Allston, Boston, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Allston is a neighborhood of Boston
, Massachusetts
, located in the western part of the city. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston
. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton
. The two are often referred to together as "Allston-Brighton
". Boston Police Department
District D-14 covers the Allston-Brighton area and a Boston Fire Department Allston station is located in Union Square which houses Ladder 14 & Engine 41.
Housing stock varies but largely consists of brick apartment buildings, especially on Commonwealth Avenue and the streets directly off it, while areas further down Brighton Avenue, close to Brighton, are largely dotted with wooden triple-deckers
. Lower Allston, across the Massachusetts Turnpike from the rest of Allston, consists of mostly 1890-1920s single-family and multi-family Victorian
homes.
Allston is home to many immigrant populations, the largest groups being from Russia
, East Asia
, South Asia
, and South America
, particularly Brazil
and Colombia
.
In the 1990s, census
figures indicated that 52.6% of Allston's population was aged 20–34 (as compared to 33% for the city of Boston as a whole), an indication of the strong student and "twenty-something" presence. That presence has created tension between some long-time residents and the student population
, which constantly cycles in and out as students matriculate and graduate from Boston's many colleges and universities. In addition to nightly dancing and live music at area bars, house parties abound on surrounding streets, particularly during the school year. This has long been a sore point among other Allston residents.
The largest religious affiliation is Catholic (44.96%), followed by Protestant (4.77%), unspecified Christian (4.62%), Jewish (3.58%), Baptist (2.10%), and Islam (1.97%).
02134 is famously identified with Allston, due to a recurring musical piece on the PBS children's series ZOOM — whose originating station, WGBH
, was located in the neighborhood until 2007. Residents and mapmakers refer to the eastern part of the former town of Brighton as "Allston." The border runs along Everett Street, continuing along Gordon Street and Kelton Street.
The neighborhood of Allston is almost completely cut off from the main body of the city of Boston by the town of Brookline
, which borders Allston on the south and east. It is connected to the rest of Boston only by a small portion of its eastern border that is shared with the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood. Allston is bordered by the Charles River
, separating it from the city of Cambridge to the north, and is split in two by the Massachusetts Turnpike
.
The area north of the turnpike near the river is often referred to as "Lower Allston" or "North Allston." It consists of streets north of Cambridge Street and the Turnpike, all the way to the Charles River. It extends westward to Everett Street and eastward to Windom Street.
The busiest section of the neighborhood lies immediately south of the turnpike and centers on the stretch of Harvard Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue
and Cambridge Street, which houses many shops, bars, and restaurants. Recent business promotion initiatives have dubbed this area "Allston Village", though the prevalence of musicians and music venues, such as Harpers Ferry
, has given rise to the popular nickname "Allston Rock City". The center of the neighborhood is sometimes referred to as the "Allston Shuffle".
Lower Allston has been given the nickname "L.A."; Common Ground, a club/bar located near Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue, sells t-shirts and other items with the slogan "This is L.A. not Boston," (a play on the title of an influential hardcore punk compilation, This Is Boston, Not L.A.
released in 1982).
Lower Allston is a small neighborhood that consists of a mix of working professionals, homeowners, and long-term residents. Unlike the rest of Allston, Lower Allston has much fewer students. The neighborhood is very quiet, has extremely low crime, and is an easy walk to Allston Village or Harvard Square
.
Lower Allston has close proximity to Route 2, the Mass Pike, Storrow Drive, and Soldier's Field Road. Public transportation includes the Red Line at Harvard Square, the Green Line at Packard's Corner or Harvard Street and Commonwealth Avenue in "upper Allston", and the 57, 66, 70, 71, and 86 bus connections on North Harvard and Western Avenue are about a 2-5 minute walk for everyone.
In the early 21st century, Harvard University
announced dramatic expansion plans that called for major building projects, including the demolition of existing businesses, to prepare for the construction of new biology and science buildings in the northern sections of Lower Allston. While the existing building stock was demolished and businesses were evicted, the financial crisis of 2008 and the resultant decrease in Harvard's endowment caused the university to suspend the expansion projects.
