Simple. Is Back Bay's Commonwealth Avenue the nicest street in urban America? (Boston: 2014, hotel)

[bostonguy1960]

Obviously, Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay, and its Commonwealth Avenue Mall (and the mall's statues spread about) is iconic Boston, and so very lovely...in all seasons. It's a shame to see it only from a trolley or duck boat, as it's better to stroll it and absorb it at leisurely pace.

So, it was modelled after the Champs d'Elysee, right?

So, do other American (or even Canadian) cities have anything similar or even better? It's about eight blocks, a bit longer if including the small stretch on the other side of Massachusetts Avenue.

Sure, wouldn't parts of Savannah or Charleston (S.C.) (have never visited either) have small pockets or stretches of impressive residential architecture? Maybe parts of Georgetown in D.C., parts of Society Hill in Philadelphia or Park Avenue or Columbus Avenue in NYC?

I've always wondered if it's as unique and special as most Bostonians feel.

[Monkey1970]

There are a lot of roads with great residential architecture in probably every state in the USA. But, Commonwealth Avenue is Amazing and probably the best in the entire country. Also, another great thing about Commonwealth Avenue is the overall boulevard, there are tons of great neighborhoods architecturally in every city, but they commonly don't have a major road passing through them and that's what is so great about Commonwealth Ave, is that the road connects to the community if that makes any since.

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by Monkey1970

There are a lot of roads with great residential architecture in probably every state in the USA. But, Commonwealth Avenue is Amazing and probably the best in the entire country. Also, another great thing about Commonwealth Avenue is the overall boulevard, there are tons of great neighborhoods architecturally in every city, but they commonly don't have a major road passing through them and that's what is so great about Commonwealth Ave, is that the road connects to the community if that makes any since.

Magnolia bloom display every spring. A must see for commonwealth ave.

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by pennyone

Magnolia bloom display every spring. A must see for commonwealth ave.

Yes, love that time of year there...usually in full bloom for the Marathon. But one year recently, it didn't seem peak, either too late or too early.

I love the older postcard scene still available of Marlborough Street in the spring, with the pink flowering trees against the brownstones and gas lanterns.

....

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia is a wonderful walk with major institutions and the lovely Swann Fountain in Logan Circle, culminating with the famous steps up to the Art Museum and the Rockey statue, with a view back to the skyline. But I don't think it's really residential?

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia is a wonderful walk with major institutions and the lovely Swann Fountain in Logan Circle, culminating with the famous steps up to the Art Museum and the Rockey statue, with a view back to the skyline. But I don't think it's really residential?

Not to take anything away from Philly but to my mind the parkway is a typical U.S. urban design improvement that is impressive in its scale but lacking as enjoyable walk. They slashed through all the square blocks in that part of the city to build it but never contained its space with a line of appropriately scaled and massed buildings. Instead, it's isolated structures and undefined open space. When Haussmann ran his boulevards through the medieval fabric of Paris, each one of them, including Champs Elysees, was lined on both sides with architecturally elaborate building facades. Commonwealth Avenue does this too-- it is wide and lined with trees but the town houses lining both sides are what makes it an extraordinary space to experience. It's the difference between the Ramblas in Barcelona and our own Rose Kennedy Greenway-- the greenway is an impressive linear space, at least partly reserved for pedestrians, but the buildings on either side define the space in an indifferent, haphazard way. Las Ramblas is a perfect union of space and containing buildings.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia is a wonderful walk with major institutions and the lovely Swann Fountain in Logan Circle, culminating with the famous steps up to the Art Museum and the Rockey statue, with a view back to the skyline. But I don't think it's really residential?

Not to take this too far off-topic, but the Ben Franklin Parkway is semi-residential. On the Parkway itself, there are not many residential structures at all. Before the recession in 2008, there was a proposal for a tall skyscraper at 22nd and Parkway. As with a lot of proposals of the time, it failed to produce anything. Nevertheless, the neighborhoods surrounding the Parkway (Spring Garden, Fairmount/Art Museum, Logan Square, etc.) are currently on FIRE with new development. Immediately north of the Parkway, tall structures and modest rowhomes have been constructed. That area is also getting a new Whole Foods supermarket and City Target location. South of the Parkway, of course, lies Center City (if you define it as being south of Vine), which has the 2nd highest residential downtown population in the US. Once the Reading Viaduct project gets going, you'll even see activity immediately northeast of the Parkway.

On another note, the Parkway was never intended to be residential. The former neighborhood that the Parkway cut through was residential. The Parkway was to be Philly's own Champs-Elysees, which meant that it would be filled with institutional buildings. This is why the Franklin Institute, Art Museum, Free Library, former Family Court, and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul are all there. It was originally supposed to look like as pictured below, but funding ran out. With the advent of the Vine Street Expressway and with the way that the Parkway cuts through Logan Square, it is not as walkable as it could be. I hope that this will get remedied in the future. I also wish the Parkway had a subway under it.



With all of that said, I will check out Commonwealth Avenue sometime during my stay in Boston starting tomorrow. Sorry to talk so much about Philly, but I wanted to share information.

