SoWa Tagu Siam: Bad blood roils South End open-market scene

Nothing inherently wrong. But the article makes it sound like someone who is making money hand over fist via rent on several properties is having arguments over how much of a cut of a $50 fee he's getting from artists and farm stands. Kind of like getting pissed at your kids because your cut of their lemonade stand profits isn't enough.

But the open market biz brings in a lot of people , who spend a lot of money in fixed stores and restaurants that rent space in his properties. If this spat really 'kills the golden goose', then his tenants make less, and his vacancy rate can go up.

Who the hell would admit to that?

By Cop E Wright
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 8:57pm

That's the stupidest abbreviation ever

The Boston Globe, owned by Moguls written by Interns

By moxie
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 8:52am

I got this far into the first sentence and I bailed:

seeking a dose of urban cool...

I like to play spot-the-typo

By anon
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 9:57am

I like to play spot-the-typo with Glob articles. There seems to be zero copy-editing nowadays.

So Cool!

By jojo
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 1:51pm

Yes, suburban empty-nesters and stroller pushers really add a certain level of coolness, don't they? SOWA is about as hip and trendy as Attleboro lately.

When I lived in NY, we had a term for the people who come in to visit the food truck extravaganza: Bridge & Tunnel. We need to bring that term back.

And who knew that the crafts portion of the "market" even existed once it was banished to the outskirts when the "market" became mostly food trucks?

OH NO!

By bosguy22
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 2:58pm

People from outside the city actually came back to take advantage of a relatively unique event happening IN the city. What assholes. I hope all of SOWA blows up and all the "bridge and tunnel" crowd goes up with it!!

OMG YOU LIVED IN NY?!?!?!

By MattL
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:34pm

You called people "Bridge and Tunnel" when you lived in NY?! Oh my God, so unique! SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE.

If you're so cool then, why

By Saul
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:42pm

If you're so cool then, why did you move from NY?

bridge and tunnel crowd.

By SoBo-Yuppie
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 6:17pm

boston sporting events = bridge and tunnel crowd.

i am still shocked when people say "Boston is a sports crazed city."

I reply, "nope. that fandom is from the burbs and cow hampshire. not Boston."

Go Blue Jays! Go Habs!

I reply, "nope. that fandom

By Lmo
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 9:48pm

I reply, "nope. that fandom is from the burbs and cow hampshire. not Boston."

Sounds like SoBo's population.

Cow Hampshire?

By avjudge
Fri, 10/09/2015 - 7:36am

Hadn't heard that one, and it doesn't make sense. It's Vermont that has cows. NH grows trees, rocks, and tourists. Though I don't know how to work one of those into a derogatory name.

(I take this personally because I grew up there, up north. We were very happy the MA crowd - both incomers and visitors - generally stayed south of the notches. Except my dad, of course.)

If Cow Hampshire doesn't make sense ...

By adamg
Fri, 10/09/2015 - 8:19am

There's always New Hampster.

Author of this story checking in

By Dan62715
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 5:34pm

Hey, I wrote this and don't understand your beef. The "urban cool" line was a lighthearted jab at how older suburbanites think they're being hip/young/daring by coming to the markets... not an assertion by us that the markets represent "urban cool," which is as ridiculous as not reading a story because you didn't like one word in the first sentence.

Explains The Rebranding

By MainStreetLuv
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 9:10am

I had noticed an uptick in pedantic corrections to vendors and customers using the "SoWa" abbreviation to describe the Sunday markets. The NE Open Markets Twitter feed was filled with several replies throughout the season instructing people to use the full (apparently Masci-owned) South End Open Market at SoWa name. This article at least helps explain why NE Open Markets was trying so hard to shed the SoWa name.

The method in which they did that, though, was so condescending, it alienated my family quite a bit. In the past the market was a Sunday mainstay, but we only visited for the first time this season two weeks ago. I fear the two new markets will split the audience and vendors and we'll be left with no markets in a few years.

I noticed that too, and found

By justin42
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 1:53pm

I noticed that too, and found it very off-putting and condescending. I assumed it was an over-eager and clueless intern running the social media account, interesting to learn the real story.

Agreed

By MainStreetLuv
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:26pm

I think we could do a great case study on social media & brand management based upon their work this summer.

'' The trouble began in 2013

By kvn
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 9:47am

'' The trouble began in 2013, when Nicosia’s company, GTI Properties Inc., trademarked the “SoWa Open Market” name; SoWa refers to “South of Washington Street.” Masci had earlier sought the same trademark, but allowed his application to lapse ''

You snooze , you loose. N took the trademark to link it to the property. M didnt . Thus it is secured basically to the real estate, and not a bunch of tents that can be moved anywhere , at night. Case closed, calling the Flower Market fiasco next.

Ahhh, another rich mans fight

By anon
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 9:56am

Ahhh, another rich mans fight. I never understood the love for SOWA. I personally felt like going once or twice was enough.

to each their own

By Steeve
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 12:32pm

I personally love standing in a parking lot waiting 20 minutes for food served out of an automobile.

Especially in the summer as

By anon
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 1:36pm

Especially in the summer as they are parked on blacktop:)

Forget the Sharks v. Jets or even

By bulgingbuick
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 12:31pm

Crips v. Bloods this Hipster v. Yuppie battle will be epic.

A fight to the death in

By anon
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 1:37pm

A fight to the death in skinny jeans!

Uber v.

By bulgingbuick
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 2:15pm

BMW.

Since the food trucks

By polarbare
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 12:57pm

are ubiquitous now, I never need to go anymore.

Am I the only one...

By Huh?
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 2:11pm

... Who always thought "So What?" with that obnoxious SoWa appellation?

Honk honk!

By CraigInDaVille
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 2:10pm

How can I be the first to applaud Adam on the headline?

*tips cap*

Owa

By R
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 9:26pm

Agreed!
I remember this being used in an Odd Couple episode, which made me convulse with laughter. An excellent reference.

Nicosia has a point...the

By Mia123
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:35pm

Nicosia has a point...the location matters a lot. Sorry, but the Ink Block sounds super bland and--no matter how nice the future park--standing under 93 is seriously unappetizing. I hope Nicosia gets the vintage market out of the basement and over by Gaslight. The current space is too small. I never cared too much about the open market and the food trucks. I just want a really good antique/vintage/flea market. Like a mini Brimfield every weekend.

Agreed. The area by Traveler

By Saul
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:42pm

Agreed. The area by Traveler Street under 93 is about as inhospitable to pedestrians as areas in the city come.

Me too

By Whit
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 6:05pm

I really only care about the vintage market. It used to be pretty good and I bet it would be good again if they got it out of the basement. I liked to stop and get a few vegetables but the crafts I could not care less about.

$$ again

By johnmcboston
Thu, 10/08/2015 - 8:53am

Remember the Vintage market was thrown out of it's large 1st floor space to make room for more condos and more expensive retail (or whatever is in the 1st floor of their old space these days).

Under 93 would be nice on some of those hot summer days...

But...

By Mia123
Thu, 10/08/2015 - 9:40am

The first floor space wasn't even that great. The vendors never changed and the ones that were there hardly ever had new stock. It was the same tea set and magazines for 2+ years. Outdoors, with more vendors would be better. Hopefully the SoWa dude recognizes this. I won't hold my breathe though.