The 10 best neighborhoods in Boston
Boston is a city of neighborhoods, each with a main street, a set of parks and a train line that shape daily life. This list covers ten of them, all inside the city limits, for people deciding where to live, where to stay or where to spend a Saturday. More guides and listings are on the Boston page.
The list favors neighborhoods with a walkable business district, public green space and rail service. No rents or home prices appear below, because those figures change monthly and vary block by block. Most of what is described here, including the parks, the beaches and the Arnold Arboretum, is free to visit.
How we chose
The list is alphabetical, not ranked. Each neighborhood has its own page on the City of Boston website, at least one confirmed MBTA rail station in or beside it, a business district residents use and public parks or waterfront. Facts come from the city, the MBTA, the state parks department and neighborhood organizations. Boston has more than ten neighborhoods that meet these tests, and leaving one out is not a judgment against it.
Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.
Back Bay
Back Bay sits on land that was tidal flats until the mid-19th century, when filling produced more than 450 acres by the 1880s, according to the Boston Landmarks Commission. The street grid that followed runs west from the Public Garden, and the row houses change style block by block as the fill advanced. Newbury Street, Boylston Street and Commonwealth Avenue are the main streets for shops, restaurants and walking. The Boston Public Library and Trinity Church face each other across Copley Square, with the Prudential Center a few blocks west. Exterior changes to buildings here go through a city design review, a point for anyone planning to buy and renovate.
Hours: Served by the Green Line at Arlington, Copley, Hynes Convention Center and Prudential, and by the Orange Line and commuter rail at Back Bay station, 145 Dartmouth Street.
Address: Between the Public Garden and Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02116
Why they made the list
- The Back Bay Architectural District was established in 1966 and expanded in 1974, 1979 and 1981, according to the City of Boston.
- Commercial development began on Boylston Street around 1880 and reached Newbury Street in the early 20th century, the Landmarks Commission says.
- Four Green Line stations and one Orange Line station put most addresses within a short walk of a train.
- The Back Bay Architectural District Commission meets on the second Wednesday of each month to review exterior changes.
Beacon Hill
Brick row houses, brick sidewalks and gas lamps line the narrow streets of Beacon Hill, a neighborhood of about one square mile bounded by Beacon Street, Bowdoin Street, Cambridge Street and Storrow Drive. The Massachusetts State House stands at the top, and the Boston African American National Historic Site is on the north slope. Charles Street is the commercial strip, with antique shops, restaurants and small businesses on the flat ground near the river. The city says the name comes from a warning beacon that once stood on the summit. Sidewalks are steep and uneven in places, so flat shoes are the practical choice for a walk here.
Hours: Served by the Red Line at Charles/MGH, the Red and Green lines at Park Street, and the Blue Line at Bowdoin.
Address: Between Beacon Street and Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02108
Why they made the list
- The Historic Beacon Hill District was established in 1955 and expanded in 1958, 1963, 1975 and 2024, according to the City of Boston.
- Past residents named by the city include Louisa May Alcott, Robert Frost and Sylvia Plath.
- The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission meets on the third Thursday of each month to review exterior alterations.
- Three subway lines stop at the edges of the neighborhood.
Charlestown
Charlestown occupies the north side of the city, between Boston Harbor and the Mystic River. Visitors come for the Bunker Hill Monument at Monument Square and the USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, both stops on the Freedom Trail. Residents use Main Street and City Square for shops and restaurants, and the city lists more than a dozen parks and memorials, including Paul Revere Park on Constitution Road and Thomas Menino Park on 16th Street. The Clougherty Pool on Bunker Hill Street opens in summer only. A ferry between the Navy Yard and Long Wharf is an alternative to the Orange Line for a trip downtown.
Hours: Served by the Orange Line at Community College and Sullivan Square, and by the MBTA ferry between the Charlestown Navy Yard (Pier 4) and Long Wharf.
Address: North of downtown across the Charles River, Charlestown, MA 02129
Why they made the list
- The City of Boston describes the USS Constitution as the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.
