South End

The area known today as the South End was in fact marshland until 1849, when it was filled in and housing construction started. Before the landfill, the area was “South Bay,” the counterpart to “Back Bay” on the other side of the Boston Neck (the isthmus that connected Boston to the mainland). For most of its history, the South End was a poorer immigrant community, but saw heavy gentrification over the last few decades, and it now one of Boston’s most expensive and desirable. Today, it is the largest intact Victorian rowhouse neighborhood in the country, which helped place it on the National Register of Historic Places. You’ll also see many rainbow flags, as it has become one of the unofficial centers of the LGBTQA+ community in Boston.

The neighborhood is also home to Boston’s “Restaurant Row,” a ten block stretch running along Tremont Street. Just as the name implies, the restaurants are some of the best in Boston, with cuisines ranging from Asian to Mexican to Greek. After dinner, take a stroll through this historical neighborhood lined with brownstone buildings and majestic trees.