East Boston

Understand

Like much of the rest of the Boston area, East Boston was originally a series of five islands and marshy tidal bogs. Each of the islands were used either for farming or the grazing of livestock, and military fortifications were constructed when necessary. The two largest islands (Noddle's and Breed's) make up the modern commercial and residential heart of Eastie. The three smaller (Governors, Apple, and Bird) were combined with infill over the years to create Logan International Airport.

In the 1830s, the owner of the largest island, William Sumner, formed a company to direct expansion in the area. The railroad was brought in and ferries started service to try to connect East Boston to the rest of the mainland. While those ventures didn't work out so well, the urban planning that was done around this time remains. Visitors today will see one of the few areas of Boston actually laid out on a grid. This was also a prosperous period for locals involved in the Clipper ship industry, which flourished here. So renowned were the shipbuilders, Eastie would remain popular in the maritime trades long after the time of wooden ships had passed.

The ships carried more than just cargo, they also brought with them new arrivals and new ideas. A great many Canadians, Irish, Russian and European Jewish immigrants would appear throughout the 19th century. The Italians arrived at the dawn of the 20th century, and a growing population required additional housing. It's during this period when the streets first became lined with ever present three deckers, providing affordable housing for the recent immigrants. The fine Victorian mansions and sea captain's homes would remain atop Eagle Hill, of course, along with many handsome brick bow fronts in Jeffries Point.

The construction of the airport beginning in the 1920s was transformational. Also extremely close to downtown Boston, the noise and pollution from the air traffic kept housing prices affordable. This provided a landing space for the most recent influx of people hailing from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and South East Asia. Nothing stays the same forever, and today developers are moving in to capitalize on Eastie's waterfront views and adjacency to downtown.

Get in

Clearly Logan International Airport is the neighborhood's defining characteristic. There are, however, a few other ways to get here that don't involve undergoing a full body patdown.

By public transit

The easiest and most popular option is the Blue line, running trains every 5-13 minutes depending on the current time and day. It pops up above the harbor at Maverick station, before continuing on to the Airport, Wood Island, Orient Heights, and Suffolk Downs stops. It then keeps chugging right along into Revere, the next town north. The other way of getting here is on the Silver line SL1 branch. It's great for going to the airport, but not much else. The Silver line bus makes 5 stops, one at each of Logan's terminals, and does not connect you with the Blue line.

Busses run here (quite a number of them!), but none departing from Eastie can get you across the harbor and into Boston proper. A few busses do leave from Wonderland station in Revere. They drive to either Haymarket or South Station, and a couple will stop at the airport. Of busses that do run here, the #114 and #116 start at Maverick station and cross the Mystic river to get you into Chelsea. The #120 and #121 run from Maverick also, but they stay within the neighborhood and in most cases the Blue line and your own two feet will be the superior option.

One other infrequently used option are the MBTA commuter boats. Take the F2H from Logan Ferry Terminal for boats to Long Wharf, Hingham, and Hull. These ferries run year round, but call ahead if it looks like extreme, icy ocean conditions could be an issue. Water taxis are also available, taking you to any dock in the city with about 10 minutes notice.

By car

Driving in East Boston isn't the best idea, but not impossible. Actually the most challenging thing is getting your car over here in the first place. Three tunnels provide access, the older Callahan and Sumner tunnels are crowded, slow and their location isn't great. The Ted Williams tunnel, built during the Big Dig, offers the fastest and easiest connection. All the tunnels are equally expensive for non-resident visitors. If you're coming from the north, congested and crumbling routes 1A and 145 will bring you in. There are a few parking garages, and most streets in town are resident parking only 24 hours a day. The city issues $40 tickets for parking in these spaces without a sticker.

Go next

• Do what everyone else does and take the T under the harbor and into downtown Boston.
• Take the Logan Ferry across the harbor to Hull, operating year round.
• Water taxis offer more flexibility, take one over to South Boston and tie one on at Harpoon Brewery.
• Hundreds of flights depart daily for points all around the world, a common destination could be anything from Nantucket to New York City.
• Stay on the Blue line and ride up north to Revere Beach, in the city of Revere.