South End Neighborhood Info
The South End of Boston is a diverse and vibrant neighborhood, with residents from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The neighborhood is bordered by Back Bay, Bay Village, and South Boston. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the South End is “the largest urban Victorian neighborhood in the country,” but don’t expect to a neighborhood stuck in the past. Along with the new construction of luxury buildings, many of the Victorian brownstones have been renovated to include modern layouts and the luxury finishes found in new construction buildings. In the South End’s SOWA (SOuth of WAshington) district, the buildings consist of former industrial warehouses converted into modern lofts as well as new construction condo buildings offering amenities such as a concierge, common outdoor space, and a parking garage.
Some of the brownstone buildings surround landscaped parks called “squares,” distinct to the South End and accessible only to the owners of the homes around each park. Larger public parks and community gardens divided into plots add more green space to the South End neighborhood. The off-leash dogs parks on the Southwest Corridor and Peters Park appeal to dog owners in the city and contribute to the dog-friendly reputation of the South End.
The South End neighborhood is the home to many boutique shops and salons, art galleries, yoga and dance studios, and cultural institutions like the Boston Center for the Arts and the Boston Ballet. The South End is home to some of the best restaurants in the city such as Toro, Hammersley’s Bistro, Barbara Lynch’s B&G Oysters and The Butcher Shop as well as neighborhood favorites such as the South End Buttery Cafe and Orinoco. The South End is also convenient to grocers such as Whole Foods Market, Foodie’s Urban Market, Ming’s Super Market, and Shaw’s. The neighborhood also attracts smaller specialty shops that focus on both local and exotic food such as South End Formaggio, Syrian Grocery Importing Co, and the new Siena Farms.
On Sundays during the spring, summer, and fall, South End residents enjoy the SOWA Open Market with vendors selling local produce and locally made crafts, artwork, jewelry, and artisan foods. Another staple of the SOWA Open Market are the food trucks preparing all varieties of food from Vietnamese noodle salads at Bon Me, to gourmet grilled cheese and truffle fries at Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, and the vegetarian and vegan offerings at Clover Food Lab. The SOWA district also hosts open artists’ studios and galleries on the first Friday of each month and during the winter months a smaller version of the Open Market moves indoors to a space within 485 Harrison Avenue.
The South End’s central location makes it easy to commute to most other areas of the city. For those commute by car, the South End is close to the Mass Pike (I-90), Interstate 93, and the Express Route to Logan Airport. Public Transportation is accessible from the South End by way of most of the subway lines and a few of the major bus lines. The Silver Line runs through the southern part of the South End along Washington Street to downtown and South Station. The Orange Line, commuter rails, and Amtrak all pass through Back Bay Station and the Orange Line can also be found at Mass Ave Station. It is a short walk from the South End to the Green Line T stations at Copley Square, Prudential, Symphony, and Arlington. The Red Line at Broadway station is also a short walk away from the South End. The #1 bus route travels along Mass Ave through the South End up to Cambridge and the #43 bus route runs on Tremont to Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House.
Luxury condo developments in the South End include Atelier 505, Wilkes Passage, Penny Savings Bank, Gateway Terrace, The Savoy, Laconia Lofts, D4 Police Station Condos, ArtBlock Harrison, Penmark Condos, 75 Clarendon, Rollins Square, Harrison Lofts, The Modern, 700 Harrison, The 1850, and Minot Hall.
Luxury apartment buildings in the South End include James Court, 460 Harrison, 601 Albany, 160 E Berkeley Lofts, and Tent City.
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