SEAS Affiliates Discuss Allston Campus Plans

SEAS Affiliates Discuss Allston Campus Plans | The Harvard Crimson:

"[Executive Dean for Administration G. Timothy] Bowman also said that he hoped the SEAS Allston campus would develop into a “college student hub” for students coming from the iLab and Harvard’s athletic facilities.

“We want it to be a destination that students, faculty, and the University community want to go to, even if they don’t have a class,” Bowman said."

I wonder what Dean Bowman thinks would make Western Ave a "college student hub"? Will the Allston community also want to go (or be invited to go) there? The previous plans for the Science Complex had Harvard-only amenities like a private rooftop restaurant & bar.

I bet the impending new Allston basketball arena just got a bit bigger & sooner

Harvard Men's Basketball Upsets New Mexico, 68-62, To Win First-Ever NCAA Tournament Game | The Harvard Crimson:

Dead woman found at Harvard's abandoned Allston rail yard

State Police investigating how New Hampshire woman's body wound up on train tracks in Allston | Universal Hub:

St. Patrick's Puppets in Allston & Brighton

Finnegan's Wake from The Vaudeville Puppets on Vimeo.

City proposes blocking Harvard from opening new buildings in Allston if school fails to meet terms for development

City proposes blocking Harvard from opening new buildings in Allston if school fails to meet terms for development - Allston Brighton - Your Town - Boston.com:

"The proposal would require Harvard to:

Start a community planning process this April to build its promised Rena Park and begin the first phase of the park’s construction in 2014; develop a comprehensive master plan for campus services, which would clarify that the 28 Travis St. relocation project is temporary; implement that campus services master plan within one year after the university opens its proposed science complex in Allston, which is scheduled to open in about five years; and to not run vehicular service between midnight and 6 a.m. at the 28 Travis St. site, Shen said.

If Harvard fails to comply with those conditions, the city would withhold occupancy permits for new buildings the university builds until the school is in compliance."

The A/B Kid Exodus

John Keith has done some nice work summarizing Boston's population changes by ages: Boston population changes over past two decades | Universal Hub

Here's the spreadsheet with data for all neighborhoods and the A/B data



Here's how the # of kids 14 & under has steadily dropped in the last 20 years
1990: 5,939 (8.5% of total)
2000: 5,536 (7.9% of total)
2010: 4,583 (6.1% of total)

More than 1/2 of Allston and Brighton residents are in their 20s

Like shopping in Allston

Huge Russian Parties coming to Linden Street?

The "Russian Benevolent Society" will be at the Zoning Board of Appeal on March 26 seeking to increase their capacity for a "restaurant / lounge with live entertainment" to 450 people with outdoor seating for 90.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/ons/pdfs/allstonbright.pdf

In 2011 they got permission to serve dinner and liquor Thursday through Sunday night. (Under the society's old club license, it could only open to serve meals and liquors for functions.) \
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/russian-social-club-allston-gets-permission-turn-p

In 2012 they got permission to serve dinner seven days a week. (The society, originally set up as a private club, had been open to the public Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m)
http://www.universalhub.com/2012/russians-would-much-rather-drink-liquor-food-lawye

I wonder what they will do in 2014?

How Harvard is reneging on its Rena Park promise

A concerned reader sent me an email this afternoon because he and his friends are confused by this excerpt from the "SLAM Brings Allston Debate into Harvard Yard" story in today's Harvard Crimson:

"Mattison said that Harvard had promised to place a three-acre park where Barry’s Corner meets the residential community, but that the University is now reneging on that promise."

Hopefully this makes it more clear...

merriam-webster.com defines "renege" as "to go back on a promise or commitment".

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Take a look at Rena Park near North Harvard Street in these Harvard plans from 2007 and 2008:

2008 Science Complex Cooperation Agreement (page 87)	2007 Harvard Draft Master Plan (page 46)
	"Adjacent to the Allston library on North Harvard Street will be the largest open space in Rena Park"

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Here is Harvard's 2012 plan (which does not include the phrase "Rena Park")

2012 Harvard Draft Master Plan
Barry's Corner 10 year plan (page 36)	Long-Term Open Space Plan (page B-7)

Notice how during the last 4 years Harvard lost the big piece of Rena Park near North Harvard Street, the Honan Library, and Mellone Park? There is a little tail of "Harvard Campus Landscape" extending to the east, but no "Public Open Space" where Harvard promised the largest open space in Rena Park.

Program for Our 2013 Policy Conference » Progressive Massachusetts

Check this out if you are interested in discussing health care, education, economic policy and more with some of the most influential and knowledgeable people around

Program for Our 2013 Policy Conference » Progressive Massachusetts:

Progressive Mass Policy Conference
March 24 – 8AM-5PM - Newton, MA
Lasell College - Nearest T-Stop: Riverside/Green Line

SLAM Brings Allston Debate into Harvard Yard | The Harvard Crimson

SLAM Brings Allston Debate into Harvard Yard | The Harvard Crimson:

"Harvard’s Student Labor Action Movement brought the Allston debate into Harvard Yard Wednesday in a community forum led by a panel of Harvard-Allston Task Force members and community development experts. 

Harvard undergraduates, staff, Allston residents, and members of the broader community gathered at the Phillips Brooks House to discuss Harvard’s role and responsibilities in Allston.

No representatives from the Harvard administration attended the event."

Allston residents to back Harvard project if university agrees to several demands - Allston Brighton - Your Town - Boston.com

Allston residents to back Harvard project if university agrees to several demands -Boston.com:

"The Harvard Allston Task Force voted unanimously at a meeting Tuesday night to recommend that the city’s redevelopment authority approve the relocation proposal, but only if the conditions are met. 

The task force drafted a resolution asking Harvard to:

• include in its master plan locations where all of its campus support services can be housed and that those locations not be near residential streets; 

• that the services that would be relocated to 28 Travis St. are moved out of that location before the university opens its proposed science complex in Allston, which is scheduled for completion about five years from now; and

• that schedules are set for construction of the proposed Rena Park and for the North Allston / North Brighton Community Master Plan that would have the park and the community planning process completed before the science complex opens."

Allston's No Parking Apartment Building Is a Great But Terrible Idea

Allston's No Parking Apartment Building Is a Great But Terrible Idea: "Boston’s cheap street parking results in a bad case of trickle-down parking economics: Since the city charges nothing for resident spaces, you can justify having a car because it’s free to keep it on the street—even if your building doesn’t provide a space.

If, however, the city started charging a fair and accurate price for street parking, then we’d see far fewer cars on the street, because it’d be far more expensive to keep them here. In that case, Mariscal’s building would make total sense: If you really want to have a car, pay up. Our streets aren’t free."

'via Blog this'