What would Boston be without the Hancock Tower? New owner aims to find out

By adamg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:30pm

Banker and Tradesman reports the Hancock Tower is now officially just 200 Clarendon St. Seems Hancock objected to having its name remain on the tower once it no longer owned it or rented any space in it.

For a city with residents who still refer to Rte. 128, that's going to be a hard sell, Hancock.

Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock. Hancock.

Neighborhoods:

Back Bay

Free tagging:

Clarendon Street

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Comments

Dirty

By cybah on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:37pm.

You just wanted to say HanCOCK a buncha times, didn't you Adam?

But seriously, as I said in my tweet... locals will still call it the Hancock tower.

Woodie

By perruptor on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 10:00pm.

Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood Plywood

There is nothing more American...

By SoBo-Yuppie on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:45pm.

...than renaming things.

Like the European invaders renaming Shawmut to Boston or like the yuppies renaming Southie to SoBo.

Except that Boston stuck. SoBo will

By MC Slim JB on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:37pm.

never stick, as it is simultaneously risible and appalling.

Almost as bad as innovation

By gotdatwmd on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 5:23pm.

Almost as bad as innovation district

Neither suck as bad as "Midtown"

By bibliotequetress on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 7:39am.

Midtown is technically a real

By bgl on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 10:49am.

Midtown is technically a real thing though (along with the Theater District and Ladder District). SoBo, EaBo, SoWa (seriously wtf, washington st is west), etc.

Or the Wall Street invaders

By anon on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 12:05pm.

Or the Wall Street invaders renaming Shawmut

to BayBank
to BayBank / A Bank of Boston Company
to BankBoston
to FleetBoston
to Bank of America.

Did I miss anything?

Hancock Tower?

By erik g on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:48pm.

It's a good thing it's easier to scrub the internet of references to the Property Formerly Known As The Hancock Tower than it is to purge it from the memory of locals. For instance, I'm sure Google will never find any mentions of the Hancock Tower anywhere, now that we've all collectively agreed to stop referring to the Hancock Tower as the Hancock Tower. Nope, not a single place on the internet will call it the Hancock Tower after today.

Hancock Tower.

Sears Tower in Chicago....

By Michael Kerpan on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:50pm.

... was vacated by Sears eons ago, but I think it is still usually thought of as the Sears Tower (and I can never remember its alleged new name).

The tower formerly known as Sears...

By Bob Leponge on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:07pm.

... has been renamed for action movie star Bruce Willis, apparently.

Nope

By BullDetector on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:03pm.

Willis group holdings. They lease in the building and have the naming rights. It's an insurance group based in London.

Can't put anything over on

By Scratchie on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:19pm.

Can't put anything over on you, huh?

Im usually good with Sarcasm.

By FredQuimby on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:46pm.

Like this one.

But only when its done right.

I disagree. Sarcasm works even better when you

By MC Slim JB on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:38pm.

can watch it whizzing over someone's head.

Wrong Willis

By anon on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 1:22pm.

What you talkin' bout, Willis!?

Yeah, that'll work about as

By oddjob60 on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:48pm.

Yeah, that'll work about as well as it did with the Sears Tower.

You beat me....

By Michael Kerpan on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:50pm.

...by 2 minutes.

Whachoo talkin' 'bout,

By Stevil on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:51pm.

Willis?!

Beat me to it

By Scratchie on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:02pm.

By ten minutes.

Hancock Tower?

By roadman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:57pm.

Don't you mean the Plywood Palace?

Plywood Palace?!?

By issacg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:12pm.

Here I was thinking that your head was going to explode (and waiting for you to return fire!) just at the sight of people referring to the semi-circumferential highway around Boston, running (roughly) from Peabody to Canton as Route 128.

The heat must really be getting to us.

Now, now

By roadman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:21pm.

I don't allow myself to be baited THAT easily. Especially when it's Adam that made the reference.

This name shouldn't be an issue

By Neal on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:59pm.

Especially for a division of a Canadian insurance company, who uses the name of our Commonwealth's first governor, member of the Committee of Safety, president of the Continental Congress, signatory of the Declaration of Independence, among other things. Boston Properties should put up a statue of Gov. Hancock and and rename the tower in Governor Hancock's honor. Problem solved.

John Winthrop was the first

By gotdatwmd on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:50pm.

John Winthrop was the first governor yo.

Tsk tsk.

Yes, but it's still true that

By Dot net on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:20pm.

Yes, but it's still true that Hancock was the first governor of the Commonwealth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Massachusetts#Commonwealth_of_...

Wait, what?

By Scratchie on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:02pm.

Rt. 128 has a different name? Since when?

And it's not just "residents"

By Dave on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:02pm.

