2021 Real Estate Observations (Boston, Newton, Framingham: Whole Foods, driveways, snow)

[id77]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

I'm in the extreme minority that thinks the Southwest Corridor probably should have just been built. It would have significantly increased the metro area's housing capacity and development southwest of the city and artificially suppressed land values where it both would have leads to more affordability in the long term.

There could have been a rehab of the Orange line Elevated the way they redid the whole redline from like 1999-2006.

Once the area was leveled the damage was done, shoulda just gone forward with the highway honestly.

Technically, they did 'rehab' the orange line elevated...into oblivion. The whole re-alignment to Forest Hills instead of the old Washington El Rail came about as a direct result of the 95/SW Corridor cancellation. Melnea Cass only exists because of the right-of-way for 695 that never came to pass.

Probably not the rehab people were looking for, but it was the rehab they got.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by id77

But not the fastest or least stressful, particularly to downtown where many of the white-collar jobs are. 93 is a horrible commute compared to 90 or even 9. That’s a big part of why west tends to win the affluent suburb war over north and south.

white collar jobs? good lord man. Do you think there's anyone living in Milton these days that doesn't have a white collar job?

[msRB311]

FWIW I've been disgusted by the commute from Milton to Boston...it should be a helluva lot shorter and it used to not be so bad. It's better than the commute from Hingham or Norwell though.

[id77]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Okay, those are valid answers. I always felt that MW was more desirable because it was designed to be a bit leafier, areas along the shore (east) were always supposed to be a bit more industrial and working class. You see it even in the city of Boston itself- the emerald necklace doesn't make it east. And then I also felt it was about better proximity to th really high-tech part of 128 and then later on Kendall Square. Less to do with the SEXWY. But looking back on how bad traffic was on 93 before the big dig- south shore never had a chance really. Route 3 and the "South Shore" is more separate and independent of the economic and cultural 'action' of Boston/Cambridge from my perspective at least. Politically pretty different as well.

The stuff along 128 (Waltham, Burlington, etc) certainly also helps MetroWest's cause here, but I see that as the effect rather than the cause. When we closed out our old Cambridge office, every candidate office was out along the stretch of 128 (or 495) between 90 and 93 because that's closer to where most employees were living. Had they announced the office going to somewhere like Quincy, a lot of employees would have walked because they'd be damned if they're making the commute to Quincy from towns like Acton, Wayland, or Westford. A vicious cycle to be sure.

Originally Posted by msRB311

white collar jobs? good lord man. Do you think there's anyone living in Milton these days that doesn't have a white collar job?

Um...yes? I'd wager there's more working and middle class hanging on in Milton than there are hanging on in Weston, Dover, Lexington, or Wellesley.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by id77

Technically, they did 'rehab' the orange line elevated...into oblivion. The whole re-alignment to Forest Hills instead of the old Washington El Rail came about as a direct result of the 95/SW Corridor cancellation. Melnea Cass only exists because of the right-of-way for 695 that never came to pass.

Probably not the rehab people were looking for, but it was the rehab they got.

I’m very familiar with that history.
That was removal and replacement. That’s was a bad move IMO.

All we got was what basically a stop and go highway in Melnea Cass instead of what could’ve actually been a useful inner belt connector. Our growth could be way greater as a region right now.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by id77

The stuff along 128 (Waltham, Burlington, etc) certainly also helps MetroWest's cause here, but I see that as the effect rather than the cause. When we closed out our old Cambridge office, every candidate office was out along the stretch of 128 (or 495) between 90 and 93 because that's closer to where most employees were living. Had they announced the office going to somewhere like Quincy, a lot of employees would have walked because they'd be damned if they're making the commute to Quincy from towns like Acton, Wayland, or Westford. A vicious cycle to be sure.



Um...yes? I'd wager there's more working and middle class hanging on in Milton than there are hanging on in Weston, Dover, Lexington, or Wellesley.

wow you just know all there is to know about the towns os MA. I'm guessing there are very few middle class people hanging on in Milton. There were never many there in the first place.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

I'm in the extreme minority that thinks the Southwest Corridor probably should have just been built. It would have significantly increased the metro area's housing capacity and development southwest of the city and artificially suppressed land values where it both would have leads to more affordability in the long term.

There could have been a rehab of the Orange line Elevated the way they redid the whole redline from like 1999-2006.

Once the area was leveled the damage was done, shoulda just gone forward with the highway honestly.

I agree with you. Pushing the fear tactics of the new highway destroying neighborhoods or whatnot...are Roxbury Xing, Jackson Square, Hyde Park and Readville miles ahead of Savin Hill, Neponset, East Milton and West Quincy today in vitality and desirability? Of course not. It's probably the opposite. If anything, the latter areas probably benefit from their proximity to the Expressway. And it certainly would have allowed for more even residential developing the region.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Sure, but the Southeast Expressway is an ancient obsolete road. The Turnpike Extension is much newer. This is all an artifact of the Southwest Corridor highway that was never built. The Southeast Expressway isn’t much improved from when I was a kid in the 1960s.

Is the Turnpike Extension really that much better? I mean, it's still a crappy obsolete highway. Perhaps a little straighter than the Expressway, but that's about it.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Is the Turnpike Extension really that much better? I mean, it's still a crappy obsolete highway. Perhaps a little straighter than the Expressway, but that's about it.

As someone who’s driven a lot on both in tHe last two years, the turnpike is definitely nicer. I don’t think that makes the difference, though. The expressway just has more people on it and backs up earlier and longer.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I agree with you. Pushing the fear tactics of the new highway destroying neighborhoods or whatnot...are Roxbury Xing, Jackson Square, Hyde Park and Readville miles ahead of Savin Hill, Neponset, East Milton and West Quincy today in vitality and desirability? Of course not. It's probably the opposite. If anything, the latter areas probably benefit from their proximity to the Expressway. And it certainly would have allowed for more even residential developing the region.

More probably the Red Line but it's not like those places you mention are cheap these days either.