Brookline: Neighborhood Rebranding (Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, Liberty: live in, restaurants, mall)

[that412]

Originally Posted by eschaton

But it works okay because the street wall is taller than Brookline.

Aesthetically, maybe. But it doesn't make it any more fun to have to cross that street if you're on foot. Maybe I (and SCR) are unusual for even giving much thought to this, but I just consider it a major detraction from a business district.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

If you cross with the light in a cross walk like you're supposed to (lolpittsburgh) then the width of the street shouldn't matter. That's a weird complaint to me, I see it as a plus as a driver. In a city where roads are barely wide enough as it is (looking at you Route 51) a street with ample room is awesome in my book.

[PghYinzer]

I get the taller building thing, it looks nice. I don’t see them adding floors to these buildings for the purpose of changing the ratio of building height to street width, so it is what it is.

As for crossing the street, I do it everyday, and I may be crazy but I wait for the crosswalk signal and then make a go of it. Not really life threatening, or dangerous in any regard.

The problem may arise when people are in the crosswalks that are not at signals, which I am not sure there are any on the Blvd, or when people are jaywalking.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by that412

Aesthetically, maybe. But it doesn't make it any more fun to have to cross that street if you're on foot. Maybe I (and SCR) are unusual for even giving much thought to this, but I just consider it a major detraction from a business district.

It works better than you think, because drivers in Western Massachusetts will actually brake for pedestrians in a crosswalk. As in, if they see you waiting at the side of the road, they'll come to a full stop to let you pass.

Of course, occasionally you get drivers from outside the area who don't respect pedestrians. You're pretty much screwed then.

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

I get the taller building thing, it looks nice. I don’t see them adding floors to these buildings for the purpose of changing the ratio of building height to street width, so it is what it is.

As for crossing the street, I do it everyday, and I may be crazy but I wait for the crosswalk signal and then make a go of it. Not really life threatening, or dangerous in any regard.

The problem may arise when people are in the crosswalks that are not at signals, which I am not sure there are any on the Blvd, or when people are jaywalking.

It appears from Streetview that there are 6 crosswalks from Pioneer to Chelton; all but one have stop signals and pedestrian walk signals (though are they full red lights or green lights with walk signals?). I wonder how much business the north side of the street gets compared to the south(with diagonal parking)?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by doo dah

It appears from Streetview that there are 6 crosswalks from Pioneer to Chelton; all but one have stop signals and pedestrian walk signals (though are they full red lights or green lights with walk signals?). I wonder how much business the north side of the street gets compared to the south(with diagonal parking)?

Most of the businesses are on the south side of the boulevard, the north side of the street has a lot of single family homes.

And many of the businesses on the north side of the street are auto based, the gas stations and the cogo's.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

I get the taller building thing, it looks nice. I don’t see them adding floors to these buildings for the purpose of changing the ratio of building height to street width, so it is what it is.

If Brookline got desirable enough, I'm sure you'd begin to see developers buy the one-story storefronts and knock them down for higher-density commercial structures. Or maybe just buy a few houses on the north side of the street and build something there.

That said, that level of desirability would first require crazy property appreciation. Lawrenceville is only just getting to the point now where they'll demo buildings to build something denser. And given it's almost entirely detached single-family housing even one block off the Boulevard, there might never be the "walking density" needed for a much more active business district.

[PghYinzer]

Yea I don’t see that happening in anyone’s lifetime. I don’t even think that is anything anyone wants to see happen in Brookline. The LACK of density in the housing is what is a draw for most people. The area is designed for and people like the single family home atmosphere. I think the long term goal is to bring some stability to the business district and perhaps a few spots that would attract even more people from outside the neighborhood, but in the end I think the majority of the citizens want to keep that small town feel, or a suburb in the city type vibe.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

If you cross with the light in a cross walk like you're supposed to (lolpittsburgh) then the width of the street shouldn't matter. That's a weird complaint to me, I see it as a plus as a driver. In a city where roads are barely wide enough as it is (looking at you Route 51) a street with ample room is awesome in my book.

LOL, that's the way I see it, too. Guess it's a matter of different strokes for different folks and all that. To me, the wider streets are attractive because they're easier to drive to/park along, they tend to have bus stops, and (most importantly) they tend to attract more groupings of bigger stores, which is where I like to do a lot of my shopping. I like having a large grocery store, a drug store, a gift shop, a pet supply shop, a shoe store, a sporting goods shop, my bank, my optometrist, my dentist, etc. all lined up on the same block.

But, I'm also accustomed to wider streets--so that may account for why they don't bother me. I used to walk to work along a boulevard and thought nothing of crossing it to go to a store on the other side. I prefer walking to a crossing light or pedestrian tunnel to do this, but it's ok because the lights always seem to be where all the stores are, anyway. But, to each his own.

[ferraris]

I think crossing a street like Walnut or Carson feels more intimate and cohesive. It's not a major factor to me though.