In 1868, a new railroad depot and post office in Brighton's eastern portion were given the name "Allston" after Washington Allston
, the noted painter
who had lived and worked across the Charles River
in the Cambridgeport
section of Cambridge. It can even be said to have been named for a specific painting: Washington Allston's "Fields West of Boston".
Allston has never existed as a separate political entity in its own right. The Town of Brighton was annexed by the City of Boston in 1874. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
owned several properties in Allston.
The Allston community developed largely around large railroad and livestock
operations. The Boston and Albany Railroad
(now CSX) operated a major yard. Stockyards and a large abattoir operated nearby in the northern part of Brighton. Much of the railroad yard remains in use today as the CSX Transportation
Beacon Park Yard, but all livestock activity ended by the mid-twentieth century. CSX plans to move its yard operation west, allowing the plot to be redeveloped by Harvard.
A strip running from Brighton Avenue in Allston out Commonwealth Avenue
toward Kenmore Square
was Boston's original "Automile," lined with automobile
dealerships. Packard's Sales Stable and Riding School gave Packard's Corner
its name, which was then perpetuated by the presence of an opulent Packard
dealership. Only a Toyota dealer and a Vespa
dealer remain, but the windowed buildings along the eastern end of Brighton Avenue reflect this history.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Extension, built largely on part of the Boston and Albany right-of-way, opened through Allston in 1964 and 1965.
Major League Baseball's Boston Braves
played at Braves Field
, (now Boston University's Nickerson Field
), at Allston's eastern edge, from 1915 to 1952. The Boston Patriots of the American Football League
(now the New England Patriots of the National Football League
) played four seasons in Allston: at Nickerson Field in 1960 through 1962; and at Harvard Stadium
in 1970.
Allston is home to numerous small businesses and restaurants. Brighton Avenue, between Packard's Corner and Allston Street, alone boasts cuisine from China, Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, India and Thailand, in addition to traditional American and Italian food. Harvard Avenue hosts a number of furniture stores, thrift shops, and stores that offer items for resale, due to the large student body and high residential turnover.
and O'Brien's Pub. Several recording studios are located in the neighborhood, such as Galaxy Park, established in 1999.
Allston's music scene is incomplete without mentioning the DIY
community. The annual Allston-Brighton parade and annual Allston DIY Fest feature many of the neighborhood's musical acts.
is in lower Allston, including Harvard Business School
and Harvard Stadium
. Harvard also owns large portions of other land in lower Allston, much of which it plans to develop as an academic campus, particularly as an auxiliary site for the Harvard Medical School
and other healthcare-related programs. Boston University
lies along Commonwealth Avenue to the east. Berklee College of Music
also has a practice and rehearsal building near Commonwealth Avenue, on Fordham Road, which runs between Commonwealth Avenue and Brighton Avenue.
of Boston Public Schools
.
Gardner Pilot Academy (also called the Thomas Gardner School), located on Athol Street, serves Allston residents pre-kindergarten through grade five. In April 2008 a science teacher at Gardner Pilot Academy won the "Ultimate Science Classroom," a raffle prize furnished annually by the National Science Teachers Association
. The school received approximately $40,000 in science teaching materials and apparatus.
The Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, located on Armington Street, is the oldest public school for the hearing impaired in the United States. The school was attended by Helen Keller
(Shichtman, 23) and Alexander Graham Bell's
work at the school inspired him to begin experiments in an apparatus to help deaf children hear. These experiments eventually led to the telephone (MacKenzie, 56-57). The school serves the hearing impaired in Boston from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Jackson Mann School, also on Armington Street, serves residents from kindergarten through eighth grade.
subway
Green Line
runs through the neighborhood along Commonwealth Avenue. The former "A Line" of the Green Line ran along Brighton Avenue, though it has been replaced by MBTA bus route 57. Other MBTA bus lines serve Allston, including routes 64, 66, 70 and 86. 43.88% of residents commute by mass transit, compared with 2% for the country as a whole. The CSX Railroad operates the large Beacon Park freight yard which runs adjacent to the Mass. Turnpike.
