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Good eats, local vibes: Explore 20 Boston neighborhoods

(Midoriko Grace Abe for WBUR)
(Midoriko Grace Abe for WBUR)

Boston's not so big.

At just over 48 square miles, the city's footprint is small compared to other major American cities. And population-wise, Boston barely cracks the top 25 largest cities in the U.S.

But go even smaller and you unlock something huge: Boston's neighborhoods are the cultural dynamos that give this city verve and character beyond the hackneyed tropes you see in movies. When you step away from the tourist traps and downtown T stops, you'll discover the world writ small in the squares, parks and main streets that anchor all of these communities within the city.

WBUR reporters spoke with more than 100 Bostonians about where they live — what they love, what they dislike and why they call it home. Turns out, people generally like their corner of the city, but they aren't afraid to express what they wish was better, especially the tension between investment in the area and gentrification. Some folks were quoted directly in these guides; others offered tips and hints about the great places to eat, chill and play in their neighborhood.

They’re a great place to experience the city anew, and an important resource if you just got to town. And, if you are new, be sure to check out our Newcomer’s Field Guide to Boston newsletter.


→ Allston

A mother and her daughter walk past the “Greetings from Allston Village” mural on Farrington Street. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A mother and her daughter walk past the “Greetings from Allston Village” mural on Farrington Street. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

The most college-y part of a college town, Allston is a neighborhood that caters to an ever-changing youth culture.

Explore Allston


→ Back Bay

Pictured are Back Bay brownstones and 200 Clarendon Street, previously the John Hancock Tower. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Pictured are Back Bay brownstones and 200 Clarendon Street, previously the John Hancock Tower. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Walk among the stately stone townhouses in the Back Bay and you might sense a timelessness that recalls the mercantile, seafaring behemoth of old Boston. But timeless this quarter is not.

Explore Back Bay


→ Beacon Hill

The dome of the Massachusetts State House peeks over the other buildings on Beacon Hill. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The dome of the Massachusetts State House peeks over the other buildings on Beacon Hill. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Beacon Hill, the city's oldest historic district, gets a lot of attention for its picture-book charm: narrow streets lined by pre-revolutionary homes, redbrick sidewalks and thousands of lamps that, at night, give the neighborhood a romantic glow.

Explore Beacon Hill


→ Brighton

A Green Line MBTA train makes its way along Commonwealth Ave. in Brighton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
A Green Line MBTA train makes its way along Commonwealth Ave. in Brighton. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The slightly more chilled-out sibling to nearby Allston, Brighton is known as a popular hangout for indie rockers and the college set, but is also home to young professionals and Chinese, Russian and Brazilian communities.

Explore Brighton


→ Charlestown

The Bunker Hill Monument, seen from Monument Avenue in Charlestown. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
The Bunker Hill Monument, seen from Monument Avenue in Charlestown. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Charlestown is one of the city's sweet spots if you dig that lamp-lit, cobblestone historical vibe. Once a bastion of Irish-American immigrants, it's now one of the pricier places to buy a house in Boston.

Explore Charlestown


→ Chinatown

The Chinatown Gate on Beach Street in Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
The Chinatown Gate on Beach Street in Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Small in square acreage but packed with restaurants and shops, Chinatown is home to a long-rooted immigrant community and is a hub for Asian food and culture in Boston.

Explore Chinatown


→ Dorchester

A man crosses a bustling Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner at midday. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A man crosses a bustling Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner at midday. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Dorchester is by far Boston's largest and most populous community. But Dot, as it's known to locals, is hard to define as a singular neighborhood: rather, it's a cluster of villages covering six square miles that's home to a fifth of Bostonians.

Explore Dorchester


→ East Boston

Piers Park in East Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Piers Park in East Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Surrounded by water and New England's biggest airport, East Boston sits directly across the harbor from downtown — a mix of single- and multi-family homes that evoke an older Boston, alongside a shoreline studded with modern apartment buildings.

Explore East Boston


→ Fenway-Kenmore

Richard Malkasian sits and relaxes in his garden plot, 36 years in the making, at the Fenway Victory Gardens. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Richard Malkasian sits and relaxes in his garden plot, 36 years in the making, at the Fenway Victory Gardens. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

When you hear the word “Fenway,” Big Papi and Ted Williams may come to mind. For baseball fans, what better place is there than the home of the nation’s oldest ballpark? But Fenway Park is just one attraction in the neighborhood.

Explore Fenway-Kenmore


→ Hyde Park

The clock and the old Hyde Park Municipal Building in Logan Square. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The clock and the old Hyde Park Municipal Building in Logan Square. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Thanks to its quiet residential streets lined with single-family homes, Hyde Park is known affectionately by residents as “a small town in the city.”

