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Why does the city welcome you to Fort Point only as you're leaving Fort Point?
By adamg on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 7:59pm
Hello, we must be going.
The sign welcoming you to Fort Point is one of the last things you see before you cross the Summer Street bridge from Fort Point into downtown (the other side of the sign says "Welcome to South Boston").
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Comments
If the sign on the side going
If the sign on the side going to South Boston said Fort Point, that wouldn't make much sense either. And why wouldn't the Fort Point district be on both sides of... Fort Point? Seeing as Fort Point was named for Fort Hill on the Boston side of Fort Point Channel?
Yeah, the BRA district is exclusively on the South Boston side, but the BRA had Mission Hill in Jamaica Plain, and anything south of Forest Hills out of it. Knuckleheads.
Fort Point
You are, of course, right historically: The original Fort Point was a hill where International Place is now, I learned last week from one of the history signs along the Fort Point part of the Harborwalk. But more recently, hasn't Fort Point come to mean pretty much just the old warehouse area on the South Boston side of the channel? Especially when referring to the art district, as the sign does.
Of course, they could have done what they did in Codman Square: Have an oval that says "Welcome to Dorchester" in large letters following the oval, with "Codman Square" in smaller, straighter letters under that (well, except in this case, it'd be "Welcome to South Boston" and "Fort Point").
I thought...
...they drove the artists out so they could bring in high end condos for childless biotech workers with Legal Seafood habits?
And...............
wipe there asses with $5 rolls of bleach-less toilet paper from Wholefoods.
My thought too!
When I saw that pic my first impulse was to go put a sticker with "Former site of" in front of the words "New England's..."
There's still artists there of course (some truly exceptional ones in fact), but in terms of raw numbers and breadth of talent, the FP arts community has been in serious decline for the last couple decades, and is a pale shadow of what it used to be in the latter half of the 20th century.
And a big reason is deliberate neglect (and sometimes explicit opposition) from city hall and exploitive developers. Very short-sighted imo.
Evidently, the city has
Evidently, the city has decided to define Fort Point as the SB side of the channel. No one lives on the other side, so it doesn't matter.
For the history of Fort Hill itself:
http://goodoldboston.blogspot.com/2011/09/fort-hil...
No, I think it was where
No, I think it was where International Place is now. At least, that's what's built on top of the former park.
You're right!
Thanks for the correction; I've updated my comment.
There's at least a good 8 inches...
...in between one side of the sign and the other. A geometric Point has infinitesimal length, width, and depth. So it fits quite neatly within the sign itself.
Good Point!
Good Point!
Fort Point
The sign should be changed. Like the Codman Sq. sign it should read Welcome to South Boston and in smaller letters the letters fort point. I know one thing you will never see Mayor Menino is the so called "Innovation District." Because he has no clue on innovation and a lot of other issues in this city.
Not too Innovative
when they don't even have FIOS.
Pin the sign on the tail of the donkey
The particular spot would be at the end of Fort point channel at the entrance of the walking path near Gilette Company parking lot..
Story of the Fort Point Sign as told by an "Unknown Artist"
That sign was placed there on the opposite side of the FP Channel about 15yrs ago. Originally, that side of the sign was blank and an "Unknown Artist" decided that the sign should say something... So that "Unknown Artist" had letters made to say "Now Leaving Fort Point..." It went unnoticed for quite a bit of time before being discovered by Banker & Tradesman and they wrote a story about it. (As a side note "Unknown Artist" considers this to be his/her first published art review). It was only then that the City got wind of it, apparently upset, and tried to track down the "Unknown Artist" but he/she was "unknown" to all the usual suspects.
Months later, the sign disappeared. "Unknown Artist" dropped-a-dime to Banker & Tradesman to investigate. Sometime later, the sign re-appeared, contextually incorrect as it is, welcoming people only as they leave Fort Point... The "Unknown Artist" would love the sign to be turned around. Any volunteers?