- The city’s neighborhood page lists tennis courts in the Navy Yard, a community garden and art shows at the Stove Factory.
- The Charlestown Working Theater is at 442 Bunker Hill Street.
- More than 15 resident groups, from the Charlestown Preservation Society to park friends groups, are listed as neighborhood stakeholders by the city.
Dorchester
Dorchester is the largest neighborhood in Boston, according to the City of Boston, and one of the most mixed, with long-time residents alongside newer arrivals from Vietnam, Cape Verde and Ireland. Fields Corner is the center of the Vietnamese community, and Dorchester Avenue is the main business street, lined with restaurants, pharmacies and small shops. Franklin Park, which has a zoo and a public golf course, is on the western side. Pope John Paul II Park has walking and bike paths, athletic fields and picnic areas along the Neponset River. Distances are long here, so pick one district, such as Fields Corner, Savin Hill or Ashmont, per visit.
Hours: Served by the Red Line at JFK/UMass, Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut and Ashmont, and by the Fairmount commuter rail line at Uphams Corner, Four Corners/Geneva and Talbot Avenue.
Address: South of downtown along Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA 02121, 02122, 02124 and 02125
Why they made the list
- Franklin Park has more than 527 acres of green space, according to the City of Boston.
- The city says Fields Corner is home to the first Vietnamese community center in the country.
- Five Red Line stations and three Fairmount Line stations serve the neighborhood.
- Main Streets organizations work in Fields Corner, Bowdoin Geneva, Four Corners, Grove Hall and Uphams Corner.
East Boston
East Boston looks back at the downtown skyline from the far side of Boston Harbor. Once a shipbuilding center, the neighborhood has long been a first stop for immigrants, and the city describes the current population as largely Italian American, Central and South American, and Southeast Asian. That mix shows in the restaurants, the city notes. Housing is a combination of older and newer buildings, including many restored triple-deckers. A greenway now links residential streets to the beach. Logan Airport takes up a large share of the land, so aircraft noise is a fact of life on some blocks and worth checking before signing a lease.
Hours: Served by the Blue Line at Maverick, Airport, Wood Island, Orient Heights and Suffolk Downs.
Address: Across Boston Harbor from downtown, East Boston, MA 02128
Why they made the list
- The City of Boston says East Boston has the first branch library in the nation, built in 1870.
- Five Blue Line stations are inside the neighborhood, three of them on Bennington Street.
- The city publishes a progress report on public investments in East Boston, in English and Spanish.
- East Boston Main Streets supports the neighborhood business districts.
Jamaica Plain
Locals shorten Jamaica Plain to JP. The former streetcar suburb is ringed by Emerald Necklace parkland: Jamaica Pond, Franklin Park and the Arnold Arboretum, where admission is free and the grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Centre Street carries most of the shops and restaurants, running from Hyde Square and Jackson Square, the area the city calls the Latin Quarter, down to the Centre and South district. The Footlight Club at 7A Eliot Street has staged plays every year since 1877, by the city’s account. The Loring-Greenough House at 12 South Street has volunteer-led tours on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., April through December.
Hours: Served by the Orange Line at Jackson Square, Stony Brook, Green Street and Forest Hills, and by the Green Line E branch at Heath Street and Back of the Hill.
Address: Southwest of downtown along Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Why they made the list
- The Arnold Arboretum covers 281 acres at 125 Arborway and keeps a visitor center open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, according to the Arboretum.
- Forest Hills Cemetery, designed in 1848, is a 275-acre cemetery, arboretum and sculpture garden at 95 Forest Hills Avenue, the city says.
- Four Orange Line stations run the length of the neighborhood.
- The city lists a Latino community, young families, seniors and a growing LGBTQ community among residents.
North End
Narrow streets and a long Italian American presence define the North End, which the City of Boston counts among the most visited neighborhoods in the city. Restaurants and cafes fill the blocks around Salem Street and North Square. Three Freedom Trail sites are here: Old North Church at 193 Salem Street, the Paul Revere House at 19 North Square and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground on Hull Street. On the waterfront side are baseball fields, a skating rink and the Mirabella Pool, an outdoor city pool that opens in summer. Parking is scarce, and arriving by train and walking in from Haymarket is the simpler plan.
