Cathedral Housing is located one of Boston’s liveliest neighborhoods and one of the most walkable. The area around Cathedral Housing is very flat because it is located on land created by filling in tidal marshes. Many streets are named after Massachusetts towns that were being connected by railroads when the area was being built up.
Streets in the South End are laid out in a grid pattern, which makes it easy to get around. You can go up one block and over two, or up two and over one, and always see something new. With many historic and new houses, along with brick sidewalks and many shade trees, the neighborhood is a delightful place to walk.
Faneuil Housing is located in one of Boston’s liveliest neighborhoods. In Brighton, you can cover a lot of distance b walking just a few minutes. During a round trip of 20-30 minutes, you’ll get the health benefits of walking one full mile while enjoying the area!
The South End is a favorite of locals and visitors. It’s a compact, lively neighborhood that is easy to access from Downtown, Back Bay, and many hotels and tourist destinations. Running or walking along the flat, shady streets of the South End, you’ll be charmed by this “historic district”—the largest group of Victorian structures in the country. Long an immigrant neighborhood, the South End still retains its diversity. Its distinctive architecture is invigorated by an array of unique restaurants, art galleries clothing and furniture shops. The streets of the South End are flat, much like the Back Bay; both areas were created by filling in tidal marshes. Unlike the legendary crooked streets of Downtown, South End streets were laid out in a grid pattern, making it easier to get around.
Three hills in Brookline – Corey, Aspinwall and Fisher Hills – have innovative designs for pedestrians. These glaciated hills, separated by small streams, were the scene of rapid development following the construction of the Beacon Street Boulevard.
In 1887 Frederick Law Olmsted’s design led to widening Beacon Street from 50 to 160 feet. Threading between the hills, the new boulevard gave such easy access to Boston that mansions were built for wealthy families. On this stylish street, apartment hotels were added, each with a distinct, clubby atmosphere. Clusters of town houses fronted the new streets in the area. The hills were transformed.
Corey Hill was reshaped in 1890. Three parallel streets, called “terraces,” followed the contours of the hill, one above the other. A radical feature was added—a walkway perpendicular to the hill’s contours—from the top of the hill to the streetcar line below. So steep was the hill that the walkway was a series of steps.
At Aspinwall Hill, Olmsted, hired to design roadways, included a public path to Beacon Street. He was fired for ignoring property lines and maximizing the use of natural contours of the land. A more politically astute designer modified and negotiated public paths along property lines.
Fisher Hill benefited from the full talents of Olmsted, hired in 1890 to design the layout and overall development following the natural topography. Many homes built between 1890 and 1920 on large Olmsted lots remain. A path [now lost] led down the hill to the rail station at Beaconsfield.
For a great cinematic view of Boston take a ride over the Charles River on the Red Line across the Longfellow Bridge between Kendall Square and Charles/MGH Stations. The train accelerates as it leaves the station to meet the rising curve of the bridge, and the short spell of darkness in the subway tunnel dissolves on a sunny day in a flash of blue sky and open water.
This walk takes a longer look at the views of the Lower Charles from a succession of vantage points along the bridge. It encompasses what appears to be one of the most visible and carefully preserved natural features of Boston. However, during the mid-19th century the shallow basin was lined with tenements and industries; at low tide it was a vast expanse of sewage-laden mud flats.
The reclamation of the riverbanks began with the Cambridge Esplanade in 1883 and continues to this day. This walk takes in many of the Charles River’s loveliest and most historic sites–not to mention its incomparable views of the city.
