DK Travel : Boston : Places of interest

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Swan Boats

If Boston were to have a mascot, it would most likely sport white feathers and a graceful, arching neck. The swan boats have been a Public Garden (see Swan Boats) fixture since the first fleet glided onto the garden’s shimmering pond in 1877.
Symphony Hall

The restrained Italian Renaissance exterior of this 1900 concert hall barely hints at the acoustic perfection of the interior hall as designed by Harvard physics professor Walter Clement Sabine. Home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the hall’s 2,361 seats are usually sold out for their extensive season of classical concerts, as well as for the lighter orchestral fare of the Boston Pops (see Symphony Hall).
The Esplanade

The perfect setting for a leisurely bike ride, an invigorating jog, or a lazy, languid afternoon of soaking up the sun, the Esplanade is one of the city’s most popular green spaces. This gorgeous ribbon of green hugging the Charles’ river banks was inspired by Venetian canals. July 4th (see Fourth of July) at the Esplanade’s Hatch Shell concert venue brings the world-famous Boston Pops orchestra along with thousands of revelers to enjoy the incomparable mix of music, good cheer, and awe-inspiring fireworks.
Tremont Street

The section of Tremont Street between East Berkeley and Massachusetts Avenue is the social and commercial heart of the South End. Many of the handsome brick and brownstone townhouses have been restored to circa-1890 perfection, some with a boutique or café added at street level; others remain boarded up and awaiting renovation. The liveliest corner of the South End is the intersection of Tremont with Clarendon and Union Park streets, where the Boston Center for the Arts and a plethora of restaurants and cafés create a compact entertainment and dining district.
Trinity Church

When I. M. Pei’s 60-story John Hancock Tower was completed in 1976, Bostonians feared Trinity Church would be overshadowed by its gleaming upstart neighbor. Yet H. H. Richardson’s masterpiece, dedicated in 1877, remains just as vital to Copley Square, and as beautiful, as it appeared on its opening day (see Trinity Church).
Union Park Square

Constructed between 1857 and 1859, this small park surrounded by English-style brick row houses was built to contrast with the French-inspired grid layout of nearby Back Bay. Graced with lovely trees and fountains and verdant with a thick mat of grass, the square was one of the first areas in the South End to be gentrified.
Upham’s Corner

The area known as Upham’s Corner in Dorchester was founded in 1630, and its venerable Old Dorchester Burial Ground contains ethereal carved stones from this Puritan era. Today, Upham’s Corner is decidedly more Caribbean than Puritan, with small shops specializing in food, clothing, and music of the islands. The Strand Theatre, a 1918 luxury movie palace and vaudeville hall, functions as an arts center and venue for live concerts and religious revival meetings.
Villa Victoria

Villa Victoria is a virtually self-contained, primarily Hispanic neighborhood that grew out of a unique collaboration among Puerto Rican community activists, flexible city planners, and visionary architects. With its low-rise buildings, narrow streets, and mom-and-pop stores, Villa Victoria replicates the feel of Puerto Rican community life. At its heart, the Center for Latino Arts sponsors classes and exhibitions, and becomes a dance and social club in the evenings – one of the hottest places in Boston for Latin dance.
Wang Center

With a theater modeled on the Paris Opera House and a foyer inspired by the Palace of Versailles, the opulent Wang Center (opened 1925) is a grand venue for touring musicals, blockbuster concerts, and the prestigious Boston Ballet (see Wang Center).
Warren Anatomical Museum

Established in 1847 from the private holdings of Dr. John Collins Warren, this museum contains the former anatomical teaching collections of the Harvard Medical School, including clinical examples of rare deformities and diseases. Among the displays are several delicate skeletons of stillborn conjoined twins.