Top tips

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The Quick Answer

• The best areas in the city centre: Downtown Boston, Beacon Hill, Back Bay
• The best areas in the outskirts of the city: South End, North End and West End

Table of contents

Our visitors’ guide to the best neighbourhoods in Boston is packed with useful tips and recommendations to help you choose where to stay in the city. Whether you’re here for Boston’s major historic sights, its elegant architecture, thriving arts scene, sporting buzz or great restaurants, our guide is the ideal springboard for planning a holiday to remember.

Neighbourhood Guide to Boston

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Boston has been a cultural and artistic hub since the 19th century, known for its architecture, libraries, museums, orchestras and theatres. Dubbing Boston the ‘Athens of America’, however, misses the city’s status as the oldest in the United States, and downplays Boston’s cuisine — especially its world-class seafood — and its sporting prowess. Many visitors come for the Red Sox, the Patriots and the Celtics alone!

Some of Boston’s most visited sites include the Museum of Fine Arts — famed for its Monets, Japanese art, and ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian artefacts — the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Museum of Science, the Bunker Hill Monument, the Boston Common and Public Garden and the New England Aquarium. Also not to be missed is the Freedom Trail, a four-kilometre walking route which takes curious wanderers around 16 historic Boston sites, including Paul Revere’s House.

A great city to navigate on foot, Boston boasts leafy streets and green spaces galore alongside its many historic monuments. For those less eager to walk — or those travelling during the winter months — the city boasts an excellent public transport system, including a subway, trolley buses and bus service, run by one transit agency. The same group also runs the water shuttles and commuter rail network, making this an appealingly navigable city for travellers of all ages.

Downtown Boston

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Downtown Boston is where you’ll find the greatest wealth of historic and cultural treasures in the city. This neighbourhood attracts more visitors than it does residents, with its plethora of impressive hotels, pedestrianised precincts and elegant, European-inspired heritage architecture. This is Boston’s commercial district; excellent transport links mean that many office workers commute in daily, and it’s relatively easy for keen explorers to discover more of the city with Downtown Boston as a starting point.

When it comes to major attractions, this is where you’ll find the Massachusetts State House and the Old State House, Boston Common and the Boston Public Gardens. One of the best ways to see the sights is to follow the Freedom Trail, which takes in 16 such highlights — before sampling local fare at the city’s top outdoor markets, including the Haymarket. All this, and you’re just 20 minutes from the airport.

Beacon Hill

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Technically part of Downtown Boston, Beacon Hill is also a distinct neighbourhood in itself, known for its elegant retail and residential streets. Beacon Hill is the exception to the rule about not many people living in Downtown Boston: it’s actually where many of the city’s members of Congress have gorgeous stately homes with views over the State House, the Boston Athenaeum and the numerous squares. Its well-maintained green spaces include the Boston Common, and the best-known landmark is the iconic Massachusetts State House. Perhaps most interesting for history aficionados is the The Black Heritage Trail, showcasing buildings connected with the Black community which thrived on the north slope of Beacon Hill before, during, and after the American Civil War.

West End and North End

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They don’t sound like they’d sit side by side, but Boston’s West End and North End border one another. Both have a laid-back feel, with residents ambling along atmospheric streets on foot, filling their bags with groceries from cheesemongers, butchers and bakers, rather than simply going to a chain supermarket.

The West End boasts the Museum of Science and the New England Sports Museum, plenty of parks and newer high-rise condos, and is close to many of the sports stadiums. Often dubbed ‘Little Italy’, the North End is centred upon a high street lined with thriving Italian-style delis and restaurants, perfect for relaxed foodies and families. The neighbourhood is also home to the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church, the Quincy Market and the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. 

South Boston and the Boston Harbor

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Long popular as an arts and culture hub, South Boston — also known as ‘Southie’ — has an appealingly laid-back feel. Some of the district’s sub-neighbourhoods, including Boston Harbour, are gradually being redeveloped and gentrified, so prices are set to rise. Much of the development is centred upon the Institute of Contemporary Art, which is surrounded by hip restaurants and bars. Longer-standing attractions, however, include the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, the Children’s Museum, Castle Island and Fort Independence and the Boston Harbor Islands National Park, which will delight nature lovers and keen adventurers. The John F Kennedy Presidential Museum & Library and the Commonwealth Museum are also highlights. If you’re eager to stay by the waterfront, look no further than Boston Harbour, but the quieter parts of Southie — set a little further inland — have their own charm, too.

Back Bay

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Back Bay is one of Boston’s most elegant neighbourhoods, known for its fashionable boutiques, beautiful architecture, cool cafes, and smart Victorian brownstones. This is the sort of place to browse independent shops — especially on Newbury Street — to people watch, and to dress to impress.

Back Bay’s foodie scene is superb, with innovative eateries and bars opening regularly, and it’s well worth booking your table in advance on weekend evenings. The neighbourhood is central enough to count the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church and the Prudential Centre Observatory amongst its landmarks, and you’re within easy reach of the Public Gardens, Boston Common and the striking Charles River. 

South End

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Slightly further from the centre, South End — at the edge of South Boston — is rapidly becoming one of the city’s most desirable neighbourhoods. Victorian brownstones line leafy streets, verdant parks invite families to unwind in the sunshine, and cafes, delis and independent boutiques abound. Art aficionados should make a beeline for the SoWa district, where you’ll find galleries and small museums, as well as the city’s largest neighbourhood market. When it comes to evenings out, you can expect innovative cuisine at characterful little restaurants, and a lively buzz at trendy bars. When it comes to historic sites, on the other hand, Harriet Tubman’s house is not to be missed.

Fenway-Kenmore

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For sports fans, Fenway and Kenmore will be right at the top of the list. Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, has been one of the USA’s most iconic baseball stadiums for more than a century, and it’s worth booking tickets well in advance for game day.

Kenmore, centred around Kenmore Square, is more of an arts hub, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Appealingly central, this is a great neighbourhood for keen shoppers, and those seeking a lively evening buzz — the proximity of Boston’s universities means that there are events galore throughout the year.