BACK BAY

The historic neighborhood of Back Bay is situated along the Charles River, adjacent to Downtown and the Public Garden. Back Bay was built on filled tidal marshes in the mid-1800s and added 450 acres to the City. Today Back Bay is known for its elegant architecture and bustling commercial streets. Stately Victorian row houses and brick sidewalks mark the residential streets of the area, including Beacon Street, Marlborough Street, and Commonwealth Avenue.

Newbury Street is known for its international retailers, salons, boutique offices, and restaurants.

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BEACON HILL

Beacon Hill, located just west of Downtown Boston, is likely Boston's best known neighborhood. Spreading over the last of three remaining hills which originally composed Boston's landscape, this area is home to iconic residential streets and the Massachusetts State House. It is one of the most expensive and historic neighborhoods in Boston.

Classic red brick houses from the early nineteeth century line narrow cobblestone streets and define this famous residential neighborhoods. It is very close walking-distance to many of Boston's great attractions, and is divided by Charles Street, a street notable for eclectic boutiques, antique stores, and restaurants which serve the neighborhood and Beacon Hill's frequent tourists.

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ALLSTON

The neighborhood of Allston, located in northwest Boston, was annexed by the City in 1874. Once home to stockyards and rail yards, today's Allston is a bustling residential and commercial mix.

Leafy side streets lined with wooden triple-decker houses are home to a diverse community, including longtime residents, students from nearby Boston University and Harvard, recent immigrants, and young professionals. The Charles River and Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path border the neighborhood to the north and east, offering recreational opportunities like canoeing, running, and biking.

Commonwealth, Brighton, and Harvard Avenues feature hip bars and unique ethnic restaurants, creating hubs of activity throughout the community. It is one of the youngest neighborhoods in Boston, known for its artsy and avante-garde vibe.

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BRIGHTON

Known as the residential neighborhood, and annexed in 1873, this northwesterly Boston neighborhood is home to a vibrant mix of old and new, residential and commercial. Families, who have called Brighton home for generations, share the neighborhood with recent immigrants, students from nearby colleges, and young professionals. The housing varies between Boston's ubiquitous wooden triple-deckers, more suburban single family homes, and stately brick apartment buildings. In the southwest corner of the neighborhood, The Chestnut Hill Reservoir features a popular shoreline walking trail.

This diversity of population attracts a diversity of businesses, nonprofits, medical and educational institutions to the area. The eclectic commercial centers of Brighton Center, Cleveland Circle, and Oak Square offer residents and visitors a rich range of options, from ethnic grocery stores to cozy neighborhood pubs.

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SOUTH END

Located just south of the Back Bay, the South End is an elegant residential neighborhood known for its Victorian townhouses and many small parks. The neighborhood was originally built on tidal flats during the mid-1800s, planned to attract the wealthy merchant class with a regular street grid, elegant townhouses, and thirty parks. Today it remains a popular residential area for with a thriving restaurant and arts scene, and is the United States' largest Victorian residential district.

This diverse neighborhood is home to active young families, professionals, and immigrants, and is popular with Boston's gay community. Residents of the South End inhabit a mix of historic brick town homes and publicly funded housing. The many parks, including the Southwest Corridor Path built over the depressed Orange Line train, offer green space to the area. The Boston Center for the Arts brings numerous performances to the neighborhood each year.

The neighborhood's restaurants, bars, galleries, and boutiques line Tremont and Washington Streets, and the summertime SoWa Open Market attracts artisans and shoppers from all over the city. Washington Gateway Main Street and the South End Business Alliance support local business owners. Cyclorama, a unique round conference space at the BCA, hosts public and private events. Major tenants of the neighborhood include Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine.

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BAY VILLAGE

Located just southwest of Downtown Boston, Bay Village is a small, historic neighborhood. It was first constructed on a landfill in the 1820s and had been called the Church Street District, South Cove, and Kerry Village before acquiring its current name. The architecture in Bay Village often resemble the homes located in Beacon Hill. The individuals who helped build the Beacon Hill residences lived in Bay Village and built their homes in a smaller, similar style. In the early 20th century, Bay Village was the home of Boston's film industry, and a number of art deco former warehouses and studios still stand.

Bay Village's narrow streets, historic facades, brick sidewalks, and gas street lamps create an appealing and quiet pedestrian environment in a primarily residential neighborhood. Residents enjoy easy walking access to the surrounding parks, shops, restaurants, and theaters of Downtown, Back Bay, and the South End.