In May 2006, Harvard officials said that they would like to establish a commuter rail
stop in Allston on the Framingham/Worcester line.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, located in the western part of the city. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston
Washington Allston
Washington Allston was an American painter and poet, born in Waccamaw Parish, South Carolina. Allston pioneered America's Romantic movement of landscape painting...
. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton
Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts
Brighton is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located in the northwest corner of the city. It is named after the town of Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove...
. The two are often referred to together as "Allston-Brighton
Allston-Brighton
Allston-Brighton is a set of two interlocking Boston neighborhoods, Allston and Brighton.-Geographical and technical Issues:Allston and Brighton's border runs along Everett Street in the North, running south along Gordon Street and terminates at the Brookline town line along Kelton Street...
". Boston Police Department
Boston Police Department
The Boston Police Department , created in 1838, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest police departments in the United States...
District D-14 covers the Allston-Brighton area and a Boston Fire Department Allston station is located in Union Square which houses Ladder 14 & Engine 41.
Housing stock varies but largely consists of brick apartment buildings, especially on Commonwealth Avenue and the streets directly off it, while areas further down Brighton Avenue, close to Brighton, are largely dotted with wooden triple-deckers
Triple decker
A triple-decker is a three-story apartment building, typically of light-framed, wood construction, where each floor usually consists of a single apartment; although two apartments per floor is not uncommon....
. Lower Allston, across the Massachusetts Turnpike from the rest of Allston, consists of mostly 1890-1920s single-family and multi-family Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
homes.
Demographics
The estimated population of Allston is 21,485, a decline of 1.42% from the 2000 Census. The median home cost is $317,000, a decline of 0.97% in the last year. The cost of living is 9.81% higher than the national average. The population density is 18,505/mi2, about 50% higher than the citywide average of 12,166. The median age is 29.2. 76.45% of residents list status as single.Allston is home to many immigrant populations, the largest groups being from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, particularly Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
In the 1990s, census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
figures indicated that 52.6% of Allston's population was aged 20–34 (as compared to 33% for the city of Boston as a whole), an indication of the strong student and "twenty-something" presence. That presence has created tension between some long-time residents and the student population
Town and gown
Town and gown are two distinct communities of a university town; "town" being the non-academic population and "gown" metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews, although the term is also used to describe...
, which constantly cycles in and out as students matriculate and graduate from Boston's many colleges and universities. In addition to nightly dancing and live music at area bars, house parties abound on surrounding streets, particularly during the school year. This has long been a sore point among other Allston residents.
The largest religious affiliation is Catholic (44.96%), followed by Protestant (4.77%), unspecified Christian (4.62%), Jewish (3.58%), Baptist (2.10%), and Islam (1.97%).
Geography
The ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
02134 is famously identified with Allston, due to a recurring musical piece on the PBS children's series ZOOM — whose originating station, WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
, was located in the neighborhood until 2007. Residents and mapmakers refer to the eastern part of the former town of Brighton as "Allston." The border runs along Everett Street, continuing along Gordon Street and Kelton Street.
The neighborhood of Allston is almost completely cut off from the main body of the city of Boston by the town of Brookline
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, which borders Allston on the south and east. It is connected to the rest of Boston only by a small portion of its eastern border that is shared with the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood. Allston is bordered by the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
, separating it from the city of Cambridge to the north, and is split in two by the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
.
The area north of the turnpike near the river is often referred to as "Lower Allston" or "North Allston." It consists of streets north of Cambridge Street and the Turnpike, all the way to the Charles River. It extends westward to Everett Street and eastward to Windom Street.
