700 + Trees of the North End

Some People might argue that lack of Street trees is what gives the North End its character. Is it a character worth saving? There are more cars parked on Hanover street than street trees planted in all the North End streets combined.
Look how many streets have zero trees.

Atlantic Ave ...........................30

Battery Street ........................1

Battery Wharf .......................30

Burroughs Wharf ..................14

Charter Street....................... 3

Christopher Columbus park ..100+

Clark Street ..........................0

Commercial street................. 99

Cooper Street .........................2

Copps Hill Cemetery ..............24

Copps Hill Terries ..................20

Cross Street ............................12

Cutillo Park ............................15
Defilepo Park .........................29

Endicott Street .......................2

Fulton Street ..........................20

Garden Court .........................0

Hanover Ave ..........................0

Hanover Street .......................36

Henchman Street ...................0

Lewis Street ...........................2

Lewis Wharf ..........................25

Lincoln Wharf .......................14
Lynn Street ...........................0

Moon Street ...........................4

N Hudson Street ....................0

Nazarro Center Playground 13

North Bennet Street ..............0

North Margin Street ..............6

North Square ........................2

North Street ..........................13

North Washington Street........1

Paul Revere Mall....................43
Parmenter Street ..................0

Peace Garden ........................11 
Puopolo/Langone Park .........65

Prince Street .........................0

Richmond Street ...................4

Salem Street .........................2

Salutation Street ...................0

Sargents Wharf .....................70

Sheafe Street .........................1

Snow Hill Street ....................0

Stillman Street ......................0

Tennis Courts.........................25
Tileston Street .......................0

Union Wharf .........................27

Unity Street ..........................0

Wigget Street ........................0

Wiggin Street ........................0

No Mans Land

Here is a unused paved area that the City currently owns.

The property is in the process of being sold and i am afraid this property will just become more high end condos and or expensive hotel.

That is not what the North End wants.

The North End also didn't want the Central Artery in the 50s but the powers that be knew best. Look where planning got us.

I thought about installing a temporary glass garden.

Park lot for Special (elite) People.

Remember Cars are more important than people 

People do not deserve a new park or a new building. Cars Rule

Callahan and Sumner parks

Deck over these boat sections and the North End has new green space.

Not a stitch of shade in this park.

There is a interesting story behind this steel structure in the North End. For anyone who doesn't know it is supposed to be a Pergola. It is meant to grow vines up and over the top. I went to every meeting in the planning process of the 2 parks that are built on the greenway. I was on the committee that guided the designers to make the park what it is today. 

In one of the last meetings the designers presented  this steel Pergola design. Nobody at the meeting liked it. We all wanted something softer and more human scale. They designers said too bad, times up, designs done. They shoved this design down our throats.

The designers promised that it would have climbing roses. That got axed during construction. The powers that be decided without trying that roses would not grow. Clematis (that dies back to the ground every year) was the vine they chose and planted on every pole. Now over half of them died. The vines need something to climb on. Something more than a vertical wire.

The North End got shafted in the Pergola design process. No Roses grow on the structure. Clematis grows on less than half of the vertical beams. I have a heard people comment that it looks unfinished. The Greenway Conservancy refuses to plant any real vines on the pergola because they are afraid the vines may have clingy roots. They are preparing today for when the Pergola needs painting 50 years from now. It looks like a remnant from the old elevated highway or a unfinished prefab Butler building frame.

 I want to add a painted vinyl canopy to the top of the Pergola. This will provide shade in a park.  At the moment the parks have less than 1% shade.

 I would also thought hanging flower pots off the poles would be nice.

You can ignore the green ivy in this photo sim its an old idea.

In the end we need to soften this steel structure with somthing.

Hanover and out

What is going on with this building that is taking longer than the Big Dig?

Someone told me this blank wall is soon to be covered with solar panels.

Mikes Pastries building looks like it was taken from a strip mall and put on Hanover Street.

What is going on upstairs in Gaicomo's?
How about some nice curtains to cover up the mess?

This is the only roll down door on Hanover Street.



A Cross Street to Bear

I feel lucky to have witnessed the Central Artery get dismantled.

I saw the new face to the North End and at first

I did not like what I saw.

I have since got used to it.

I gave a lot of thought into the image that belongs on this wall.

Its the Hanover street gateway.

I finally came up with the concept of an Ariel photo of the

North End.

At one point I was thinking about renting a helicopter

and getting my own image.

In the end I chose this photo by Jonathan Klein.

Maybe some day I can get permission and raise the money.

No "Welcome to the North End" text required.

Why do the property owners of these buildings with billboards get to collect $$$$,

while the rest of us have to visually suffer.  

Why is there a blank billboard over a old and interesting mural?

Why do parking lots need chain link fence surrounding them?

lower Salem

What is up with the half ugly windows?

This roll down door is down all day every day.

I always liked the Gardner Museum courtyard.

Playground of pavement

Before and after

This is where north end kids get to play.

Such an uplifting environment

Nothing but the best for the kids