No, the new Copley Square isn't as bad as you've heard
Okay, I admit it, I went to the new Copley Square in Boston on Wednesday, prepared to hate it.
But you know what? It wasn't that bad.
Which is kind of surprising, because if you've been reading some of the press about the reopened and redesigned park, you'd think it was an utter architectural disaster.
I mean, yeah, there's lots and lots of open space and gleaming flagstone at the Back Bay's signature public gathering space. And at mid-morning in the middle of the week, there were only a handful of people in evidence. And there was a severe shade deficit.
But I did not see, as I expected to see, a sunblasted, dystopian hellscape with an Imperial Shuttle taking off at the corner of Dartmouth Street.
Nor did I witness any white helmeted stormtroopers marching in formation.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has urged Bostonians to be patient, and to put up with the lack of anything green — which city officials say is forthcoming.
'It will be a more vibrant, more walkable and more welcoming space for everyone,' Wu told WCVB-TV last month.
'Copley Square is one of these places where it's the chance to bring everyone together, whether it's your first time visiting Boston, or just your spot to have a bit of quiet reflection and sit and take in all the incredible architecture and beauty and community,' Wu continued. 'We wanted it to be everything it could be for all the different groups and people who love it so much.'
But because this is an election year, the redesign immediately became a flash point for the battle for City Hall.
Wu's chief rival, Josh Kraft, blasted out a suitably outraged press release.
'Like many Bostonians, I was shocked to see the 'new' Copley Plaza, consisting of mostly barren open space. It is grey, barren and soulless and looks like a skateboard park,' Kraft harrumphed. 'Where are the trees and green space, and more importantly, did the community have input here? Mayor Wu needs to explain what happened.'
Heavens. A skate park? Those kids and their darn punk music.
Stand by, Mr. Kraft, there are some aging, ex-Allston residents who'd like a word. They have rolled up copies of 'Thrasher' in their back pockets and The Bosstones blasting from their earbuds.
Punch line: They're also all trial lawyers now. And they write big checks. Like, huge.
Again, it's important to note that the park isn't done yet. And so far, we have to take the city at its word that the green space is coming.
When I stopped by there on Wednesday, I peered over the construction fencing near Trinity Church, and the work appeared to be ongoing.
But if those spires turn into some sort of Parthenon for Big Papi, all bets are off.
Speaking to WBUR, Brookline urban planner Jeff Speck, who didn't have a hand in the new park, similarly urged patience. He told the station it now has more space for live music performances and a proposed beer garden.
Look, I get it. This is a place that likes what it likes. How else to explain continued devotion to the Red Sox and a roast beef sandwich that inexplicably includes both barbecue sauce and mayonnaise?
Okay. The Red Sox thing I get. I'm an Orioles fan and a Catholic. I'm used to suffering and putting my faith in things I can't see.
Like, y'know, effective hitting and pitching.
The sandwich? Not as much.
Besides, if you're that impatient for green space, you can always walk the extra five blocks to The Public Garden or the Common.
There, you'll find roughly a zillion acres of green and a surplus of trees — but also tourists who struggle with the notion of two-way traffic on sidewalks.
So there's that.
Like Speck, I'm onboard with the sleek modernism of the new space, which he argues fits in with the city's urban core. Not everywhere has to be a mini-Walden Pond where we all go to live deliberately.
Patience, Boston. You waited 86 years for a World Series-winning ball club. You can wait a few more weeks for some trees.
