June 16, 2010: Greenway grub

FOOD VENDORS HIT THE GREEN WAY.

NEARLY THREE YEARS AFTER IT OPENED, THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY IS STRUGGLING.

AND FOOT TRAFFIC ISN'T WHAT IT COULD BE.

BUT A SIMPLE PLAN TO MAKE THE GREENWAY MORE INVITING COULD BE A SIGN THAT THINGS ARE LOOKING UP.

RIGHT NOW THE GREENWAY FEELS A BIT, WELL, BORING.

BUT IF YOU LIKE TO EAT, THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE.

>> WE DO A KILLER COLE SLAW DOG.

>> HIS SOLAR-POWERED CART IS ONE OF SIX MOVING TO THE GREENWAY IN A TRIAL PROGRAM THAT STARTS THIS WEEK.

THE SECRET TO THE COLE SLAW DOG IS IN THE SAUCE.

>> IT IS VINEGAR-BASED AS OPPOSED TO MAYONNAISE BASED.

AND IT TASTES FANTASTIC ON HOTDOGS AND SAUSAGES.

>> Rooney: THAT PARTICULAR PRODUCT SELLS FOR $2.50.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE EXOTIC, HIS EXPRESS CART IS A FEW FEET AWAY.

>> WE HAVE THIS FAMOUS ARGENTINAN SAUSAGE.

WHICH IS A GRILLED SAUSAGE, PUT ON FRENCH BREAD WITH A SAUCE.

>> Rooney: SELLING CHORAPAN AND DORITOS ON THE GREENWAY TAKES HIM AWAY FROM HIS TWO RESTAURANTS, ONE IN THE SOUTH END AND ONDALAY ON SOUTH STREET.

BUT HE SAYS THE GREENWAY'S PROMISE MAKES IT WORTHWHILE.

>> I THINK IT IS WORTHWHILE.

IF I WORKED HERE, I WOULD COME HERE.

>> THE GREENWAY IS A BRAND NEW PARK.

LIKE A NEW BUSINESS, IT TAKES TIME TO GET LEGS AND GET PASSION.

I THINK ULTIMATELY THE GREENWAY WILL BE THE PREMIER DESTINATION.

>> Rooney: IF SO, PEOPLE MAY REMEMBER THIS SUMMER THE MOMENT GREENWAY GOOD IT'S GROOVE.

JESSE SAYS THE COMING WEEKS WILL BRING FREE WI-FI, MORE TABLES AND CHAIRS AND EVEN MORE GREENERY.

>> A NICE PLACE TO SIT IN THE SHADE, HAVE A GREAT BITE TO EAT.

PULL OUT YOUR LAPTOP, IPHONE.

WE FEEL THAT THAT IS A PRETTY GREAT DAY.

>> Rooney: AND MAYBE ENOUGH TO SILENCE THE GROWING NUMBER OF GREENWAY SKEPTICS.

AND WITH ME NOW IS STUFF MAGAZINE WRITER, LOUISA KASDON.

AND JERRY.

THAT VIDEO SOLIDIFIED MY NOTION OF THE ROSE KENNEDY CEMENT WAY.

THERE IS NO GREEN.

THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

THAT'S WHY NOBODY GOES THERE.

>> I LIVE IN THE CITY, AND I RUN DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME.

HOW OFTEN WERE DOWN THERE --

>> Rooney: I WAS DOWN THERE THE OTHER DAY, TRYING TO FIND THE GREEN.

THERE WAS LOTS OF CEMENT.

>> MAYBE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS MISNAMED.

>> IT'S NOT THE CEMENT WAY.

>> IT IS AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE USED.

>> Rooney: I AGREE.

AND IT IS A GOOD IDEA FOR THE VENDORS.

BUT THIS OASIS OF GREENERY IS NOT TRUE.

>> IT IS NOT TRUE.

>> NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.

THERE IS AN EXPANSE.

YOU START IN CHINATOWN, AND THERE IS A GREAT PARK WITH BAMBOO.

I WAS IRRITATED THE OTHER DAY BECAUSE THE WATER WASN'T RUNNING IN THAT FOUNTAIN IN THAT BEAUTIFUL PARK.

AND YOU GO UP PAST SOUTH STATION AND THE BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL, THERE ARE A LOT OF GREEN THINGS.

IT IS SORT OF A BLUEPRINT AND IT NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED.

BUT IT IS A GREAT PARK.

>> Rooney: IT'S HARD TO GET TO.

IF YOU'RE A RUNNER -- BUT IT IS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC.

>> NOT REALLY.

IT IS SORT OF A GRID SYSTEM AT THIS POINT.

IT IS LIKE BEING IN NEW YORK.

IT IS VERY EASY TO NAVIGATE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE HOTEL, LIKE THE BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL.

I CONSTANTLY SEE PEOPLE STREAMING DOWN FROM THE CONVENTION HOTELS.

AND IN THE SUMMER, YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE PRESUMABLY FROM THE NORTH END AND COMING OFF OF FANEUIL HALL.

>> Rooney: IT IS NOT A DESTINATION, SO THERE HAS TO BE FOOD OR --

>> AND FOOD IS GOOD TOURISM.

I'M JUST BACK FROM LOS ANGELES YESTERDAY.

AND THE FOOD TRUCKS IN LOS ANGELES ARE A HUGE DRAW.

BOSTON IS A GREAT FOOD CITY.

WE'RE A GREAT FOOD CITY.

