Downtown Crossing
Encyclopedia
Boston Common
Boston Common is a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street,...
and west of the Financial District
Financial District, Boston, Massachusetts
The Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts, United States is located in the downtown area near Government Center and Chinatown.Like many areas within Boston, the Financial District has no official definition. It is roughly bounded by Atlantic Avenue, State Street, and Devonshire Street...
. It features large department stores as well as restaurants, music stores, souvenir sellers, general retail establishments, and many street vendors. The section of Washington Street between Temple and Bromfield streets (and portions of Winter
Winter Street (Boston)
Winter Street in Boston, Massachusetts is located between Tremont Street and Washington Street, near the Common. It is currently a pedestrian zone. Prior to 1708, it was called Blott's Lane and then Bannister's Lane.-See also:* Downtown Crossing...
and Summer
Summer Street (Boston)
Summer Street in Boston, Massachusetts extends from Downtown Crossing in the Financial District, over Fort Point Channel, and into South Boston...
streets) are closed to most vehicular traffic; pedestrians may walk freely in the street.
Ladder District
In the early 1900s and 2000s, the area along Washington and Tremont Streets, roughly from School Street to Beach Street, has also been referred to as the Ladder District. The side streets between the two main thoroughfares look like the rungs of a ladder when viewed on a map, hence the name.Early history
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Summer Street was an upscale neighborhood, with townhouses designed by Charles BulfinchCharles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession....
and others. The Great Boston Fire of 1872
Great Boston Fire of 1872
The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest urban fire, and still ranks as one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on November 9, 1872, in the basement of a commercial warehouse at 83—87 Summer Street in Boston,...
destroyed much of the neighborhood, especially between Summer, Washington, and Milk Streets.
Department stores
Between 1895 and 1917, Downtown Crossing became the hub of department storeDepartment store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
shopping in Boston. In 1841, Eben Jordan and Benjamin L. Marsh opened the first Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
store as wholesalers, which later grew into a retail department store. Another major store, Filene's
Filene's
Filene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
, was founded in 1881. Originally known as William Filene's Sons Co. the store expanded, opening the "Automatic Bargain Basement" in 1909. Gilchrist and Kennedy's also opened in the neighborhood, though both are now defunct. These stores attracted more middle-class visitors, including those from the suburbs, and anchored other retail services, including food and restaurants.
Nationwide, downtown department stores faced challenges after World War II due to suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
and competition from big box stores.
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement, also called The Basement, is a Massachusetts-based chain of department stores which was owned by Retail Ventures, Inc. until April 2009 when it was sold to Syms....
would go on to become a major department store independent of Filene's. The flagship store of Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement, also called The Basement, is a Massachusetts-based chain of department stores which was owned by Retail Ventures, Inc. until April 2009 when it was sold to Syms....
was located underground, in the basement of the former Filene's
Filene's
Filene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
department store. The two stores, formerly under the same ownership, were disassociated in 1988. The building housing the two stores was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986.
During the Winter Season Filene's would hold a Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
lighting and Jordan Marsh would present a series festive Christmas window displays known as the "Enchanted Village". The window display has since relocated to Boston's Hynes Convention Center
Hynes Convention Center
The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center located in Boston was built in 1988 from a design by architects Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood. It replaced a previous building, also a convention center, regarded as "ungainly." The 1988 design "attempted to relate in scale and materials to its...
, and then to City Hall Plaza
Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Government Center is an area in downtown Boston, bounded by Cambridge, Court, Congress, and Sudbury Streets. Formerly the site of Scollay Square, it is now the location of Boston City Hall, two Suffolk County courthouses, two state office buildings, and two federal office buildings, a major MBTA...
.
The area is experiencing more growth due to new luxury hotel and condominium additions. In 2001, Millennium Place
Millennium Place
Millennium Place is a building complex located in the Downtown Crossing district of Boston, Massachusetts. The complex consists of Millennium Place Tower I and Millennium Place Tower II. The taller building of the two, Millennium Place Tower I, stands at 475 feet with 38 floors. It is currently...
was completed. The luxury towers rise to 38 stories (475 feet) and 36 stories (446 feet).
In 1996, the former Jordan Marsh store became Macy's, and in early 2006 the Filene's landmark flagship store was closed. In 2006, Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
announced the purchase of the former Filenes site for $100m. The project is expected to cost around $620 million and the project would be filled with upscale shopping destinations, high-dollar business space, and tony residences.
The Plan calls for a 38-story tower that will rise to 495 feet. However, the vacancy left by Filene's has left the building to be redeveloped. Filene's Basement has been closed for the duration of construction, but has vowed to return upon the completion of construction. As of September 2011, Filene's Basement is still closed.
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement
Filene's Basement, also called The Basement, is a Massachusetts-based chain of department stores which was owned by Retail Ventures, Inc. until April 2009 when it was sold to Syms....
filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday May 4, 2009. New York’s Crown Acquisitions, with the Chetrit Group as its partner has made a bid to buy 17 of Filene's 25 locations including the Downtown Crossing location. Although construction has stalled on the Downtown Crossing project, the store is still slated to reopen in the future. The Downtown Crossing location accounted for 13% of the company's sales. Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
had been paying Filene's $500,000 a month in compensation for closing their Downtown Crossing store. These payments stopped without notice in January 2009.
Suffolk University expansion
In 2007 Suffolk UniversitySuffolk University
Suffolk University is a private, non-sectarian, university located in Boston, Massachusetts and with over 16,000 students it is the third largest university in Boston...
bought a building on West Street that was being renovated into condominiums. The West St. property currently houses about 270 students.
In 2010, Suffolk University renovated and restored the historical Modern Theater and built a ten-story dormitory on top of the theater. The building is now an expansion to the original 10 West St. building and houses an additional 200 students.
Other points of interest
The MBTA's Downtown CrossingDowntown Crossing (MBTA station)
Downtown Crossing Station of the MBTA, located at the corner of Washington Street and Summer Street and the corner of Chauncey Street and Summer Street in Boston, is the main transfer point between the Orange Line and the Red Line....
subway station directly serves Downtown Crossing. The State Street
State (MBTA station)
State, well known as State Street, is a subway station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, State is the transfer point between the Orange Line and the Blue Line.-Description:...
and Park Street
Park Street (MBTA station)
Park Street is a rapid transit and light rail station of the MBTA subway system in Downtown Boston. One of the four subway hub stations, Park Street is a transfer point between the Green and Red Lines. Park Street is the fourth-busiest station in the MBTA network, with an average of 19,836 entries...
stations are within close walking distance. Silver Line
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the only bus rapid transit line currently operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses...
service is also available.
A small mall called Lafayette Place Mall was attached to the Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
store in 1985; by 1992 the mall was closed and has since been converted to offices. The Corner Mall now services the public with a large food court and several small retail stores.
The Boston Irish Famine Memorial sits in front of the former Borders Book store on the corner of School Street and Washington Street.
Further reading
- David Tatham. A Drawing by Winslow Homer: Corner of Winter, Washington and Summer Streets. American Art Journal, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Summer, 1986), pp. 40–50.
External links
- Google news archive. Articles about Downtown Crossing
- Official city website
- Downtown Crossing Association