A Quick Tour Around Boston

Before we start, I want to briefly talk about the ugliest piece of artwork that I have ever seen:

One of my lesser qualities is that I’m not always the most observant person in the world; I admit it. So for the two whole weeks that I have been living in my apartment, I always knew that there was a painting hanging above my bed, and that is was some sort of abstract pattern in neutral tones, but I didn’t ever look at it until this past weekend. I was shocked to discover just how hideous it really is! It’s just…brown. Watery, haphazard, brown nothingness. The paper towel that the artist used to clean his brushes probably had more visual interest than this thing does. The depressing aesthetic of this painting has been on my mind for the last few days. It’s hard to stop thinking about something when it’s quite literally the first and last thing you see everyday!

In spite of the questionable decorating choices, my apartment is still turning out to be a great temporary living situation. Getting from here to the other end of Boston only takes about an hour walking time. And even though the public transportation system (the “T”, as it’s called) is very simple and convenient to use, I almost always walk everywhere.

Actually, I haven’t really “done” anything for the last two weekends besides walk. I have now been in Boston for a month, but didn’t really have the chance to be in Boston up until two weeks ago. So my plan for getting to know the city has simply been to walk everywhere. Not too intentional much sight-seeing, and no planned outings. I’ve been learning the majors routes and creating a mental layout of where everything is located. Thankfully, Boston is a relatively contained area on a little peninsula, so learning the ins and outs of this town hasn’t taken me too long! I can now confidently walk around without being glued to my map.

From my many walking tours, I’ve started to piece together a vague idea of what makes each Boston neighborhood unique. Here are my preliminary thoughts about what each area of Boston is like, and what makes them worth seeing. I haven’t been to all of the places that this map shows, but it’s a good visual outline of where everything is!

 

South End: Starting in my “home away from home” we have the South End. This is where I both live and work, and I can sum up the neighborhood in three words: brownstones, restaurants, and trees. Although the South End is known for having some of the best restaurants in the city, this is primarily a residential area. There isn’t a lot of crowd traffic, and you see a lot of families and children walking around. The vibe of the South End is very trendy, but still professional.

Fenway: I’ve only spent one short day in the Fenway area, and most of that time was in the Museum of Fine Arts (which had a beautiful, large collection and is definitely worth a visit. Admission seems a tad bit steep if you’re on a budget, but I went on a day when they were doing a promotional event so it was free!). There seem to be several other museums in this area, and of course there’s always Fenway Park, if you’re interested in seeing the Red Sox play.

Back Bay: If you enjoy torturing yourself by looking at homes that you’ll never be able to afford, go to the Back Bay. If you live here you must be somebody, and somebody who’s making a lot of money. The promenades of Victorian buildings are amazing to admire, and there are lots of up-scale shops and high-end restaurants for the fancy people among us.

Beacon Hill: One word…ADORABLE. Seriously, this place is what colonial dreams are made of. One of my favorite places in the country is Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, mostly because of the history but also because it’s so easy to imagine yourself in the time of pre-1776 America, and that’s really fun for me. Walking around Beacon Hill, I get that same feeling. Sure, this neighborhood isn’t intended to be a living museum, and it’s full of antique shops, charming boutiques, and modern technology. What really sells the experience is the red brick row houses, cobbled streets, and wrought iron fixtures.

West End: I haven’t spent very much time here yet. However, if you’re interested in a history lesson all about the 1950s-1960s urban development of this once blighted neighborhood, one of my last college classes was all about the topic! (But trust me, you’re not interested.)

Historic Downtown: As the name suggests, this is where you’ll find all of your historical landmarks and attractions, from Granary Burying Ground (where figures like Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams are buried) to the Old Massachusetts State House. Obviously Boston’s neighborhoods aren’t necessarily distinctly separated, so they’ll often blend into each other and overlap. The most obvious example of this is Historic Downtown and the Financial District. Personally I find the Financial District to be the most city-like area of Boston, with its high-rise buildings and occasional wafting scent of decaying garbage. It’s not exactly one of my favorite areas, but it does send a pretty powerful message of old world versus modern world:

Old State House & modern architecture

North End: I’ve already talked a little bit about how delicious this part of town is in one of my previous blog posts. I swear I’m not just saying this because it’s known for being the Italian part of town, but I personally get a very European vibe from the North End. Yes, the food is a factor in that; however, it also has to do with the North End’s winding streets and little alleyways. Boston is renowned for its confusing and non-linear road network, but that is particularly apparent in the North End, making it feel very much like an old European city.

The Waterfront: The Boston Harborwalk is a nice change of pace from the city. What Boston does very well is that it has a lot of open spaces for people to escape to so that they’re not constantly caged within a concrete jungle; there are parks and green spaces all over. The Waterfront area is a similar concept, and it’s a great way to have a tiny peak of the ocean that you know is so close (and yet still so far!).

 

Chinatown: This is my where I’m headed on my next walking tour. I’ve walked through Chinatown several times, but haven’t had the chance to look around very much yet. I’m always drawn to Chinatowns in big cities, I think in part because of my family’s connection to Hawaii and the huge Asian influence that exists there. When I was living in London, England during the summer of 2013, I spent a lot of my time in London’s Chinatown and had some favorite snacks and treats that I always bought there. Hopefully I’ll be able to find those here!

Boston Commons and Public Garden are actually two very large parks. Boston’s Theater District is quite small but there are significantly more theaters here than I was expecting to find! I’m hoping to score some cheap tickets to a show at some point before I leave. Finally, I haven’t wandered anywhere beyond the Boston peninsula (besides Cambridge), and I’ve never heard of the Leather District before seeing this map online. The name doesn’t exactly make it sound like a very inviting place…I’ll have to do some research and report back with my findings!

Tags: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Boston, city, Massachusetts, New England, North End, South End, tourist, travel, traveling