Roxbury

Understand

First settled by Europeans as an independent town in 1630, Roxbury was enormous and encompassed about half the neighborhoods in Boston today. Roxbury was the edge of the British siege of Boston during the Revolutionary War. Over time each area of Roxbury would incorporate itself and break off, until Roxbury itself was annexed to Boston in 1868. A particular type of stone, Roxbury Puddingstone, is found locally and outcroppings in the area are quite visible. Many notable buildings in town are constructed with this material. It may even be where the neighborhood gets its name, "Rocksberry".

Over the years Roxbury has absorbed waves of immigrants; after the English, the Irish arrived in the mid-1800s, followed next by the Germans in the early 1900s. In the early 20th century a large Eastern European Jewish population also moved into Roxbury. The most recent cultural changeover began in the 1940s and 50s when an influx of new African American residents migrating from the South during the Great Migration arrived, alongside immigrants from the Caribbean.

Roughly, Roxbury can be divided into "upper" and "lower" halves, with Martin Luther King Boulevard serving as a dividing line. Heading south towards Franklin Park you'll notice a small elevation change, which distinguishes the halves. Many parts of Lower Roxbury were razed during the 50s and 60s when plans for an Inner Belt highway surfaced, called the Southwest Corridor, which would’ve gone through many high-density areas of the city (including lower Roxbury). Despite the highway project being stopped after many united protests of Bostonians from every neighborhood took place, it displaced thousands of people and businesses, and severely damaged the local economy. The White Flight to the suburbs began there first, and when acres of city blocks were flattened by other unfair urban renewal policies, few residents remained to speak up against them. Upper Roxbury remained largely intact, but the entire neighborhood suffered disinvestment and neglect by the rest of the city, including the demolition and rerouting of the elevated-track Orange Line in 1987; replaced by the Silver Line and several buses that were super inconsistent. You could understand why the community was ready to break away during the late 80s. Instead of a new government, however, those who remained channeled their energy into setting up a new strategic development plan that would work for everyone.

Neighborhoods

• Nubian Square (until 2019, Dudley Square). This is the heart of Roxbury. A mix of old Boston and new cityscape, Nubian Square is unabashed in its Black history and culture. Having been renamed in 2019 after the ancient region in Egypt and Northern Sudan, the neighborhood has received significant investment post-pandemic and has done a 180 from its troubled past Strategic plans dreamed up in the late 1980s after the failed referendums are finally coming to fruition as the city of Boston invests millions of dollars into renovating back the Bolling building and other structures in the neighborhood. Longtime residents rub elbows with fresh arrivals, who are taking advantage of the proximity to downtown, access to amenities, and the lower cost of living compared with other districts. With Bartlett Yard under construction and big plans in the works for other parcels, this area of town is experiencing all the pros of gentrification without losing its working-class core.
• Egleston Square Is it part of Roxbury? Part of JP? This community at a crossroads is a great example of what Roxbury has to offer. A variety of shops and restaurants, from Hispanic cuisine to Boba tea, cater to the locals in the area. Many non-profits have taken root here, investing in urban youth; parents can find classes covering everything from baseball to SAT prep to creative writing and more. There are certain areas in Egleston Square you should avoid, such as the intersection of Washington and Columbus Streets, due to a homeless and drug problem; however, anything south of that intersection on Washington Street is a great place to drive or stroll!
• Moreland Street A tree-lined masterclass of colorful Victorian mini-mansions mixed with modest brownstones that were built mostly in the 1800s, it's only a short walk from downtown Nubian Square! Take a gander at the architecture before resting your legs in the shady Howes Playground on the corner of Moreland and Fairland Streets. It's mostly residential, so don't spend too much time here if you're looking for some restaurants and bars.
• Fort Hill A quiet residential community set on hilly land west of Washington Street. Its one-way streets and hillsides are dotted with interesting architectural gems just waiting to be discovered. This neighborhood doesn't have much shopping and restaurants but does contain a community college, a park, and a mosque.

Get in

By public transit

The Orange Line provides Roxbury with three busy stations located along the Southwest Corridor. Ruggles is by far the largest and has the most connections to local buses and the Commuter Rail. While Roxbury Crossing gets a lot of use from residents, and the nearby student population in Mission Hill. It's likely your best bet to walk into the center of Nubian Square. Further down the line Jackson Square is used by many residents of Egleston Square and Upper Roxbury. If you're headed to Franklin Park by train, consider staying on another two stops to Green Street.

Ruggles is also your stop if you're arriving from the suburbs. This is the only stop in Roxbury for the Providence, Franklin, and Needham Commuter Rail lines. It seems like almost every bus in the city winds up at Ruggles or Nubian terminal at one point or another. The most popular bus route, probably in the entire city, is the aptly named #1 that runs from Nubian Square to Harvard College regularly. Other popular routes include the #23 and #28 which run to Ashmont and Mattapan stations, respectively. The CT2 and CT3 are part of the cities cross town loop system and will take you to either MIT or BU Medical. The #66 another helpful crosstown bus headed to Allston, can be picked up from the Roxbury Crossing station.

The beginning of the Silver Line can be found at Nubian terminal in Nubian Square. This route runs into downtown, to Logan Airport and many other locations. The only other stop it makes in Roxbury is Melnea Cass Boulevard, before entering the South End. The station itself is a large bus depot, the structure salvaged from the Washington Street elevated railway on which the Orange Line ran until the 1980s. Any route you missed at Ruggles can be picked up here.

By car

Driving in Roxbury is, like everywhere else in Boston, not recommended. It's only potentially worth the hassle if you're planning on heading to Franklin Park or getting off the beaten path. Parking is a little less competitive here than Downtown. However, traffic can still back up quickly, and unpredictable driver behavior is very common. Because of the hilly and rocky topography, streets here are laid out in an even less cohesive plan than other areas. Roxbury has more than its fair share of dead-end streets, cul-de-sacs, and roads to seemingly nowhere...so watch out for those as well. Also, avoid Humboldt Avenue and its side streets in Lower Roxbury across from Franklin Park. Known as H-Block to Bostonians, it is infamous across northern America for gang culture and has been perennially prone to violence in the past.

Go next

• Like Franklin Park? Head west into Jamaica Plain and check out the Arnold Arboretum.
• Hop on the Silver Line and ride north into the shopping and dining destination the South End.
• Explore Roxbury's eastern border and try to figure out exactly where Dorchester begins and Roxbury ends.
• Investigate some of the quieter areas of town in the Outer Neighborhoods of Mattapan and Roslindale.
• Renowned museums like the MFA and Isabella Stewart Gardner are in Fenway/Kenmore, just across the Southwest Corridor Park.