The busiest section of the neighborhood lies immediately south of the turnpike and centers on the stretch of Harvard Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
Commonwealth Avenue is a major street in the cities of Boston and Newton, Massachusetts. It begins at the western edge of the Public Garden, and continues west through the neighborhoods of the Back Bay, Kenmore Square, Allston, Brighton and Chestnut Hill...
and Cambridge Street, which houses many shops, bars, and restaurants. Recent business promotion initiatives have dubbed this area "Allston Village", though the prevalence of musicians and music venues, such as Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry (nightclub)
Harpers Ferry was a live music venue and bar in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It was in the high traffic central student section of Boston, equidistant from both Boston College and Boston University. Hosting national touring acts and regional acts, Harpers Ferry became known as...
, has given rise to the popular nickname "Allston Rock City". The center of the neighborhood is sometimes referred to as the "Allston Shuffle".
Lower Allston has been given the nickname "L.A."; Common Ground, a club/bar located near Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue, sells t-shirts and other items with the slogan "This is L.A. not Boston," (a play on the title of an influential hardcore punk compilation, This Is Boston, Not L.A.
This Is Boston, Not L.A.
This Is Boston, Not L.A.is a hardcore punk compilation album released in 1982. It is considered the definitive album from the Boston hardcore scene, as several of the bands that were prominent in that scene appear on the album...
released in 1982).
Lower Allston is a small neighborhood that consists of a mix of working professionals, homeowners, and long-term residents. Unlike the rest of Allston, Lower Allston has much fewer students. The neighborhood is very quiet, has extremely low crime, and is an easy walk to Allston Village or Harvard Square
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
.
Lower Allston has close proximity to Route 2, the Mass Pike, Storrow Drive, and Soldier's Field Road. Public transportation includes the Red Line at Harvard Square, the Green Line at Packard's Corner or Harvard Street and Commonwealth Avenue in "upper Allston", and the 57, 66, 70, 71, and 86 bus connections on North Harvard and Western Avenue are about a 2-5 minute walk for everyone.
In the early 21st century, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
announced dramatic expansion plans that called for major building projects, including the demolition of existing businesses, to prepare for the construction of new biology and science buildings in the northern sections of Lower Allston. While the existing building stock was demolished and businesses were evicted, the financial crisis of 2008 and the resultant decrease in Harvard's endowment caused the university to suspend the expansion projects.
History and culture
Allston was an eastern section of the former town of Brighton.In 1868, a new railroad depot and post office in Brighton's eastern portion were given the name "Allston" after Washington Allston
Washington Allston
Washington Allston was an American painter and poet, born in Waccamaw Parish, South Carolina. Allston pioneered America's Romantic movement of landscape painting...
, the noted painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
who had lived and worked across the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
in the Cambridgeport
Cambridgeport
Cambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, the Grand Junction Railroad, and River Street. The neighborhood contains predominantly residential homes, many of the triple decker style common in New England...
section of Cambridge. It can even be said to have been named for a specific painting: Washington Allston's "Fields West of Boston".
Allston has never existed as a separate political entity in its own right. The Town of Brighton was annexed by the City of Boston in 1874. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
owned several properties in Allston.
The Allston community developed largely around large railroad and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
operations. The Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
(now CSX) operated a major yard. Stockyards and a large abattoir operated nearby in the northern part of Brighton. Much of the railroad yard remains in use today as the CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
Beacon Park Yard, but all livestock activity ended by the mid-twentieth century. CSX plans to move its yard operation west, allowing the plot to be redeveloped by Harvard.