WE DON'T HAVE TO BE BE ALL OVER BRICKS AND MORTER.

WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ZOKOLO AND OTHER PLACES THAT COULD BE THERE, AND DO WONDERFUL, AUTHENTIC FOOD.

AND PEOPLE COULD SOCIAL NETWORK THEMSELVES.

>> Rooney: IS IT A GOOD IDEA IT IS SLIGHTLY UPSCALE?

>> I THINK SO.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REASON FOR PEOPLE TO GO.

IF IT WERE JUST THE SAME KIND OF FOOD I COULD FIND ANYWHERE -- IF IT WOULD PRETZELS AND HOTDOGS, I KNOW THE LITTER PROBLEM WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT.

BUT THERE IS NO SIZZLE IF IT IS JUST WHAT I CAN GET ELSEWHERE.

WE WANT IT AS A TOURISM DESTINATION.

>> Rooney: I HEARD ONE RESTAURANT IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE TOURISM.

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT, JARED?

I'M NOT SEEING IT AS A TOURISM DESTINATION?

I DON'T SEE IT AS A DESTINATION?

>> WELL, I DO IN THAT IT IS PERFECTLY LOCATED.

THE HOTELS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE BOSTON HARBOR HOTELS.

AS A PERSON WHO LIVES IN THE CITY, I DON'T SEE MYSELF GOING DOWN THERE.

MAYBE ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR A STROLL.

IT IS GREAT TO HAVE THE FOUNTAIN THERE.

THEY'RE DEVELOPING THE NEW—i ARMENIAN REMEMBRANCE.

AND THERE WILL BE THAT ONE THAT IS VERY UNIVERSAL ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE.

THAT WILL BE A FOUNTAIN WITH A GREAT SCULPTURE THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE TO REFLECT THE CHANGING NATURE OF IMMIGRANTS.

THERE WILL BE THINGS LIKE THAT YOU'LL WANT TO GO AND SEE.

LIKE THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL IS THERE TO SEE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FANUEIL HALL.

>> Rooney: IS IT A GOOD THING THAT OTHERS HAVEN'T OCCURRED THERE.

>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.

RIGHT NOW IT IS A BIG SORT OF GREEN, SORT OF CEMENT CORRIDOR.

IT NEEDS A REASON FOR PEOPLE TO HIT A SPEED BUM AND TO STOP AND STAY.

FOOD IS A REALLY GOOD SPEED BUMP.

>> Rooney: I CAN SEE GOING THERE ON YOUR WAY TO SOMEWHERE ELSE -- MAYBE I'M WRONG.

I WAS WALKING OVER THE NORTH END AND I WAS STRUGGLING TO FIND THE GREEN.

>> PART OF THE PROBLEM IS WE SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT THEY DID IN CHICAGO WITH MILLENNIUM PARK.

THEY HAD SOMEONE COME IN AND DO A GREAT SCULPTURE, WHICH IS A GREAT ICON.

AND THEN YOU HAD THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO BUILD INTO THE PARK AS WELL BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS GREATER PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT HERE.

WE JUST HAD THIS EXPANSIVE WAY --

>> Rooney: THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

LIKE THE DAYCOM BRIDGE BEING THE CENTER POINT OF THE BIG DIG.

WE NEVER REALLY DID THAT.

>> THERE WAS SO MUCH HISTORY TO THAT, BUT THAT IS ABOVE MY PORTFOLIO.

BUT I DO KNOW IF YOU HAVE INTERESTING -- THINK OF A FARMERS' MARKET.

AND RIGHT NOW I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE FARMERS' MARKET BECOMING TREMENDOUS.

PEOPLE MAY BEE LINES FOR THEM AT LUNCH TIME AND BEE LINES AT THE END OF THE DAY.

IT IS KIND OF A GYPSY ENERGY.

IT COMES AND GOES.

AND IT IS WONDERFUL.

IF YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE FABULOUS FOOD TRUCKS THERE, YOU CAN HAVE DIFFERENT BURSTS OVER THE DAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND, WHERE THERE IS HIGH ENERGY AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO BEING MORE PLACID.

AND ANOTHER ATTRACTION COMES DOWN THE PIKE.

>> Rooney: IN THE WINTER, SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

EVERYTHING WE HAVE EVER DONE HAS BEEN HIGHLY POLITICIZED.

THERE WAS NOT GREAT COLLABORATION.

PART OF IT WAS THE KENNEDY NAME, THE INFOMONT TOUR THERE.

AND THEY WANTED IT SIMPLISTIC.

MAYBE IT WAS OVERSIMPLIFIED?

>> I THINK, ABSOLUTELY.

WE NEED TO SCALE BACK.

THIS IS A BLESSING WE DIDN'T PLUCK DOWN ALL OF THESE THINGS LIKE THE NEW MUSEUM, AND THE BOSTON MUSEUM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO.

I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS -- THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE NICE THING.

AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THE NORTH END WHERE THEY HAVE ALL OF THE RAMPS THAT NEED TO BE COVERED.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.

>> Rooney: WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.

JARED AND LOUISA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

TOMORROW, CHARLIE BAKER WILL BE HERE.

AND DON'T FORGET TO TUNE INTO MY RADIO SHOW WITH OUR GUESTS WILL BE CHERYL MARSHALL WITH OUR EVERYTHING MONEY SEGMENT.

NOW STAY TUNED FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF HIGH SCHOOL QUIZ SHOW.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.