And it's not just "residents" who cling to the old 128 designation.

Every morning, the radio traffic reports warn of heavy traffic on "128 from Braintree to Rte 20".

And there are still lots of ads that refer to "Rte. 1" in Dedham and West Roxbury.

Of lesser import, but still

By roadman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:41pm.

a peeve of mine, is how some of the local traffic reporters (especially on WBZ during the morning rush) have taken to dropping the "225" part from the Route 4/225 exit in Lexington, now just referring to it as "Route 4".

And we wonder why drivers in this area get confused so easily.

Rte what?

By Perry on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:12pm.

128 has another name? What is it?

Why, the

By roadman on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 10:15am.

Yankee Division Highway, of course. (MGL Chapter 360, Acts of 1941).

Not just ads

By adamg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:38pm.

When Dedham rebuilt Washington Street by the Dedham Mall 3-4 years ago, they put up a large Rte. 1 JCT sign.

Huh?

By statler on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 9:53pm.

What the proper name for Rt 1 in Dedham?

I believe he is referring to

By bgl on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 11:13am.

I believe he is referring to "Providence Highway" or w/e. Rt. 1 technically "ends" at the 95 junction now and it was rerouted onto 93 north. Used to be Providence Highway -> VFW -> J way -> etc. Most still consider at least the dedham west roxbury parts to be still rt 1.

YeahI don't get it...

By Marco on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:07pm.

It is part of 95, but it splits off up north. It is still, technically, its own route. Should we be referring to it by some other designation?
Meh, just another bad piece of prose on this website....

Um ...

By adamg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:41pm.

Yes, 128 still officially exists north of the city, but the state wants us to refer to the part of the circumferential highway from, oh, 93 north of the city all the way to the Braintree split south of the city as (variously) 95, 93 or 1, and damnit, some of us are still going to call that 128, even if it means absurdities like getting on 128 South to go north to the South Shore Plaza.

I'm pretty sure it's still signed 128

By Neal on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:50pm.

Between the I-93 cloverleaf on the Woburn/Reading line to the junction with I-95.

Correct

By roadman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 5:17pm.

Although the principal designation of the highway between Canton and Peabody is I-95, FHWA has let the state continue to post 128 markers on the highway, but not on the large green signs**.

** from the "exception to every rule" department, note that a handful of green guide signs on secondary streets at the Salem Street and Walnut Street interchanges currently have both I-95 and 128 markers - these signs were recently installed by a private developer, not the state.

You mean

By Name on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 5:56pm.

You mean the Yankee Division Highway?

whatever would Freud say?

By Malcolm Tucker on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:03pm.

There are a lot of cocks in this post.

Closed for 14 years now

By anon on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:19pm.

It's time to re-open The Top of the Cock. .

A brilliant marketing ploy!

By issacg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:24pm.

If the (formerly) public space on the top floors of the Hancock Tower were reopened and included a bar called "TOP O' THE 'COCK" the place would be mobbed all of the time. I can already see all the selfie stick wielding tourists knocking over martini glasses whilst waiting in line to by T-shirts emblazoned with silly lines like:

"I got cocked at the Top"
"Top O' The 'Cock to you!"
"I sucked one down at Top O' The 'Cock"

and much, much worse. They could even throw in a rooster on the logo to complete the multiple entendre.

Just in case some knucklehead does this, be advised that my copyright and trademark applications are on the way in.

Addendum: all of that said, I do think that we need more public drinking establishments in high places. As cliché as it is, I do enjoy an adult beverage at the Top of the Hub (even though it has been years) - looking out from up there reminds me that notwithstanding our issues, this really is a fundamentally good city and region.

I'm going to Kickstarter a French restaurant for

By MC Slim JB on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:46pm.

that space. Naturally, it will be called "La Tête de Coq."

Bravo!

By issacg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 5:11pm.

n/t

menu ideas

By Malcolm Tucker on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 6:02pm.

cock au vin
cockilles
cock monsieur
cock madame (feminism, etc.)

And in the comment section!

By ladycommentariat on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:29pm.

I kid, I kid.

He'd probably say that this

By R Hookup on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:42pm.

He'd probably say that this blog post isn't going to get past your family's content filter.

Technically the third one

By Kaz on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:03pm.

Granted, as the largest tower in town, it's definitely going to have some staying power over their new "Hancock Tower/Building/whatever" in the ~~Seaport~~Innovation District. But it's not even the first Hancock Tower, it's the third.

This is going to get confusing

By Saddlebrook7 on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:14pm.

So, when I speak of the Old Hancock (the one with the blue/red light on top) should I call it the Really Old Hancock? Then again, I'm still using the long-gone Coke plant near the Alston Pike exit as a landmark when giving directions.