'What About Us?': Native leaders say time's up on broken promises | John L. Micek
Broken brokers' fees: Mass. lawmakers try again for a fix | Bay State Briefing
A hospital that fights antisemitism? This Israeli doctor wants to make it happen | John L. Micek
Read the original article on MassLive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
A curfew — and faith leaders' calls — quiet the night
Los Angeles had its quietest night in a week on Tuesday, as a combination of a city curfew and faith leaders' calls for nonviolent resistance appeared to quell furious protests against the Trump administration's sprawling immigration raids, for at least one evening. Mayor Karen Bass ordered the curfew to be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles, which houses City Hall, the main county criminal courthouse, LAPD headquarters and federal buildings that have been the target of protests leading to hundreds of arrests and assorted property damage. Police reported 'at least' 25 arrests for curfew violations as of 10 p.m., according to a department spokeswoman, though that number was expected to grow. Shortly before the curfew took effect, Bass joined an array of faith leaders in Grand Park to call for stern,but 'nonviolent,' resistance to President Trump's immigration sweeps. 'We will not obey in advance. We will not turn our gaze. We will not fan the flames of extremism. We will not answer violence with violence,' said Rabbi Sharon Brous, in an impassioned speech in which she likened Trump to the 'authoritarian' Pharoah who oppressed Jews in the Bible. Shortly before the curfew went into effect, the Grand Park group marched toward the federal building on Los Angeles Street, walking through an area that had for days been covered in shattered glass, graffiti and spent police munitions. As the faith leaders arrived and asked their group to take a knee and pray on the building's steps, Department of Homeland Security officers trained pepper ball guns on clergy members, and National Guard members tensed their riot shields. 'We see that you are putting on your masks, you don't need them,' the Rev. Eddie Anderson said to the officers and guardsmen. 'The people have gathered together to remind you there is a higher power. To remind you that in Los Angeles everybody is free, and no human is illegal.' But while Johnson and the larger group were able to move past the federal building without issue, the wail of police sirens filled downtown Los Angeles as the clock struck 8 p.m. An LAPD helicopter almost immediately declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, just minutes after a group of clergymen said prayers and laid flowers at the feet of a column of California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear. 'We will be back here tomorrow. Nobody needs to get shot today,' Johnson told the crowd. Los Angeles police soon established a skirmish line at the intersection of Temple and Los Angeles streets, where they confronted a crowd of about 150. The officers summoned a group of mounted officers, who trampled through traffic and knocked at least one protester down. Shortly after, officers fired less-lethal rounds in the direction of a person who threw a glass bottle from an overhead pedestrian bridge, while another group of officers moved toward protesters who remained in front of the federal building. Around 8:40 p.m., law enforcement again declared an unlawful assembly both on ground and by helicopter. A high beam from a helicopter shone down on the crowd. Officers forced protesters several blocks up Temple Street, occasionally firing less-lethal munitions and shoving people, but the crowd had dwindled to less than two dozen by that point.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Michael Goodwin: Dems agree NYC is too expensive — and voters can't afford them being in charge
If there is a single point of agreement among all the Democrats running for mayor, it's that New York is too damn expensive. They uniformly call it an 'affordability crisis' and pledge to do something about it if elected. They are largely correct — the cost of living in New York has become absurdly high. Advertisement Although part of the trend grew out of the inflation sparked by massive spending by federal, state and local governments during the COVID era, there is also a long history of Gotham being one of most expensive places in the nation to live. A study shows that, in comparison to the national average, food prices in the five boroughs are about 22% higher, while housing is 278% more expensive. Making ends meet The United Way finds that basic costs for city households have risen twice as fast as the median income and estimates that about half of them need help from the government, friends or family just to make ends meet. Advertisement As Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani recently told The New York Times, 'There are far too many New Yorkers who do not know if they will be able to call themselves that next year, who do not know if they will be able to afford their rent, or their child care, their groceries, or even their MetroCard.' True to his socialist affiliations, Mamdani is promising the longest list of freebies, but his rivals have all joined the spree. Even Andrew Cuomo, often regarded as the most centrist of the bunch and the leader according to polls, is no shrinking violet in the giveaway games. The candidates' promises to address the problem sound very nice — until you realize that nearly everything they are offering would ultimately drive the sky-high cost of living even higher. Advertisement Already that burden is one of the top reasons why New York City and state lead America in losing residents to lower-cost jurisdictions. Congestion pricing is the latest example of how and why the cost of living here keeps rising. If the candidates all want to raise prices even higher, they should support a joint slogan: 'Dear Voters, If you're not broke yet, just wait.' The problem is that government compassion doesn't come cheap. Advertisement In fact, it's outrageously expensive. That's certainly true in the case at hand. The candidates' 'solutions' are just promises to give away more stuff to more people, such as free bus service, free child care, free this and free that. It's all wrapped in the language of compassion for the poor and working class. But what the lefty Dems leave out of the conversation