Bay Village, Boston, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Bay Village is the second smallest and arguably least-known officially-recognized neighborhood of Boston
, Massachusetts
. As of 2010, its population was approximately 1,312 residents living in 837 housing units, most of which are small brick rowhouses.
is the southern boundary of the neighborhood, which coincides with the right-of-way of the Boston and Worcester Railroad
, laid down in the 1830s. Marginal Road and Cortes Street are the surface roads that parallel the Pike. Across the Pike to the southwest lies the South End
neighborhood; to the southeast of the Pike and Tremont Street is the southern edge of Chinatown
. To the west of Berkeley Street and north of Columbus Street (west of Arlington Street) is the Back Bay
neighborhood. To the north of Stuart Street is Park Square
, and to the east of Charles Street is the Theatre District
.
The narrow one-way network and irregular grid arrangement of the streets make the interior urban spaces of Bay Village relatively quiet and pedestrian-friendly, due to sparse automobile traffic. Many of the sidewalks are paved with brick, and are lit by gas streetlamps
at night. The exterior appearance of buildings is protected by a Historic District designation administered by the Bay Village Architectural Commission.
There are a few "vest-pocket" parks located within or nearby Bay Village, notably Eliot Norton Park, which although technically located in the Theatre District, is just across Charles Street from the eastern boundary of the neighborhood. The Boston Public Garden and Boston Common
are located just two blocks away from the northern edge of Bay Village.
Traditionally middle to lower-middle class, the neighborhood has become relatively expensive and upscale, beginning around the 1990s. The Bay Village Neighborhood Association (BVNA) is very active in controlling urban nuisances, such as traffic, litter, graffiti, and pet wastes (an approved dog walking area is located next to Eliot Norton Park). The BVNA is also known for organizing Spring and Fall Cleanup days, a Book Club, and the Bay Village Annual Neighborhood Block Party (which often features restaurant tables and service literally in the middle of the narrow streets).
, west of the Boston Neck
isthmus
. This area was once known as South Bay, as the original waterline was in the area of Arlington Street (formerly Ferdinand Street). In the 1820s, the neighborhood was landfill
ed by developer Ephraim Marsh, in partnership with Francis Cabot Lowell, before the more extensive landfills of the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods. Through its history, the neighborhood has been known at different times as the Church Street District, South Cove, and Kerry Village.
Architecturally, many Bay Village homes look like smaller versions of Beacon Hill townhouse
s. This is largely because many of the craftspeople who built the Beacon Hill residences settled in this area and built the local residences for their own use. Fayette Street, named for the American Revolutionary War
soldier Marquis de Lafayette, has numerous houses dating from the Federal Period. Grander five-story townhouses in the Greek Revival style may be found on Melrose Street. After the area west of Arlington Street (formerly known as Ferdinand Street) was filled in, developers built luxury residential "hotels" in the Victorian style
on Cortes and Isabella Streets.
During the mid-to-late 19th century, some streets in Bay Village were raised 12–18 feet (4–6 m) as the adjacent South End
and Back Bay
neighborhoods were created by continued landfill. Visitors can see evidence of this today by noting the location of the basement windows in some of the buildings on Fayette Street, as well as arches opening to horsewalks that ran under the houses to stables in the rear. In addition, some private gardens were never raised, and remain near their original elevations.
Bay Village was the site of the November 1942 fire at the Cocoanut Grove
nightclub, in which 492 people lost their lives. Its terrible aftermath led to the creation and enforcement of stringent fire codes across the US, in the hope of preventing other such tragedies. Marking the 50th anniversary of the incident, the Bay Village Neighborhood Association placed a commemorative plaque in the brick sidewalk near the club’s former site on Piedmont Street, now occupied by the Radisson Hotel.
stations are located just beyond the boundaries of Bay Village, which is also served by several local bus routes. Commuter rail and Amtrak
long-haul trains stop at Back Bay station and South Station, within walking distance to the west and east of Bay Village, respectively. Inter-city bus services depart from the regional bus terminal at South Station.
