2007.05.30 | Boston, MA | My Daily Downtown Commute - Page 3

Soon after passing the Frog Pond, Kelly and I part ways at the Parkman Bandstand. Kelly heads west towards the Hancock and Prudential towers that stand high over Boylston Street, while I head east past the Ritz Carlton and and into the strange little strip of land on the edge of Chinatown and in the shadow of the Financial District.

Walking by the Ritz, it's hard to believe that less than 30 years ago, this was the infamous Combat Zone - a collection of strip clubs, peep shows, and adult bookstores. Today the porn theatres have been replaced by the Loews multiplex, and while the homeless who visit the nearby mission can sometimes be seen dealing drugs around the corner, you're more likely to see a Red Sox player heading into the Ritz Residences, than see the prostitutes that used to frequent the streets of the Combat Zone. The gentrification that started with the expansion of Suffolk Univeristy Emerson College, and the Four Seasons Hotel down the street is still far from complete, but with every redeveloped theatre and high-rise luxury tower, Boston's former red light district becomes more and more of a memory.