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CHARLESTOWN

Founded in 1629, Charlestown is the City's oldest neighborhood. Situated just across the harbor and to the north of Downtown, Charlestown is home to the Bunker Hill Monument and historical Charlestown Navy Yard. Today Charlestown is an attractive residential neighborhood composed of brick and wood row houses and public housing. In recent years, waterfront condominiums and apartments have been added to the housing mix.

Charlestown Navy Yard, now a popular national park, forms the southern edge of the neighborhood. Both residents and visitors can enjoy stunning views of the Boston skyline from the Navy Yard's green spaces and piers.

In Charlestown, contemporary restaurants and shops thrive alongside the oldest tavern in Massachusetts (Warren Tavern) giving this area a unique flavor. Charlestown boasts two marinas, Constitution Marina and Shipyard Quarters Marina, which keep the waterfront busy. The Charlestown Chamber of Commerce supports local business owners. Major tenants of the area include Bunker Hill Community College, Spauling Rehabilitation Hospital, and a branch of Massachusetts General Hospital.

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CHINATOWN

Located along the southern edge of Downtown, Boston's Chinatown is a commercial and cultural hub for the City's Chinese community. The neighborhood was built on tidal flats in the early 1800s, and has since been home to residential, commercial, transportation, and institutional uses.

Today Chinatown's dense mix of shops, restaurants, and housing in historic buildings creates an ever-bustling neighborhood with easy access to Downtown, the Theater District, and Boston's dynamic waterfront. Chinatown's elegant gate across Beach Street marks the eastern entrance to the neighborhood. With its unique water features and bamboo, Chinatown Park forms a distinctive terminus to the Rose Kennedy Greenway and place of respite.

While visitors come from all over to sample Chinatown's range of specialty Asian shops and restaurants, Chinatown is also home to a number of other businesses and organizations, including Tufts Medical Center. South Station serves as a major rail and bus hub for Boston, bringing numerous visitors through the area every day. Chinatown Main Street supports area business owners and nonprofits.

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DORCHESTER

Incorporated in 1630 and annexed by Boston in 1870, Dorchester is the City's largest and most diverse neighborhood. Dorchester offers a variety of landscapes including 9.46 miles of waterfront, residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and a university campus.

Dorchester's demographic diversity has been a well-sustained tradition of the neighborhood, and long-time residents blend with more recent arrivals from Ireland, Vietnam, and Cape Verde. A number of smaller communities compose the greater neighborhood, including Codman Square, Jones Hill, Meeting House Hill, Pope's Hill, Savin Hill, Harbor Point, Lower Mills, and Port Norfolk. Malibu and Tenean Beaches offer summertime recreation and numerous parks are scattered through the area.

Dorchester Avenue, the neighborhood's main artery, is activated by immigrant-owned businesses and connects a number of Dorchester's vibrant business districts. Fields and Upham's Corners, Ashmont Station, Neponset Circle, Adams Village, and Morrissey Boulevard, among others, are unique commercial anchors to Dorchester's many sub-neighborhoods. Organizataions such as the Adams Village Business Association, Lower Mills Merchants Association, Bowdoin-Geneva Main Streets, Fields Corner Main Street, Four Corners Main Streets, Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, St. Mark's Area Main Street, and Upham's Corner Main Street support local business owners. University of Massachussets Boston is a major tenant of the area.

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DOWNTOWN BOSTON/FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Located in the heart of Boston's northeastern peninsula, Downtown has served as Boston's hub since the 1700s. Home to City Hall, numerous corporate headquarters, condos and apartments, and some of Boston's most beloved tourist attractions—including the historic Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall—Downtown is always bustling.

Housing options in downtown are varied, ranging from historic apartment buildings to modern glass towers. Theaters, restaurants, cafes, and 5.5 miles of dynamic waterfront are always within easy walking distance. The Rose Kennedy Greenway, Dewey Square, and Boston Common offer substantial green space and places of respite amidst the activity. In the summer, City Hall Plaza buzzes with concerts and festivals.

Downtown Boston is known for both its offices and its retail. Over 200,000 people work downtown every day, and 250,000 pedestrians pass through the intersections of Washington, Winter, and Summer Streets--which form Downtown Crossing. Downtown Crossing is a major retail area, offering a range of apparel stores, national retailers, bakeries, and both fast casual and fine restaurants to suit every taste.