Directions ...

By adamg on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:42pm.

Just take a left at the jughandle where the McDonald's used to be ...

Sounds like you're describing

By roadman on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 10:16am.

Central Square in Lynn.

Historical note - The McDonalds in Central Square Lynn was the very first one in the entire chain to be closed soley due to poor sales performance - it was constructed as part of the City's Union Street Pedestrian Mall failure and was only in business for less than a year.

No, another failed McDonald's

By adamg on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 6:07pm.

The one just before the Dedham line on VFW Parkway in West Roxbury, across from the still open other McDonald's. You know, next to where the Chuck E. Cheese used to be.

Not as a hard a sell as people think.

By anon on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:03pm.

Who thought SoBo would take off as a name?

Nobody. Because

By MC Slim JB on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 4:43pm.

it hasn't. And won't.

Xfinity Center?

By Jeffery on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:07pm.

Don't you mean Great Woods?

No, he means CMGI Stadium.

By anon on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 12:08pm.

No, he means CMGI Stadium.

Excuse me

By Waquiot on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 1:29pm.

I believe you mean CMGI Field

Hancock? Sounds like a bird.

By Burt Batman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:07pm.

Hancock? Sounds like a bird. Hancock. Flying around.

Baltimore?

By Jeffery on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 6:20pm.

n/t

Whatever it's called,

By anon on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:27pm.

Whatever it's called, hopefully they'll reopen the observatory.
I know wishfull thinking.

Same thing as The Garden (The

By Patricia on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:35pm.

Same thing as The Garden (The Gahhden), I know of no one who called it one of it's trendy names (Fleet Center, TD something... ). Honestly when they changed the name, most of us didn't listen.

It will always be the Hancock Tower.

I know of no one who called

By roadman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:39pm.

I know of no one who called it one of it's trendy names (Fleet Center, TD something... ).

Except for sports reporters, who called it the Fleece - excuse me - Fleet Center, lest they risk losing their jobs. And the "FleetCenter" name didn't last long enough for it to really stick.

And the current name is TD Garden, so calling it simply "The Garden" is a logical nickname.

Sure, but

By Kaz on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:54pm.

Sure...but the reason that's a logical nickname is reverse engineering. Everyone was still calling it "The Garden" so TD changed the name to fit instead of the other way around.

At least TD Bank was smart

By joecab on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:57pm.

At least TD Bank was smart enough to know the name wasn't going anywhere so they might as well put "Garden" back in there.

(Sorry, tried to delete this redundant comment but the software doesn't allow for that. :/)

Sorry, but it's still the

By anon on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 2:38pm.

Sorry, but it's still the Hancock! Just like the Sears Tower is still the Sears Tower, as is the Garden, and so on and so forth.

Ohhhhh, /that/ Hancock building

By anon on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:19pm.

Gee, you don't mean /the Hancock Building/ you mean the /new/ Hancock Building.

Underground miniature railroad between old JH buildings.

By theszak on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:28pm.

Check out the miniature railroad for moving mail that runs underground between the old John Hancock buildings. The Urban Archeologists at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation have a tour from time to time.

Good luck with that

By APB on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 3:43pm.

If they are going to keep leaving their towers lying around, we're going to call them whatever we want.

Dukakis Station

By anon on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 5:29pm.

Didn't they recently rename South Station Michael Dukakis Station? I've yet to hear anyone call it that.

Is Chrysler still in the Chrysler Building? How about Woolworth?

By Ron Newman on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 5:46pm.

What about the Hancock Building?

By Waquiot on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 8:39pm.

I am half serious about that.

Still, I would think that having one's name attached to the tallest building in New England, free of charge, would be great advertisement.

As far as resisting name changes go, in addition to my "let's call Roslindale Square/Village/Triangle Tafts Tavern, since that was it's first name" campaign, I still call CMGI Field by that name, since that's what it was called when I saw my first game there.

ugh

By cybah on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 9:29pm.

CMGI Field

ugh what an awful name for a stadium.. was so glad when they changed the name. Gillette is better fitting.

However, do you call the TD Fleet BankBoston Center Garden the "Shawmut Center", since that's the original name for that building?

I do call it the Shawmut Center

By Waquiot on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 11:14pm.

When I'm not calling it the TD Bank North Fleet Center.

ugh what an awful name for a

By anon on Fri, 07/31/2015 - 10:05pm.

ugh what an awful name for a stadium.. was so glad when they changed the name. Gillette is better fitting

What the heck was CMGI anyway?
Ask people what Gillete does. Response: duh, they make shaving products.
Why did CMGI do? Um, I think they had something to do with the internet.

What would Boston be without the Hancock Tower? New owner aims to find out

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