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Boston-Back Bay - 1 bedroom - 1 bath - spacious, clean & sunny unit! - Brick Building - Hardwood Floors - Modern Kitchen - Spacious Living Room - Large Bedroom w/ Double Sliding Door Closet - Updated Bathroom - Off Street Parking - access to commuter rail, bus, shops & restaurants, first and last months rent (NO SECURITY DEPOSIT) View More Listings -->
Back Bay Information
Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
Back Bay along with neighboring Beacon Hill are considered Boston's most upscale
neighborhoods with townhouses selling regularly for over $3,000,000.00. Popular
shopping destinations are located along Newbury and Boylston Streets as well as
in Copley Square. Architecturally the neighborhood is dominated by Victorian
brownstone architecture.
History
The neighborhood gained its name because the area was, in fact, the "Back Bay"
for Boston. To the west of the Shawmut peninsula, on the far side from Boston
Harbor, a wide bay opened between Boston and Cambridge, with the Charles River
entering at the west side. As with all of the New England coast, the bay was
tidal, with water rising and falling several feet over the course of the day. At
low water, part of the bottom of the bay was exposed.
The Back Bay neighborhood was created when the parcel of land was created by
filling the tidewater flats of the Charles River. This massive project was begun
in 1857. The filling of present-day Back Bay was completed by 1882; filling
reached Kenmore Square in 1890, and finished in the Fens in 1900. The project
was the largest of a number of land reclamation projects, beginning in 1820,
which over the course of time more than doubled the size of the original Boston
peninsula. It is frequently observed that this would have been impossible under
modern environmental regulations.
The boundaries of the Back Bay, as defined by the Neighborhood Association of
Back Bay, are "the Charles River on the North; Arlington Street to Park Square
on the East; Columbus Avenue to the New York New Haven and Hartford right-of-way
(South of Stuart Street and Copley Place), Huntington Avenue, Dalton Street, and
the Mass. Turnpike on the South; and Charlesgate East on the West." The main
thoroughfares of Back Bay run approximately east and west and include Beacon
Street, Marlborough Street, Commonwealth Avenue, Newbury Street, and Boylston
Street.
Culturally speaking, the Back Bay is known for being the home of the wealthy and
the upper middle class. It is most well known for its expensive housing and
shopping areas. Most stores are located on Newbury and Boylston Streets, with
the ends closer to the Boston Public Garden traditionally more expensive.
The Copley Square area is close to the Back Bay (MBTA station) railroad
terminal, and is the eastern nexus of a system of hotels and shopping centers
connected by a set of glassed-in pedestrian overpasses. These hotels and shops
are glossy and upscale, but are mostly not very different from what one would
find in many other American cities. Hotels include the Fairmont Copley Plaza,
Westin International, Marriott Copley Place, Colonnade, Sheraton Boston, and
Back Bay Hilton. The large Copley Place mall includes the only Neiman Marcus in
the New England area. The system of overpasses extends over half a mile to the
Prudential Center and the shops surrounding it. The 52-story Pru tower, thought
a marvel in 1964, is now considered ugly. However, the Prudential Skywalk
observatory offers a wonderful view of Back Bay, Boston, and surrounding areas.