The recent addition of Boston's first Business Improvement District has brought block parties, markets, and other events to historic Washington and Summer Street areas. Numerous hotels serve both tourists and business travelers. Historic theaters, including the Opera House, Modern, and Paramount, host a variety of productions along the southern end of Washington Street. Suffolk University, Emerson College, and Urban College are also major tenants of Downtown.

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EAST BOSTON

Located to the northeast, across Boston Harbor, East Boston was built on several islands connected by landfill. It was annexed by City of Boston 1836, and is known today for its residential neighborhoods, transportation links, and recreational opportunities.

In 1940, East Boston was the arrival point for thousands of immigrants to Boston, infusing the neighborhood with an Old World charm and diversity which it still characterizes today. East Boston is currently home to a blend of longtime residents, young professionals, and predominantly Colombian and Salvadoran immigrants. Belle Isle Marsh Reservation and Constitution Beach offer recreational opportunities to residents, and striking views of the Boston skyline can be had from Piers Park.

A number of unique restaurants and retailers reflect the diversity of the neighborhood. Maverick Square and Central Square are the main commercial areas, and are supported by East Boston Main Streets. East Boston hosts Logan International Airport, a vital link in Boston's transportation network and New England's largest airport. Though East Boston is not contiguous to Boston, it is easily accessed via the Callahan, Ted Williams, and Sumner Tunnels; the Blue Line T; MBTA ferries; and surface roads to the north.

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FENWAY

Forming the link between Downtown Boston to the east and Allston and Brighton to the west, the Fenway is a residential and commercial hub for Boston. Fenway is best known for the presence of historic Fenway Park, where Boston's beloved Red Sox play, and Frederick Law Olmsted's meandering Emerald Necklace. Fenway, and its sub-neighborhoods of Kenmore Square and Audubon Circle, were annexed by Boston from the nearby Town of Brookline in the 1870s.

Fenway is home to a buzzing mix of families, young professionals, and students. Housing stock includes stately brick row houses, lining the Charles River and Emerald Necklace, alongside flashy new apartment and condominium towers near Fenway Park. Boylston Street is home to Berklee College of Music, the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Huntington Avenue, which forms the southeast edge of the neighborhood, is lined by Symphony Hall, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Huntington Theater, and New England Conservatory. Huntington Avenue is celebrated as Boston's “Avenue of the Arts".

The commercial hubs of the district include Kenmore Square, Landsdowne Street, Brookline Avenue and Boylston Street. The Kenmore Business Association supports area business owners, and throughout the year the square teems with students and visitors enjoying its many restaurants and hotels. Lansdowne Street is famous for its music venues and nightlife, including the House of Blues, and the street comes alive with outdoor vendors on Red Sox game days. Brookline Avenue and Boylston Street is popular for its restaurants, bars, movie theater, and national retailers.

Fenway is home to numerous academic and medical institutions. These include Emmanuel, Simmons, and Wheelock Colleges, MassArt, Wentworth Institution of Technology, and the Mass College of Pharmacy, all members of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium, as well as Northeastern and Boston Universities. The area also hosts many renowned medical institutions, including Fenway Community Health Center and the nearby hospitals in the Longwood Medical Area. Collectively, these institutions are supported by the Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization (MASCO).

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HYDE PARK

Tucked into the southwest corner of Boston, Hyde Park was the last town to be annexed by Boston in 1912. The area was established in the 1660s and grew into a hub of paper and cotton manufacturing in the eighteenth century. The extension of rail lines from Boston in the 1850s spurred the area's residential development. Today, Hyde Park offers its residents a unique blend of accessible city amenities and quiet suburban lifestyle.

Hyde Park is home to an increasingly diverse population who reside in a mix of historic buildings and mid-twentieth century single-family homes. The Neoponset River, the municipal George Wright Golf Course, and the Stony Brook Reservation provide significant open and green space.

Cleary and Logan Squares anchor the commercial activity of the area. Small shops and restaurants line Hyde Park Avenue, River Street, and Fairmount Avenue and many business owners in Hyde Park are supported by Hyde Park Main Streets. Downtown Boston is only a train ride away via the Fairmount or Providence Commuter Rail Lines. A thriving industrial section of the neighborhood is home to numerous businesses.

