Rose Kennedy Greenway

Gorgeous Boston park from the North End to Chinatown

 

The spectacular Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston's newest park, stretches from TD Garden to Chinatown.   Just over a mile long, the series of gardens, paths, benches, and open areas make the Greenway seem even larger than it really is. 

The Greenway re-unites downtown Boston with the waterfront and North End, separated for almost 50 years by the ugly elevated highway called the "Central Artery" as it slashed through the heart of the city. 

Boston's infamous 16-year "Big Dig" project sank the Central Artery underground between the Zakim Bridge and South Station, causing indescrible disruption to the city for most of those years.

But now the Big Dig is just a memory. The beautiful Rose Kennedy Greenway meanders through the city where the Central Artery once towered.

The Greenway, named in honor of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, beloved matriarch of the Boston family that produced the late President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Senator Edward Kennedy, opened in late 2007.  Now, just a few years later, trees and lushly flowering plants transform the space.

If you haven't visited the city since the Central Artery disappeared from sight, the Greenway belongs on your list of Must Visit Boston sites. 

How the Rose Kennedy Greenway changes Boston

If your memories of Boston include the Central Artery, you're in for a huge surprise when you visit now.

Before, if you wanted to walk along the Freedom Trail from Faneuil Hall Marketplace to Hanover Street in the North End, you had to pick your way through the grimy, trash-filled underbelly of the Central Artery.

And who even knew that Boston had a downtown waterfront?

But now, you simply stroll across sun-drenched spaces, admiring the flowers overflowing the gardens along the way.  Of course you can see the city's buildings all around you, but what you'll notice most are the flowers and grass.

If you walk the length of the Rose Kennedy Greenway from the North End to Boston Chinatown, you'll discover four distinct park areas. Each celebrates the Boston neighborhood that it passes through and resonates with details about the city's history.

North End Park

The North End Park area of the Rose Kennedy Greenway stretches from New Sudbury Street past Hanover Street and almost all the way down to Christopher Columbus Park, reuniting the North End with Downtown Boston.

Numerous walkways link the 2 areas, so that you can easily cross back and forth - at the northern-most point, from TD Garden, and a big farther down, from Faneuil Market and Haymarket.

A 200 foot long, 50 ton steel pergola lines the grassy expanses of the North End Park, framing Boston Harbor on one side and expansive flower-filled plantings along the city side. 

As the magnolias, ash, and elm trees grow larger, their flowers and foliage will add to the seasonal color.  Several varieties of magnolias already produce gorgeous pink, white, and even yellow blooms in April. 

Design elements feature lots of granite, echoing the favorite North End paving stone.  Some of the granite paving has a kind of wavy pattern - not so great if you're trying to walk on it, but it's probably supposed to evoke the nearby North End waterfront. 

Flat railings line the walkways near Hanover Street.  Take a closer look at their flat top surfaces - you can barely see them in this photo - and you'll see a fascinating Boston history timeline with quotes from North End residents. 

Plenty of benches provides places to sit and enjoy the views or read a book. When the weather is good, you'll see kids running and playing in the wide open spaces, parents with babies in strollers, and groups of friends enjoying the sun.

Tourists stroll along as they follow the Freedom Trail between Faneuil Hall and the North End sites.

Photographers try for the perfect shot.  Recently, I've even spotted artists with easels capturing the views.

If you visit with children, this is a great place where they can run and play in the wide open spaces.  Despite the close-by streets, the plantings and elevation provide a surprising amount of separation from the traffic.

The biggest attraction for children, however, is the seasonal Carosel - new in 2009.  Located more or less between Christopher Columbus Park in the North End and the entrance to Quincy Market / Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Carosel is a huge hit with children and their parents.

One of my favorite detours is to cross over to the North End along Hanover Street and pop into one of the nearby shops for a loaf of freshly baked bread, cheese, and olives for an impromptu picnic. 

Or better yet, cross over to one of the North End Boston restaurants for a wonderful Italian meal.

