American Association of Law Libraries
2004 Annual Meeting, July 10-14
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Neighborhoods & Other Notable Places

Boston is truly a walking city and most of its diverse neighborhoods are a short subway ride from the convention center area. To maximize your exploration time, we have arranged neighborhoods by subway lines. Take a look at Starting your Visit for tips on where to get maps and information about Boston.

Neighborhoods: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brookline, Cambridge/Harvard Square, Charlestown, Chinatown/Theater District, Fenway/Kenmore Square, Financial District/Downtown, Jamaica Plain, North End, Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall, South Boston, South End, Waterfront

NOTE: Massachusetts uses 10 digit dialing. All phone numbers are in the 617 area code unless otherwise stated.

Starting your Visit:

Boston Common Visitor Information Center
Address: 147 Tremont St. (T: Park Street, Green line)
Phone: 536-4100 OR 1-888-733-2678

When you exit Park Street Station, the visitor center is behind the station past the large fountain. You can pick up a wealth of brochures, and find helpful Boston experts to answer any questions. There are clean restrooms and changing tables available at the Visitor Information Center.

Do pick up a good map of Boston with a map of the MBTA. You can also purchase an MBTA visitor's pass for one day ($7.50), three days ($18) or seven days ($35). This is a real bargain if you plan to spend a lot of time navigating Boston by public transportation.

The Park Street (Green line) and Downtown Crossing (Red line) subway stops are located centrally and you can get to most areas of Boston from here.

Public Restrooms: Boston has them but they are somewhat hidden. Very few T stations have restrooms for riders. Stick to the nicer hotels, restaurants and stores. You can actually find bathroom ratings online.

Convention Center Area

Back Bay

Until the 1850s, Boston was situated on a narrow peninsula surrounded by marshes. Back Bay was filled in by 1880 and its elegant boulevards and stately homes grace Commonwealth Ave., Marlborough and Beacon Streets. The Back Bay is one of the only parts of Boston where streets are laid out in an orderly manner with the north/south streets running in alphabetical order from Arlington-Hereford. Boylston Street is the commercial boulevard and Newbury Street with its brownstones and designer shops retains the charm of old Boston.

South End

One of Boston’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods, the South End with its Victorian brownstones, vibrant streetlife and great selection of restaurants is now one of the hottest places to live in the city. Attracting many artists, architects, writers and musicians, many of Boston's gay residents have settled here as well. The Southwest Corridor Park is a great stroll. As you walk admiring the architecture, note that this neighborhood is the largest Victorian row-house district in the U.S. and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This diverse neighborhood is home to the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA), Boston Ballet, and many artist studios and lofts. It has become a mecca for the some of the best restaurants in Boston. The South End is not to be confused with South Boston (another great historical neighbor in Boston). The South End is a very short walk from the convention center and an excellent place to window shop or walk in the handsome Squares (Union Park is one of the nicest, Blackstone is pretty too) or to just get a feeling for how Boston's city dwellers live. Take in the brunch scene on Sunday morning - you will enjoy.

Green line, Inbound

Beacon Hill (T: Park Street OR Charles/MGH, Red line)

Wear your comfortable walking shoes as Beacon Hill lives up to its name. Filled with cobble-stoned streets, stately elms and gas lanterns, you will feel like you've gone back to Federal times as you stroll. Lovely red brick townhouses, many designed by Charles Bullfinch, line the narrow streets. Beacon Hill used to be even higher before part of it was used to fill in Back Bay. Louisburg Square, off Mt. Vernon Street, is one of Boston's most desirable addresses. The Massachusetts State House with its gold dome crowns the top of the hill and has tours available. The Boston Athenaeum, a block from the State House, 10 Beacon St., is a wonderful library and historic building. Try and plan a tour while you're here. The Nichols House Museum, Harrison Gray Otis House, African Meeting House and other house museums are available for touring, but it's best to just stroll along the street looking for purple windowpanes, rooftop gardens, ornate door knockers and boot scrapers as you walk. Charles Street, which lines the bottom of the west side of the Hill, is filled with antique stores, gift shops and some great restaurants.

Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall (T: Government Center or Haymarket)

While traveling along the Freedom Trail, be sure to visit Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall. Faneuil Hall (pronounced "Fan-yu-el" or "Fanuhl" if you're a native), the historic Great Hall, is named for Peter Faneuil. Organizers of the Boston Tea Party met here before moving to larger quarters. Quincy ("Quinzy") Market is the retail area in and surrounding Faneuil Hall. You can find food stands with a wide variety of foods from subs to sushi, chowder to cheeseburgers, pizza to roll-ups to feed any palate. Grab a table or bench outside and enjoy people-watching. You can always find a great magician, juggler, clown or musician among the street performers. Call the events line (523-1300) to get a list of events and street performers the day you plan to visit.

