By adamg on Thu., 9/10/2015 - 8:26 am 
Earlier this summer.
The Fort Pointer reports:
The wonderful Chinatown bakery at corner of Harrison and Beach St has closed. "Loss of Lease. Closed after 33 Years."
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Comments
GREED
By Cappy
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 8:33am
If we had a real media in this city they would do a story on the unrealistic rise in Commercial rents in that area. A store that was 25 to 50 per sq ft a few years ago is now between 100 and 250 per sq ft. No one but a corporate giant could afford that. It's insane.
The market doesn't even remotely dictate those kind of prices. They prefer to leave a space empty and wait. I hope that market tanks. The only other option is lots more Gap outlets, Banana Republics and Forever 21's. So long interesting destination shopping. Might as well stay in the burbs and hit the mall. They have free parking at least. It's a disgrace.
It's a mini bubble. The fact
By Cappy
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 9:02am
It's a mini bubble. The fact that stores like Radio Shack are going under and Macy's is closing 5% of it's stores proves that the public isn't supporting these chains. If the people aren't spending then obviously the market doesn't dictate these huge increases. It's literally based on hope and fantasy.
Merely because there is a lot of construction (Millenium Tower) and there is some activity in the area doesn't remotely mean that there is a strong enough local economy to support this development. Many more stores are struggling than are thriving. These giant rents are unsupportable and will just breed more empty storefronts and less mom and pop stores.
So what can be done?
By BostonDog
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 9:30am
I don't disagree with you that there might be a bubble. And the loss of small stores sucks. But rent control does not work and any efforts to control the market tend to backfire.
It's not like this trend is new. The city is in constant flux. What's considered overpriced luxury housing/commercial property today might be the dirt-cheap in 20 years. (And it was cheap 20 years ago.) A lot of people will go bankrupt and lose money in the meantime and some will guess right and score big.
The smart move might be to move to Detroit and buy up all you can while it's still cheap. I hear in 2045 it's going to be completely unaffordable.
What can be done by anyone is
By Kinopio
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:23am
What can be done by anyone is spending money at good independent stores and restaurants instead of chain ones. Go to one of the many excellent and affordable Chinatown restaurants instead of McDonalds. If we ignore the crappy chains they will go away.
Easier said then done
By BostonDog
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:33am
Did the coffee shop in question go under due to lack of sales? Unlikely. A small business can only raise prices so much before few will shop there. The fact is these landlords are raising prices to be so high as to make it impossible for any business which doesn't have huge purchasing power (Starbucks, etc) to survive.
As for shopping local, it's a catch 22. To afford to live in the city you need to be thrifty if you don't have a huge paycheck. But to be thrifty you need to shop online and not go out to eat often, etc. But if you buy online and don't go out to eat often than the small businesses close.
Eating and buying stuff in
By Kinopio
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:40am
Eating and buying stuff in Chinatown is thrifty. Where else can you get a sandwich for $4?
Exactly
By BostonDog
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:43am
And these places can't pay the rent no matter how many $4 sandwiches they sell hence the reason so many places are closing.
no effort to keep the city affordable for middle class or poor
By Nancy L
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 9:42pm
Wall Street firms bought a ton of East Boston apartment buildings. The rents went up right away and many of the people living there can't afford the new rent.
Chinatown has a new luxury condo tower. Folks in Chinatown are organizing a land trust to keep some of the rents affordable.
Southie is notoriously gentrified.
In the early 80s it was the South End that was being bought, renovated and flipped.
Folks who live near Egelston are getting priced out.
Boston real estate is in play and as far as I can tell, there is no effort to keep the city affordable for middle class or poor.
We have the 3rd highest income inequality in the US and third highest wealth inequality in the US.
The middle class?
By Charles
Sat, 09/12/2015 - 12:35am
Income inequality is a result of a combination of white flight (middle class moving away) and rent control (keeping the middle class from moving back). That, and the bitter bitter complaining that happens whenever people who can just barely afford a nicer place in a rough neighborhood come in and get blamed for raising prices because let's hope white middle class people don't actually want to own a place actually IN Boston. It sucks when you realize, as a household with two working parents, that you could definitely live somewhere nicer if one of you stopped working. Several nicer places really, though I suppose we would have to ditch the dog for most of them.
Speaking as one of those people who was "priced out of Egelston" (or priced from one side of it to the other at least).