A strip running from Brighton Avenue in Allston out Commonwealth Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue is an avenue which may refer to:in Australia*Commonwealth Avenue, Canberrain the Philippines*Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Cityin Singapore*Commonwealth Avenue, Singaporein the United States...
toward Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues as well as several other cross streets, and Kenmore Station, an MBTA subway stop. Kenmore Square is close to or abuts Boston University, Fenway Park, and Lansdowne Street, a...
was Boston's original "Automile," lined with automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
dealerships. Packard's Sales Stable and Riding School gave Packard's Corner
Packard's Corner
Packard's Corner is located in Boston, Massachusetts at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Brighton Avenue. Packard's Corner is serviced by the Packard's Corner stop on the B Branch of the MBTA's Green Line, a light rail line that runs mostly above ground...
its name, which was then perpetuated by the presence of an opulent Packard
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
dealership. Only a Toyota dealer and a Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
dealer remain, but the windowed buildings along the eastern end of Brighton Avenue reflect this history.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Extension, built largely on part of the Boston and Albany right-of-way, opened through Allston in 1964 and 1965.
Major League Baseball's Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
played at Braves Field
Braves Field
Braves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, (now Boston University's Nickerson Field
Nickerson Field
Nickerson Field is a stadium on the site of Braves Field, in Boston, Massachusetts, the former home of the National League Boston Braves baseball team which is now located in Atlanta...
), at Allston's eastern edge, from 1915 to 1952. The Boston Patriots of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(now the New England Patriots of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
) played four seasons in Allston: at Nickerson Field in 1960 through 1962; and at Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...
in 1970.
Allston is home to numerous small businesses and restaurants. Brighton Avenue, between Packard's Corner and Allston Street, alone boasts cuisine from China, Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, India and Thailand, in addition to traditional American and Italian food. Harvard Avenue hosts a number of furniture stores, thrift shops, and stores that offer items for resale, due to the large student body and high residential turnover.
Music scene
Due to the neighborhood's largely young, student population, Allston has always been the city's countercultural headquarters for the arts. One of the last neighborhoods to experience business gentrification, Allston is home to many locally owned music venues including Great ScottGreat Scott
Great Scott! is an exclamation of surprise, amazement, or dismay.- Possible origins :The origin of the expression is uncertain, with several plausible sources....
and O'Brien's Pub. Several recording studios are located in the neighborhood, such as Galaxy Park, established in 1999.
Allston's music scene is incomplete without mentioning the DIY
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
community. The annual Allston-Brighton parade and annual Allston DIY Fest feature many of the neighborhood's musical acts.
Colleges and universities
Allston lies near two major universities. A substantial part of the campus of Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
is in lower Allston, including Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
and Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...
. Harvard also owns large portions of other land in lower Allston, much of which it plans to develop as an academic campus, particularly as an auxiliary site for the Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and other healthcare-related programs. Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
lies along Commonwealth Avenue to the east. Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
also has a practice and rehearsal building near Commonwealth Avenue, on Fordham Road, which runs between Commonwealth Avenue and Brighton Avenue.
Public schools
Public schools in Allston are part of the school districtSchool district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
of Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Schools is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.-Leadership:The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the Boston School Committee, a seven-member school board appointed by the Mayor after approval by a nominating committee of specified...
.
Gardner Pilot Academy (also called the Thomas Gardner School), located on Athol Street, serves Allston residents pre-kindergarten through grade five. In April 2008 a science teacher at Gardner Pilot Academy won the "Ultimate Science Classroom," a raffle prize furnished annually by the National Science Teachers Association
National Science Teachers Association
The National Science Teachers Association , founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is an association of science teachers in the United States and is the largest organization of science teachers worldwide...
. The school received approximately $40,000 in science teaching materials and apparatus.
The Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, located on Armington Street, is the oldest public school for the hearing impaired in the United States. The school was attended by Helen Keller
Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
(Shichtman, 23) and Alexander Graham Bell's
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
work at the school inspired him to begin experiments in an apparatus to help deaf children hear. These experiments eventually led to the telephone (MacKenzie, 56-57). The school serves the hearing impaired in Boston from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Jackson Mann School, also on Armington Street, serves residents from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Notable residents
- AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, rock band - wrote their first song in 1325 Commonwealth Ave., Apt 41 - Big D and the Kids TableBig D and the Kids TableBig D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Allston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork In Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy...
band - Michael BloombergMichael BloombergMichael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, mayor of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, lived at 100 Brainerd Road as a small child - Mr. ButchMr. ButchHarold Madison, Jr., , more widely known as Mr. Butch, and sometimes called the "King of Kenmore Square" and "The Mayor of Allston" was a homeless man living on the streets of Boston...