North End (T: Haymarket)

Take the Green line to Haymarket to visit this great neighborhood. Boston's Italian neighborhood is filled with great restaurants, some of Boston's oldest historic churches and Paul Revere's house. You can walk to the North End from Quincy Market or from Charlestown since it's right across the bridge. Or take the orange line from Downtown Crossing to Haymarket. At some point, you will have to cross under the highway or across some busy streets so watch the signs and follow your nose! The North End is best navigated on foot. Most streets have resident parking only and open spaces are virtually non-existent, so take the T.

Charlestown (T: Haymarket)

If you’re already in the North End, you can easily access Charlestown by walking down Hanover Street, turn right on Prince Street and walk to the end. You'll come out on Commercial Street and can see the USS Constitution ahead of you. Cross the N. Washington Street (Charlestown Bridge).

To get back from Charlestown, take the T from Community College (Orange line) to Back Bay Station. Or take the City Water Taxi from Pier 4. You must call to summon the taxi at 422-0392 and fares are $10 per person. There are a number of stops on Boston Harbor so check out the map on their website. Tickets are sold on board.

Green Line, Outbound

Brookline (T: Various stops along the Green line, C trains)

Brookline, a separate city, is surrounded by Boston on 3 sides and easily accessible by the green line. Home to many Jewish and Russian residents, as well as students, you can find wonderful bagels, Jewish delis, and Judaica shops along Harvard Street. Coolidge Corner at the intersection of Beacon and Harvard Streets has many interesting gift and clothing shops. The Coolidge Corner Movie House, a restored old theater plays many great old American and foreign movies. Check out their summer schedule while you’re here. Home to many Jewish and Russian residents, as well as students, you can find wonderful bagels, Jewish delis, and Judaica shops along Harvard Street between Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street. Brookline is also home to JFK’s birthplace and boyhood home on 83 Beals Street, not far from Coolidge Corner. Tours are available Wednesday through Sunday at this National Historic Site.

Fenway/Kenmore Square (T: Kenmore)

Home to the well-loved Fenway Park, multiple colleges, parks, hospitals and art museums, this neighborhood is a short walk from the Convention Center. The Red Sox will be in town during the Convention and there are tours if you've got a hankering to see the "green monster" other than when you're sitting in the stands. The Museum of Fine Arts on Huntington Avenue is worth a day trip all by itself. The collections are numerous including European paintings, tapestries, Egyptian and Near East Art, Japanese collections, modern art, and many other collections.

For a smaller museum sure to please, check out the Venetian style palazzo of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (280 The Fenway). In addition to the eclectic collection, it's worth a visit just to gaze at the lovely garden in the courtyard. "Mrs. Jack" as Isabella was known, displays her collection of Titian, Manet, Botticell, Whistler, and others in a variety of themed galleries. Right next door is Simmons College the alma mater of many local law librarians. Also in the neighborhood is Northeastern University School of Law (400 Huntington Ave). The Back Bay Fens is a link of Frederic Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace of Boston parks and a lovely place for a stroll.

Kenmore Square is home of the historic Citgo sign and caters to local students. Along Brookline Avenue and Landsdowne Street, there are many bars, restaurants, brew pubs and dance clubs catering to Fenway patrons as well as those looking for a fun night out. Jillian's Billiards Club (145 Ipswich St. at Landsdowne St.) has darts, shuffleboard, batting cages, widescreen TV's as well as pool. Much of Boston University is along Commonwealth Ave. with the School of Law located at 765 Commonwealth Ave. A walk along the charming Bay State Road brings you right to the law school.

Red Line, North of Park Street Station

Cambridge/Harvard Square (T: Kendall, Central, or Harvard)

While Cambridge is only across the Charles River from Boston, there's a totally different feeling here. Known for its liberal politics and nicknamed locally as "the democratic republic of Cambridge", here you can find just about every ethnic group as well as restaurants, shops and bookstores from every nationality. Also home to Harvard, MIT and with Tufts right next door in Somerville, there’s a decidedly young feel to the town.

If Boston had a Greenwich Village, Harvard Square would be it. There's plenty of history here as well as beautiful parks, historic homes and great bookstores. Do not bring a car to Harvard Square since you will spend your time driving around in circles on confusing one way streets. Take the Red Line to Harvard and you will be centrally located to visit Harvard, shop in the Square or visit the museums. Hop on the Red Line at Park Street and you’ll cross over the Charles River above ground and can get great views of both Boston and Cambridge. Home to Harvard University, you can stroll on the ivy covered Harvard Yard or shop for a Harvard sweatshirt or hat across the street at the Harvard Coop.

