South End · Boston neighborhood guide
Things to Do in South End Boston
Boston's largest Victorian row house district: bow-front brownstones, the SoWa galleries and Sunday market, a Tremont Street dining spine, and live jazz at Wally's since 1947. Here's what's actually worth your time, ranked and judged.
South End in brief
What should you not miss in the South End?
SoWa Open Market on Sundays (May through November), dinner on Tremont Street's restaurant row, and a walk through the Victorian residential squares. If you are here on a weeknight, Wally's Cafe for live jazz.
How long should you spend in the South End?
A half day covers Tremont Street dining and a walk through the brownstone blocks. A full day adds the SoWa market (Sundays only), gallery-hopping, and an evening at Wally's.
Is the South End worth visiting?
Yes. It has the best concentration of independent restaurants in Boston, the city's most intact Victorian streetscape, and a genuine neighborhood feel that the tourist-heavy areas lack.
Get oriented
How the South End fits together
The South End sits south of Back Bay, bounded by the Mass Pike to the north and Massachusetts Avenue to the west.
Tremont Street is the main commercial spine, running diagonally through the neighborhood with the densest stretch of restaurants between Berkeley and Massachusetts Avenue. Washington Street, one block east, is the arts and gallery corridor, anchored by the SoWa district (short for South of Washington) around Harrison Avenue. The residential streets between Tremont and Washington are the architectural highlight: bow-front brownstones from the 1860s and 1870s line small parks and oval squares like Union Park, Worcester Square, and Rutland Square. Columbus Avenue marks the northern border with Back Bay. The neighborhood is flat and compact, with nearly everything within a 15-minute walk.
A half-day loop from Back Bay Station, heading east along Tremont and returning through SoWa:
See & do, ranked
The best things to do in the South End
Our honest ranking of what is worth your time in Boston's restaurant and arts neighborhood, from the Sunday market to a jazz club that has been open since 1947.
Must-see
The essentials, ranked.- 1
Harrison Avenue Worth itSoWa Open Market
Boston's best outdoor market: local art, vintage finds, and a food truck row, every Sunday from May through November.
The SoWa Open Market runs every Sunday from May through November at 500 Harrison Avenue, in the heart of the South End's arts district. More than 175 vendors set up across three sections: the Artists Market (paintings, ceramics, jewelry by local makers), the Vintage Market (clothing, furniture, records), and the Farmers Market (produce, baked goods, prepared food). A row of food trucks lines the entrance. The market draws a neighborhood crowd, not a tourist crowd, and the quality of the handmade goods is consistently high. Free admission. Arrive by 11 AM for the best selection; the produce vendors start packing up by 3 PM. The indoor SoWa galleries at 450 Harrison Avenue are open year-round and worth browsing before or after.
Sundays, May-Nov, 11 AM - 5 PMGood for couples, solo, families
Sourcessowaboston.comboston.com
- 2
Tremont Street Worth itTremont Street Restaurant Row
The highest concentration of independent restaurants in Boston, on a single walkable stretch of Victorian storefronts.
Tremont Street between Berkeley and Massachusetts Avenue is the South End's dining spine and arguably the best restaurant street in Boston. The stretch is dense with chef-driven independents rather than chains: Toro (Spanish tapas by Ken Oringer), Mida (Italian with a cult Monday pasta night), Coppa (Italian small plates and charcuterie), Banyan Bar + Refuge (Asian-influenced), and dozens more. In warm months, most restaurants extend patios onto the wide sidewalks. The street is also lined with independent shops, wine bars, and coffee spots. Free to walk; what you spend at dinner is up to you. Come hungry.
Restaurants generally 5 PM - 10 PM; lunch spots from 11 AMGood for couples, solo, families
Sourcesboston.commeetboston.com
Worth it with more time
Good additions once you've done the icons.- 3
Tremont Street Worth itBoston Center for the Arts
A multi-venue arts campus on Tremont Street with galleries, theaters, and studio space in a converted 19th-century building.
The Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) occupies a campus of connected buildings at 539 Tremont Street, including the Cyclorama, a domed brick building originally constructed in 1884 to display a massive circular painting of the Battle of Gettysburg. Today the BCA houses four theater spaces, the Mills Gallery (free rotating exhibitions by Boston-area artists), artist studios, and event spaces. The resident theater companies, including SpeakEasy Stage Company and Company One Theatre, produce some of the best small-scale theater in the city. Gallery admission is free; theater tickets run $25 to $75 depending on the show. Check the calendar before you go. The BCA anchors the arts corridor that extends south along Harrison Avenue into the SoWa gallery district.
Good for couples, solo
Sourcesbostonarts.orgmeetboston.com
- 4
Washington Street Worth itCathedral of the Holy Cross
The largest Roman Catholic church in New England, with stained glass, a vaulted ceiling, and a surprisingly quiet interior for a building this size.
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 1400 Washington Street is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and the largest Catholic church in New England. Completed in 1875, the Gothic Revival building seats 1,700 and stretches 364 feet from the entrance to the apse. The interior is worth seeing for the stained glass alone: more than 80 windows, with the largest rose window in the eastern United States above the organ loft. The cathedral sits on a quiet block of Washington Street, and the interior is a genuine respite from the street. Free admission. Open Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 7 AM to 7 PM.
Good for solo, couples
- 5
Dartmouth Street Worth itSouthwest Corridor Park
A 4.7-mile linear park that runs through the South End with playgrounds, basketball courts, community gardens, and a bike path.
