Neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts

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Houses on Louisburg Square, Beacon Hill.
Houses on Louisburg Square, Beacon Hill.
Aerial view of the Back Bay and Cambridge
Aerial view of the Back Bay and Cambridge

Boston is sometimes called a "city of neighborhoods" because of the profusion of diverse subsections. The word "neighborhood" has no official meaning; different city agencies make different designations. Bostonians also have a variety of overlapping districts which they consider neighborhoods, squares, areas, etc. Boundaries established by the city's residential parking districts, the U.S. Postal Service, and a variety of overlapping neighborhood associations serve as unofficial anchors for the terms used in everyday commerce and conversation.

"Neighborhoods" exist on both large and small scales. Brighton (including Allston), Charlestown, Dorchester (including Mattapan), Hyde Park, Roxbury, South Boston, and West Roxbury (including Roslindale and Jamaica Plain), have all at some point been municipalities independent from downtown Boston, providing a source of well-defined boundaries for the largest areas. Neighborhood associations often form around much smaller communities, or around a commercial district (often with "Square" in the name, though few intersections in Boston are rectilinear) with a well-defined center but poorly defined extremities.

Boston's leveling and expansion by landfill has influenced the naming of certain neighborhoods, such as the Back Bay, South Cove, and Fort Point. The West End, North End, and South End are no longer at those geographic extremities, due to the annexation of surrounding communities.

Further information: History of Boston, Massachusetts

Contents

[edit] Overview

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Downtown Boston is the site of the financial district, Government Center, and Chinatown. The Back Bay, west of the Public Garden, is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States. Beacon Hill, another wealthy neighborhood, is the site of the Massachusetts State House. The Back Bay and Beacon Hill are home to national and local politicians, famous authors, and top business leaders and professionals.

The South End, south of the Back Bay, was once the home to a strong middle-class of merchants and seamen. It is now highly gentrified and is the center of the city's GLBT population. The neighborhood is also populated by artists and young professionals. According to the 2000 Census its population is 23% Black, 45% white, 16% Hispanic and 12% Asian. It is noted for its restaurant scene and for having the largest Victorian row house district in the country. The North End retains an Italian flavor with its many Italian restaurants, though many of its Italian families have moved out, while young professionals have moved in. The North End hosts many religious and cultural festivals.East Boston has a growing Hispanic and Brazilian population with a remnant of older Italians. On the north bank of the Charles River is Charlestown, a predominantly Irish enclave. Mission Hill, includes Parker Hill and its north slope, and is adjacent to the Longwood Medical district, full of world-class medical institutions.

Allston/Brighton is populated heavily by students from nearby Northeastern University, Boston University, and Boston College, as well as recent graduates.

In the south is Dorchester. Located next to Dorchester is South Boston, which is primarily home to Irish-Americans. Roxbury and Mattapan, located south of downtown, are populated largely by African Americans and Hispanics and Haitians. Other neighborhoods include: Bay Village, Jamaica Plain, Fenway/Kenmore, Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury.

[edit] List of neighborhoods, areas, and squares

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra/pdf/maps/sullivansquare.pdf
  2. ^ Boston schoolyard sites
  3. ^ Layout
  4. ^ Egleston Square Neighborhood Association

[edit] External links


Neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts

Allston/Brighton · Back Bay · Beacon Hill · Charlestown · Chinatown · Dorchester · Downtown Crossing · East Boston · Fenway-Kenmore · Government Center · Hyde Park · Jamaica Plain · Longwood · Mattapan · Mission Hill · North End · Roslindale · Roxbury · South Boston · South End · West End · West Roxbury
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