Explore Hyde Park


→ Jamaica Plain

17 Cranston St. in Jamaica Plain is noted as "a unique and flamboyant wood-frame residence" built in 1871, according to the National Register of Historic Places. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
17 Cranston St. in Jamaica Plain is noted as "a unique and flamboyant wood-frame residence" built in 1871, according to the National Register of Historic Places. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Known for its iconic green spaces, vibrant LGBTQ scene and Latin Quarter, Jamaica Plain is a diverse neighborhood with a history of progressive activism that now sees its inclusive identity imperiled by gentrification.

Explore Jamaica Plain


→ Mattapan

A woman runs to catch the trolley at the MBTA Mattapan Station. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A woman runs to catch the trolley at the MBTA Mattapan Station. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Residents describe Mattapan as a center of Black life in Boston influenced by the many Caribbean immigrants who live here. A residential neighborhood in the south part of the city, it's been largely untouched by the kind of development changing the face of so much of Boston.

Explore Mattapan


→ Mission Hill

The spires of Boston's Basilica seen from Harleston Street in Mission Hill. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
The spires of Boston's Basilica seen from Harleston Street in Mission Hill. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Just three-quarters of a square mile in area, Mission Hill is nonetheless a massive collegiate hub. Centrally located by several schools, it offers a laid-back atmosphere, mix of restaurants, T stop and entertainment options.

Explore Mission Hill


→ North End

A tour group learns about the sites around North Square Park in the North End. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A tour group learns about the sites around North Square Park in the North End. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

With its Italian flavor and massive summer festivals squeezed into narrow streets lined with cafes and restaurants, the North End is often called a little slice of Europe in Boston. It's also one of the oldest parts of the city, filled with historic stops like the Old North Church and Paul Revere's house.

Explore the North End


→ Roslindale

"Greetings from Roslindale, Massachusetts" is painted on the storefront of Distraction Brewing in Roslindale. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
"Greetings from Roslindale, Massachusetts" is painted on the storefront of Distraction Brewing in Roslindale. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A residential locality on the southwest end of Boston, Roslindale is a diverse neighborhood with access to some of the city’s most stunning green spaces.

Explore Roslindale


→ Roxbury

"Eternal Presence" by John Woodrow Wilson at the National Center of Afro-American Artists on Walnut Avenue in Roxbury. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
"Eternal Presence" by John Woodrow Wilson at the National Center of Afro-American Artists on Walnut Avenue in Roxbury. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Long considered the heart of Black Boston, Roxbury is a diverse and rapidly evolving neighborhood. It's tight-knit, community-oriented and still home to many longtime residents who cherish the local history.

Explore Roxbury


→ Seaport

The multi-colored deer sculpture by Okuda San Miguel, which represents the wild creatures of the animal kingdom on Seaport Boulevard, stands among the tall glass buildings of the Seaport. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The multi-colored deer sculpture by Okuda San Miguel, which represents the wild creatures of the animal kingdom on Seaport Boulevard, stands among the tall glass buildings of the Seaport. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Once upon a time not too long ago, the Seaport was a sprawl of empty lots, abandoned wharfs and industrial spaces. It's since been transformed into a hub of luxury apartments, tech offices and swanky restaurants. Eateries, outdoor markets and pop-up shops move in and out, giving residents and visitors something new to discover every few months.

Explore the Seaport


→ South Boston

The view of the Boston skyline from Dorchester Heights in South Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The view of the Boston skyline from Dorchester Heights in South Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Long associated with Boston’s Irish immigrant community, South Boston, aka "Southie," is a bar-hopping destination for the college crowd, a short walk from the beach and an increasingly pricey home base for Boston’s young professionals.

Explore South Boston


→ South End

A man sits in the shade outside the South End Buttery on Shawmut Avenue in Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
A man sits in the shade outside the South End Buttery on Shawmut Avenue in Boston. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The South End is a diverse neighborhood with quaint townhouses covered in ivy and a fine dining scene untarnished by tourist attractions. And no, it's not "Southie."

Explore the South End


→ West Roxbury

The Rivermoor Urban Wilds along the Charles River in West Roxbury. The City of Boston’s Urban Wilds Initiative seeks to protect the city's publicly-owned urban wilds for Boston residents to enjoy. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The Rivermoor Urban Wilds along the Charles River in West Roxbury. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A pocket of suburbia on the southwestern edge of the city, West Roxbury is an area historically favored by Irish-Americans that's long attracted young families for its (relatively) affordable single-family homes.

Explore West Roxbury


This is all just a start; there are dozens of neighborhoods within these neighborhoods, and others like Bay Village, Downtown, Longwood and the West End that are tiny geographically but mighty in their own ways. The key is to keep exploring to meet new people and find new favorite places.

And if you live somewhere we haven't mentioned, or want to join your neighbors in sharing thoughts about your community, we'd love to hear from you.


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