Of course, I'm exaggerating...the combat zone has no longer been for a good 10 years now.  So what the hell is the problem with downtown crossing?

http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2008/12/07/wont_you_be_my_neighbor/

Just 20 years ago, Downtown Crossing was the region's number one shopping area, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority. By 1996, it was not even among the region's top 10. The construction of Copley Place, the Atrium Mall, CambridgeSide Galleria, and other suburban malls drained shoppers, and the once stalwart department-store model faltered. Efforts to slow the bleeding -- when there were efforts -- failed. "The last time the city did any planning in the district was in the late '70s and early '80s, when we created the Downtown Crossing brand and turned it into a pedestrian mall," Boston Redevelopment Authority senior planner Andrew Grace says.

This is a shame and loss to the city for 20 years...