is an honest explanation about where the money would come from to pay for all their added goodies, and what the impact would be of an expanded redistribution scheme to deliver them. Don't be fooled by the lack of details. That's intentional because the numbers would be frightening. Take away to give away But hiding the truth doesn't change the fact that because City Hall can't print money, it will first have to take more from residents and businesses if it is going to give away more. Advertisement Consider the obvious impact on businesses. If they are taxed more, most will make up for it by raising prices on their customers, cut the pay of their workers or reduce the number of workers. When a business goes broke, the city gets no taxes and the workers have no income. Because higher taxes always impose a trickle-down cost on some people, a similar outcome is true if the government raises income taxes on individuals, sales taxes or property taxes. Advertisement Somebody somewhere along the line is going to feel the pinch of every added dollar the city takes to give away to someone it declares more deserving. For those forced to pay more, the 'solution' to the problem means their cost of living is going to get even higher. That's why the candidates' plans need to be seen in light of the current budget. As it stands, City Hall will raise and spend a whopping $112.4 billion this year — nearly as much as the entire state of Florida. Advertisement New York state, meanwhile, will raise and spend $255 billion, with much of that money coming to the city. Additional agencies, such as the MTA, have their own budgets, which spend tens of billions more. Clearly the problem isn't a shortage of money to spend. Advertisement The problem is a shortage of responsible spending. Thus raising spending for 'new needs,' as the politicians call their freebies, by hiking taxes and fees at this point is almost certain to create as many problems as it solves. There is still time for the Dems to lay out a plan to actually reduce government costs. The first debate was little more than a bidding game to see who could promise more new giveaways and most vehemently denounce Donald Trump while pledging to 'resist' his presidency. The second and final mayoral debate, required by the NYC Campaign Finance Board, will take place Thursday, with primary day falling on June 24. It's incumbent on the moderators to demand that Mamdani and all the others explain, with specifics, where they would get added funds and who would pay them. Glib lines like taxing the 'top 1%' mean nothing because those families already pay inordinate amounts of the city's personal income tax. According to a city comptroller report, in 2021 the top 1% — about 6,000 families who reported incomes of $1 million or more — paid a whopping 48% of the city's total income tax haul. It's neither fair nor sensible to demand they pay more, when packing up and leaving altogether is proving to be so popular. Leftward lurch Unfortunately, we haven't heard much of a different message from other candidates in the race, including Mayor Adams, who is running as an independent. With GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa widely considered not viable, there is so far no check and balance on the Dems' leftward lurch. The vast majority of their spendthrift City Council candidates and those seeking other offices on the ballot are proving to be automatic supporters of larger and more expensive programs. National conversations about cutting taxes and reducing government waste, fraud and abuse have yet to find meaningful support in New York. That must start to change this week. Libs' stupidity taking a toll There they go again: Another major media outlet is confusing victimhood with the consequences of wrongdoing. The bleeding heart Boston Globe writes, 'Unpaid fees jeopardize thousands of Mass. driver's licenses,' saying, 'Thousands of Massachusetts drivers each year face the possibility of losing their legal authority to drive unless debts unrelated to road safety are paid in full.' Among the debts it cites are tolls the drivers evaded. Here's a crazy idea: The drivers could pay the tolls and keep their licenses. Why is that so hard?
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Push to expand discounted transit fares to low income families
NEW YORK (PIX11) — A city program benefitting working-class families is considered a lifeline for 360,000 low-income New Yorkers who qualify for 50% discounts on subway and bus fares. These are people living at 145% of the federal poverty level, which means a family of four making $46,000 or less a year is eligible for the program. More Local News At a City Hall rally, advocates called for the federal poverty level to be increased to 200%, which would give 415,000 more New Yorkers access to the Fair Fares Council member Rita Joseph maintains, 'This is not just a matter of public transportation. It's a matter of justice. Making sure a mother can get to work without skipping a meal, a student can get to class without worrying, a senior on a fixed income can make it to a doctor's appointment.'Fair Fares has become an indispensable program for thousands of working-class New Yorkers since its launch six years ago, providing eligible riders with discounted subway and bus the federal poverty guidelines in difficult economic times would uplift the lives of people struggling to make ends member Selvena Brooks-Powers says, 'That's over 400,000 people who finally have a chance to move across the city affordably with dignity.' More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Council Speaker Adrienne Adams claims New Yorkers are facing an affordability crisis that is pushing them to the brink, and that is why she's pushing to make more low-income families eligible for Fair Fare discounts. She explains, 'Being able to afford the fare means you can pursue opportunities and go to school and see friends and meet your everyday obligations. Yet too many New Yorkers are still struggling to access public transportation, which prevents them from moving in their own city.' The arguments have been made, now the heat is on the mayor, the budget committee, and the city council to approve an additional 34 million dollars to the annual budget that will give additional low-income families discounted access to transportation in the city. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
