Interesting in the wake of comments by Boston's mayor a few weeks ago that he did not want Walmart in the city. Then a study came out showing that Massachusetts had fewer grocery stores than most other states.

I remember Boston's "combat zone". Don't remember much in the way of neighborhood comments at that time.

Who needs grocery stores? The rich can eat at restaurants every day, while supporting minimum wage (or in some states, below-minimum wage), part time, no benefits restaurant workers who generally can't unionize, who can commute quietly by bus (while the resturant patrons go by streetcar and light rail) to their far-flung exurb housing because nothing in town is affordable.

Then, when we're pissed off at the high cost of eating out, we can slash their bus service, so they have to spend twice as long to get to/from work. Show up late to work one day? YOU'RE FIRED!

If only they had "put a bird on it"...then they'd be part of the creative class and would qualify to live in those heavily subsidized artists condos downtown on the streetcar line.

I lived in JP for six years in the 90's and left just as gentrification was really heating up and rents and house prices were skyrocketing. While the process there hasn't been as quick or dramatic as what's happened here in the Alberta area or Mississippi, it's been going on for awhile--and I'd bet there are many, many folks living "pondside"--as well as across Centre St.--these days that would love a Whole Foods.

"Whole Foods is corporate!"