Nearby MBTA stations include:
On-street parking is very scarce within Bay Village, and is mostly reserved for holders of Residential Parking stickers. Commercial parking is available in numerous surface lots and parking garages located near or in the neighborhood. Entrance ramps to the Massachusetts Turnpike
(I-90) and the Central Artery
(I-93) are a minute's drive away.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. As of 2010, its population was approximately 1,312 residents living in 837 housing units, most of which are small brick rowhouses.
Description
The Massachusetts TurnpikeMassachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
is the southern boundary of the neighborhood, which coincides with the right-of-way of the Boston and Worcester Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
, laid down in the 1830s. Marginal Road and Cortes Street are the surface roads that parallel the Pike. Across the Pike to the southwest lies the South End
South End, Boston, Massachusetts
The South End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.-Geography:The South End lies south of the Back Bay, northwest of South Boston, northeast of Roxbury, north of Dorchester, and southwest of Bay Village...
neighborhood; to the southeast of the Pike and Tremont Street is the southern edge of Chinatown
Chinatown, Boston
The only historically Chinese area in New England, Chinatown, Boston is a neighborhood located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Centered on Beach Street, the neighborhood borders Boston Common, Downtown Crossing, the South End, and the Southeast Expressway/Massachusetts Turnpike.Part of it...
. To the west of Berkeley Street and north of Columbus Street (west of Arlington Street) is the Back Bay
Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts
Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes, which are considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States, as well as numerous architecturally significant individual...
neighborhood. To the north of Stuart Street is Park Square
Park Square (Boston)
Park Square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts is bounded by Stuart, Charles, Boylston, and Arlington Streets. It is the home of the Boston Four Seasons Hotel and the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers. Across Boylston Street is the Boston Public Garden...
, and to the east of Charles Street is the Theatre District
Washington Street Theatre District
Washington Street Theatre District is a historic district at 511-559 Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts.The district features several theaters and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979....
.
The narrow one-way network and irregular grid arrangement of the streets make the interior urban spaces of Bay Village relatively quiet and pedestrian-friendly, due to sparse automobile traffic. Many of the sidewalks are paved with brick, and are lit by gas streetlamps
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
at night. The exterior appearance of buildings is protected by a Historic District designation administered by the Bay Village Architectural Commission.
There are a few "vest-pocket" parks located within or nearby Bay Village, notably Eliot Norton Park, which although technically located in the Theatre District, is just across Charles Street from the eastern boundary of the neighborhood. The Boston Public Garden and Boston Common
Boston Common
Boston Common is a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street,...
are located just two blocks away from the northern edge of Bay Village.
Traditionally middle to lower-middle class, the neighborhood has become relatively expensive and upscale, beginning around the 1990s. The Bay Village Neighborhood Association (BVNA) is very active in controlling urban nuisances, such as traffic, litter, graffiti, and pet wastes (an approved dog walking area is located next to Eliot Norton Park). The BVNA is also known for organizing Spring and Fall Cleanup days, a Book Club, and the Bay Village Annual Neighborhood Block Party (which often features restaurant tables and service literally in the middle of the narrow streets).
History
The western part of the neighborhood was originally part of the body of water known as the Back BayBack Bay, Boston, Massachusetts
Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes, which are considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States, as well as numerous architecturally significant individual...
, west of the Boston Neck
Boston Neck
The Boston Neck or Roxbury Neck was an isthmus, a narrow strip of land connecting the then-peninsular city of Boston to the mainland city of Roxbury . The surrounding area was gradually filled in as the city of Boston expanded in population. -History:The Boston Neck was originally about wide at...
isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
. This area was once known as South Bay, as the original waterline was in the area of Arlington Street (formerly Ferdinand Street). In the 1820s, the neighborhood was landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
ed by developer Ephraim Marsh, in partnership with Francis Cabot Lowell, before the more extensive landfills of the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods. Through its history, the neighborhood has been known at different times as the Church Street District, South Cove, and Kerry Village.
Architecturally, many Bay Village homes look like smaller versions of Beacon Hill townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s. This is largely because many of the craftspeople who built the Beacon Hill residences settled in this area and built the local residences for their own use. Fayette Street, named for the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldier Marquis de Lafayette, has numerous houses dating from the Federal Period. Grander five-story townhouses in the Greek Revival style may be found on Melrose Street. After the area west of Arlington Street (formerly known as Ferdinand Street) was filled in, developers built luxury residential "hotels" in the Victorian style
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
on Cortes and Isabella Streets.
