Boston/Roxbury

One of the first towns founded in Massachusetts Bay, Roxbury is located at the geographic center of Boston. Serving as the heart of Black culture in Boston, Roxbury considered seceding from Boston during the late 1980s. The idea was to create a local government, Mandela, that would not discriminate against minorities.

Understand
First settled by Europeans as an independent town in 1630, Roxbury was enormous and encompassed about half the neighborhoods in Boston today. Over time each area would incorporate and break off, until Roxbury itself was annexed to Boston in 1868. A particular type of stone, Roxbury Puddingstone, is found locally and outcroppings in the area are quite visible. Many notable buildings in town are constructed with this material. It may even be where the neighborhood gets its name, "Rocksberry".

Over the years Roxbury has absorbed waves of immigrants; after the English, the Irish arrived in the mid 1800s, followed next by Germans in the early 1900s. In the early 20th century a large Jewish population also moved into Roxbury. The most recent cultural changeover began in the 1940s and 50s, when an influx of new African American residents migrating from the south arrived alongside immigrants from the Caribbean.

Roughly, Roxbury can be divided into "upper" and "lower" halves, with Martin Luther King Boulevard serving as a dividing line. Heading south towards Franklin Park you'll notice a small change in elevation, which distinguishes the halves. Lower Roxbury was absolutely gutted during the 50s and 60s when plans for an Inner Belt highway surfaced, which would’ve gone through many high-density areas of the city (including lower Roxbury), displacing thousands of people and businesses. The white flight to the suburbs began first, and when acres of city blocks were flattened by unfair urban renewal policies, few residents remained to speak up. Upper Roxbury remained largely intact, but the entire neighborhood suffered disinvestment and neglect by the rest of the city. You could understand why the community was ready to break away during the 70s and 80s. Instead of a new government, however, those who remained channeled their energy into setting up a new strategic development plan that would work for everyone.

Neighborhoods

 * Nubian Square (until 2019, Dudley Square). This is really the heart of Roxbury. Strategic plans dreamed up in the 1980s are finally coming to fruition as the city of Boston invests millions of dollars bringing back the Bolling building and other structures in the neighborhood. Longtime residents rub elbows with fresh arrivals taking advantage of the proximity to downtown, access to amenities, and the lower cost of living. With Bartlett Yard under construction and big plans in the works for other parcels, this area of town is viscerally experiencing gentrification.
 * Egleston Square Is it part of Roxbury? Part of JP? This community at a crossroads is a great example of what Roxbury has to offer. A variety of shops and restaurants cater to the locals in the area, while many non-profits have taken root here. Investing in urban youth, here parents can find classes covering everything from baseball, to SAT prep, to creative writing and more.
 * Fort Hill Set on hilly land west of Washington Street, Fort Hill is a quiet residential community. There are many interesting architectural gems dotted throughout the one way streets and hillsides just waiting to be discovered. Sometimes called "Highland Park", this neighborhood doesn't have much in the way of shopping and restaurants, but does contain a community college and a mosque.
 * Grove Hall A mostly residential neighborhood largely made up of stately Second Empire and Victorian homes. Access to a bustling commercial district and close proximity to the enormous Franklin Park round this neighborhood out. No trains serve Grove Hall only buses, because of this fact many Bostonians don't even know this neighborhood exists!

By public transit
The Orange Line provides Roxbury with three busy stations located along the Southwest Corridor. Ruggles is by far the largest and has the most connections to local buses and the Commuter Rail. While Roxbury Crossing gets a lot of use from residents, and the nearby student population in Mission Hill. Further down the line Jackson Square is used by many residents of Egelston Square and Upper Roxbury. If you're headed to Franklin Park by train, consider staying on another stop or two to Stony Brook or Green.

Ruggles is also your stop if you're arriving from the suburbs. This is the only stop in Roxbury for the Providence, Franklin, and Needham Commuter Rail lines. It seems like almost every bus in the city winds up at Ruggles at one point or another. Popular routes include the #23 and #28 which run to Ashmont and Mattapan stations respectively. The CT2 and CT3 are part of the cities cross town loop system and will take you to either MIT or BU Medical. The #66 another helpful crosstown bus headed to Allston, can be picked up from the Roxbury Crossing station.

The beginning of the Silver Line can be found at Dudley Station in Nubian Square. This BRT route runs into downtown, to the airport and many other locations. The only other stop it makes in Roxbury is Melnea Cass Boulevard, before entering the South End. The station itself is a large bus depot, the structure salvaged from the Washington Street elevated railway on which the Orange Line ran until the 1980s. Any route you missed at Ruggles can be picked up here.

By car
Driving in Roxbury is, like everywhere else in Boston, not recommended. It's only potentially worth the hassle if you're planning on heading to Franklin Park, or really getting off the beaten path. Parking is a little less competitive here than downtown, however, traffic can still back up quickly, and unpredictable driver behavior is common. Because of the hilly and rocky topography, streets here are laid out in an even less cohesive plan than other areas. Roxbury has more than its fair share of dead end streets and roads to nowhere.

Drink
For a neighborhood of its size and population, Roxbury seems to have a dearth of drinking establishments. Don't worry, there are PLENTY more in neighboring areas.

Connect
The only coffee shop in Roxbury, true to form, offers free wi-fi facilities. These three BPL branches can also help you out in a pinch.

Go next

 * Like Franklin Park? Head west into Jamaica Plain and check out the Arnold Arboretum.
 * Hop on the Silver Line and ride north into the shopping and dining destination the South End.
 * Explore Roxbury's eastern border and try to figure out exactly where Dorchester begins and Roxbury ends.
 * Investigate some of the quieter areas of town in the Outer Neighborhoods of Mattapan and Roslindale.
 * Renowned museums like the MFA and Isabella Stewart Gardner are in Fenway/Kenmore, just across the Southwest Corridor Park.