Hours: Nearest stations are Haymarket (Orange and Green lines), North Station (Orange and Green lines, commuter rail) and Aquarium (Blue Line), all at the edge of the neighborhood.
Address: Between the Rose Kennedy Greenway and the harbor, Boston, MA 02113
Why they made the list
- Old North Church, the Paul Revere House and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground are all within a few blocks of each other.
- The Mirabella Pool is one of two outdoor swimming facilities run by Boston Centers for Youth and Families, according to the city.
- Three subway lines stop within a short walk.
- The city describes the North End as a center of the Italian American community in Boston.
Roslindale
Roslindale was once called the garden suburb of Boston, the city says, and the neighborhood still has more yards and trees than most of the city. Roslindale Village, around Adams Park, is the business district, with independent shops and restaurants. Roslindale Village Main Street runs a Saturday farmers market in the park that typically starts the first Saturday in June and continues until just before Thanksgiving. A winter market at 10 Birch Street generally runs from early January through March. The Arnold Arboretum lies along the northern edge of the neighborhood. The commuter rail stop is in the village itself, and trains go to Back Bay and South Station.
Hours: Served by the Needham commuter rail line at Roslindale Village, 1 Belgrade Avenue. The nearest Orange Line station is Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain.
Address: Southwest Boston around Roslindale Village, Roslindale, MA 02131
Why they made the list
- The summer farmers market has about 30 vendors and 3,000 customers a week, according to Roslindale Village Main Street.
- The market accepts SNAP and EBT, the organization says.
- Free parking for the market is in the municipal lot on Taft Hill Terrace, off South Street.
- The City of Boston calls Roslindale Village the original Main Street district.
South Boston
George Washington’s army placed cannon on Dorchester Heights in South Boston in 1776 to force British troops out of the city, and the hilltop is now a national park site. The neighborhood later became largely working class, with jobs on the waterfront and in factories such as Gillette. Today the city calls South Boston a highly desirable place to live. The eastern end has a string of public beaches along Day Boulevard, ending at Castle Island and Fort Independence, where the state park is open from sunrise to sunset. Medal of Honor Park on Broadway has two playgrounds and playing fields. Broadway is the main commercial street.
Hours: Served by the Red Line at Broadway and Andrew, both on Dorchester Avenue.
Address: Southeast of downtown along Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127
Why they made the list
- Castle Island has a free parking lot near Fort Independence, picnic areas where grilling is allowed and a playground, according to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
- The city runs three community centers in South Boston: the Curley, the Tynan and the Condon.
- Medal of Honor Park holds what the City of Boston calls the first Vietnam War memorial in the nation.
- The Fort Point Channel Historic District, home to many working artists, is part of South Boston.
South End
Victorian brownstones on Tremont Street, Columbus Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue give the South End a consistent look that the city protects as a landmark district. Tremont Street has the densest run of restaurants, and Shawmut Avenue is a tree-lined street of boutiques and places to eat. On Harrison Avenue, the SoWa Open Market sets up on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the city; confirm the season before going. The City of Boston counts nearly 30 parks here, among them Blackstone and Franklin squares. Residents include young professionals, families and a large gay and lesbian community. Downtown and Back Bay are both a short walk away.
Hours: Served by the Orange Line at Back Bay and Massachusetts Avenue, and by Silver Line buses on Washington Street.
Address: Between Back Bay and Massachusetts Avenue, south of the Massachusetts Turnpike, Boston, MA 02118
Why they made the list
- The South End Landmark District was designated in 1983, according to the City of Boston.
- The South End Landmark District Commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month to review proposals.
- Washington Gateway Main Streets supports small businesses in the neighborhood.
- Silver Line stops on Washington Street include East Berkeley Street, Union Park Street and West Newton Street.
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