Prudential Center Essay

Words: 2467
Pages: 10

The Prudence of the Prudential Center: How One Complex Can Transform Boston For most residents of and visitors to the city of Boston, the first building that an individual sees while waking outside is a strikingly rectangular structure with a lean long antenna pointing upwards. To the tourists, this building is referred to as the “Prudential” or the “Prudential Center.” To the locals, this building has acquired over time the name ‘the Pru.’ To both, this building captivates city-dwellers and visitors alike as the second-tallest building in Boston. The Prudential Center stands in the Back Bay area of Boston, providing a sense of direction to those who may be lost as city goers can see the monument throughout several areas of Boston. It has …show more content…
Curiously, the Copley Square Mall and Prudential Center are linked through the only skybridge in Boston but are two distinct shopping locations. However, the connection between the two shows that customers need some way to easily walk between locations and access the amenities in both complexes. Lizabeth Cohen adds that while the downtown shopping districts were suffering, “the Back Bay shopping district thrived” (92) As more department stores noticed the success of the shops at the Prudential Center, they moved more of their stores towards the Back Bay area. These companies included the Federated Department Stores, the Allied Stores Corporation, the May Department Stores Company, and Dayton-Hudson Corporation (Cohen 92). In turn, “affluent customers found less and less reason to shop in the old retail core” (Cohen 92) with the disappearance of department stores in downtown Boston. The success of the Prudential Center continues today, as on average 30,000 people visit it per day (Arcidi