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JAMAICA PLAIN

Originally a summertime resort destination for Bostonians, Jamaica Plain (JP) is a classic streetcar suburb of Boston. Located southwest of Downtown Boston, JP was annexed by the City in 1874. Jamaica Plain has consistently been an important center for residential life, arts, and commerce for the City of Boston.

JP's residential streets, filled with iconic triple-decker houses in imaginative colors, are home to Latinos, young families, a growing gay community, and young professionals. A real jewel of JP is 68-acre Jamaica Pond. It is popular with local residents for fishing, sailing, and running along its 1.5 mile shore path. The 265-acre Arnold Arboretum, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, offers a botanical oasis in the heart of the city.

Jamaica Plain is easily accessible by the Southwest Corridor, MBTA trains, and buses. The main transit hub for the area is Forest Hill Station. Since the eighteenth century, Centre Street has been a major retail street for the community in Jamaica Plain. JP's diversity of residents is reflected in the businesses with a range of ethnic restaurants and stores animating Centre Street. Egleston Square Main Street, Hyde Jackson Square Main Street Program, and JP Centre/South Main Streets support local business owners. Some notable Jamaica Plain businesses include the Samuel Adams brewery and JP Licks.

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THE LEATHER DISTRICT

The Leather District is a small neighborhood just east of Chinatown, nestled between Dewey Square and Kneeland Street. The nine distinct blocks are noted for their nineteeth century brick warehouse structures. The leather industry and related wholesalers who first worked here required space for display, offices and workshops, thus, ground floor display windows dominate these buildings, set in sturdy cast iron columns. Since the 1980s the Leather District has grown as a mixed-use area, and it is now home to a variety of commercial and residential tenants.

Due to recent development and the creation of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, the Leather District has emerged as a distinct Boston neighborhood. Residents cherish the “loft living" options that characterize the community. The short distance to the major rail transportation hub, Boston's South Station, makes the Leather District a very accessible neighborhood.

The Leather District is home to a wide arrange of industries from small restaurants to large corporations. Among others, the second oldest financial institution in the United States, State Street Corporation, has its headquarters there.

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LONGWOOD

The Longwood Medical Area (LMA) is a world-class medical and academic center located between Brookline and Mission Hill.

The LMA features a mix of dense state-of-the-art hospital buildings, attractive college facilities, and apartment housing. Frederick Law Olmstead's graceful Emerald Necklace park forms the northwest corner of the district. Huntington Avenue, lined with arts and cultural institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts and nearby Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, marks the southeastern edge and is known as Boston's "Avenue of the Arts".

Longwood Medical Area is also a major economic engine for both Boston and the region. World renown medical institutions including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center, and other healthcare and research facilities attract billions of dollars in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding annually, making Boston the leading recipient of NIH funding among all U.S. cities for 18 consecutive years. Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Mass College of Pharmacy, Mass College of Art, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Dental School, and several other academic institutions attract thousands of students. The Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization (MASCO) offers planning, transportation, and coordination support to the area's many institutions. CLOSE

MATTAPAN

The neighborhood of Mattapan is a southern neighborhood of Boston. It was originally named by the Neponsett Native American tribe in the 1600s. The name Mattapan means "a good place to be" or "a good place to sit". Annexed by the City in 1870, Mattapan began developing with increasing momentum as streetcars and railroads improved access to Downtown in the early twentieth century. Today, Mattapan is a residential area with growing commercial centers.

Mattapan is home to a diverse population—primarily made up of Haitians, other Caribbean immigrants, and African Americans. The housing mix includes small apartment buildings, single-family homes, public housing, and Boston's traditional "triple-deckers". Mattapan residents enjoy a significant amount of green space, including Harambee Park, the Franklin Park Zoo, the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, and the historic Forest Hills Cemetery.

Blue Hill Avenue and Mattapan Square are the neighborhood's main commercial districts, home to banks, law offices, restaurants, retail shops, health centers, and places of worship. Mattapan Square Main Streets supports local business owners. The community development group Mattapan United also supports businesses.

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MISSION HILL

Acquired by Boston in 1868, Mission Hill (then called Parker Hill) has been a cornerstone in Boston's long history. Once filled with farms, breweries, and orchards, Mission Hill has grown into a largely residential neighborhood connecting more central neighborhoods of Boston to Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.

