Boston and its Neighborhoods |
BEACON HILL - is anchored on Beacon Street by the
gold-domed state house. Fanning back over "the hill" are neoclassic
mansions, cobbled streets and federal period brick row houses. The homes and
condos in this area can vary from multi-million dollar single-family houses,
to large condos and apartments to one room studios. Many of these places
have the original 19th century fireplaces, plaster crown moldings and
elegant doorways. Charles Street, which runs perpendicular to Beacon Street,
offers a real neighborhood with grocery stores, restaurants, antiques shops,
and galleries.
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Beacon Hill
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BACK BAY - is characterized by its three and four-story
brownstone houses, tree-lined streets and Commonwealth Avenue with its green
park down the center. This park, called Commonwealth Mall, is a haven of quiet
benches and statuary. Many of the brownstones, which were built between 1860 and
1900, are no longer single family homes, but rather condos and apartments. The
area is much sought-after as a residential area close to the shops of Newbury
Street, the famous Copley Square and many top notch colleges and universities.
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Back Bay
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NORTH END - is a close-knit area of mostly Italian shops,
restaurants and homes. People have lived in this area continuously since the
1630s and today it is still largely residential. It is here that the Freedom
Trail passes the Old North Church and the home of Paul Revere. Since the
completion of the Big Dig (a twenty-year project to bury downtown Boston traffic
underground) the North End has been reconnected to Boston by green parkland,
making it a most desirable neighborhood in which to live.
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North End
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SOUTH END - is an area that in the last three decades has
gone through huge renovation and development. Like other parts of Boston, it has
the low Victorian brick row houses with bay windows and gracious front stairs.
These buildings have been converted to condominiums while keeping the
architectural details of another era. Columbus Avenue is lined with ethnic
restaurants and art galleries. This has become a very sought after residential
area.
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South End
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FENWAY - is the starting point for the green band of parks
and recreational areas known as the Emerald Necklace designed by the famous
Frederick Law Olmsted in the 19th century. Fenway is also home to the world
famous Boston Museum of Art and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. For
baseball fans, the area is most famous for Fenway Park, built in 1912.
Northeastern and Boston University give the area a lively student population.
Beautiful apartment buildings line the curving streets and the area is
considered a good place to buy homes.
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Fenway
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WATERFRONT
The city of Boston was known for its shipping. At one time as many as 80 wharves
lined the great harbor bringing goods from all over the world. The China trade
is associated with some of the great fortunes made in this city. Over the years,
land became more valuable than the sea trade. Landfill has extended the city
seaward and now the area is known for its museums, hotels, restaurants and
homes. Long Warf, Central Warf, Rowes Warf and Museum Warf are all great
attractions - especially on New Years Eve when the city of Boston uses the area
for midnight fireworks to ring out First Night. The large granite warehouses
have been refashioned into condos, many with great views of the water.
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Waterfront
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MIDTOWN
This area is dominated by the Boston Common. These 50 acres in the center of
downtown Boston date to a 1640 town order reserving this land for military
drills and "grazing of cattle." This huge island of green in the center of the
city is a familiar reference point. The Common hosts summer plays, First Night
events and skating at the Frog Pond. The theater district is nearby, as well as
the popular boutique shops of Newbury Street. Overlooking the Common are some of
Boston's most luxurious hotels and full service Condominium buildings including
the Four Seasons, The Ritz, One Charles Place, Grandview, and others.
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Frog Pond, Midtown
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JAMAICA PLAIN - was annexed to Boston at the end of the
19th Century. This fostered many civic projects such at the Arnold Arboretum,
Franklin Park and part of the Emerald Necklace Park designed by Olmsted. JP, as
it is commonly known, was linked to old Boston by the streetcars. Today, that
proximity allows for many young professionals to live relatively close to the
city and yet have slightly larger condos and apartments than if they lived
closer to the city.
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Jamaica Plains
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CHARLESTOWN - is also across the Charles River from
Boston. This area is quickly identified by the obelisk of Bunker Hill Monument
and the tall masts of the USS Constitution. Charlestown was home to the old Navy
Yard with its shipbuilding history. At one time, this was the first capital of
the Massachusetts Bay colony before it was moved to Boston, which is only a
short walk across the Charlestown Bridge. Many professionals with young families
have converted the elegant Federal and 19th Century homes into affordable
condos.
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Charlestown
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BROOKLINE - offers the convenience of being close to
Boston, but far enough away to foster a suburban lifestyle. Brookline is known
for its many public parks and excellent schools. Former small estates have been
converted to apartments and condos.
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Brookline
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CAMBRIDGE - across the river from Boston, is home to two
of the world's most famous universities - Harvard and MIT. It is also known for
its tree-lined streets, historic homes and association with great writers. A
variety of exotic restaurants provide good eating places for the large student
population. Harvard Square is home to an excellent theater and bookstore.
Because of the magnet of the universities, there is a wide range of properties
that come on the market - from Brattle Street's colonial-era mansions to lovely
condos in three family buildings.
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Cambridge
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SOMERVILLE - a separate city just north of Boston,
Somerville was once known as "Tree City USA" for its many tree-lined streets.
Somerville has many Squares - Davis Square, Union Square, Porter Square, Teele
Square - which act as neighborhood centers for shopping. Its strong sense of
community supports local businesses and entertainment centers and there is
excellent public transportation. Somerville has rows of colorful 3 family homes
which are being converted into condos. It has become a very good place for first
time home buyers who want to be close to the city.
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Somerville
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