Oliver Wendell Holmes may have exaggerated when he dubbed Boston "the hub of the solar system," but it is no overstatement to say that Boston is the best walking city in America. For the past 350 years, Bostonians have walked. In the beginning, it was because there were few other options. Now it is because it is so pleasurable. And one has to walk – the driving is awful…
Like many great cities, Boston has multiple personalities, represented by her various neighborhoods. We have chosen to guide you through those we have found to be the most colorful and unique—our favorites. As different as the routes may seem, the book has a unifying theme—the evolution of Boston’s character: a combination of history, society and architecture. Though the text does "walk" you through the difference between architectural styles, it is the emphasis on people that animates the book…not just where George Washington slept, but why he was there.
For locals, this book will lead you to discover streets and sites you may never have noticed and will introduce you to former residents of whom you may never have heard. For visitors, this book will give you a real sense of what it is like to live here today, as well as 300 years ago.
The walks range from 2 1/4 to 3 1/2 hours in length. Before setting off on a walk, read through the essential information at the beginning of the chapter and check the addenda at the end. You can easily spend a whole day in each neighborhood, utilizing the supplementary recommendations. Conversely, following the routes we have suggested, two walks can be comfortably combined. Although we do not recommend specific restaurants and shops (they change too frequently) we do direct you to streets where we eat and shop. There are public buildings and commercial establishments on each walk; a polite request will help you gain access to bathrooms.
You will not get lost because the unique format allows you to view the maps while simultaneously reading the text. Gone is the challenge of constantly refolding maps or flipping back to the map page while trying to remember the difference between Ruskinian Gothic and Richardsonian Romanesque. Sidebar directions will also keep you on track. Finally, in the disastrous event of rain, you can consult Indoor Footnotes at the back of the book. The walks are presented alphabetically—there is no "right" order in which to tour. The following is a quick synopsis of each walk so you can choose according to your mood, energy and time constraints.
Jane Grossman and Felice Yager were introduced five years ago by a mutual friend who knew they were both avid walkers. Their friendship developed during long morning walks along the Charles River in snow and sun. They soon discovered their common interest in travel, writing and social history.
Ms. Grossman is a co-founder of the former Traveller’s Bookstore in New York City, which sold guidebooks, fiction and nonfiction; published a travel book catalog; and published guidebooks. When she moved to the Boston area in late 1997, she looked in vain for a good walking guide to her new hometown. She found Ms. Yager instead.
Ms. Yager, a psychologist, worked for many years with immigrants to Boston, helping them get adjusted and oriented to their new city. Much of her career has been devoted to social service, and consequently she is an experienced writer of fiction, specializing in grants.
