Paul's House Diary

The new project is Kenmore Square North, and it called for the demo of nine buildings on the north side of the square (Commonwealth Ave heading toward BU). The old Barnes & Noble building (sans bookstore) still stands with the Citgo sign, but instead of a mix of varying styles and architectural vintages, we’ll be left with a glass super-block on this side of Kenmore.

The latest renders show glass covering the bulk of the current facade (which looks like cardboard up close). While I prefer the older building stock to what’s replacing it, I won’t pretend Kenmore Square holds much nostalgia for me. Beyond waiting for the 57 bus and taking pics of the new T station in the early 2010s, I’ve mostly just passed through on my way to somewhere else.

Hopefully some of the more exciting projects in the pipeline give Kenmore a new, future-facing panache that doesn’t hinge on nostalgia. (For reference, The Rat closed 24 years ago, and it’s still most people’s only non-Red Sox association with the square.)