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Government Center



  
Government Center is an area in the downtown Boston region. Government Square is the location of Boston City Hall as well as two different Suffolk County courthouses and state office buildings as well as two federal office buildings. Government Center is located between North End and Beacon Hill directly across Congress Street from Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market.

Government Center has had a subway in the area since the very first subway in America was built in Boston back in 1897. The Government Center area subway station was originally named Scollay Square Station but is now called Government Center Station and is the interchange of the Blue and Green Lines for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

There are many major city streets that surround or lead to the Government Center area in Boston including Congress Street, Cambridge Street, Beacon Street and Washington Street. City Hall Plaza, an old building that faced the square follows the original curve of an old street that was known as Cornhill. A veteran's shelter still exists along this area and actually uses the Cornhill Street address although the name is not in use by any other residences or locations around the street today.

Boston City Hall is the dominant feature in Government Center and is a very large building. Most locals of the area are not real fond of the imposing nature of the architectural style of the Boston City Hall building. Recently, the mayor of Boston actually proposed the idea of moving the City Hall to a new building somewhere else in the city and selling off the land that currently houses the Boston City Hall to urban planners who wish to bulldoze the area for redevelopment.

Another area in the Government Center area of Boston is the City Hall Plaza which like the Boston City Hall is also not well taken by locals. One writer placed the City Hall Plaza to be like the world's largest back alley that is devoid of benches, greenery and any other signposts of human hospitality. This area of the Government Center is often referred to as the brick desert by locals.