Southwest Corridor Park is a 4.7-mile linear green space that follows the route of the Orange Line from Back Bay Station south through the South End, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain. The South End section, between Back Bay Station and Massachusetts Avenue, includes a paved bike and walking path, playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, and community garden plots tended by local residents. The park replaced a highway that was torn down in the 1980s after community opposition. It functions as the neighborhood's backyard: joggers, dog walkers, and families with strollers use it daily. Free and open dawn to dusk. The main entrance from the South End is at Dartmouth Street near Back Bay Station.
Dawn to duskGood for families, solo, couples
Hidden gems
Where the crowds thin out.- Hidden gem
Union Park Street Worth itUnion Park
A tiny oval park surrounded by the most photogenic row of Victorian bow-front brownstones in Boston.
Union Park is a small oval green space on Union Park Street between Tremont Street and Shawmut Avenue. It is the most photographed residential block in the South End, and for good reason: identical four-story bow-front brownstones from the 1850s line both sides, with iron fences, gas-style lampposts, and mature trees shading a center island with flower beds and park benches. The park was designed as a London-style residential square when the South End was being developed as Boston's fashionable new neighborhood. It lost that status to Back Bay within a decade, which is partly why these blocks survived intact. Free, open, and almost always quiet. A five-minute walk from Tremont Street restaurants.
FreeOpen 24 hoursGood for couples, solo
- Hidden gem
Massachusetts Avenue Worth itWally's Cafe Jazz Club
Live jazz every night, no cover charge, in a narrow room that has been open since 1947 and run by the same family since day one.
Wally's Cafe at 427 Massachusetts Avenue has been serving live jazz, blues, funk, and Latin music every single night since 1947. Founded by Joseph Walcott, it was one of the first jazz clubs in the United States owned by an African American. The club is tiny (maybe 60 people standing), the drinks are cheap, and the musicians are a mix of Berklee College of Music students and working professionals. There is no cover charge, ever. The music starts at 8 PM on weeknights, 6 PM on weekends. Cash only for drinks. Arrive by 8:30 PM on weekends if you want to get in without a wait. The vibe is loose, friendly, and unpretentious.
No coverMusic starts 8 PM weeknights, 6 PM weekendsGood for solo, couples
Sourceswallyscafe.comboston.com
Verdicts and rankings are our own; ratings open each place on Google. Prices, where shown, are an approximate per-person guide in USD.
Eat & drink
Where to eat in the South End
The South End has more acclaimed independent restaurants per block than any other neighborhood in Boston. These four are the ones worth a reservation or a walk-in.
Myers + Chang
Washington StreetAsian fusion from Joanne Chang (of Flour Bakery fame). The menu mixes Chinese, Thai, Taiwanese, and Korean flavors: dumplings, wok-charred udon, lemongrass chicken. Plates run $15-28. The bar seats are first-come and a good option for solo diners. BYOB on Mondays.
on Google
Toro
Washington StreetSpanish tapas from Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette. The corn with aioli, lime, and cheese is legendary. Small plates run $12-24, and you will want four or five per person. Reservations recommended; the patio fills fast in summer. Budget $50-70 per person with drinks.
on Google
Coppa Enoteca
Shawmut AvenueItalian small plates and charcuterie in a narrow room with a copper bar. The pizza and house-made pasta are strong; the wine list leans Italian. Budget $60-100 per person for dinner with wine. Walk-ins welcome at the bar.
on Google
Mida
Tremont StreetItalian with a loyal following for the Monday pasta night, where every pasta on the menu is available for a fixed price. The regular menu runs $25-40 per person. Cozy room, neighborhood regulars, and one of the best weeknight dinners in the South End.
on Google
Getting around
Getting around the South End
Back Bay Station (Orange Line)
Southern edge of Back Bay, northern edge of the South End. A 5-10 minute walk south on Dartmouth or Clarendon gets you to Tremont Street.
Massachusetts Avenue Station (Orange Line)
Western edge of the South End. Serves the southern portion of the neighborhood and puts you close to Wally's Cafe and the Southwest Corridor Park.
Flat and walkable
Everything in this guide is within a 15-minute walk of everything else. Walk Score 97-99. The streets are a grid, flat, and well-lit.
Walk from Back Bay
From Back Bay Station, cross Columbus Avenue heading south. You are on Tremont Street in two minutes.
Where to stay
Where to stay in the South End
Tremont Street
Restaurant Row on your doorstep. The Revolution Hotel and Clarendon Square B&B put you in the middle of the dining scene.
Washington Street / SoWa
Arts district. Converted loft Airbnbs and the Staypineapple Hotel are near galleries and the Sunday market.
Back Bay border
More selection. Hotels near Copley Square and Back Bay Station are a 5-10 minute walk into the South End.
Where to stay in Boston
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View the guideWho it's for
South End for families, couples, and solo
- The South End for families
- SoWa Open Market on Sundays, the Southwest Corridor Park playgrounds, Peters Park, and kid-friendly brunch spots on Tremont Street. The flat sidewalks and residential streets are easy with a stroller.
- The South End for couples
- Dinner at Toro or Coppa, cocktails at Franklin Cafe, and a sunset walk along the brownstone-lined residential squares. The South End is one of the most romantic dinner-and-a-walk neighborhoods in Boston.
- The South End for solo travelers
- Gallery-hop SoWa First Fridays, eat at the Myers + Chang bar, and catch live jazz at Wally's Cafe any night of the week. The neighborhood is safe, walkable, and full of bar seating for solo diners.
More of Boston
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