The Back Bay neighborhood is one of Boston’s most renowned neighborhoods. Fashioned after the Parisian boulevard system, best exemplified by Commonwealth Avenue and its fabled Mall, the prime residential section of the Back Bay is bordered by the Charles River and Esplanade, Boston Public Garden, Huntington Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. Newbury Street is a magnet to tourists and locals alike who frequent the upscale retailers, restaurants and art galleries. The Charles River Esplanade is not only a preferred venue for the Boston Pops at the Hatch Shell, but a recreational destination for all of Boston’s neighborhoods who enjoy its bike and jogging trails, sailing from the Union Boat Club or just prefer to sunbathe on the banks of the Charles River. Back Bay was created when the tidewater flats of the Charles River were filled in; today this coveted neighborhood is home to some of Boston’s most opulent brownstone mansions, condominiums and full-service doorman buildings. From 1857-1882 the railroad firm of Goss and Munson built approximately 6 miles of railroad between Needham and Boston. Loading the 35-car trains full of fill, they made 16 round trips per day. Twenty-five years later the Back Bay was complete. The first Back Bay row houses were built in 1860 and can be viewed on the first block of Commonwealth Avenue. By 1917, all construction of new homes was complete.
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