Outer Neighborhoods

Understand

Hyde Park

The southernmost neighborhood of Boston, Hyde Park is home to a diverse range of people, housing types and social groups. The area was established in the 1660s and grew into a hub of paper and cotton manufacturing in the eighteenth century, housing new Irish-American immigrants and a flourishing Black population. The extension of rail lines from Boston at Readville Square in the 1850s spurred the area's residential development.

Hyde Park was once home to the first all African-American army unit, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. They assembled and trained at Camp Meigs in Readville. The area would later briefly become a race track during dawn of the 20th century, before being used as an air combat testing facility during World War I. Today it is a series of light industrial buildings near the Neponset river.

Mattapan

Historically a section of neighboring Dorchester, Mattapan became a part of Boston when Dorchester was annexed in 1870. Predominantly residential, Mattapan is a mix of public housing, triple deckers, and single-family homes. Mattapan Square, where Blue Hill Avenue, River Street, and Cummins Highway meet, is the commercial heart of the neighborhood, home to banks, law offices, restaurants, and retail shops. Mattapan now has the largest Haitian community in Massachusetts, and is also largely made up of African Americans and immigrants from other Caribbean countries.

Roslindale

Roslindale is a primarily residential neighborhood six miles southwest of downtown Boston. It was part of Roxbury until it seceded in 1851. The town then voted in 1873 to be annexed to the City of Boston. Roslindale grew residentially as a classic streetcar suburb. Railways were built after the American Civil War, which spawned a new round of commercial development. In the 1920s, Roslindale Village took the shape it has today, with tree-lined Adams Park at its center.

That tree-lined park surrounded by local businesses remains attractive to Bostonians in the 21st century. This walkable area has become a haven for those priced out of JP and other areas affected by gentrification issues. Even here prices have seen dramatic rises in the early 2010s, and residents are working together to maintain the fabric of their community.

West Roxbury

Founded in 1630, West Roxbury is nine miles from downtown Boston, and had been used as farm land by the then independent town of Roxbury. Seceding in 1851, West Roxbury was annexed by Boston in 1874. Due to this quirk of history, it's often confused with Roxbury, although the two are not connected and don't share a border.

This neighborhood's claim to fame is that it once played host to an experimental Utopian community during the mid-19th century. Called Brook Farm, members (like Nathaniel Hawthorne) were inspired by the ideals of Transcendentalism, a religious and cultural philosophy based in New England. The experiment was financially unsuccessful, although many members looked back on their experience positively. All of the buildings from this era have since been lost to fire, but the grounds are now a park and available for tours.

Get in

By car

The car is the premiere way to get around in these neighborhoods. You will be further from the city center, so traffic and congestion will be (comparatively) less of an issue. On street parking is cheap and easy to find. Most attractions here are further apart and not well served by public transit. While not necessary, a car will make your life easier while here.

By public transit

Forest Hills station on the Orange line in Roslindale is the only option for direct rapid transit into the city. The next closest option is the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a historic trolley that connects to the Red Line in Dorchester. Compared to the rest of the T, this trolley ride is particularly scenic, passing through mill villages and nature areas. The last stop on this line serves Mattapan. Used by locals daily, the current rolling stock was built at the end of World War II and it is a tourist attraction for any train enthusiast.

Other than those two options, you're going to need to ride the commuter rail, or the MBTA buses. For Hyde Park and Mattapan, take a train from South Station on the Fairmount, Franklin, or Providence/Stoughton lines. For Roslindale or West Roxbury get on the Needham line, also from South Station.

For MBTA buses, your best bet is to catch one out from Forest Hills, a major bus hub which plays host to an array of bus routes. Mattapan offers much fewer and less frequent connections, with only infrequent service on the 30, 33, and the 24 routes (the 28 runs to Nubian more frequently). Running out from Forest Hills, the 32 is very useful and runs frequently, paralleling the commuter rail, and making local stops down to Hyde Park. The 34, 35, 36, and 37 all travel down to Roslindale, with the 34/34E running down Washington St. to Dedham and beyond, and the 35/36/37 running to West Roxbury.

Go next

• The next neighborhood to the east is Dorchester, where you can pay a visit to the JFK Presidential Library.
• Interested in a slightly older president perhaps? Don't miss Adams National Historical Park in nearby Quincy
• If you have a car, drive it to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, and see some of the first cars ever made.
• Keep heading out of the city and drive to the Blue Hills Reservation. Over 100 miles of trails are waiting in nearby Milton.
• Alternatively, take one of the Commuter Rail trains back into downtown Boston, and be in the heart of it all.