Queensberry Street, Fenway

February 14, 2008

Queensberry Street, Fenway Neighborhood, Boston

This view, taken during my walk back from work this afternoon, shows how urban redevelopment and gentrification have rapidly changed the skyline and views of the Fenway neighborhood. This district, largely untouched since it was completed in the 1920s (save for a few modern condominium complexes in the area), has experienced a boom in large, mid-rise mixed-use development in the recent years.

In the distance, behind the classic apartment buildings that make up the Fenway district, is Trilogy, a retail/condo/subsidized housing project completed in 2006. It was built from the ground (or underground, for that matter) up during my stay here in Fenway, taking over a plot of land that once served as a ground-level parking lot for Fenway Park. It has obscured my view of Landmark Center and the hills beyond Boston proper, although it has brought a lot of refreshment to the neighborhood, including a bank, two nice restaurants, a few dessert parlors, a FedEx/Kinkos, and a luxury home furnishings store (West Elm).

Although not quite clearly visible, this view looks through the recently developed Ramler Park (the greenery in the center, viewed from the rear), which was once home to a parking garage that was demolished soon after I moved into the neighborhood in September of 2003. With concrete comes greenspace, as well...we can only hope that this trend continues....