I agree with you that the West End was raised to increase the tax base but I was just pointing out that it was not a predominantly Italian neighborhood. Full disclosure, I am a 50 year resident of Boston and have witnessed the gentrification up close. The West End is comparable to the North End. One neighborhood was raised to make room for government buildings and luxury housing, the other was left alone. 60 years later both neighborhoods are home to the wealthy.
The seaport district never contained housing or at least none for the last 100 years. The convention center was built on an empty lot. The hotels have replace either empty warehouses or parking lots. The federal courthouse was built on top of a dormant rail yard. One can argue that it is a shame that the rail yard and warehouses are gone with the jobs they created but that took place decades ago.
The North End Italians have been replaced by the yuppies. Prior to that, the North End Italians replaced the North End Jews. The North End Jews replaced the North End Irish. The North End Irish replaced the English. And the English replaced the Indians. Change takes place in the North End every 75 years going back centuries.
If you want to go back in time why stop at 50 years ago? What about 100 years ago or 300 years ago? Where does it end?
By the way I am glad that the Boston of the 60’s and 70’s is long gone. We were headed in the same direction as Detroit. A stones throw from my neighborhood could have been a WWII film set.
The West End destruction was a bad idea and I think the lesson has been learned. But that does not discount all the other positive growth that has taken place in Boston.
None springs to mind for me. (BTW, I'm a 69 year Boston resident.)
Maybe there wasn't much residential in the Seaport District, but in the early 60s there were plenty of small (maybe tiny would be a better word) businesses there (at least one sued in the 80s -- I didn't get on the jury, but I was called for jury duty but not selected) -- I had an after school job in that area. I don't recall what was there before the Convention Center -- my point was that it was a union boondoggle; from what I read, state-financed convention centers, like state-financed sports arenas, are always a loss to the taxpayers.
Charlestown was yuppified while Southie was still having a rash of arson fires in the early 80s, some vacant buildings, others apparently to get rid of tenants the easy way.
I suspect the only lesson learned from the West End was to try not to do it so crudely.