User:AusKat

This section of Boston is rich with Italian culture, that's why the North End is known as “Little Italy.” While walking around this neighborhood, you can hear people talking in Italian. The scents of garlic, fresh basil, and sweet smells of bakery pastries permeate the air. You can almost taste it. This small five block area just so happens to be the oldest in the city of Boston and home to 87 Italian restaurants and bakeries. It has winding narrow streets and towering brick buildings. The two key streets in this historic neighborhood are Hanover and Salem, which are parallel to each other. The roads are lined with countless Italian restaurants, and cafés, pastry, and imported goods shops. Italians have dominated this area for many years, but it hasn’t always been this way. The first group to reside in the North End were English Puritans in the 1600s. Over time, Irish, Russian, and Polish came to the Boston area until the 1800s when a new massive wave of immigrants arrived, the Italians. Many immigrants living in the North End did not want the peddler and dockyard jobs that were available. This forced them to move elsewhere, but the North End remained dominated by Italians, and still is today. Part of the reason why “Little Italy” remains so rich in culture is because the customs and cultures of Italian-Americans have changed very little. The neighborhood has an inviting feel, welcoming all people to visit.

By subway
The subway is a great way to get in and out of Boston if you do not want to bring your car. Boston’s subway has different colored lines that make many stops in and outside the city. Tickets can be purchased at a kiosk from all of the subway stations. If you choose to take the subway to Boston, get off at the Haymarket Square Station stop on the Orange and Green lines. Other nearby stops include North Station ( Orange and Green lines), Government Center ( Green and Blue lines), and Aquarium ( Blue line). One fare costs under $2. For more MBTA information see their Web site

By train
North Station is served by commuter trains from north of the city, and the Downeaster Amtrak service running between Boston and Portland, ME.

By foot
The best way to get to the North End is to follow the Freedom Trail from downtown Boston.

See

 * Old North Church is also known as Christ Church. It was Boston’s second Anglican church.  Old North is most famous for sending the message from Paul Revere that the British were coming by lighting the steeple with lanterns.  Paul Revere had convinced congregant Robert Newman to alert the American militia in Concord, Massachusetts to British troop movements.  Newman placed two lanterns in the church steeple and alerted the militia to the approaching British army as Paul Revere began his ride to warn John Handcock and Samuel Adams.  By taking a tour of the church, its history is revealed while exploring the bell tower, and its crypt.  Guided tours are available seven days a week and costs $5 for adults and $4 for children.  Self-guided tours are $2. Located at 193 Salem Street. Phone (617) 523-6676. For more information visit the Old North Web site at.


 * Paul Revere House. Paul Revere is known for his midnight ride from Boston to Lexington, warning all the people along the way that the British were coming. He owned the home for over three decades and is Boston’s oldest building, dating back to the late 1600s.  Admission for a tour of the house is $3 for adults and $1 for children.  Tours are available seven days a week until 5PM Located at 19 North Square. Phone (617)523-2338 Visit their Web site for more information.

Do
There rarely is a dull moment with a different Italian Festival every weekend throughout the summer. In August, there is a festival every weekend. The themes of many festivals are based on Catholic saints.


 * Walk down Hanover Street - Hanover Street, the main street of the North End, is great for a summer evening stroll. Check out many of the best local restaurants and stop to eat when the line is short outside of any establishment. Most North End restaurants don't do reservations.









Buy
This is a neighborhood where residents walk to local fruit stores, butcher shops and corner markets for their groceries.

Eat
There is a plethora of Italian restaurants in the North End: the following is only a partial list. If you don't know exactly where to eat but know you want good Italian food, all you need to do is walk down either Hanover or Salem Streets, and you'll have no shortage of choices.

Cannolis are an essential North End experience. There are two schools of thought when it comes to Cannoli in Boston. There are people who swear by Mike's Pastry and people who prefer Modern Pastry. These are both fine options and you can really just go to whichever has the shorter line (usually Modern since its less famous). Realistically, places with bad cannoli don't last long in the North End so you can get a good one pretty much anywhere.