Liana Spiro

Liana Spiro

To me, a juxtaposition of Boston’s Newbury Street and Prudential Center ties in very neatly with the comparisons we’ve been drawing between urban and suburban landscapes. Obviously both sites exist within an urban environment. But the slight variations in the environments and experiences each commercial space offers align extremely well with what I see to be the main distinguishing factors of residential spaces across the nation.

Newbury Street, in the very fact of its existence, highlights spontaneity and change. The first few floors, and often basement, of every building on the strip has clearly been repurposed from an old, residential brownstone into a high-end commercial storefront. Most spaces are relatively small, storefronts are stacked on top of each other; often businesses with very different target demographics share a facade. People are shopping, but adults also stroll leisurely. And I imagine the space above storefronts is still residential. Newbury Street highlights all the qualities people treasure about urban life - the miscellany, the history, the compact spaces, and the charming character.

If Newbury Street emphasizes the city, then the Prudential Center displays everything valued in suburban life. Everything appears to have been planned and built at the same time. Storefronts are clearly thoughtfully organized and placed - useful and practical, but perhaps overly intentional. There aren’t any local, unique boutiques or coffee shops. Everything is a national chain, and everything takes up a lot more space. Teenage girls do the strolling here, perhaps because it feels more enclosed, therefore more safe. There are still plants, but many are species not native to New England. It’s all very practical, functional, and modern. But to me it seems fake. However! The Free People in the Prudential Center has a larger sale section than the Newbury Street location. So that’s a pretty big plus.