During the mid-to-late 19th century, some streets in Bay Village were raised 12–18 feet (4–6 m) as the adjacent South End
South End, Boston, Massachusetts
The South End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.-Geography:The South End lies south of the Back Bay, northwest of South Boston, northeast of Roxbury, north of Dorchester, and southwest of Bay Village...
and Back Bay
Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts
Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes, which are considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States, as well as numerous architecturally significant individual...
neighborhoods were created by continued landfill. Visitors can see evidence of this today by noting the location of the basement windows in some of the buildings on Fayette Street, as well as arches opening to horsewalks that ran under the houses to stables in the rear. In addition, some private gardens were never raised, and remain near their original elevations.
Bay Village was the site of the November 1942 fire at the Cocoanut Grove
Cocoanut Grove fire
The Cocoanut Grove was Boston's premier nightclub during the post-Prohibition 1930s and 40s. On November 28, 1942, occurred the scene of what remains the deadliest nightclub fire, killing 492 people and injuring hundreds more...
nightclub, in which 492 people lost their lives. Its terrible aftermath led to the creation and enforcement of stringent fire codes across the US, in the hope of preventing other such tragedies. Marking the 50th anniversary of the incident, the Bay Village Neighborhood Association placed a commemorative plaque in the brick sidewalk near the club’s former site on Piedmont Street, now occupied by the Radisson Hotel.
Transportation
Several MBTA rapid transitRapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
stations are located just beyond the boundaries of Bay Village, which is also served by several local bus routes. Commuter rail and Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
long-haul trains stop at Back Bay station and South Station, within walking distance to the west and east of Bay Village, respectively. Inter-city bus services depart from the regional bus terminal at South Station.
Nearby MBTA stations include:
- Arlington (MBTA station)Arlington (MBTA station)Arlington is a station on the Green Line light rail service of the MBTA transit system. The station is located at the southwest corner of the Boston Public Garden, at the corner of Arlington and Boylston Streets...
- Back Bay (MBTA station)Back Bay (MBTA station)Back Bay station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
- Boylston (MBTA station)Boylston (MBTA station)Boylston is a station on the Green Line light rail service of the MBTA rapid transport network, and is located on the southeast corner of Boston Common at the intersection of Boylston and Tremont Streets.-Location:...
- Tufts Medical Center (MBTA station)
On-street parking is very scarce within Bay Village, and is mostly reserved for holders of Residential Parking stickers. Commercial parking is available in numerous surface lots and parking garages located near or in the neighborhood. Entrance ramps to the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
(I-90) and the Central Artery
Central Artery
The John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, known locally as the Central Artery, is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, designated as Interstate 93, U.S. Route 1 and Route 3. It was initially constructed in the 1950s as a partly elevated and partly tunneled divided highway...
(I-93) are a minute's drive away.
See also
Adjacent neighborhoods and districts:- Back Bay, Boston, MassachusettsBack Bay, Boston, MassachusettsBack Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes, which are considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States, as well as numerous architecturally significant individual...
- Chinatown, Boston, Massachusetts
- Park Square (Boston)Park Square (Boston)Park Square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts is bounded by Stuart, Charles, Boylston, and Arlington Streets. It is the home of the Boston Four Seasons Hotel and the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers. Across Boylston Street is the Boston Public Garden...
- South Bay, Boston, MassachusettsSouth Bay, Boston, MassachusettsSouth Bay is a 10-acre site in Boston, Massachusetts sandwiched between Chinatown and the Leather District. It is roughly bounded by Kneeland Street, Hudson Street, the Massachusetts Turnpike mainline, and the Interstate 93 mainline. Currently owned by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority , the...
- South End, Boston, MassachusettsSouth End, Boston, MassachusettsThe South End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.-Geography:The South End lies south of the Back Bay, northwest of South Boston, northeast of Roxbury, north of Dorchester, and southwest of Bay Village...
- Washington Street Theatre DistrictWashington Street Theatre DistrictWashington Street Theatre District is a historic district at 511-559 Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts.The district features several theaters and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979....