Why don't we build some more housing (Boston, Waltham: low income, neighborhoods)

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by GeePee

As an avid cyclist I used to scoff at this idea. The more I look into it, and the better the tech is getting, I think I may actually be going this route at some point. Those batteries are getting better and smaller. I wish the reputable brand ones werent the price of a used car though.


https://www.orbea.com/us-en/ebikes/u...tu-e-25-usa-18 - swoon

Yamaha just introduced some mid-market e-bikes to the US market. They are the price of a used car; even so, I'm maybe definitely probably going to get one.

[Space_League]

Originally Posted by lrfox

It's wild how far out he moved and how quick it is still. And to your point, Biking is the quickest way for me to get in right now too.

The kicker is the walk from Charles/MGH which adds another 10+ minutes to the commute. Plus 20 or so on the train. There are like 4/5 trains from Salem per hour at peak in the morning which gives flexibility, and at least one of them runs with limited stops so it's a 25 minute trip. Since N. Station is closer to the office than Charles, the overall trip time is actually quicker for him.



I agree with all of this. I grew up in the Fall River/New Bedford area and everything you're saying applies down there too. I have been to 5 funerals for OD victims. My ex's fiancee died of an OD leaving her and their 2 children behind. The only way for these towns to change is with a massive culture shift, but I don't know how that happens.

I'd agree that the South Coast cities are the cheapest, but they're also even more remote/disconnected than Haverhill, Lowell, Lawrence, etc. With a train, you're still looking at a 90 minute commute from either. Taunton stands to benefit the most since it's closer, and like Salem, will get double frequencies since it'll get both sets of trains going to Fall River/New Bedford.

That's a shame about your ex. It's interesting how social problems impact different communities. I dated a girl from the city for a while. I remember the first time we were at a cookout or something and people were doing coke. She was so shocked almost scared. She said she's never seen that in real life. No one I know does that stuff - it's just too dangerous. Now this was a girl who grew up in mattapan on a street with gangs named after it. To hear her say that just gave me a new appreciation for her family and overall community's values. I told her then these guys are ok but we do have a serious problem over here.

Whenever we'd visit my folks we'd stop by my friends house up the street. One time around Halloween I left pretty abruptly and tell her we're not coming back here. She like ??? but I could see this guy was going the wrong direction down a 1 way. Turns out he was dead by Christmas. He was a great kid too. I think she thought I would be crying and stuff but it happens. I said something like white kids do stupid ****.

Few months later a guy she grew up with got killed in a drive by. Now it was reversed and my mind was totally blown. I had no clue what to say or do in that situation. He seemed like a good dude but I guess he was involved in gangs as well. Again she didn't cry or anything but again we both just felt sad and angry. I guess just kids in general do stupid ****.

If there is a moral to the story I guess it's to come together and motivate your kids to develop better interests than gangs and drugs

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by miu

Why can't companies keep a smaller office presence in Boston and open up satellite offices in the suburbs and other MA cities? I know many Boston workers living in Marlborough who would rather work in Worcester instead.

Many have done just that, companies have relocated much of their workforce out to 495 due to employee demand. I'm sure more are to follow.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

There's a big difference between affordable housing in a given town and housing that is affordable across the region. In my opinion, keeping above that threshold isn't some high-minded effort by the noble people of Lincoln to improve their community, but a calculated effort to keep 40b developments out of their town. If they cared about keeping housing affordable, they'd relax the 2 acre lot limits. I say this as someone who lives in a town that also keeps above the 10% limit and is a lot more open about the motivation, so I can't really fault them.

I recall you living in Westwood correct? I actually think that's one of the more reasonable of those towns, it seems to accommodate more housing in appropriate areas while recognizing the need to preserve what's more out of the way and pristine. If all the other leafier metro-west towns could find a similar balance, the whole region would be much better off.


I just wish they would do more with the 128 Station area though.

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Many have done just that, companies have relocated much of their workforce out to 495 due to employee demand. I'm sure more are to follow.

The opposite is taking place though. Philips is moving their headquarters from Andover to Cambridge for example. Reebok from Canton to the Seaport. Converse from North Andover to the North End/North Station.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

The opposite is taking place though. Philips is moving their headquarters from Andover to Cambridge for example. Reebok from Canton to the Seaport. Converse from North Andover to the North End/North Station.

Right and I'm sure those are well calculated moves as well. It of course all depends on the company, who their workforce is, etc. Many companies also like to locate their HQ in the city for the status and to attract a certain talent, while maintaining the bulk of their operations in a more suburban location.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I recall you living in Westwood correct? I actually think that's one of the more reasonable of those towns, it seems to accommodate more housing in appropriate areas while recognizing the need to preserve what's more out of the way and pristine. If all the other leafier metro-west towns could find a similar balance, the whole region would be much better off.


I just wish they would do more with the 128 Station area though.

It’s a lot less dense than Dedham or Norwood or Canton, but it’s not Lincoln, either. They do keep building up the area around 128, but it’s mostly been retail and some commercial. When the 93-95 interchange upgrade is completed in a few years hopefully they can develop it a bit more completely.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Hate to say it but revitalizing the older cities in MA is out of the question entirely. That’s the only place late concentrations of immigrants and minorities are able to bth live and work in this state and they have virtually no disposable income to fuel beautification projects or stimulate the economy, or even upkeep their homes really. They are the dumping ground for poor, newly arrived, and marginalized. Building more densely would be the only way to allevitate the tremendous social burden those cities carry. I suspect those cities will continue a social-and quite frankly economic-deterioration. Them bodegas barbers and non profit just don’t get it done that’s why the drugs are they-that’s how they make ends meet.

Lowell is the only major city in MA to date to have experienced a sustained renaissance and even that’s been over for about a decade really. Lowell is okay but if that’s he best you can do when you go all hands on deck for 15 (1994-2009) years it’s pretty sad.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by timberline742

They did one of these in Belmont. Added a lot of units. Unfortunately, they built it in a wooded area that was important to wildlife and acted as a wetland sponge for the adjacent pond and stream, and that water was already causing flooding issues. That's the thing. Much of this open private land is marginal for development or serves important wildlife or other ecological values.

So, one issue is the particular place they chose. But as a mode of development, in terms of removing wooded/meadow/marsh wildlife habitat, and covering rain-absorbing natural land with impermeable streets, driveways and roofs - multistory/multiunit housing will have a lower impact per inhabitant than single family housing.

[airunxc]

For me all of the development in metrowest lies in transportation infrastructure improvements. Dead end roads should be outlawed and more arterial road connections are needed in moderately dense suburbs. Some of these towns are limited because of 2-3 "choke points" where traffic filters down to 1-2 lights. Adding additional connections in a couple parts of town would really help provide additional growth. What I don't want are 3-4 lane "highway roads" like route 9 or what you see all over the midwest, but in many towns 2 lane narrow streets with no sidewalk are asked to provide all of the connections to highways or transit stations where people park.

While there is concern from developers about zoning, and neighbors about crowded schools and fiscal impact, but traffic is the one thing everyone rallies against. Think of your home town in the past 10 years, has there been any transportation infrastructure improvements that actually made things better?