Google Earth does show municipal boundaries but I haven't independently verified any yet. According to GE the new Urban Outfitters at 226 Harvard Ave. (a construction pit in the satellite image) is near the border with Brookline but entirely within Boston (i.e. Allston). Over the border in Brookline Harvard Avenue becomes Harvard Street and the numbers run the other direction, beginning I believe with 526 two doors south.
Took less than a minute to verify that the City of Boston is indeed collecting property taxes on that building. Now isn't that a lot easier than posting, "durrrrr I've decided this building is in Brookline"?
You can't beat my zip for confusion: it's the infamous Chestnut Hill 02467 (formerly 02167).
Do I live on campus at BC?
In Boston?
In Newton?
In Brookline?
In Suffolk County?
In Middlesex County?
In Norfolk County?
Yeah, GPS hates me too.
What's actually kind of cool, however, is that I can be standing on the spot where all of those meet after walking just a few hundred yards (I have to watch out for trains, though). And from that location I can also control all things Greater Boston, including UH, through a strange force that only I can manipulate!
That's because zip codes aren't polygons. They are sets of delivery points. Nothing is "in" a zip code. It is "assigned" a zip code. They can overlap, conflict with municipal borders, and for large swaths of the west, simply don't exist.
are the maps of voting precincts, such as the ones I had looked at from www.brooklinema.gov (tip: it's in Precinct #9), which show that in that immediate area, Brookline starts on the south side of Brainerd Road. So if you hop over to Google Maps Street View, what do you suppose you see if you're standing on the south side of Brainerd Road, looking across Harvard? Why bless my soul, it's the Gulf station that they tore down to build the building where the Urban Outfitters is gonna be! Which means that...you guessed it...the building is on the Allston/Brookline line, and most of it's in Brookline.
Go to suffolkdeeds.com and the city's assessing page, and you'll see that the building is in Suffolk County and in Boston. You can't argue with the tax bill and the deed. Well, you could, but you'd be wrong.
I care about trying to use readily available public records to try and make the quality of the information on the internet just a wee bit higher. You made a post stating that the building is in Brookline because you feel like it is, so I responded by taking a few seconds to pull up the deed and the tax bill to show all the people reading this some verified official information. I respect Adam and the integrity most of his stuff maintains, and I don't like to just leave low-quality information hanging when I can verify or refute it with a couple clicks.
We're unfortunately delving into an age where many people can't tell the difference between reliable information and every other piece of crap that's posted on the internet -- the building must be in Brookline, because some guy on the internet says it is! That's a published source!
It's my hope that maybe at least a few of the people who believe anything that's on the internet will at least recognize misinformation when correct official information is posted immediately below it.
Thank you, eeka. I don't give a spit in the wind about it either—who bothers to go to Allston anyway, or Brookline, for that matter—but it's good to keep bloviators on their toes.
Meh, Urban Outfitters used to be less trendy, but it isn't pretentious. Wrong again AdamG! A real journalist might actually know things besides trying to make cute quips about a photo. Oh ho ho ho, those jokes pay the rent!
GROW UP Ron, go get banned from the Slumerville Chronicle again! Howse the Olive Garden?
I did some of the financing work for the development of the site. Trust me, It is in Allston. The Brookline/Boston line is in the parking lot of the old Purity Supreme, now TJ Maxx.
Speaking of zip codes I used to run a condo complex in Brookline that the owners wanted me to get the Chestnut Hill zip code extended to their units. The old 02146 wasn't good enough for them.
The TJ Maxx and liq store there are in Brookline too. Theres a bank there that is in Boston (Asian American?) There was a robber there not so long ago.
As soon as the building started going up, every time I rode by I saw new graffiti targeting Urban Outfitters. I'm thinking that the Irony Gang is just working out their frustration over the fact that there isn't a White Devil Walmart close enough to access by fixed gear bike.
Comments
Not that I approve of Urban Outfitters...
...but that store is at best on the Allston/Brookline line, and I suspect it's actually in Brookline.
Really?
You couldn't have taken the two seconds to google the address and see that it's in Allston
beforeinstead of posting that?*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Google maps limitation
One serious limitation of Google Maps is that it doesn't show municipal boundaries, even as an optional overlay.
Google Earth does show
Google Earth does show municipal boundaries but I haven't independently verified any yet. According to GE the new Urban Outfitters at 226 Harvard Ave. (a construction pit in the satellite image) is near the border with Brookline but entirely within Boston (i.e. Allston). Over the border in Brookline Harvard Avenue becomes Harvard Street and the numbers run the other direction, beginning I believe with 526 two doors south.
