Boston Foot Notes: A Walking Guide

by Jane Grossman

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.

222 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2004

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with a lot of information for touring the city, each part of the City is broken down into areas to walk and tour historical houses in the area of each walk. A lot of little historical tie bits are added in with the reading. I grew up in Boston and a good handful of times I was wowed by not knowing a little historical fact. Great book, well written and very informative.