Walk in Boston # 3, the old and new East Boston, is a 3 miles self-guided tour in a quickly changing neighborhood. You will be in quiet streets and alleys then along the port with superb views of the city center in front of you and finally in a completely renovated area where it is good to stroll.

It is now only available on Payhip in pdf format with a clickable map and updated descriptions.

In this pdf you will also find:

• the list of Highlights.
• the Metro stops to get there and back and infos for Cars.
• tips about restrooms, places to sit and eat.
• details about a particular place you will find on your route.

You can download it (or just the map of the walk) to your phone to help you in your discoveries.

This will then allow you to live a unique experience of the city far from what you might find elsewhere.

If you purchased the Boston NYC book, this download will be free for you, just send me a note for an access code for this walk if you don’t have it already.

The description below, incomplete and with cropped photos, gives you an idea of this walk before you decide to buy it.

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A: Your trek starts at…, and if you are hungry or just want to indulge in some Colombian pastries before hitting the road, find…on your left when you go toward the airport.

If you want something more consistent, the best traditional New York style pizza in town, according to Boston magazine, is about 10 minutes further, at …,. It’s a cash only kind of place, so be prepared!

All these detours have not advanced your trek a lot as you must take …! But if you went to the pizzeria, you already have a good idea of this part of Boston: rows of triple deckers and still many immigrants, even though their origins have switched from Russia and Italy to South America.

Before you go, be aware that East Boston has traditionally been, and still is, a working class neighborhood, but it’s getting gentrified quickly, especially on the waterfront. … where you now go, was the richest part of the neighborhood with his rows of now historical houses.

B: Your first stop on … if it’s open, which is not always the case. It has an impressive … It attests of the importance of the … community at the beginning of the 20th century.

On your way, you’ll see gardens below the houses and surely wonder how much time will pass before the neighborough and its discreet charm will be discovered by developers.

In the meantime, .. on your right after the church, is still a peaceful area and you’ll perhaps wish you had a book in order to sit there and relax.

C: You could stay on…to reach the end of this little peninsula, but take … instead. Its houses are more opulent and will give you a more complete idea of the area.

Nothing spectacular at the end, a park and some tennis courts, but you’ll see … in front of you, on the other side of the inner harbor, and …. There seems to be a … always docked there, red and shiny, somewhat incongruous if you are not used to harbors, but really useful in case of…

You’ll also see another unusual boat a bit further, but for the time being, follow the shore on the right, along…, and stop at the panels in the little park you’ll soon encounter. They’ll tell you that Boston was the 2nd busiest port of entry to the USA after New York; some of the buildings in front of you were part of the immigration station.

The other buildings are … You can enter it, but you are required to keep clear of the working areas. It’s however your chance to see how boats are…; you’ll also find here what must be the only … in town. Not a full scale restaurant though, as they only sell … and a welcoming deck.

A bit further and at the end of the week starting on Thursdays, you’ll have a chance to taste …

You’ll also see that …can host a lot of public art, especially sculptures. Since 2018, it also hosts …, open in Summer and free.

Then take the first dock on your left  to see ….  Some are big .. some are sailing boats so small you wonder how one can spend a life in them; some are floating structures of undefined forms and nature. In winter, they are all wrapped in ….to keep the heat inside and allow for the light to come, with a door included in the structure.

D: Now, at the end of… you’ll see (and even be able to visit it if you plan in advance as it’s open only on Saturdays in season or on demand), …. and the largest …ever built .

The story says that whatever the weather, it had to stay where it was stationed, …to mark the … where no permanent …could be built.

On your way back, you’ll notice that many boats owners have a bike, much easier to store on deck than a car when it’s time to go!

E: Once on … again, take the little staircase on your right to go to … The…. will surely make you think you are in Europe. The people living in the multi-family houses you’ll see there, with ironwork balconies and a perfect Boston skyscrapers view, sometimes hang their laundry outside.  It only reinforces the sense of being abroad.

F: Keep going up the little alley to get back to …, and turn left. You’ll again pass …, but this time keep going until you find … another little…in between gardens, bordered by gaslights. Take it to go back to the waterfront.

You are now again on …, and it’s true that you did not need to do this detour, but didn’t it add a plus to your meandering?

G: … is in front of you. Go to the end of it for the best views …you can have without taking a boat. At night, it’s even better. If you are walking with kids, they surely enjoy the playground there.

H: Once you have taken all there is to take at the…, have a look at the community gardens of the area (they are a few) to see what’s growing, and stay on …. until the next street on your right, …

Here too, you’ll perhaps see laundry drying up between houses, something that seems unique to East Boston.  In any case, it’s a little and pretty street that will get you to ….

Once there, you can shorten your walk if you turn right until your reach …. again; then left to go back to ..

I: Now, if you want to explore the new East Boston waterfront, turn left on … That’s what the map tells you to do.

Then, find your way to … There are a few options so let your curiosity guide you. The goal is to wander in between all these new buildings as the places to relax along the water are varied, the views interesting and the atmosphere quiet.

J: At … you’ll find more panels related to the history of the area and benches to relax in front of some views of … Then you’ll be able to take…and it will bring you back to your starting point.

If you have not yet tried the food options described in A, now is your chance. If it’s only a drink you crave, and a outdoor place to sit, ….seems a good place for a final touch of the neighborhood!

Convinced that this walk will be exceptional? Find it on Payhip.