Many Bostonians might not even realize that Chinatown is actually split in the middle by the Mass Pike. The Washington St, Shawmut Ave and Harrison Ave bridges connect the Downtown and South End portions of Chinatown now, but in the 1950s, it was one contiguous neighborhood. However, city and state projects to expand the Mass Pike split the neighborhood and displaced many residents at that time.
It appears that Boston is looking to make some kind of amends for this long-ago decision. Boston has won a $1.8 million federal grant to research creating a park at what’s known as “Parcel 21”. This is the land above the highway and rail lines between Shawmut Avenue and Washington Street, near the Josiah Quincy School, the C-Mart Supermarket and 100 Shawmut Ave.
The city will conduct a study on this parcel of “air rights” and according to Boston.com, will also, “examine future design guidelines for three additional air-rights parcels stretching from Harrison Avenue to Arlington Street, about one-third of a mile end to end.”
The federal grant will fund what is called a “feasibility study”, whose goal is to determine the scope of a project like this, what is possible and what the impact on the area will be in terms of the construction process and the final result. If approved, this would be a huge win for Chinatown because the neighborhood is currently deemed an “urban heat island”, as it is constantly subjected to noise from the highway and pollution from the traffic from surrounding roads, with little to no public greenspace in the area.
“We think that this grant will provide an opportunity to mend that deep scarring in the community.” Said Vineet Gupta, director of planning at the Boston Transportation Department.
In the meantime, Chinatown is one of Boston’s most exciting dining destinations, so check out some of our favorites like Shojo and read a list of the best Chinese restaurants around Boston.