Boston/Fenway-Kenmore

The Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood is named after Kenmore Square, and after the Fens, both of which it encompasses. Kenmore Square is the area's dynamic urban center. This is where trains arrive and shops light up in an effort to entice passing customers. High above, the Citgo sign (now a historical landmark) keeps a watchful eye on new arrivals as they make their way through these congested crossroads.

Neighborhoods

 * Kenmore: The area is quite urban, but all the green space makes it feel much more livable than you might think. Like many other areas of Boston, Kenmore is in the middle of a building boom. The closeness of the parks and gardens help to balance the city and nature experiences.
 * The Fens: Just south and away from the square lies the hushed Fens, a study in contrasts. The Muddy River meanders through rustling reeds and shady, sloping lawns and gardens. Rustic stone bridges and benches offer a place to linger, to admire the water and all its inhabitants. The Fens also work to separate Kenmore from the sprawling medical complex, Longwood Medical Area. Turkeys have even been known call the place home. If you see one, watch out, they can be mean!
 * Longwood: An extremely dense cluster of hospitals and schools.

By public transit
In this part of town the Green line will usually be your best bet, and Kenmore is the station to know. The B, C, and D Green line branches all stop here, and a large glass bus depot hovers above. It's also the closest stop to the Fenway Park. From here the B line continues outbound to Blandford Street, BU East, and BU Central before entering Allston. The C branch serves Saint Mary’s St and the D branch passes through Fenway and Longwood before both trains enter Brookline. The E branch is great for visiting area museums, it stops at Symphony, Museum of Fine Arts, Longwood, and Brigham Circle stations.

The Orange line shares the Ruggles and Massachusetts Avenue stations with several other neighborhoods, but you won't find these stops quite as helpful. The E branch of the Green line is closer to top sights, however, the Orange line can be a good alternative if the E line is experiencing service issues. Ruggles also serves as a stop for Commuter Rail lines headed to Providence/Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham. Another Commuter Rail station (especially popular on game days) is Lansdowne, which serves the Framingham/Worcester line adjacent to Fenway Park.

By far the most popular bus route is the #57. Running from Kenmore Square down Comm Ave, into Allston and eventually ending in Watertown. Also leaving from Kenmore, the #60 and #65 run less frequently into Brookline, while the #8 and #19 take you through the Longwood area and the South End via Ruggles. The CT2 and #47 busses can be picked up in Boston University, and take you over the BU bridge into Kendall and Central squares in Cambridge. The #39 also runs constantly down Huntington Ave taking you to either inbound to Back Bay or outbound to Mission Hill. Ruggles is also a major bus hub, fanning lines out citywide.

By car
As a newer neighborhood, Fenway-Kenmore is arguably the best area of central Boston to drive in. The Kenmore Square/Fenway exit from Storrow Drive is the main access point to the neighborhood — from there, follow signs to your destination. As on street parking is fairly limited in most areas, go right for a garage. You're looking at around $15-20 an hour to park, and on game days expect to be gouged $100 or more for parking, if it's even available in the first place.

Fenway Park


Watch the Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park, the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use. Built in 1912 and one of only two classic ballparks remaining, the other being Wrigley Field in Chicago. This red brick and green steel structure is one of the best places in the world to take in a baseball game. As one of the smallest ballparks in the major leagues and given Boston's loyal fan base, seeing a game here is intimate, exciting and a part of living history. Few baseball teams can claim to represent their city to the extent of the Red Sox, and Fenway Park is nothing short of a baseball landmark. Theoretically, single game tickets can be purchased directly from the Red Sox at face value. In practice single game tickets usually sell out for the entire season within hours of going on sale. If you'd like to catch a game, and didn't snag a ticket online right when they became available, you do have a few options: If you'd like to see Fenway without attending a game, try a behind the scenes tour on non-game days or show up early on game days. A must for any Red Sox fan even if you do manage to get game tickets!
 * Buy through a licensed broker, such as StubHub or ABC Tickets.
 * Try the game day window on Landsdowne Street. Line up starting five hours prior to game time. Any open seats go on sale 90 minutes before the first pitch. Tickets are sold on a first come first serve basis; if you're not one of the first 50 people or so in line, chances for a ticket are slim.
 * Patronize a scalper. Buying and selling tickets on the street is pretty common, but caveat emptor! The tickets you're buying may be fraudulent, and be aware scalping on public property is illegal in Massachusetts.

Eat
Owing to the enormous student presence here, dining out in Fenway-Kenmore doesn't have to break the bank. There are a variety of Asian spots and Irish pubs to keep your stomach happy and full. The dollar signs will start to climb as you head towards Kenmore Square, and of course watch out for overcrowding and increased prices on game days.

Go next

 * Follow the Muddy River along the Emerald Necklace and south into Jamaica Plain.
 * Smell the salt air aboard the USS Constitution, on active naval duty since 1798, and docked in nearby Charlestown.
 * See a preview of what will hang in the museums of tomorrow, and browse a few of the South End's many galleries.
 * As an alternative to Landsdowne Street, check out Allston Rock City, to the west.
 * The Back Bay is located just a few feet east, across Mass Ave, the very heart of Boston for many visitors.