, street performer - Evan DandoEvan DandoEvan Griffith Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986...
, singer and guitarist for The LemonheadsThe LemonheadsThe Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member.... - Janeane GarofaloJaneane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
- Jared LetoJared LetoJared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
, actor, musician - The WandasThe Wandasthe WANDAS are an American rock band based out of Boston Massachusetts composed of Keith McEachern, Brent Battey, Ross Lucivero, and William Bierce. the WANDAS have been compared to Wilco, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and The Strokes....
band
Transportation
The "B" Branch of the Boston MBTAMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
runs through the neighborhood along Commonwealth Avenue. The former "A Line" of the Green Line ran along Brighton Avenue, though it has been replaced by MBTA bus route 57. Other MBTA bus lines serve Allston, including routes 64, 66, 70 and 86. 43.88% of residents commute by mass transit, compared with 2% for the country as a whole. The CSX Railroad operates the large Beacon Park freight yard which runs adjacent to the Mass. Turnpike.
In May 2006, Harvard officials said that they would like to establish a commuter rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
stop in Allston on the Framingham/Worcester line.
Events
- Allston Squirt GunWater gunA water gun is a type of toy designed to shoot water. Similar to water balloons, the primary purpose of the toy is to soak another person in a game such as water warfare....
Day is an unsanctioned event organized by young residents and held yearly in late August. Participants are asked to wear green and gather at the intersection of Harvard Avenue and Brighton Avenue. The event is typically short-lived as it creates a panic among those unaware of what is going on. In 2009, the Squirt Gun festivities continued as a sanctioned event at nearby Ringer Park. - In 2003, the community, along with neighboring BrightonBrighton, Boston, MassachusettsBrighton is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located in the northwest corner of the city. It is named after the town of Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove...
, saw an outbreak of bedbugs in hundreds of apartments. This was due to the practice of people buying used mattresses or accepting ones left behind by former tenants. A $200 subsidy was offered to tenants with infested mattresses, and bedbug extermination workshops were held by the Boston Inspectional Services Housing Division. - In 2005, the New England Foundation for the Arts selected a site in Allston for its Art & Community Landscapes program. The artist team of Legge Lewis Legge was chosen to design this site which is known as the Lincoln Street Green Strip.
- In 2003, Dave AttellDave AttellDave Attell is an American stand-up comedian and the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show with Dave Attell.-Stand-up beginning:...
stopped by a house on Gardner Street for a frat party in the Boston episode of Insomniac with Dave AttellInsomniac with Dave AttellInsomniac with Dave Attell was a television show on Comedy Central hosted by comedian Dave Attell which ran from August 5, 2001 until November 11, 2004. In the typical Insomniac, Attell goes through a particular city at night, starting out with a minute or so of his performance at a comedy club and...
. The house is still occupied by college students, but the fraternity has moved out.
External links
- Brighton Allston Historical Society
- Allston Neighborhoods
- Allston Rock City Photos
- Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation
- Lower Allston Website
- Chestnut Hill Reservoir/ Boston Water Supply History.
- Chart of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay with Map of Adjacent Country. Published 1867. A good map of roads and rail lines around East Allston/Brighton, showing the town line brook of Brookline.
- Old USGS Maps of Brookline area. See 1903 west maps. Click (slowly and repeatedly) on bottom right of small map image for big map image if your MSIE resize is on.
- 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. by Wall & Gray.Map of Massachusetts. Map of Middlesex County.
- History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Compiled by Samuel Adams Drake, published 1879, Volume1 page 278 Brighton, by Rev. Frederic Whitney. Note Brighton was originally part of Middlesex County before joining Boston which is Suffolk County.
