Boston/Back Bay-Beacon Hill

Historical heavyweights, Back Bay and Beacon Hill are some of Boston's most beautiful neighborhoods. With narrow, gas-lit streets and scores of architecturally significant buildings, these distinctly different neighborhoods will make up the core of almost any visitor's itinerary.

Beacon Hill
One of the oldest communities in the city, Beacon Hill is also one of Boston's most desirable and expensive neighborhoods. The district took its name from a beacon placed here, used by early settlers as a call to arms during any unwanted invasions. When the Puritans first arrived, this area had three separate hills; most of them were leveled as used as infill for other low lying areas downtown. The hills were often called "trimount" by early Bostonians, giving root to a common street name, "Tremont". At the beginning of the 18th century, the agrarian residents would use nearby Boston Common to graze their livestock. And by the century's end, the hated British had been expelled, and a new state would call for a new state house. It was designed by prolific architect Charles Bulfinch at the end of the Revolutionary War, and built in 1795.

Construction of new homes and residences began in earnest at the dawn of the 19th century. Fabulous mansions were built, alongside symmetrical pairs of houses and exquisitely detailed row homes. During this era Beacon Hill became a seat of wealth and power, and residents of these opulent homes would call themselves Boston Brahmins. Industry still thrived here, however, and rope was manufactured for use on the ships constantly arriving in port. The Brahmins of course would not undertake this work, it was done by their neighbors, free Blacks and immigrants from throughout Europe. Immigrants also built the Brahmins their fine houses. You can see many identical structures, if less ornamented, in the Bay Village where these craftsmen lived.

Moving into the 20th century, increasing transit connections led to an economic boom in the city. Some of the more dilapidated structures were knocked down, while others would undergo extensive renovations. A neighborhood association was formed, along with an architectural commission, in order to better monitor renovation and development projects. Because of their work, brick sidewalks and several prominent buildings seem to remain almost frozen in time. Today, Beacon Hill is home to numerous antique stores, restaurants, and bars. Wealthy families still call the hill home, as do university students, young professionals, and health care workers employed across the street at Mass General Hospital.

Back Bay
A relative newcomer to Boston, the Back Bay was a stagnant pool of brackish water for millennia. As the city's population grew, so did the pressure to expand, and thousands of trainloads of gravel were brought in day after day, filling in most of the bay by 1882. This wholesale reshaping of shorelines and estuaries would not fly today! One notable feature is the neighborhood was established late enough to be laid out on a grid, making it one Boston's easiest areas to navigate.

New architects hungry for fame and commissions latched onto Copley Square, and constructed some of the finest churches and libraries in America. Strict building requirements were written into new property deeds, almost forcing harmonious rows of dignified multi-story brownstone homes to spring up. Walking the streets here, it's easy to see why the Back Bay is considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban architecture in the United States. Any modern updates to the exteriors of these homes are all but impossible. If the National Register of Historic Places or Back Bay Architectural Commission don't deny your request, neighbors who have spent millions of dollars buying into the neighborhood surely will.

During the 1960s, a major surge of development hit the city resulting in the High Spine concept. Parts of the Back Bay along the Mass Pike were rezoned for super tall and large scale construction. The thought being that large shadows cast by skyscrapers would fall over one another, and avoid throwing shade on the Common and Esplanade. These zoning laws even extend to the air rights above the highway, which are again a source of contention during today's modern construction boom. Today the area is home to wealthy families, young professionals, and used as a pied-à-terre for foreign nationals.

By public transit
These neighborhoods have some of the best public transit options in the city. If you're heading to Beacon Hill the Red line will be your train. Use Charles/MGH for shopping and dining destinations along Charles street, as well as easy access to the Esplanade and the Charles River. Park Street is perfect for visiting the State House, Boston Common, and other points downtown. The Orange line is another option on the Back Bay's southern border. The Back Bay and Massachusetts Ave stations are shared with the South End, and work well for visiting the Prudential Center and Christian Science Plaza.