Contained within the neighborhood, the Mission Hill Triangle is an architectural landmark district with a combination of single family homes built by early landowners. Elsewhere on Mission Hill, you can find blocks of traditional brick row houses and iconic triple-deckers. Mission Hill's streets wind up and down the steep hill the neighborhood is named for, and spectacular views of Boston's skyline can be had from the new Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park.

Brigham Circle, located at the intersection of Tremont Street and Huntington Avenue, marks the transition from residential to medical district and is the main commercial area of Mission Hill. Home to a number of bars, restaurants, shops, and a major grocery store, Brigham Circle supports the Mission Hill and Longwood Medical Area as the main retail destination. Mission Hill Main Streets supports local business owners.

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NORTH END

This historic neighborhood occupies the northeastern corner of the city and is surrounded on two sides by the Boston Harbor. It is considered to be Boston's oldest residential community and has been settled since the 1630s. From the 1960s to the early 2000s the North End was cut off from the rest of Boston by the elevated Central Artery (I-93) highway. When that highway was depressed into a tunnel as part of Boston's “Big Dig" project, the North End was once again connected with Boston across the new Rose Kennedy Greenway park system.

Recognized as Boston's "Little Italy", the North End has long been home to a vibrant Italian community and is a popular destination for both Bostonians and tourists. The mostly residential neighborhood features historic brick apartment buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and spirited summer festivals which bring a touch of the Old World to the New. The area features several prominent Revolutionary War-era historical sites, including Paul Revere's House, the Old North Church, and Copp's Buring Ground. A number of green spaces and recreational facilities are woven into the neighborhood, including Steriti Ice Rink, Mirabella Pool overlooking the harbor, and bocce ball courts.

The businesses of the North End reflect the Italian culture pervasive in this neighborhood. Hanover and Salem Streets form the district's main commercial spines, and are lined with Italian restaurants, bakeries, and shops. Many other vendors, apparel boutiques, home furnishing stores, and restaurants can be found along narrow side streets, including the Boston institution Pizzeria Regina. Hotels, restaurants, and bars are located along the waterfront, taking advantage of the views across the harbor. The North End is also home to major tenants such as a US Coast Guard base and the North Bennet Street School. The North End Chamber of Commerce supports local business owners.

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ROSLINDALE

The neighborhood of Roslindale, located in southwest Boston, was a primarily agricultural area until the mid-nineteenth century. Construction of the Providence Railroad, and later the streetcar, opened the area for residential development and lead to the annexation of the town by the City of Boston as part of West Roxbury in 1873. Roslindale experienced significant residential development booms in the 1890s and late twentieth century.

Today, Roslindale is a demographically diverse and primarily residential community. The area features a mix of single family homes, Boston's traditional triple-deckers, and small apartment buildings. A number of parks dot the area, and the 265-acre Arnold Arboretum borders Roslindale to the north and offers residents substantial green space.

Roslindale Village serves as a local shopping district centered around Adams Park, while Washington Street is the main thoroughfare of the community. The first Main Streets organization in the City of Boston, Roslindale Village Main Street, supports local business owners and organizes a number of annual events to showcase the neighborhood. Since 1987, Roslindale has been served by the Needham line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, linking the area directly to Downtown.

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ROXBURY

Roxbury is the geographic heart of Boston, enclosing the center point of the city. Once a farming town on the outskirts of Boston, Roxbury began its transformation from agricultural, to industrial, to residential uses in the early nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, waves immigrants came to Roxbury, and in the 1940s and 1950s African Americans began to migrate from the American south, making Roxbury a center of Black culture.

Today Roxbury is home to a diverse community which includes African American, Hispanic, and Asian families, along with young professionals. Housing in the area is a mix of historic brick row houses and Boston's traditional "triple deckers". A number of active neighborhood groups, including the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and the Roxbury Historical Society, engage the community in both development and preservation efforts. Roxbury Center for the Arts, Culture, and Trade, which opened in 2005, celebrates community culture through visual and performance arts. Several parks, including the urban wilds which surround the William J. Devine public golf course, offer residents substantial green space.

The main commercial areas of Roxbury include Dudley Square, Crosstown, and Grove Hall. Dudley Square has long been a commercial hub for the area and is enjoying a newly-found renaissance. The historic Ferdinand building, which will be converted into the Boston Public Schools headquarters, and the new LEED-certified, B2 police station are just two recent additions to the area. Dudley Square also serves as a transit hub for a number of MBTA buses and the Silver Line. Blue Hill Avenue has undergone a significant transformation into a dynamic business district. Dudley Square Main Streets supports local business owners in Roxbury. Roxbury Community College and the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science are two well-known educational institutions in the area.

