NEIGHBORHOODS > BACK BAY
In Style
It's the great American success story: rising from the humblest of
beginnings to achieve prestige and greatness. As such, Boston's chic Back Bay
may well be the ultimate American neighborhood-classically beautiful brownstone
residences, paired with block after block of high-end, glamorous retail space,
on a stretch of land that was once a fetid marsh.
Between 1857 and 1882, what we know as today's Back Bay was a tidewater flat
for the Charles River. Gradually it was filled in, the largest part of a
project that would more than double the size of the city. Once the swamp was
gone, architect Arthur Gilman drew up the plans to build a largely uniform
series of three- and four-story brownstones.
 Real estate is pricey in this highly desired neighborhood-bordered on the north
by the Charles River, Arlington Street to Park Square on the east, Columbus
Avenue to Huntington Avenue, Dalton Street and the Massachusetts Turnpike on
the south, and Charlesgate East on the west-and it's easy to understand why
when one strolls past the gorgeous old brick buildings, amply shaded by trees,
and within short walking distance of picturesque Boston Common and the Public
Garden. Another prominent feature is the alphabetical cross streets, which
intersect the main residential thouroughfares of Beacon Street, Marlborough
Street and Commonwealth Avenue, as well as the commercial boulevards of Newbury
and Boylston streets.
The Back Bay draws a high number of visitors because of Newbury Street, which
has been referred to as "the East Coast's own Rodeo Drive." If you're itching
to rev up the charge cards, and names like Gucci, Cartier, Chanel and DKNY get
your heart racing, then this is the place for you. Once your shopping is
complete (or you just need to rest and reload), the street also boasts ice
cream shops like JP Licks and Ben and Jerry's, and fashionable restaurants and
bars like Sonsie, Stephanie's on Newbury and Ciao Bella, great for outdoor
dining.
The Back Bay is also home to some of Boston's architectural standouts-from the
classic beauty of Trinity Church (built in 1877) and the Boston Public Library,
to Boston's largest and most impressive modern skyscrapers, the 62-story John
Hancock Tower and the Prudential Center, which houses offices, restaurants and
shops.
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