NEIGHBORHOODS > FENWAY


Fen-tastic
Perhaps no neighborhood in Boston combines as many disparate resources for its residents as The Fenway. Named for the Fens-the green parkland that winds its way through the neighborhood-the area combines the natural splendor of The Emerald Necklace with a heavy concentration of the culture, education and recreation.

Two segments of the population are most often found in the Fenway: college students and Red Sox fans. With a large number of Boston's institutions of higher learning massed in or near the Fenway-including Northeastern University, Simmons College, Boston University, Berklee College of Music, Wheelock College and Emmanuel College-it's quite common to find yourself negotiating crowds of backpack-wearing students on their way to class during the daytime. And once darkness falls, those same youngsters are out in force to explore the Fenway's vital club scene-particularly on Lansdowne Street, which offers revelers everything from dance and music clubs to billiards and bowling.

Then of course, there's Fenway Park. Opened in 1912, it is the nation's oldest active major league baseball park, and it draws millions of people every year to cram into small seats, marvel at the 37-foot high wall in left field, (affectionately dubbed "the Green Monster") and share in the mystique of one of baseball's most enduring franchises.

Kenmore Square itself is undergoing a renaissance of sorts today, with new shops, hotels and restaurants having replaced the raunchy, rock 'n' roll atmosphere of landmarks from past decades like the Kenmore Square Movie House and punk rock club The Rathskellar. Now the neighborhood is moving upscale with the presence of the glamorous Hotel Commonwealth and restaurants like Great Bay and Eastern Standard.

The roar of the crowd at Red Sox games hasn't overshadowed The Fenway's status as Boston's cultural mecca. The world-renowned Museum of Fine Arts on Huntington Avenue is the city's premier destination for viewing works of art from some of the most famous artists of all time. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum displays the lifelong artistic passions and collections of its namesake philanthropist in a beautiful building complete with central courtyard. And classical music lovers take abundant delight in the numerous performing ensembles, including The Boston Conservatory, New England Conservatory and most prominently, The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its performance venue, Symphony Hall.