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SOUTH BOSTON

South Boston spreads across a peninsula just south of Downtown Boston and east of the South End and Dorchester. South Boston was annexed by Boston in 1804, and the city constructed a bridge linking the neighborhood with the rest of the city the following year. In the mid-19th century, the Old Colony Railroad brought rapid growth to South Boston as the area became a hub of industry, including iron foundries, machine shops, shipyards and refineries, all of which fueled the Civil War effort. Throughout the twentieth century, shipyard, and railroad jobs continued to provide work for South Boston residents, and industrial buildings still mark the northern edge of the peninsula.

South Boston is home to both long-time residents and a new wave of young professionals who are drawn to the area's open space, emerging nightlife, and easy access to downtown. The neighborhood boasts miles of beaches and waterfront parks, including Carson Beach, L Street Beach, Pleasure Bay, and the Strandway.

South Boston's commercial district, including established businesses alongside new bars, restaurants, and retailers, is built around East and West Broadway. Newmarket Square, just to the west of Route 93, is a strong center of food processing and distribution and borders Dorchester, Roxbury, and the South End. The West Broadway Neighborhood Association and Newmarket Business Associationsupport area business owners.

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SEAPORT

The South Boston Waterfront, located just southeast across Fort Point Channel from Downtown, includes the Fort Port neighborhood on the western edge; Fan Pier, the Seaport World Trade Center, and Boston's Marine Industrial Park to the east. All of these locations are rapidly transforming the area from historic warehouses and industrial space into a creative, tech, and residential hub for the city.

Numerous apartment buildings have recently been built or are in development in the Innovation District, offering residents apartment, condominium, and micro-unit options. Historic Fort Point hosts affordable artists' units along with market rate "loft living" opportunities in former warehouses. Boston's Harborwalk runs along the piers, connecting residents to the 45-mile waterfront path network. Numerous cultural and civic institutions are located in the South Boston Waterfront, including the Children's Museum, Institute for Contemporary Art, Bank of America Pavilion, and John Joseph Mokely United States Courthouse.

Offering a dynamic mix of opportunities and spaces, the South Boston Waterfront draws a huge range of businesses and events. Just inland from the Harborwalk, a burgeoning tech and biotech community is attracting organizations, entrepreneurs, and designers into a cluster of flexible office spaces and unique live-work buildings. The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as well as the World Trade Center host numerous large events each year, while the large piers offer the perfect setting for traditions such as the Tall Ships Festival and Cirque de Soleil. Boston Marine Industrial Park is home to Boston's cruise ship terminal, seafood processing and wholesaling buildings, Harpoon Brewery, and Boston Design Center. Unique pop-up restaurants and shops appear each summer, enlivening the waterfront. Several hotels accommodate visitors to the area. Area business owners are supported by Boston's Innovation District team, Friends of Fort Point Channel, and the Boston Marine Park Business Association.

The South Boston Waterfront enjoys excellent access to Boston's transportation systems, including I-90, the Silver Line, and several MBTA buses. Logan Airport and South Station are just a Silver Line stop away in each direction.

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WEST END

The West End is a small neighborhood located north of Beacon Hill. Considerably altered by Urban Renewal policies of the 1950s, the West End was once a dense and diverse ethnic neighborhood, and now features large apartment towers set in landscaping and pathways.

Current residents of the West End enjoy sweeping views across the Charles River or towards the Boston Harbor. The neighborhood is within easy walking distance of the Esplanade and Hatch Shell, Downtown, Beacon Hill, and the City of Cambridge. Cultural and civic amenities in the area include the West End Museum and St. Joseph's Catholic Church.

Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the premier medical centers in the United States, economically and physically anchors the area to the southwest. The Liberty Hotel and Clink Bar, both housed in a converted historic jail, are hip neighborhood institutions.

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WEST ROXBURY

West Roxbury, located in Boston's southwest corner and bordered by Roslindale and Hyde Park, was founded in 1630 and annexed by the City of Boston in 1874. Like its bordering neighborhoods, West Roxbury saw major residential growth when the Boston and Providence Railroad began construction.