Rent control?
By adamg
Sat, 09/12/2015 - 9:59am
It's not 1985 anymore and Boston doesn't have rent control, but it does have a lot of income inequality.
Seattle's looking at reviving rent control to keep it affordable
By Anonymous
Sun, 09/13/2015 - 1:02am
According to a recent article in The New York Times, Boston ranked third highest on the list of cities with growing income inequality. The article notes that the top 1% of households captured 90% of the income gained since the recent recession. Some families are falling out of the middle class.
According to the The Boston Globe, Boston's is losing middle-income families. Some lost income. Some are are moving away.
Real estate market is tight.
HELLO?
By Cappy
Tue, 09/15/2015 - 8:18am
I don't think the people commenting have any idea about the difference between commercial real estate and residential but whatever.
Eastie
By Joshua Scott
Mon, 09/14/2015 - 9:48pm
That is what I am counting on in Eastie. Crime, trash, and very poor performing local schools has been the norm for decades that are only now starting to turn around in the past 7 years or so with more interest from outside of Eastie. Starbucks Yes Please!!
If Eastie got a Starbucks
By ChrisInEastie
Tue, 09/15/2015 - 10:41am
I'd probably leave. I moved here because it was cheap and I scored an amazing apartment, I stayed because I love the neighborhood and consider it home more than I do Boston as a city. Between developers and what I read on various Facebook groups, it seems like a lot of people are embracing the idea of being the next South Boston. Yes, a lot has changed over the years and there is still more work to do to clean up the neighborhood, but adding more big brand chain garbage, especially one that goes out of its way to damage communities, isn't the answer.
eastie
By Joshua Scott
Sat, 09/26/2015 - 12:41am
Why wouldnt many of us embrace the changes. Do not lie and say you like the retail options. Bennington and meridian are an absolute disgrace. No real variety and the sidewalks are always filthy. I would rather chains than the lackluster retail we have now.
I want a wrap around harborwalk, more bike paths. Safer streets with less gangs likely their involvement being related to two recent tragic killings.
I want school to continue the trend of increased performance. I want blighted houses restored, abandoned lots revitalized and develop.
What do you think the result of these things that I am.sure many wanrt?
We can have those things
By ChrisInEastie
Sun, 09/27/2015 - 9:01pm
Without inviting Starbucks and the like in. We have plenty of great local "chains" like Boston Common Coffee Co., Thinking Cup, etc.
I want the same things you want, but look when you start looking to big national brands and chains and the like, you don't get restored houses-you get houses knocked down for luxury condos.The more money pumped in from big time brands, the more return they want. I love and frequent a lot of restaurants and take out joints around the neighborhood and those are some of the things that make it so great to live here.
Eastie
By Joshua Scott
Mon, 09/28/2015 - 10:17pm
I would prefer more luxury condos but with a push for retail or restaurant on the first floor. Condor Street could definitely use a lot of revitalization. Border is on an upswing with the 2 brand new townhomes each selling for $650k.
Many of the homes are in need of severe renovations so I personally wouldn't mind more knocked down. I would love something done with the several auto body shops that line all of Condor basically and the part of Bremen right across from the park. But alas, I might own but I don't have that much to do anything of that scale.
Luxury is killing this city.
By ChrisInEastie
Tue, 09/29/2015 - 12:42pm
Revitalization and retail are great things, but the luxury part is whats killing the city.
Many of us can't afford to buy for anywhere near that, or the rents that would be charged on a place like that. And even those of you who already own would see your home valuation and property taxes skyrocket.
There are a ton of great old buildings in Eastie, I'd love to see those restored over anything else.
You'll be happy to know.
By Boston_res
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:36am
The Chinatown McDonald's closed this year.
Rent control as used in
By bibliotequetres...
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 1:02pm
Rent control as used in Boston had many problems. That does not mean that a new program, differently structured and written, wouldn't work.
However, I'm not sure how much rent control effected commercial spaces her-- I was renting mostly in DC, NYC, & Va. during the rent-control era-- maybe it had an impact in Boston.
Radio Shack?
By adamg
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 9:51am
I'm thinking they didn't go under because of some real-estate bubble but because of 30 years of becoming increasingly irrelevant - just like Sears is doing.
