Boston Areas

As with any city, Boston can overwhelm you until you get a feel for the layout of the city. Here is a brief introduction, essentially starting in the south and moving north.

 

·        South Boston: South of the main touristy areas are largely ethnic neighborhoods such as Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, and Roxbury, as well as the Franklin Park Zoo and John F. Kennedy Library. 

·        Chinatown and Theater District: It’s no Broadway, but Boston does have a thriving theater scene, with a number of distinctive theaters and authentic Chinese food to boot.

·        Downtown/Beacon Hill: West downtown includes Beacon Hill, which is home to Boston Common and Public Gardens. East downtown extends almost to the waterfront and contains the skyscrapers of the Financial District.

·        Waterfront: Wharfs, the New England Aquarium, and several popular seafood restaurants line the waterfront, from which you can gaze at the Atlantic Ocean.

·        Back Bay and Fenway: West of downtown, but still on the south side of the Charles River, lie the Back Bay and the Fens. The city expanded to this area in the 19^th Century, and it remains home to luxurious shopping and housing.

·        Brighton/Brookline: Brighton and Brookline are home to Boston University and Boston College. The area has a college-town atmosphere, but there is not much here for tourists.

·        North End: The North End, on the northeast edge of downtown Boston, is the Italian-American neighborhood, complete with ristorantes, pastry shops, and old men speaking Italian.

·        Cambridge: Once you cross the Charles River, you move into Cambridge, which is actually a separate town. Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) perhaps give this town the highest IQ per capita in the world.

 

These areas are the main touristed areas, but Boston extends to the North, South, and West. Metro North includes Somerville, Medford, and Charlestown, while south of Boston are Quincy and Brockton, and to the west lie Newton, Watertown, and Belmont.