Today, West Roxbury is a suburban neighborhood in an urban setting, characterized by tree-lined streets and single family homes. Residents enjoy easy access to Downtown Boston via the Needham Line of the Commuter Rail and MBTA buses. 100-acre Millennium Park, to the west, offers miles of trails and a canoe launch for the Charles River. Part of 475-acre Stony Brook Reservation borders West Roxbury to the east, offering twelve miles of hiking trails as well as fishing and swimming at Turtle Pond. A number of smaller parks dot the neighborhood between these two large green spaces.

West Roxbury's main commercial district extends along Centre Street, including restaurants, shops, and banks. West Roxbury Main Streetssupports local business owners. Sugar Bakery and VA Boston Healthcare System are two well-known tenants of the neighborhood.

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CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Boston metropolitan area. Situated directly north of the city of Boston, across the Charles River, it is known for being the home of Harvard Univeristy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

It has a highly diverse population further diversified by brilliant men and women drawn to Cambridge over the years by Harvard, Radcliffe, M.I.T., and more recently by the local high technology companies. "Cantabrigians" (from the city's Latin name, Cantabrigia) are regarded as progressive and tolerant. As industrial activity moved south in the early 1900s, the Cambridge steamed forward on the power of its educators and innovators. Universities are the major employers, but cutting edge companies in information technology and biotechnology such as Akamai Technologies, Google, Microsoft, Genzyme, Biogen Idec, and Novartis are located adjacent to the MIT campus in the Kendall Square area.

The liberal city sometimes referred to as the "People's Republic of Cambridge" now advertises itself as "a city where counter-culture still lives, classic culture thrives, and multicultural is a way of life.""Boston's Left Bank: A little funkier, a little spunkier and definitely spicier than Boston."

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HARVARD SQUARE

It is the historic center of Cambridge.[2] Adjacent to Harvard Yard, the historic heart of Harvard University,[3] the Square (as it is sometimes called locally) functions as a commercial center for Harvard students, as well as residents of western Cambridge and the inner western and northern suburbs of Boston.

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CENTRAL

Central Square was designated an official Cultural District in the state of Massachusetts by the Mass Cultural Council in October 2012.[3] Central Square is known for its wide variety of ethnic restaurants, churches, bars, and live music and theatre venues.[4] It is gentrifying rapidly, and a number of upscale restaurants have opened in the Square. Many startups, including pharmaceutical, videogame and Internet companies, have moved research and office operations into the Square to take advantage of the proximity toMIT, Boston medical resources and relatively low costs.[5]

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KENDALL/MIT

In the 1990s and 2000s, the area between Kendall and the new CambridgeSide Galleria was transformed from an industrial area[2] into a collection of office and research buildings, housing over 150 biotechnology and information technology firms as of 2011. In 1997, the surviving industrial buildings between Third, Binney, Fifth, and Rogers Streets were declared the Blake and Knowles Steam Pump Company National Register District.

the "@Kendall Square" development is located one block north of Kendall Square, and includes a mixed-use "live, work, play" community that weaves parks, an ice rink, a farmers market, and a recreational boating basin through a series of office, lab, residential and retail buildings. Buildings within the @Kendall Square development have won numerous design awards including the AIA California Council's 2004 Architectural Design Merit Award, the Boston Society of Architects' 2004 Interior Architecture/Interior Design Honor Award, the Chicago Athenaeum 2004 American Architecture Award, the AIA 2004 Excellence in Sustainable Design Award, and the AIA COTE 2004 Top Ten Green Projects Award.[citation needed]

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PORTER

In 2004–06 the principal intersection, including the area adjacent to the shopping center, underwent extensive construction both to improve access for vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and mass transit users, and to improve drainage and storm water conditions. The artist Toshihiro Katayama[1] of Harvard University, in conjunction with the landscape architect Cynthia Smith,[2] designed a new visual look for the new circulation design, including contrasting light and dark concrete paving, stone walls and boulders.[3]

Porter Square is a neighborhood in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts in the USA, located around the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Somerville Avenue, between Harvard and Davis Squares.

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SOMERVILLE

Somerville's commercial property is not concentrated in a recognized downtown central business district but instead is spread over many different nodes or corridors of business activity. The difference in character ranges from the vibrant nightlife, live music and theaters of Davis Square to the large scale retail and highway access of Assembly Square. This spatial allocation is directly related to the early influence of rail and streetcar systems which caused economic activity to occur at stops. The other key factor in the creation of commercial squares is the area's topography. The numerous hills making up Somerville's landscape determined where road networks would allow neighborhood commercial development.[37]

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DAVIS SQUARE

At the heart of Davis Square is a complex, busy six-point intersection, built on the old railroad right-of-way. This plaza replaced a poorly defined open area containing at-grade parking spaces and debris. The plaza was designed to serve as the center of Davis Square, home to restaurants, shopping, bars and theaters.

