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Newbury Street to be open to just pedestrians on two Sundays in December

By adamg on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 12:16pm

The city today announced the expansion of the Open Newbury street closing to two Sundays during the holiday season next month.

The street will be shut to motor vehicles on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 in what had previously been just a summertime program to let pedestrians have free reign, if even just for part of a day, between Berkeley Street and Massachusetts Avenue, and between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Neighborhoods: 
Back Bay
Topics: 
Business
Holidays
Free tagging: 
Christmas
Newbury Street


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Comments

By MrZip on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 2:15pm.

I've no issue with thee limited ped-only closures. A good way to test theories about such things. A side note though, I bet Adam you intended to say "rein" rather that "reign".

By Kinopio on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 9:35pm.

Pedestrian only streets save lives and are great for business. We have decades of evidence from cities all over the world. Newbury, Hanover, Charles, some of Chinatown at the very least should be permanently pedestrian only. Spoiled drivers will have to survive with having only 99.9% of the streets being open to cars.

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By SharpWave on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 11:44am.

Letting the ultra-posh eastmost block opt out seems like it would address a big chunk of the objections; those stores don't want the normie foot traffic anyhow.

By Sock_Puppet on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 4:14pm.

Looking outside today... well, it seems to make sense to extend a summertime program into December.

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By cybah on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 4:23pm.

It's gorgeous out today. I wore shorts and a t-shirt on Nov 1. Sadly its not going to last, tomorrow it will be 55. But looks like a warm up next week again to 75 according to WCVB.. sheesh.

But anything is possible. It could turn bitter cold and we could get snow before thanksgiving. Its rare these days but it could happen.

As far as the street closing in December, it will probably be 40-44F degrees, grey and overcast. Or drizzle. Which seems to be the de facto weather here between Dec and March.

By Kinopio on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 9:41pm.

Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Montreal etc all have pedestrian only streets despite having cold, dark winters. Then there’s the Christmas markets of Central Europe that are packed with people. When you design places for people instead of cars, people will come.

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By cybah on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 10:40am.

Did I say anywhere this was bad? I didn't.

I simply remarked the de facto weather pattern from Dec to March.

By SwirlyGrrl on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 10:58am.

Many European cities have Christmas markets. A friend of ours used to make a nearly yearly trip to one of the older German cities to buy ornaments and specific old school tinsel. Any snow hanging around just enhances the experience.

I don't see why Boston can't get in on some of that energy. I've headed to Newbury Street to go to Uniqlo in December and there is barely room on the sidewalk to move. Even when the Jingle Ride rolls through of a Sunday the sidewalks are packed and there are few cars.

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By Ron Newman on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 11:03am.

is Boston's version of this, starting next week:

https://www.bostonseaport.xyz/holidaymarket
https://www.bostonseaport.xyz/snowport

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By Ron Newman on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 5:01pm.

why not?

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By BostonDog on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 5:24pm.

People will become so accustomed to walking in Newbury Street on Sunday that they'll start walking in streets at other times and get hurt. We need to constantly reinforce the idea that streets must never, ever, be used for anything apart from driving and parking.

/s

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By Jt on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 7:03pm.

Agreed, I went a few years ago in December and enjoyed outdoor ramen on a cold day. It's fun no matter the weather - eat or drink something outdoors and enjoy car free Newbury

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By Zhu Hengpeng on Fri, 11/01/2024 - 7:59pm.

I'll be on my way to Canada while you dress up your dogs and shop on Newbury and Boylston.

By Whirlz on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 9:40am.

In case you haven't heard, Canada doesn't want escapees from the US. Whatever happens on November 5th, most of us will continue trying to find a tiny bit of joy in life. Astonishingly enough, that doesn't preclude political action. Go sell doom somewhere else; we're all full up here.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 12:02pm.

You will have to come back unless you meet their requirements for migration.

For example, my son and his partner are potential hate targets for a Trumpist pogrom. However, they both meet the priority occupations requirements and have been rounding up documentation for their applications just in case. My Canadian citizen brother can also sponsor my son as a backup plan.

Canada doesn't have to take you unless you are a dualie or repatriating. You aren't special.

By Zhu Hengpeng on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 12:05pm.

Lol.

By SwirlyGrrl on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 12:07pm.

Your mom still thinks you are smart and funny.

By Zhu Hengpeng on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 5:29pm.

I'm reporting this ad hominem to the website administration.

By Michael on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 6:34pm.

I thought you were leaving for Canada

By SwirlyGrrl on Sat, 11/02/2024 - 8:37pm.

AKA "rwgfy".

Note the obsession with Wu and the DTX/Boston Common, the return of the dadaist vagueposting, obnoxious adoption of a username of someone who is absolutely persecuted and censored, and fixation on the banhammering of their bullshit being "unfair".

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By Cleary Squared on Sun, 11/03/2024 - 9:36am.

For the past couple of months, we've heard neither wind nor wuthering from "Rwgfy," meaning Adam had enough of their trolling and decided to kick them out.

And now under a new name (allegedly), the resident shit-poster decides to pick up whether they left off.

I hear Pickle Lake, ON is wonderful this time of the year.