Perhaps
By Cappy
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 9:56am
Perhaps that's a bad example but if you take a look at the lease terms of new leases in the area and what is happening when long established businesses have their leases come up for renewal you will see a disturbing trend of landlords pricing them out of the market.
If you need proof just call the real estate co renting out the old Radio Shack space on Winter Street. Just don't have a full mouth of coffee when they tell you the rent they hope to collect.
What are they asking?
By bosguy22
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:19am
?
$$$$
By Cappy
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 1:13pm
13K/month for 1100 sq feet.
Not so bad by comparison...
By Charles
Sat, 09/12/2015 - 12:37am
That's less than half the residential rate in JP. Just saying...
Radio Shack
By bikergeek_notlo...
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:38am
Pretty much. After being strong early leaders in the home-computer market with the TRS-80, they missed the boat when the world switched to IBM compatibles. In particular their IBM-compatibles weren't 100% compatible. There was some question at the time as to whether a 100% compatible BIOS could be manufactured without infringing IBM's patents. Radio Shack took the cautious route and guessed "no"--an understandable decision at the time--but they guessed wrong. Compaq had a clean-room BIOS that used no infringing code and prevailed in court, paving the way for the "PC clone" market that RS had missed.
Meanwhile RS abandoned their traditional market--electronics hobbyists--in favor of concentrating on mediocre consumer electronics and radio-controlled cars and other toys. They could have done really well bringing the "maker" thing to Middle America, serving robotics hobbyists, selling low-cost 3D printers, and so on...but they took a wrong turn somewhere. Online sales killed the market for all but the highest-end consumer electronics, and RC toys sold okay at winter holiday time but left them starving the other 10-11 months of the year.
Same with Xinh Xinh just a
By Sarahnotloggedin
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 8:55am
Same with Xinh Xinh just a block down. It will be a true shame if we lose our Chinatown.
while I agree
By cybah
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:16am
But the asian community will move elsewhere. It's sad, I agree.
Just look at Malden and Quincy centers these days..
XINH XINH CLOSED?!
By erik g
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 1:26pm
XINH XINH CLOSED?! I didn't have a dog in the fight until just now, but you can take my nuclear-spicy phở đặc biệt when you pry it from my cold dead hands. Which property management company do I need to firebomb to make this right?
I'm just learning this too
By Saul
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:19pm
http://boston.eater.com/2015/5/18/8619583/xinh-xin...
I remember that place so well
By Jen Jiang
Fri, 09/11/2015 - 4:28pm
I remember that place so well from my childhood. My dad loved taking me down that winding staircase to see the old man selling books. I literally grew up with Chinatown and losing Chinatown would literally be losing a part of my childhood.
An unrelated but interesting
By anon
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 9:40am
An unrelated but interesting fact about that building: It's only one story tall because the Atlantic Avenue elevated branch of (what's now) the Orange Line swung over it to make the turn from Harrison to Beach. It closed in 1938, and was torn down in 1942.
Also the site of a 1928 wreck
By Saul
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:02am
Also the site of a 1928 wreck.
https://twitter.com/charlieonmta/status/6140397454...
What a bummer!
By mplo
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:14am
The fact that a really great bakery that was familiar and wonderful for the neighborhood lost its lease is horrible.
Another example of developers going overboard. It's terrible.
Interesting to see the
By BosRes
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:21am
Interesting to see the Michelle Wu and Bill Linehan signs next to each other. That alone gives me more insight into her absurd vote for him for CC president. Her explanation of bridging the progressive and conservative sides of the CC was complete nonsense. Her lack of convincing explanation tells me she hasn't even sold that story to herself. It's all about her kowtowing to Chinatown power players who are supportive of Linehan. Every CC debacle these past two years is a direct result of his presidency and her vote in support of it.
It is surprising to see his sign up on the building.
By Boston_res
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 12:47pm
All of the Chinatown residents I've talked with are not Linehan supporters. They mostly voted for Suzanne Lee last election.
I also don't think Wu made a mistake voting for Linehan. Because of what he's done, she now has a good example of what a train wreck looks like.
For those not familiar with the neighborhood
By lbb
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 12:48pm
For those not familiar with the neighborhood (but still eager to derail a discussion about it nevertheless), those signs have been there for a long time and may not even date from the same election.
NOOOOOOOO
By ladycommentariat
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:22am
They had fantastic moon cakes!