[Monkey1970]

Originally Posted by Monkey1970

since.

Sense*

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

Not to take this too far off-topic, but the Ben Franklin Parkway is semi-residential. On the Parkway itself, there are not many residential structures at all. Before the recession in 2008, there was a proposal for a tall skyscraper at 22nd and Parkway. As with a lot of proposals of the time, it failed to produce anything. Nevertheless, the neighborhoods surrounding the Parkway (Spring Garden, Fairmount/Art Museum, Logan Square, etc.) are currently on FIRE with new development. Immediately north of the Parkway, tall structures and modest rowhomes have been constructed. That area is also getting a new Whole Foods supermarket and City Target location. South of the Parkway, of course, lies Center City (if you define it as being south of Vine), which has the 2nd highest residential downtown population in the US. Once the Reading Viaduct project gets going, you'll even see activity immediately northeast of the Parkway.

On another note, the Parkway was never intended to be residential. The former neighborhood that the Parkway cut through was residential. The Parkway was to be Philly's own Champs-Elysees, which meant that it would be filled with institutional buildings. This is why the Franklin Institute, Art Museum, Free Library, former Family Court, and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul are all there. It was originally supposed to look like as pictured below, but funding ran out. With the advent of the Vine Street Expressway and with the way that the Parkway cuts through Logan Square, it is not as walkable as it could be. I hope that this will get remedied in the future. I also wish the Parkway had a subway under it.



With all of that said, I will check out Commonwealth Avenue sometime during my stay in Boston starting tomorrow. Sorry to talk so much about Philly, but I wanted to share information.

It's okay to talk about Philly in this thread; I spent junior high and high school in Cherry Hill, NJ, so spent time in Center City in the 1970s, coming in on the High Speed Line from Lindenwold, NJ to the 13th and Walnut subway stop.

So, I can appreciate the upgrade to Philly since.

Yes, it still gets lots of poor feedback from some (because it isn't Boston or NYC?), but I have heard positive feedback for sure from various people in the last few years. Just thought you'd like to know that.

I like the Burridge (sp?) "mansion" at Commonwealth Avenue and Hereford, the even numbers of "Comm. Ave." I think (?) Tom Brady owned it, maybe 10 years ago. He then moved to nearby Beacon Street on the even numbers side facing the Charles; I think he owned the entire brownstone, around the Beacon and Dartmouth area. But certainly walk along Marlborough Street and Commonwealth Ave. between Arlington and Massachusetts Avenue at a slow pace so you can absorb it. Around the corner, you will like the nice view on the Massachusetts Avenue bridge of the Charles River and the skyline with the sailboats. Maybe walk the bridge, take a right onto Memorial Drive at MIT, then walk with the great view to the mess at the Longfellow bridge reconstruction, back over to Beacon Hill and Massachusetts General Hospital. Youll be near the Liberty hotel, the former jail, where you can have a drink at Clinkor Alibi, or a nice meal at Scampo. Just a walk in their lobby is interesting.

That view from the Longfellow Bridge is unfortunately marred looking back to the Back Bay, all due to construction of several years. But the walk from Memorial Drive is still worth it .

Beacon Hill: you'll enjoy Louisburg Square and adjacent Mt. Vernon Street, Chestnut St., Pinckney Street and Brimmer Street on Beacon Hill; Acorn Street is small but a Boston cliche with the cobblestones and American flag, so you'll likely want a photo there.

Union Park in the South End is nice, and adjacent to nice restaurants.

You may like the tiny Bay Village neighborhood near Arlington and Stuart Street near the Park Plaza hotel.

Of course, Monument Square in Charleston and some small side streets off of it are delightful. I think you'll like it.

Don't forget to take a boat to Boston Harbor Islands or a quick Boston Harbor lunch or sunset cruise. You'll find brochures at your hotel or at the ticket window across Legal Seafood near Long Wharf Marriott.. Try the Charles Riverboat cruise from the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall.

Enjoy your trip.

[bUU]

Looking for a clone of a portion of a northeastern city in the South or West is a bit like looking for cathedrals with flying buttresses in areas where Europeans arrived only after the 16th Century. Sure, there are examples (such as the national cathedral in DC), but they're novelties not analogs.

I think living in the northeast attuned us to a specific (lower, imho) expectation for the urban experience. As soon as you get past the point in the country where cities were laid out after the 1850s, the concept of what actually is urban changes and the broader definition makes room for some different and (again, superior, imho) environs. Some that come to mind are the Painted Ladies in San Francisco, New Orleans' Garden District as well as the aforementioned historic district in Savannah. My spouse and I drove past a really nice part of Columbus OH a few weeks ago that would qualify. There are even neighborhoods with beautiful architecture and landscaping in the cities of Los Angeles and Chicago.

[porterhouse]

I lived facing directly on Comm Ave for many years so I am certainly partial to that street and feel fortunate to have lived there. From the blooms in the spring to the tree lights in the winter it is tough to beat. However I'm not prone to superlatives. From St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans to many streets right here in Boston and Cambridge, there are lots of beautiful urban streets in America.