The Burger is Not King

I like to look up articles or posts about specific Boston neighborhoods in the Globe or Herald or Universal Hub, and then visit them to see what's really going on. Recently, I did a search on Universal Hub about East Boston, the forever talked about up-and-coming neighborhood just across the harbor from downtown and sandwiched between the runways of Logan. (Surprisingly, there's less noise in most of East Boston, than in parts of Southie, Somerville and Cambridge. It's quite odd).

I saw some discussions about new restaurants about to open in Maverick Square, a local place called The Melting Pot, and a new Burger King. While the idea of an independent, local cafe is just what smaller neighborhoods need, a Burger King right in Maverick Square is about the worst idea I have ever heard. Maverick Square is undergoing a major T station renovation project, that upon completion in a year (more likely 2 to 3 in MBTA time) will give the long beleagered square a nice face-lift. New residential projects may potentially be built along the water (however, it's looking like East Pier, aks Portside at Pier One, is in a perpetual state of delay, which often means, dead), and could give the neighborhood some nice luxury units, but also some nice affordable units as well. And the East Boston Main Streets site shows there's been several storefront upgrades over the last few years. The Sovereign Bank on the Northwest corner of the square is a beauty. And the numerous local restaurants serving excellent tacos and bakery items are fantastic, adding a great local flavor to the square not seen in other neighborhoods. And let's face it, Maverick Square is one of the only actual "Squares" in Boston. It's not a triangular area of intersecting streets. It's an actual square. AMAZING!!!

Basically, my point is, the square has great bones, and with proper investment, has the potential to be a real center for the community, not the center for up-to-no-good which often accompanies late-night fast food establishments in underdeveloped areas. And I'm not knocking fast food, I actually love it. But they are not the right fit for good urban, potentially great areas of pedestrian activity. It's too bad The Melting Pot, soon to open (I think) down Sumner Street, didn't lease this location. A corner cafe would have served the area, a great counterpart to the chain Dunkin' up the street. (Then again, Sumner Street has the potential to be a great street with restaurants and shops one day. Perhaps more on that another day.) Instead, the square will get a boring, fast-food, plastic restaurant with no character, charm or nutritional value (no one eats the salads).

SIGH....a missed opportunity, in a really cool neighborhood. However, it has made me more interested in this little nook of a neighborhood, which is truly far more interesting than most in the city.