Red Line, South of Park Street Station

Financial District (Old Boston) (T: Downtown Crossing)

Probably Boston's busiest neighborhood, this is the place to go for shopping and to visit the Freedom Trail. Downtown Crossing, home of the famous Filene's Basement and Macy's Department Store as well as many pushcarts and well-known stores such as Barnes and Noble and The Gap, line the streets. Summer brings many outdoor performers and you can usually catch a good show at lunch time. At the Boston Jewelry Exchange (333 Washington St.), you can find bargains at many family owned jewelry stores in a very low key setting.

Many historical Freedom Trail stops such as the Old State House, Old City Hall and the Old South Meeting House can be found here side-by-side with glass skyscrapers. The beautiful Custom House Tower at 3 McKinley Square on State Street (the smaller skyscraper with the lovely clock tower) is now a hotel and can be visited at 10 am and 4 pm most days for a great view of Boston. Home to many banks, businesses and law firms, from Colonial times until the present, much of Boston's business is conducted on the same streets. Choate Hall Stewart and Goodwin Procter (both at 53 State Street), Hale and Dorr (60 State Street), Nutter McClennen & Fish and Ropes & Gray (both at 1 International Place) and many other Boston law firms have offices nearby.

Waterfront (T: South Station)

Gazing through the arch at the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes' Wharf, you can get a great view of harbor. A lot of the harbor views are unfortunately obscured by tall buildings and the Central Artery, which should hopefully be mostly underground by the time of your visit. In addition to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, filled with great shops and pushcarts, you can also visit the New England Aquarium and see the view from the Custom House Tower (at 10 and 4). Waterfront Park is a good spot for a picnic. At Fish Pier, you can visit two genuinely great fish restaurants at the No-Name or the Barking Crab. Many boat tours of the Harbor and Harbor Islands leave from various points along the harbor. A cruise to George's Island for a picnic is a great afternoon jaunt. The Boston Children's Museum and Old Ironsides can also be found close to the waterfront area. If you are looking for fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and cheese and Boston pushcart vendors with a fresh attitude, visit Haymarket near Faneuil Hall on Friday or Saturday along Blackstone Street. You can get the juiciest tomatoes you've ever tasted, but don't even think about handling the merchandise!

South Boston (T: Broadway)

Home to a lot of Boston's Irish community, and former home of Whitey Bulger, you can find many authentic Irish pubs lining Broadway. For great views of Boston, visit Castle Island and tour Fort Independence. This tight knit community is filled with broad beaches and parks. Visit the handsome wooden homes along East Broadway on Telegraph Hill where some of Boston's original Yankees built their homes. For an authentic Irish pub with great onion rings and the oldest wooden bar in the country, visit Amrhein's at 80 W. Broadway at A St. near the Broadway T station.

Orange Line

Chinatown/Theater District (T: Chinatown)

From the huge gateway into Chinatown, you can visit colorful storefronts and restaurants in this four block wide neighborhood. There are probably close to 200 restaurants crammed into these dense blocks and many stay open to 4 am. So if you've got a late night craving for sweet and sour pork, this is the place. Check out Tyler Street for some of the more flamboyant storefronts.

The theater district (along Tremont and Boylston Streets) has seen resurgence over the last ten years with many theaters undergoing facelifts. The Wang Center received a major renovation and is worth visiting just to gaze around the majestic Grand Lobby. Most of the theaters will be dark during the summer months, but you could check out a free performance of "Much Ado About Nothing" on the Boston Common while you are here. There are many restaurants in the area as well as two Boston law schools: New England School of Law (154 Stuart St.) and Suffolk University Law School (120 Tremont St.)

Jamaica Plain (T: Jackson Square to Forest Hills stops)

This Boston neighborhood had its beginnings as a summer resort for wealthy Boston Brahmins who spent their summers at splendid estates along the Jamaicaway surrounding Jamaica Pond. Of the seventeen breweries that made their home here, only one brewery, an upstart, Boston Beer Company, maker of Sam Adams, remains. Home to the Arnold Arboretum (125 Arborway) containing over 15,000 species of plants, trees and shrubs from around the world, the park is the crowning gem of Olmsted's Emerald Necklace. The Franklin Park Zoo (1 Franklin Park Rd. at Blue Hill Ave.) is nearby. Plan to visit the African Tropical Forest Pavilion and the gorillas. Not just for kids, the zoo is a fun day trip. During the summer, the Butterfly Pavilion is open, where you are surrounded by hundreds of butterflies. Be sure to visit Doyle's Café (3484 Washington St., between Williams and Gartland Streets) one of Boston's best Irish bars. Great food and loads of beers on tap, don't forget to try the Irish coffee. They also serve a great brunch.