\/quarterly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}