Curbed Cup Elite Eight: (3) Bulfinch Triangle/Government Center vs. (11) Fenway

And then there were eight—we’re down to the second round of the annual Curbed Cup to pick the Boston area’s neighborhood of the year.

Polls are open 24 hours for each matchup. Go.

(3) Bulfinch Triangle/Government Center

HYM Investment Group

Few would have pegged this slice of downtown Boston between Beacon Hill, the North End, Downtown Crossing, and the West End as a prime Curbed Cup contender.

Until fairly recently, it was known mostly for the hulking Government Center Garage, Boston’s love-to-hate City Hall and its surrounding plaza, and a handful of tourism sites.

Nowadays, though, Bulfinch Triangle and Government Center are alive with activity.

For one thing, there’s the ongoing redevelopment of that Government Center Garage into a mixed-use wonderland of 812 housing units, 196 hotel rooms, 1.15 million square feet of office space, and 85,000 square feet of retail. What’s been dubbed Bulfinch Crossing is supposed to wrap in 2020.

The area also got a swanky new T station at the end of last year, and even City Hall Plaza could see a renaissance of sorts soon.

(11) Fenway

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Once known primarily as simply the area around the identically named ballpark, Fenway of late has been slapping on new developments and residents.

Perhaps the most prominent of the year is Pierce Boston, the 30-story, 340-foot tower that is set to be Fenway’s tallest building—and one of the tallest in Massachusetts west of Back Bay—when it’s finished next year. Its 109 condo units (the building also includes some very luxury apartments) have proven very popular.

Moreover, there are the 17-story, 183,000-square-foot Harlo apartment tower and myriad smaller projects.

And, as for that synonymous ballpark, it could see some sizable changes, too.

• Curbed Awards 2016: Best opening [Curbed Boston]
• Bulfinch Crossing flipping some rentals to condos amid changing market [Curbed Boston]
• Boston searching for design and construction firm for City Hall Plaza revamp [Curbed Boston]
• Boston's ugliest buildings, mapped [Curbed Boston]
• Pierce Boston’s 109 condos mostly sold as leasing starts on apartment component [Curbed Boston]
• Fenway’s Harlo opens with available apartments starting at $2,500/month [Curbed Boston]
• Fenway gas station would become 184-room hotel under new proposal [Curbed Boston]
• Pierce Boston’s 109 condos mostly sold as leasing starts on apartment component [Curbed Boston]
• Fenway Park dugout seating has city approval [Curbed Boston]