Other worthwhile detours include the granite monoliths and 6 glass towers of the moving Boston Holocaust Memorial, just to the west (toward Downtown) between Hanover and North Streets, and of course Faneuil Hall / Quincy Market.  You'll also find some of Boston's historic pubs in this area.

To the east is Christopher Columbus Park, with its vine-covered arbors, the lovely Rose Kennedy Memorial Rose Garden, and popular children's playground.

If you're lucky enough to stop by when the roses are in bloom (usually June), take a few moments and stroll through this special place, one of Boston's loveliest small public gardens.  Sometimes you'll even see a small wedding party posing for photos with the roses as a backdrop.

Wharf District Park

Continue walking south along the Rose Kennedy Greenway past Christopher Columbus Park, and you will be in the Wharf District Park along Boston's Downtown Waterfront.

In this section of the Greenway, you'll see plenty of design motifs representing Boston's maritime history, rocky coastline, and even ships bringing immigrants.  The recent addition of a splash fountain functions as a mini waterpark and draws raves from young fans.

Perhaps the most striking feature about this part of the Greenway isn't the Greenway itself, attractive as it is, but the access that it suddenly provides to the waterfront, Boston Harbor views, and Harborwalk along the water's edge.

Forward-thinking property developers have already built or refurbished waterfront hotels and restaurants in this area, and more eateries and Boston nightlife spots open here all the time.

Dewey Square Area in the Rose Kennedy Greenway

Continuing south along the Greenway, you'll reach the Dewey Square area where the Greenway intersects with Summer Street. 

Initial plans for this area fell apart.  Current plans include pavilions for performances and other entertainment.  In the meantime, grass and other plantings provide a pleasant oasis in an urban landscape.

Chinatown Park

Continue past Dewey Square, South Station, and the huge Federal Reserve Building and you'll reach the southern anchor of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the Chinatown Park.

As you reach the 3-4 small gardens making up the Boston Chinatown Park section of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the straight path develops curves.

Continue strolling along the now-winding path, and you’ll forget that you’re in the middle of Boston. 

Tall ornamental grasses wave gently in the breeze, while bamboo rustles.  If you visit in late May or early June, you can enjoy the blooms of peonies and rhododendrons, plants ubiquitous in both China’s and Boston’s landscapes. 

In contrast to all of this undulating green, large red steel frames evoke bamboo scaffolding seen everywhere in China while echoing both the linear designs of adjacent buildings as well as the still-distant Chinatown Gate at Essex Street. 

Other elements such as a structure echoing the shape of the sail on a Chinese boat symbolize the passage of the Chinese to Boston.

You'll pass plenty of benches where you can sit quietly and read a book.

Turn another corner as the path bends, and you’ll first hear and then see water—a waterfall running into a pool and then a stream. 

Ahead, the path widens into a plaza facing the Chinatown Gate.

If you have children with you, they'll immediately spot the red-fenced playground just to the left of the gate. 

While they play on the swings, you can watch an on-going checker or mahjong game nearby, or join one of the groups of tai’ chi enthusiasts.

Of course, Chinatown offers its own array of tasty treats—plenty of wonderful restaurants where you can go for a delicious meal or dim sum.

Insider tip

Like so much of Boston, the Rose Kennedy Greenway is best enjoyed on foot.  You can easily reach from several subway stops - or just walk to it from anywhere in downtown Boston. 

Details and Directions to the Rose Kennedy Greenway

Open: At all times
Location: The northern edge of the Rose Kennedy Greenway is Old Sudbury Street. At this point, its eastern edge is Cross Street, which becomes Atlantic Ave. In some areas, Atlantic Ave becomes Surface Artery North. The western edge (starting at Cross Street) is Surface Road, which later becomes (in some spots) Surface Artery South. Confused? Welcome to Boston's road naming conventions! Fortunately, the Greenway is fairly wide in most places and easy to spot. It ends at the Chinatown Gate at Essex Street.
Closest Boston subway stations: Blue Line/Aquarium or Orange and Green Lines/Haymarket at the northern end, Red Line/South Station at the southern end
For more information: Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, 617-292-0020