Several stations on the Green line are located within Back Bay and Beacon Hill, these trolleys run constantly and are a great option. Largest of all is busy Park Street station, change here for the Red line. Continuing outbound from here you'll use Boylston, Arlington, and Copley. (Avoid looking like a tourist and pronounce it COP-lee, not COPE-lee.) At Copley the Green line will split into B, C, D, and E branches. They all go to Hynes Convention Center, except the E branch, which continues on to Prudential and Symphony stations. E trains are less frequent, so it might be faster for you to just go to Hynes and walk from there.

The most helpful busses are the #1 and CT1 lines, wait for them outside in front of the Hynes Convention Center stop. These buses run up and down Mass Ave, connecting travelers to Harvard Square, and Central Square respectively. The #39 leaves Back Bay station, running through Copley Square before continuing into the Fenway and to Jamaica Plain. Express busses #502 and #503 are more expensive, and will get you to Watertown and Brighton via the Mass Pike. The #10 will run you into Southie, and the #55 sits in traffic and doesn't really go anywhere.

Back Bay station is also a large transit hub, with Amtrak trains Acela Express, Northeast Regional, and Lake Shore Limited stopping here before making their final stop downtown at South Station. Same deal with the Commuter Rail. The Providence/Stoughton, Framinghham/Worcester, Needham, and Franklin lines all stop here on their way to South Station.

If you're coming form Boston Logan International Airport,

By foot
This is honestly going to be the best option for most visitors. The T just isn't worth it if you're only traveling a stop or two. In the time it takes to get to the station and wait for the train to arrive, you could probably have already walked to your destination. Plus much of the neighborhood charm comes from a leisurely stroll, taking the time to absorb all the historical embellishments.

By car
No.

A few years ago a local startup tried to solve the problem of parking in this area. They went out of business. If you must drive; embrace the chaos and prepare to sit in traffic, lost, for the better part of an hour. When you make a wrong turn that sucks you onto the Pike or over a bridge, don't beat yourself up too much, it happens to Bostonians all the time. There is literally a sign on the highway showing motorists how to make a U-turn to get back into Boston. When you finally arrive and need to park, try underneath the Common or in a lot near Hynes Auditorium. Expect to pay about $15 an hour when demand is low, but do not expect to find any spaces. If you do find on street parking, congratulations on all your good deeds in your previous life!

Get around
There is elevated, covered walkway between Copley Place and Hynes Convention Centre.

Itineraries

 * The Freedom Trail — A major tourist draw of significant historical sites in Boston. These 17 locations spread over 2½ miles are crucial to understanding revolutionary era America. A few are located here.
 * Black Heritage Trail — This less touristed trail covers ten sites important in American black history scattered throughout Beacon Hill.

Buy
The Back Bay is by far the place to shop anywhere in New England. Between its two giant shopping malls and streets seemingly designed for browsing, there is little chance something you want can't be found here. Beacon Hill also has a nice main commercial district, offering wares for locals and tourists alike. First, a few quirkier spots not found in the malls and high streets:

Charles Street
Even if shopping isn't on your to-do list, a walk down Charles street probably should be. Scenic gas lamps and centuries-old bricks warm views up and down the road. One of the strictest historical preservation codes in the country ensures that even a basic convenience store here must hang a shingle of hand-carved wood embossed with gold leaf.

Newbury Street
If shopping is the question, beautiful and historic Newbury Street has the answer. As you walk from the Public Garden westward to Mass Ave; Newbury transitions from "high end" to "low end" boutiques. The street is narrow but not confining and filled mainly with appealing 19th century brownstones, the cafes and restaurants peppered throughout act as calls to linger. Over the years the street has crept closer and closer to becoming a giant outdoor mall, with familiar storefronts H&M, Zara, Nike World, Brooks Brothers, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters interspersed among some of the more uncommon shops listed below.

Go next

 * Haven't yet slaked your unquenchable thirst for commerce? Head south to the South End and keep the capitalism train rolling at SoWa Market.
 * Like those old churches and cemeteries? Keep exploring the Freedom Trail as it heads east into downtown Boston.
 * Still want to eat good food, but everything here is too expensive? Hop a trolley to Allston's student focused fare.
 * The museums in the Fenway neighborhood, like the Isabella Stewart Gardner, are some of the finest in the city.
 * Climb aboard "the People's Chariot" (the #1 bus), and ride it across the Charles and into "the People's Republic" of Cambridge.