Boston’s North End

Although it is difficult to pick an absolute “favorite city” in the United States I think Boston would probably be at the top of both Lindsay and I’s list. This incredible city is one of the only “medieval cities” in America. This doesn’t mean it has been around that long but it means that the street pattern and urban design resembles that of medieval European cities. There is no grid pattern and the streets are narrow and sporadic. Although this can cause havoc for navigation it makes for incredible urban design. Lindsay and I spent about 3 days in this city during the summer of 2009 and of all the neighborhoods we explored the North End is one of our favorites. This area of the city has continually had inhabitants since the 1630’s which makes it the oldest neighborhood in the city. It is also known as Boston's “Little Italy” as it has a large Italian American community. Lindsay and I first experienced this neighborhood while strolling along the “freedom path” history walk. There is a large park right before you enter the North End which used to be a Freeway. We both couldn’t help but think of how many cool neighborhoods were destroyed to build a freeway…what a travesty. Once you are in the North End the small streets and beautiful old red brick buildings really give the area a cool feel. The first place we stopped was the home of Paul Revere. This beautiful old wooden home now seems out of place amongst the red brick buildings that surround it but it has been beautifully preserved. Immediately adjacent to the Paul Revere house is the beautiful old North Square Park. This tiny little square/park is an urban paradise. There are cobblestone streets that surround a beautiful little park with bright flowers, trees, etc. The entire square is surrounded on all sides by old red brick homes/restaurants most with bay windows. As an urban design major in college I was in love with this area and to this day think it is one of the most beautiful urban places in the U.S. We sat at this park for quite awhile just taking pictures and admiring the scene around us. We then continued on to the beautiful Old North Church which is the central landmark of the neighborhood. This church is famous for the role it played during the Revolutionary War (lanterns hung in the steeple to signal if the British were coming by land or by sea). Right before you get to the church you wander through a beautiful park with large trees, fountains and a beautiful statue of Paul Revere. We took our time as we wandered through this area taking pictures of the old brick walls of the church, the fountains, etc. After briefly exploring the interior of the church we continue on through the North End before eventually making our way across the river to the Charlestown neighborhood. We ended up coming back to the North End later that night for some fantastic Italian food at one of the hundreds of restaurants in the neighborhood. The North End is not only one of the most beautiful and unique neighborhoods in Boston; but in all of the United States as well.