Boston, Massachusetts recent comments:

Actually the first landfills in colonial Boston were around the old Downtown district such as the filling in of Mill Pond in the North End, and the expansion of Long Wharf near Faneuil Hall. Back Bay IS however probably the largest of Boston's fill in regions, and definitely the most well known.

it wasn't a dry dock it was a casting basin

For many years this was also home to the 94th Army Reserve Command and many US Army Reserve units at what used to be Boston Army Base. This was given to the City of Boston in 1982 by GSA. I was the last Army Property Book officer for this facility, which during WWI was one of the largest buildings in the world when constructed.

In the 1960's this beach & neighboring savin hill beach were very popular in the summer,drawing thousands of people.

This is the old Dorchester Theatre later named the Park Theatre.

This use to be the Armed Forces Entrance Examination Center (AFEES)! Many a young man raised his right hand here, swore and oath and went off to war!

Circle Cinemas have been closed since September 2008. There is a proposal to turn the property into a $44 million complex of hotel, office, retail, and restaurant space. Here is a link to the Brookline Tab article: http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/features/x445944502/Developer-Brookline-gets-piece-of-44-million-Circle-Cinema-proposal#axzz1FkzgN6Pq

After closure of the Charlestown Navy Yard in 1974 the facility was turned over to the National Park Service. Drydock number 2 was permanently flodded. But, drydock #1 was improved and kept operational. Currently(2010) the USS Cassin Young has been moved into it for hull work.

When the Back Bay was built the wealthy citizens of Boston moved out of the South End. But the Back Bay was a smelly mess. But Olmsted came in and made ie this beautiful park.

This was a big part in the I-90 extension. Prudential sunk about 200 million in this center. Side note Prudential is not even in the building anymore. They sold it with the understanding that the name stays. Even if the name was dropped we still would call it the Pru. Look at the Sears tower.

This was going to be yet another freeway for Boston. But the out cry from the citizens stopped it. We now have a nice park. The real gem for this park in my view is going towards Back Bay station. The tracks are underground at that point. Its not to bad for housing subway and train tracks.

This building is named after the current, longest running and 1st. Italian mayor of Boston.

The info. I got on this development is that it was the 1st. public housing in the nation. It was built in 1937 or 1938.

I've personally pulled three sailboats from the shallows after they tried to cut across it on an outbound tide. There's maybe a 40 minute window between floating off and being high and dry for 12 hours.

Bobby Flay picked the Sticky Buns as one the best things he ever ate.

I visited the observation deck in'82...awsome. I had my scanner with me and that made it all the more fascinating. I lived in New York from 1944 to 1965 and watched the planes fly overhead headed to LaGuardia. I remember seeing a flying boat once and a "connie" with a featherd engine. I used to tune an old fm tube radio up to 108 and tweak it so I coud pick up aircraft. I have a passion for anything that flies. I once saw an old For tri-motor fly over the water in Danbury Conn. I have some great memories.

Jim Ed is in the Hall of Fame

"Cah-house" lmao, perfect! :]

"Temporary" my butt!