Aw: Allston not aesthetically pleasing enough for Harvard students
The Harvard Crimson discusses ways Harvard could make things up to undergraduates who would be "Allstoned" if the college makes good on plans to build some undergrad dorms in Allston. The Crimson informs us that vital to making life better for the poor future Masters of the Universe is to have Soldiers Field Road turned into a tunnel covered by pleasing parkland:
... This would make living in Allston more aesthetically pleasant - having a highway out one's window is rarely appealing - but more importantly it would make the Allston Houses feel physically closer to Cambridge for pedestrians. As anyone who has made a late night trek to or from the Quad in the dead of winter knows, even the slightest bit of additional convenience can go a long way. ...
Here's a fun assignment for the Crimson news desk: Go interview BU students who live on the other side of the turnpike from the main campus. Or maybe talk to some Allston residents about being Harvarded?
Via Harry Mattison.
Comments
lets call it as it is
This is article is not very amusing. Allston really IS kinda dumpy. I don't know why Allston and Brighton are so dirty and ratty, but they currently DO lack the cleanliness, aesthetics, and charm of Cambridge.
I don't believe it has to be this way. While Cleveland Circle is a truly unattractive place, Brookline a block to the east and Newton a block to the west are quite nice.
Maybe Allston and Brighton should consider succeeding from the City. I don't see any sign that the City has the resources or interest in improving these areas.
Two cents
I never really understood the bellyaching about the Quad exile -- I had a class there, friends there, parties there, and somehow managed to make it back and forth from the river.
On the aesthetic front, though, I see where the kids are coming from. Student A gets to live in a historic room with hardwood floors, a decorative fireplace, a river view, and an easy commute to the classroom buildings in the Yard; Student B pays the same amount of money to live next to a highway in Allston. (And it's not as though either student has a choice in the matter.)
The piece you're quoting did run in the editorial section and the Crimson's editorial bent has been a shade anti-Allston for years. I think the news coverage, though, has been more-or-less balanced.