Gentrification is an often
By Flip Your Wig
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:26am
Gentrification is an often misused term, but when it comes to the erosion of something that is a key element of the city’s identity it’s a shame. Chinatown and the North End are part of what makes Boston great. Hopefully something interesting will take this business’s place, but given the nearby real estate values it seems that decline is inevitable for that neighborhood.
I’m a little more concerned about the new Ink Block pushing out Ming’s (now New York Mart). The Chinese population north of the city is steadily growing in Acton, Lexington, Arlington, Winchester, and Malden but there aren’t any decent Chinese grocery stores in the area. H-Mart in Burlington and a lesser extent the one in Cambridge help fill that void, but it’s not the same. Malden has a half empty Super 88 that isn’t really worth the drive and it’s pretty impractical to drive down to Kam Man in Quincy when you want groceries. Hopefully a few years down the line we’ll see some of the giant, clean, Chinese chains like they have in California.
I agree and yet...
By Sally
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:36am
The Italian population of the North End has been dwindling for years as waves of immigrants (and their kids and grandkids) move out of the city to either new ethnic enclaves or more assimilated ones--mostly North shore. Ditto Chinatown--still plenty of Chinese immigrants obv but also Vietnamese since the late 1970s and now many folks are moving to Quincy, Malden, etc. The power of corporate and market forces are distressing but you also can't preserve a community against its natural movement outwards and onwards. Just part of city life.
I agree, it seems inevitable.
By Flip Your Wig
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:16am
I agree, it seems inevitable. Looking at Manhattan, there’s not much left of Little Italy and if you want top quality Chinese food you’re going to go to Flushing, not Chinatown (although there are still some good spots.) The thing is, the North End comparison doesn’t quite fit what’s going on with Chinese immigration since it’s just now gathering steam whereas I think of waves of Western European immigrants as a thing of generations past. We’ll see when new census data hits, but most educated mainlanders seem to be moving directly to the suburbs and spots like Lexington are seeing a lot of growth because of the focus on getting kids into top educational systems. More authentic Chinese food is coming North of the city and H-Mart is a three ring circus every weekend, but I’m curious to see what market forces will yield in terms of businesses that cater to this demographic.
I kind of got off point though – I live North of the city and driving by the construction at the Ink Block I just feel like I’m going to lose the grocery stores across the street from there that I go to most weekends! It might seem kind of trivial, but it’s one of the things that keeps my family tied to the city. Maybe the closure of this bakery is a one off event, but it does seem like further evidence that the writing is on the wall.
Little Italy is one street,
By bgl
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 12:53pm
Little Italy is one street, and it was swallowed by Chinatown, not gentrified. Taken over might be another good word for it, too. The new wave of Chinese immigrants are generally Mandarin speaking mainlanders (as you pointed out) who are generally high skilled engineers on H1B1 visas and are very different than the existing Cantonese/Toisanese focused immigrants that populated Chinatown usually fleeing political persecution - simply the two groups are very different and historically don't get along.
As for whats happening, the Vietnamese long ago moved to Fields Corner and there are a few very good restaurants there. The Korean population seems to be strong and growing in Allston, and Chinese/mix of misc has taken hold in Quincy. Good to know there is growth in the north of the city, too.
Worth noting though, the kind of Chinese immigrant is different
By anon
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:41pm
Chinatown has traditionally been a hub of Cantonese immigrants mainly from Hong Kong, and generally of those less wealthy.
The immigrants who are now and have been in recent years moving to Lexington and Acton are primarily nouveau riche Mainlanders. The Malden group seems to be dominated by another population, the Chinese grad students and young Mainland families.
I suppose the South Shore (Quincy, Braintree) is where all the Canto immigrants have been heading now that they can't afford Chinatown, and the community there seems to be doing pretty well. But the Chinatown in Boston proper is what I knew when my family first came here, a bit of our old home in our new home, and it's sad to see it slowly erode away. And even if new, similar spots pop up in Lexington and Malden, it's not the same - partly because it's just not steeped in the same history and tradition that Chinatown is, but also because the people there...don't really feel like home.
I always find it funny
By ChrisInEastie
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:34am
That developers and real estate owners think destroying the types of things and places that make people want to live here in the first place is a brilliant idea.
Here is the thing though
By JimGaffigan
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:09am
All those buildings being built are filling up fast. Rents are going up. Retail space is tough to come by. Whatever the developers are doing, is working for them. It may not be working for you, but they are making money. At the end of the day, they don't care if it changes the neighborhood.
