Like the rest of South Boston, D Street/West Broadway has a ton of character and that can be seen in everything from the hard working and prideful individuals that live there, to the architecture which can often date back centuries. However, you can’t talk about this neighborhood without making heavy mention of the fact that around half of it is bordered by waterfronts. As a result, there are many beautiful waterfront properties and views that you can check out from numerous different spots in this neighborhood.
The area used to be home to primarily Irish-Catholic working class individuals, but the waterfront properties and views to the north have brought in a ton more wealthy professionals and families. As a result, there is now many different races, classes, and types of individuals that call this neighborhood home. However, down to the south of this neighborhood, the traditional way of life in this neighborhood still remains quite prevalent. The sense of community is also still very strong in this part of the neighborhood, as a large portion of the development has taken place up north.
Being as this is a neighborhood of South Boston, it came about in 1804 when the whole of South Boston separated from the historic Dorchester neighborhood. For the next century or so, it had a reputation for being a tough neighborhood that was fairly rough around the edges. However, within the last few decades, property values in the neighborhood have skyrocketed, mostly to the north as they provide very desirable waterfront views. As a result, rich individuals started buying up real estate in this neighborhood and began to turn it around and gentrify it.
While this neighborhood was once a fairly affordable place to live (due to the fact it was “rough” and didn’t have a lot of new real estate), it is now fairly pricey throughout, but especially up to the north. This goes both for cost of living and the cost of renting. The character, lifestyle and waterfront views of this neighborhood make it desirable; you have to match that desirability against how willing you are to pay a premium.
Getting around in this neighborhood, like most of Boston, is fairly easy. Both the bus and the “T” makes stops in and around this neighborhood, so you are never too far away from a quick ride to downtown or any other part of Boston.
However, if you can, walking around the neighborhood is a great option. The neighborhood is beautiful with stunning old architecture and sleek and modern buildings too. There are also a lot of differing landscapes throughout the neighborhood, including some picturesque views to the north, which should definitely be walked if you have the chance so you can stop whenever you’d like to take it all in.
Driving is an option throughout this neighborhood, but there is a policy in the neighborhood of South Boston as a whole that restricts the amount of parking spots that are available to use This policy was made to promote carpooling/public transit use and also to reduce air pollution. While it is largely a good policy, there is also some who don’t enjoy it as it stops them from being able to drive and park as often as they’d like to.
- Emerson College
- Northeastern University
- Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
- Boston University School of Medicine
- The Law on D is an outdoor green space that always has some pretty cool things going on. Whether it is performances, music, games, or a variety of other events. If the weather is looking nice, there is a good chance something cool will be taking place here and it will be worth checking out.
- The Institute of Contemporary Art is one of the best places to check out modern and contemporary art in the entire city of Boston. While it has changed names and locations numerous times throughout the years, the exhibits have always been quality and it continues to be a great place to spend a day.
- Castle Island is open to the public all year long and features walking paths and a lot of different landscapes and monuments to check out. This is also a great place to check out as it is a bit out of the way and thus isn’t crawling with tourists.
- The Boston Children’s Museum’s mission is to educate children. This is the second oldest children’s museum in the country and has a variety of exhibits and things that all kids will enjoy. Definitely a place to take the kids if you have any.