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ASSEMBLY SQUARE

The area is home to Assembly Row, a 45 acres (180,000 m2) mixed-use, smart growth development that broke ground in April 2012. It includes premium retail outlets, restaurants, residential space, state-of-the-art office and research and development space, a 12-screen cinema and a 200-room hotel. The area is also home to the Assembly Station, an MBTA Orange Line mass transit station. Other amenities include a marina, revitalized waterfront park, bike paths and other green space.

Assembly Row's first stage of development was the Assembly Square Marketplace. Completed in 2006, the marketplace is a "power center" that comprises retail stores Christmas Tree Shops, A.C. Moore, Sports Authority, Staples, TJMaxx, Kmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond.[2]

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BROOKLINE

Throughout its history, Brookline has resisted being annexed by Boston, in particular during the Boston–Brookline annexation debate of 1873. The neighboring towns of West Roxbury and Hyde Park connected Brookline to the rest of Norfolk County until they were annexed by Boston in 1874 and 1912, respectively, putting them in Suffolk County. Brookline is now separated from the remainder of Norfolk County.

Brookline has long been regarded as a pleasant and verdant environment. In 1841 edition of the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Andrew Jackson Downing described the area this way:

“ The whole of this neighborhood of Brookline is a kind of landscape garden, and there is nothing in America of the sort, so inexpressibly charming as the lanes which lead from one cottage, or villa, to another. No animals are allowed to run at large, and the open gates, with tempting vistas and glimpses under the pendent boughs, give it quite an Arcadian air of rural freedom and enjoyment. These lanes are clothed with a profusion of trees and wild shrubbery, often almost to the carriage tracks, and curve and wind about, in a manner quite bewildering to the stranger who attempts to thread them alone; and there are more hints here for the lover of the picturesque in lanes than we ever saw assembled together in so small a compass.[18] "

Brookline residents were among the first in the country to propose extending the vote to women. Benjamin F. Butler, in his 1882 campaign for Governor, advocated the idea.[

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COOLIDGE CORNER

Coolidge Corner is a neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts, centered on the intersection of Beacon Street and Harvard Street. The neighborhood takes its name from the Coolidge brothers' general store that opened in 1857 at that intersection[1] at the site of today's S.S. Pierce building, which was for many years the only commercial business in north Brookline.[2]

Coolidge Corner developed as a transit-oriented streetcar suburb, and retains a pedestrian-friendly, walking around feel.[3] Many popular coffee shops, pharmacies, small independent boutiques, an independent bookstore, and ethnic restaurants are located there, as well as a few retail chain stores.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE

Washington Square features attractive brownstone buildings which line both Beacon Street, and the leafy side streets. The neighborhood is home to a number of eateries, many of which feature outdoor sidewalk terraces for drinking and dining. In recent years the number of award-winning restaurants has increased, making it a notable destination for interesting eats.

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BROOKLINE VILLAGE

Brookline Village was the first significant site, known as Muddy River, of colonial settlement in what is now Brookline, due to the crossing of the Muddy River, which provided overland access between Boston and Cambridge (then little more than a village at what is now Harvard Square). The village grew from this beginning to become Brookline's first major economic center. In the 19th century commercial activity was concentrated on Boylston, Washington, and Harvard Streets, and grew with the construction of what is now Brookline Avenue, and the arrival of the rail line that now serves the MBTA. The railroad's arrival spurred one of the earliest "streetcar suburb" residential subdivisions in the Linden Street area by Thomas Aspinwall Davis.

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CLEVELAND CIRCLE

Cleveland Circle is the commercial "town center" of Aberdeen, a residential area of apartment buildings and free-standing homes, populated primarily by working professionals of all ages, as well as seniors. The area also has student rentals inhabited primarily by students from nearby Boston College and Newbury College, but nevertheless, student renters are the smallest segment of the area's population. The sports bars of Cleveland Circle are a destination during Boston College games, and it ones of the more commutable parts of Brighton/Brookline, with access to 3 green lines and a connection to the red line.

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