I didn't use google maps
I googled the address, then googled City of Boston assessing, which gave me this:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/assessing/search/default.asp?mode=reval&pid=2101567000
Took less than a minute to verify that the City of Boston is indeed collecting property taxes on that building. Now isn't that a lot easier than posting, "durrrrr I've decided this building is in Brookline"?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
yowzer!!! someone sure has a
yowzer!!! someone sure has a lot of time on her hands
Zip Codes
Zip Codes aren't reliable indicators, either. A friend once lived in "Brookline, MA 02134".
Vice versa
We lived in Brighton, MA 02146.
Not bad, but not confusing enough
You can't beat my zip for confusion: it's the infamous Chestnut Hill 02467 (formerly 02167).
Do I live on campus at BC?
In Boston?
In Newton?
In Brookline?
In Suffolk County?
In Middlesex County?
In Norfolk County?
Yeah, GPS hates me too.
What's actually kind of cool, however, is that I can be standing on the spot where all of those meet after walking just a few hundred yards (I have to watch out for trains, though). And from that location I can also control all things Greater Boston, including UH, through a strange force that only I can manipulate!
whooooooohahaaaaaaa! exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcellent. exxxxxxxxcellent.
That's because zip codes
That's because zip codes aren't polygons. They are sets of delivery points. Nothing is "in" a zip code. It is "assigned" a zip code. They can overlap, conflict with municipal borders, and for large swaths of the west, simply don't exist.
This begs the question
What's the ZIP code for Newstead Montegrade?
Duh
It's obviously 02121 since it's part of Franklin Park.
02107
Obviously.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Slightly more reliable
are the maps of voting precincts, such as the ones I had looked at from www.brooklinema.gov (tip: it's in Precinct #9), which show that in that immediate area, Brookline starts on the south side of Brainerd Road. So if you hop over to Google Maps Street View, what do you suppose you see if you're standing on the south side of Brainerd Road, looking across Harvard? Why bless my soul, it's the Gulf station that they tore down to build the building where the Urban Outfitters is gonna be! Which means that...you guessed it...the building is on the Allston/Brookline line, and most of it's in Brookline.
Really.
It's legally in Boston
Go to suffolkdeeds.com and the city's assessing page, and you'll see that the building is in Suffolk County and in Boston. You can't argue with the tax bill and the deed. Well, you could, but you'd be wrong.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
He already did.
He already did.
The real question
Why in god's name do you care so much about this? It's a crap store no matter where it is.
I don't care about this, per se
I care about trying to use readily available public records to try and make the quality of the information on the internet just a wee bit higher. You made a post stating that the building is in Brookline because you feel like it is, so I responded by taking a few seconds to pull up the deed and the tax bill to show all the people reading this some verified official information. I respect Adam and the integrity most of his stuff maintains, and I don't like to just leave low-quality information hanging when I can verify or refute it with a couple clicks.
We're unfortunately delving into an age where many people can't tell the difference between reliable information and every other piece of crap that's posted on the internet -- the building must be in Brookline, because some guy on the internet says it is! That's a published source!
It's my hope that maybe at least a few of the people who believe anything that's on the internet will at least recognize misinformation when correct official information is posted immediately below it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Shorter
Oh my god! Someone is wrong on the internet!
Thank you, eeka.
Thank you, eeka. I don't give a spit in the wind about it either—who bothers to go to Allston anyway, or Brookline, for that matter—but it's good to keep bloviators on their toes.
A shocker!
Wow, another important discussion about zipcodes!
Meh, Urban Outfitters used to be less trendy, but it isn't pretentious. Wrong again AdamG! A real journalist might actually know things besides trying to make cute quips about a photo. Oh ho ho ho, those jokes pay the rent!
GROW UP Ron, go get banned from the Slumerville Chronicle again! Howse the Olive Garden?
Um?
So go read other sources if you don't like this one. No one's forcing you to stay.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Oh, no, let him stay
He reminds me when I'm running low on Slimfast.
MEEP
.
Allston
I did some of the financing work for the development of the site. Trust me, It is in Allston. The Brookline/Boston line is in the parking lot of the old Purity Supreme, now TJ Maxx.
Speaking of zip codes I used to run a condo complex in Brookline that the owners wanted me to get the Chestnut Hill zip code extended to their units. The old 02146 wasn't good enough for them.
Actually
The TJ Maxx and liq store there are in Brookline too. Theres a bank there that is in Boston (Asian American?) There was a robber there not so long ago.
Hipsters
Just don't like being out-pretense'd.
So True
As soon as the building started going up, every time I rode by I saw new graffiti targeting Urban Outfitters. I'm thinking that the Irony Gang is just working out their frustration over the fact that there isn't a White Devil Walmart close enough to access by fixed gear bike.