Fenway Neighborhood

Fenway: It is the home of Fenway Park, the famous Citgo sign, Kenmore Square, Northeastern University, parts of Boston University, Berklee College of Music, The Boston Conservatory, Emmanuel College, Massachusetts College of Art, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Simmons College, Wheelock College, New England School of Photography, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Fenway is a neighborhood bounded on the south by Mission Hill, the Back Bay Fens and Columbus Avenue, on the north by the Mass Pike, and on the west by Mission Hill.  The neighborhood is almost entirely five- to six-story walk-up apartment buildings, with small, independently owned shops scattered throughout. This area provides housing for many students who attend the surrounding colleges and universities unable to provide on-campus living arrangements.  The neighborhood feels somewhat isolated from the rest of downtown due to the large park and major highway that act as the neighborhood’s boundaries. With its proximity to major parks, Back Bay, Boston University, Northeastern University and the Longwood cultural district, Fenway may be Boston’s last untapped real estate gem .

In the last few years, development in the Fenway has picked up, particularly from developer Samuels and Associates. Recent developments include the renovation of the Landmark Center, which now houses a Best Buy, Regal Cinemas, Bed Bath & Beyond, Longhorn Steakhouse, Staples, and other retailers and office space, and the 576-unit, 17-floor Trilogy apartment building on Brookline Avenue and Boylston Street. Currently, another development named 1330 Bolyston is under construction, and will contain 210 condos and 85,000 square feet of office space contained within 14 floors. The MBTA is planning to renovate the currently under-lit Fenway Green Line stop, and the nearby Yawkey Way Commuter Rail Station. Finally, the Museum of Fine Arts is in the midst of a $425 million expansion, and the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum is contemplating the construction of a second building.

The Fenway is separated from the Back Bay neighborhood by the Muddy River, which flows through the Back Bay Fens and into the Charles River.