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The Goofus and Gallant of Boylston Street buildings

Two Boylston Street buildings

Goofus is a blight on the neighborhood. Gallant is a classic building.

Goofus lets vandals throw ladders through his windows and tag up his walls. Gallant has his windows washed regularly and has spotless walls.

Goofus is marked off limits to firefighters. Gallant welcomes firefighters.

Goofus eats babies when their parents aren't looking. Gallant saves errant puppies from traffic.

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Comments

Goofus also had a tree growing on top until fairly recently...

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Been reading Higlights!

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...also had someone erect a 70's architectural abortion on its facade.
poor Goofus...

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But it's no Tannery, that's for sure.

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or any further links or explanation?

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https://www.google.com/maps/@42.351477,-71.072205,3a,75y,171.6h,97.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1syu1BeyRFkv46PjTIHJByhA!2e0!6m1!1e1

Two buildings in Back Bay. One is abandoned the other is well maintained.

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See there is another reason to ban trucks and force businesses to use vans. Trucks totally screw up Google Street View.

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And which one had the giant Menino sign?

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Tom Menino devoted more than 30 years to the City, and Boston is a better place for us to live because of him. He's retired now; time to give it a rest, eh?

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Just cause he has cancer now doesn't let him off the hook for the irresponsible cronyism and mismanagement of the city during his time in office. Why does something beyond his control now affect the way you see behavior that was under his control then? He did some good stuff, some bad stuff. You don't know about all the bad stuff.

I wish people would loose the sentimentality and emotion that blinds one to the real effects and actions that an individual has on the greater good.

My grandfather died of cancer. You never knew him. Do you love him too? No, you don't care, nor should you.

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Please be specific about the 'mismanagement of the City' you're alleging. Because from what I can see, Boston is a whole lot better now than it was when his boozy predecessor was in charge. Certainly Tom Menino is allowed a little of that credit. Oh, and another thing, what the hell is this "irresponsible cronyism" you speak of? Is there such a thing as responsible cronyism?
I'm sorry your grandpa is dead. What a shitty thing it would have been to do if everybody decided to tear apart his reputation with vague accusations when he was convalescing, eh?

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but the strength of the regional economy papered over a lot of issues for him as well.

The BPS, an allegedly priority for him, is still a mess with no leadership in place to carry his 'vision' forward.

The city budget is also not in great shape and there are looming contract fights with the major unions. He took a booming economy and managed not to blow it, but again where's the legacy?

Minor note - he put his g__ d____ name on every single city sign so let's not pretend he was some humble servant of the people. I assume that white elephant convention center will be named after him soon enough.

He appeared to be a good man and it's sad he is sick, but that doesn't mean he can't be criticized. He was certainly better than Ray Flynn.

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and you DO know all the bad stuff? please share. waiting.

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To remember Ray Flynn's time in office. The city looked like trash bombs had exploded holes in everything.

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300 buck a person shares in 3br Cambridge apartments. Moving Targets and Green Magnet School at the Middle Minimal preciousness. Billy Ruane was alive and as well as he ever got,

It was the way a city should be, gritty, rotten and utterly indifferent to sugar plum luxury glitz.

You could live easy and free without money grubbing anxieties, without speculative gouging and without important importance.

The academic sophomorism still wafted through the place like some North Station pissoir deodorant disc but people were more relaxed without the terrifying debt burden a credential runs you nowadays.

What it lacked in shiny, it more than made up in heart and a kind of street esprit.

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Filth, smog, crack everywhere, 200+ murders a year, entire blocks boarded up, rampant arson, mobsters running entire neighborhoods, taking your life into your hands being out after dark, yeah the city was so much better being shitty back then. /rolls eyes

Other than the music and unique retail scene Boston is 1000000x better now.

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Sly and wary but alive.

Here are a few no one moments rendered into music

Wha Hey http://youtu.be/n71zcxbUiQ4

Thayer Street http://youtu.be/x_QakUvlcgM

It really is so much better to run ourselves into earlier graves from living costs and status anxieties.

How can we ever ever repay this splendid horde of someones so slavishly ready to be utter chumps and bid it to the sky while it's still the same old hag ridden thing it ever was beneath that thick lipstick cake?

What could be more important (besides being important) than fat miasmatic curdled glitz clots readily served for the delectation of souls made vapid from credential flashes and single minded money grubbing? .

Towering conceits over the ephemeral fluff of status crap are so much better then being easy and free when they once drank with me.

After all, isn't the breakneck pursuit of shiny things, luxury and comfort the reason we're all here? Well, that and the opportunity to be important.

How can all of us nobodies ever repay all you somebodies for this epochal beneficence?

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I actually wasn't "picking on" Menino.....I just found it funny. I figured the absentee landlord threw it up hoping he'd avoid any punishment or inspections.

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I think that Tello's clothing was in the building at one time. Now they are in Medford. Lawrence and on Washington St..
Before that I believe it was Worth's, redesigned the façade over. Worth's sold fine linens and had to be in the early 50's.

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Then Gallant should go live somewhere else or just not look at Goofus.

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"goofus" is actually my favorite building on boylston street. :( it looks like where edward scissorhands would live. i love it! (aside from the semi-newly added graffiti. boo on that.)

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Yeah, I always like that building, too.

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There's a similar building on High Street near the greenway. I always wonder what the story is when I walk by.

https://www.google.com/maps?ll=42.351477,-71.072205&spn=0.18,0.3&cbll=42...

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If it's the building I think you are referring to [your map link is to those buildings on Boylston]...
That whole building used to be owned by a hardware store that was on the High Street side. The upper floors were used for storage for said store. I believe the owner passed away and it is likely there is some determination still being made on the ownership of said building. The adjacent building that is a blank front is just a facade for a cooling tower for the tunnels.

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That's the building I was thinking of, I don't know why google maps didn't update.

It's jarring to see such a crumbling building in that area.

https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=&q=51+high+street+boston+ma&ie=UTF-8&hq=...

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Gallant was turned into condos in 2012; four floor-though units that sold for between $1.635 and $1.85 million.

Two were turned into rentals, with monthly rents between $7,500 and $14,000.

Goofus is missing a prime opportunity.

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Remember when Bailey's was on that block??!

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Yes. And Brigham's. And the Women's Union where you could go upstairs to that little dining room and have sandwiches and pie. Bailey's rocked though. Those sundaes...

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I've been inside Goofus - just a metal frame holding the exterior walls up. Tannery guy owns it - waiting for someone to pay him $$ to develop it.

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has been inside yer MOM!

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