A Walk in the (Linear) Park
If you haven’t been to East Boston (and, no, the airport doesn’t count), it’s worth a visit. This itinerary combines some of my favorites: urban hikes, public parks, bits of history, and harbor views. It is a half-day trip, and modes are subway and walking.
The Quick Version
Blue Line from downtown to Orient Heights Station
Walk along the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway
Visit Piers Park and the Shipyard
Eat!
Blue Line from Maverick Station to downtown
The Ramble-y Version
Start by boarding the Blue Line at Bowdoin, State (Orange Line connection), Government Center (Green Line connection), or Aquarium, and take it to the Orient Heights stop. Disembark and walk along Bennington Street towards Saratoga Street; make a left onto Saratoga, slight right onto Bayswater, and another right onto Barnes Avenue. Follow Barnes Avenue until you reach a gated entrance. This is the DCR parking lot for Constitution Beach (note: if you use walking directions from Google maps, it will take you a slightly different route, as it does not know about the entrance on Barnes Avenue).
Constitution Beach has a playground and a sand beach. It’s a great spot to watch planes and you also have a view of Winthrop. On this trip, it’s a walk-through spot, but in the summer its a nice place for a low-key beach day. Walk along Constitution Beach towards to the other end of the parking lot, and you’ll find an entrance to the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, formerly known as the East Boston Greenway. Mary Ellen Welch was an East Boston resident and community activist who fought for more green space and community improvements; the path was renamed for her in 2019. The Greenway used to be a railway, but has been converted to paved path; it connects several neighborhoods and parks across East Boston, and there are future plans to expand it to Winthrop and Bell Isle Marsh.
One important note: parts of this path are controlled by Massport and they close certain gates at sundown (dumb); make sure you’re planning this trip during daylight hours.
Walk the Greenway from Constitution Beach until you reach Wood Island Bay Marsh Urban Wild. There’s a quick offshoot from the path with benches and displays about the wildlife, and you can also get a view of the salt marshes. It’s an industrial area now, but this part of East Boston used to be home to a huge park known as the Wood Island Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (same designer as the Emerald Necklace and Central Park in NYC). Though neighborhood activists fought to preserve it, it was destroyed by Massport in the 1960s for airport expansion.
Continue along the Greenway until you reach Frankfort Street, where you should cross and follow the path under a highway overpass. Don’t worry - there are sidewalks and lights for pedestrians.
Once you’re under the highway, you are at the edge of Bremen Street Park, another East Boston gem that is home to a public library, community garden, bust of the famous Eastie shipbuilder Donald McKay (builder of The Flying Cloud, the fastest clippership in the Golden Age of Sail), and a few playgrounds for the littles. It’s a good place for a stop if you want a quick break; Helados Juli’s is right outside of the midpoint of the park at 8 Brooks Street if you are in the mood for a treat.
Continue for another half mile, and you will come across Gove Street Crossing. You’ll know you are there when you see brightly painted, geometric designs on the asphalt. It is another welcoming spot for a sit. If you are thirsty, exit to the right and walk along Gove Street towards Chelsea Street; at this corner, you’ll find Toasted Flats, a cozy spot where you can grab a smoothie, coffee, or snack.
Return to the path, and walk another half mile to the end of the Greenway. Along the way, you’ll walk beneath some underpasses with freshly painted murals. The one below was created in the summer of 2020, and there are a number of others that were added throughout Eastie in 2021 as part of collaboration between PangeaSeed, Sea Walls, the New England Aquarium, and HarborArts organization. All of them are designed to educate viewers about climate change and pollution, as East Boston is an environmental justice community and quite vulnerable to sea level rise. Read about the project here or sign up for a walking mural tour for a future Eastie visit.
You’ll reach the end of the Greenway when you see a blue caboose and a small garden. At the very end of the path, turn left onto Marginal Street, and walk until you find Piers Park, my favorite park in Boston. It has the most incredible view of the city skyline. Stroll out along the pier to its end to boat watch. There is alway a lot of activity: ferries, cargo ships, sailboats, commercial vessels, and numerous other water craft come and go at all hours of the day. If your timing works out, it is an amazing place to watch the sunset over the city skyline.
After a stint in the park, continue walking along Marginal Street towards Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina. This is a working shipyard, and has a very industrial feel. It is also a space for public art, a new branch of the ICA, Downeast Cider House, and Seabiscuit Restaurant (formerly KO Pies). Grab a cider sample from KO and a snack at Seabiscuit before walking onto the end of the pier to check out the Nantucket Lightship; this vessel was formerly moored off of Nantucket Shoals and acted as a light house where one could not be built. Find all the public art; there are 4-5 murals in the area as well as a number of sculptures (some of which are a little hidden, so look carefully!). On your way out of the shipyard, walk up the Golden Staircase and read a bit about East Boston’s immigration history. Then catch one final view of the harbor from above. You’ll reach Webster Street at the very top of the stairs; make a left onto it and you’ll be headed in the direction of Maverick T stop.
After the shipyard, you’ll have walked somewhere between 3.5 - 4.5 miles, and it’s likely you’ll be hungry. Below are three spots I’ve enjoyed; each is a little different, so you have options for your mood. Each of these is also on your way to Maverick T Station, so they are ideal as a final stop before heading out of East Boston.
The Quiet Few at 331 Sumner Street: Casual place where lots of locals hang out; grab a beer, burger, waffle fries, and strike up a conversation. Covid vaccine required for indoor dining.
La Cancun at 192 Sumner Street: Take pupusas to go and eat by the harbor, or eat in and try one of the flavored margaritas.
Cunard Tavern at 24 Orleans Street: Gastropub with upscale comfort food; sit at the bar, and order Cuban springrolls. In the warmer months, visit the rooftop for more water views.
This itinerary is just a small sample of some of East Boston’s offerings; it’s a neighborhood filled with amazing history, friendly people, great restaurants, and beautiful parks, so take note of the places you like and make sure you go back in the future. Happy exploring!