Greater Downtown Boston Real Estate

Boston's thriving downtown is comprised of several adjacent areas including Downtown Crossing, Government Center, the Financial District and the Waterfront. Each of these centers offers its unique contribution to a variety of economic sectors and plays its part in making Boston a Mecca of shopping, business and tourism.

The downtown area is both original land and the result of the same 19th century landfill projects that formed other Boston neighborhoods like the Back Bay, but this place has always been the heart of Boston's municipal and commercial activity, and its waterfront was witness to the Boston Tea Party of 1773.

Downtown Crossing's brick-paved pedestrian mall at the intersection of Washington, Summer and Winter Streets draws daily crowds of shoppers to an abundance of retail including major department stores and other national chain locations. This area, in the shadow of the State House and at the corner of the Boston Common, was once where the colonial leaders had their residences. There are a number of historic churches and public buildings from this period. Bostonians conducted the business of running the growing colony in the Old State House that still stands at the corner of State Street. Quincy Market, a landmark granite structure in the style of a columned classical temple was a commercial marketplace and is now a destination for tourists and Bostonians who take their lunch break at the market's many restaurants and food stands.

The Financial District bustles during the work week with professionals from a wide variety of major investment companies and law firms located in the area. Skyscrapers, such as the International Place complex and the State Street Building, stand alongside substantial old landmarks like the Old Customs House. This tall clock tower is an icon of Boston architecture and the building itself now contains condominiums.

Housing in the downtown is generally found in luxury condos. The more abundant real estate market is class A office space with the impressively low vacancy rate of less than two-percent. Additionally, the area also features a great many posh hotels including the Langham and Wyndham Hotels near Post Office Square and the Boston Harbor Hotel on the Waterfront at Rowe's Wharf.

The Waterfront offers a mixture of commercial, financial, residential and recreational uses. The New England Aquarium is located on Long Wharf, where visitors can also embark on one of many harbor cruise excursions. The Federal Reserve Bank is nearby, adjacent to One Financial Place and to South Station that offers local and interstate train and bus service. The new up-and-coming area of the Waterfront is the Seaport District on Seaport Boulevard. Residential units and commercial space in this area are on the rise.

Boston's downtown is the hub of the city; every subway line has a station here. This historic area pumps life into the city and no visitor will leave unimpressed.

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