Downtown Boston

Boston's commercial and financial districts are concentrated in a maze of streets laid out with little logic. They are, after all, only village lanes that happen to be lined with modern, 40-story office buildings. That's not to say the past has been erased; Downtown is one of the city's most historic 'hoods, and here beats the heart of The Freedom Trail.

Take the Green Line to Park and walk east, or take the Red Line to South Station and walk west. Downtown is bordered by State Street to the north, Chinatown to the south, Tremont Street and Boston Common on the west, and Boston Harbor wharves on its eastern edge. Be prepared: the tangle of streets can be confusing. If you get lost, don't worry. Downtown's windy streets are also typically short, so you'll be able to reorient yourself quickly. And in the mean time, you just might stumble upon something fun and historic.

Here's an interesting fact about Downtown: It's Boston's original landmass, along with the North End. Back in 1630, when Boston's founder John Winthrop sailed through, the place looked nothing like it does today. Look at an old map of the then-called Shawmut Peninsula, and you'll understand. Boston was a low laying, swampy mess, before landfill projects created the Back Bay and significant portions of Chinatown, the South End, and South Boston, in the 19th century.

Washington Street (aka Downtown Crossing) is Downtown’s main commercial thoroughfare. The block reeks of history—and sausage carts. Street vendors, flower sellers, and gaggles of teenagers, businesspeople, and shoppers throng the pedestrian mall. Shops like Primark and new eateries have been helping to revitalize the area after a dormant period.

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