"At the end of the day, they don't care if it changes the..."
By Boston_res
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:27am
That can't be said enough.
It won't last
By ChrisInEastie
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 11:31am
and will eventually have a lot of negative effects. Take a look at what's happening in San Francisco, where the murder rate is up 71% YoY, and even touristy areas that were always havens for petty crimes are now seeing shootings and armed robberies. Just a few weeks ago, a tourist was shot a block from the famous crooked section of Lombard. As people get pushed out, they're getting more desperate, and with more big money coming in, those who are left are all easy targets. Things are "working out" for developers there as well, but lifelong residents of the city are being forced out, there's a significant shortage of teachers because none of them can afford to live in the city, and businesses in every category are failing or being forced to close at an alarming rate-even their duckboat operation just shut down, because it couldn't make money despite doing huge business at one of the most popular tourist traps in one of the most visited cities in the country, if not the world.
Yes, we're a different city, but you'd be surprised at how similar things are between the two. I'd say Boston is probably where SF was 3-4 years ago with regard to affordability, overdevelopment, and "losing its soul," and if things keep trending this way, it's going to be ugly in a few years.
I don't think SF is an apt
By bgl
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 1:03pm
I don't think SF is an apt comparison - we are very different cities culturally and historically. SF has insane rents and is building luxury in the Tenderloin, Mission, etc, which are historically not good areas and were never cleaned up (like Boston's Combat Zone). Of course that is whats going to happen when you start building in areas like that - it would be the same thing if we started putting up luxury hotels and high rises off Blue Hill Avenue. Life long residents are getting pushed out of where? The neighborhoods? Cause the ones that were working class still are and the ones that weren't are still the same with expensive housing stock (and many own already).
Lastly, teachers being pushed out? Really? We take care of our teachers very well, as we should:
http://btu.org/contract-highlights/2010-2016-contr...
Bare minimum entry level is 50k+ a year, maxing out at over 100k, and you progress pretty quickly from that baseline.
I didn't say we were there yet
By ChrisInEastie
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:10pm
And I think it's actually a very good comparison. For starters, the Tenderloin as we know it is not going anywhere. Sure, a few small changes here and there, but it's one of the few well protected areas of the city regarding overdevelopment. And I'd say the development of South Boston, East Boston, and Downtown Crossing are all pretty good examples of "historically not good" areas getting the luxury touch. Just because it hasn't hit everywhere yet doesn't mean it won't.
Speaking of the first two, have you walked down the street in either neighborhood lately? Because Southie sure doesn't look like a working class neighborhood anymore, and East Boston has changed drastically in the 4 years I've lived there. I just moved (within the neighborhood) after being in the same place since 2011, and the rents even "regular" landlords were asking for blew my mind.
Then there are the stories about working middle class families being priced out of Boston. Like this one from the Globe 3 days ago.
As far as the teacher thing goes, it's just an example of what's happening there, I'm not saying the same exact profession will be the one that goes into crisis mode here. Yes, we are different cities, but the core idea of what is happening is the same.
Edit: Also, for what it's worth, this, and this which features the quote
Eastie's waterfront is
By bgl
Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:03pm
Eastie's waterfront is gentrifying, maybe, and has maybe been gentrifying for decades. Southie has gentrified due to its location downtown and it was pretty quick and complete (for being the crack capital of the city) with majority of 'undesirables' removed (think renters and then owners cashing out). Downtown Crossing was bad in the 80s/90s and decayed, but historically was a nice place. I guess one could argue the same of Eastie when more gangs like MS13 moved in. I will admit Southie was a shithole (at least Bulger era till the present). And yeah, I can remember Eastie from a lot longer ago when hanging out with my friends who grew up there (and all their family still lives their, imagine that - they were all immigrants, too). Bit nicer now, I guess, and less crime, which is nice. Rents seem to still be sub 2k and a 1 stop ride to downtown which is also nice.
Southie is also very different now (all though Shanon's still stands) from when I went over as a kid to visit my family that lived there. Admittedly more yuppies, but still a decent amount of working class. My family did leave - but they all cashed out and moved to the 'burbs.
I have ready that article and there was a lively discussion about it on /r/boston. General consensus was it was kind of BS.
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