Roxbury

Stories that focus on news, information and events in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. This collection is part of WBUR's "Field Guide to Boston" project, which aims to help residents deepen connections to the city and their neighbors.

The author and her dog explore Franklin Park in the fall. (Courtesy Christina Ganim)

Franklin Park is a lovely place to get lost

So much of my life outside of this park requires a clear outcome: Navigate from point A to point B, get C done by D date, writes Christina Ganim. But...

Cognoscenti

Jul 3, 2024

The city of Boston's archaeological dig at 42-44 Shirley St. in Roxbury. (Courtesy city of Boston's Archaeology Department)

What former slave quarters in Roxbury could teach us about Boston's history

The city uncovered the remains of slave quarters on the grounds of the Shirley-Eustis House in Roxbury last year. The city archaeologist believes it one of the only known quarters...

Radio Boston

15:43Oct 23, 2023

Tell us: What beloved Boston haunts do you want to share with your neighbors?

As part of WBUR's "Field Guide to Boston" project, we interviewed dozens of residents across 20 Boston communities to get insights into their favorite neighborhood spots. Now it's your turn...

Local Coverage

Sep 11, 2023

A classroom in Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

More Boston Public School buildings will start the year with air conditioning

Boston Public School officials say they've installed roughly 3,800 window AC units at nearly 80 schools over the last two years as part of a $7 million project to keep...

Education

Sep 5, 2023

Artwork at the zebra entrance to Franklin Park Zoo in Roxbury. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Roxbury: A Boston neighborhood guide

Long considered the heart of Black Boston, Roxbury is a diverse and rapidly evolving neighborhood.

Local Coverage

Sep 1, 2023

Nael Nacer as Macduff, with Daniel Rios Jr. as Ross and Marianna Bassham as Malcolm. (Courtesy Nile Scott Studios)

5 things to do this weekend, including 'Macbeth' on the Common and the Roxbury Poetry Festival

Plus, an open rehearsal with the BSO and astronomy night in Arlington.

Arts & Culture

Aug 3, 2023

Students who participated in the UMass Boston Summer Program in Urban Planning following a presentation. Credit: Emily Piper-Vallillo

Young urban planners: Boston students study solutions to extreme temps in city ‘heat islands’

The program, now in its second year, has students interviewing residents and exploring heat mitigation solutions in communities like Roxbury, where temperatures can soar 10 degrees above average than elsewhere...

Education

Jul 31, 2023

Roxbury rapper Oompa (Karin Dailey/Courtesy)

Roxbury's Oompa on her evolution as an artist and a human

We get to know Roxbury rapper Oompa, from her evolution as a person and her pursuit of national stardom, to what she wants from the city of Boston to better...

Radio Boston

24:30Jul 7, 2023

Still from “Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn.” (Courtesy Roxbury International Film Festival)

25th Roxbury International Film Festival spotlights the city's overshadowed sides

Critic Sean Burns says RoxFilm's nine days of screenings, panels and music brings audiences more than the the "pop cultural fascination with Irish gangster movies and tiresome townie caricatures" they've...

Arts & Culture

Jun 20, 2023

A woman walks her dog along the Commoweath Avenue Mall in Back Bay. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Back Bay to Nubian Square: 2 miles and a 23-year life expectancy gap

A startling analysis from the Boston Public Health Commission shows the longest average life expectancy in Boston is nearly 92 years, for residents in a section of the Back Bay....

Health

05:32May 11, 2023

Finch Cambridge is a 98-unit affordable housing development. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Affordable housing in Boston is complicated. Roxbury shows us why

Plus celebrating 100 years of the Mambo Kings with Berklee College of Music.

Radio Boston

32:11Apr 4, 2023

Malcolm X's life and legacy in Roxbury, and what that means for Boston

We learn about Malcolm X's history and life in Roxbury, and why that legacy isn't more widely known.

Radio Boston

16:31Mar 23, 2023

A pedestrian crosses the street at the entrance to Chinatown, April 24, 2020, in Boston. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

My daily walk through Boston’s suffering and wealth

I never realized how much segregation continues to shape Boston, not just geographically but medically, measured in health inequities and life expectancies, writes Joshua Budhu.

Cognoscenti

Nov 3, 2022