Boylston Street is one of Boston’s great urban thoroughfares, running east-west from Chinatown out through Back Bay and into the Fenway. Along its Back Bay stretch it forms the southern edge of the Public Garden and Boston Common before opening into a corridor of shops, restaurants, hotels, and cultural institutions. The street is named for Ward Nicholas Boylston, a merchant and benefactor of the Boylston family long associated with Boston civic life.
Landmarks cluster thickly here: the McKim Building of the Boston Public Library at Copley Square, the Prudential Center, and the Hynes Convention Center all sit on or just off Boylston. The Boston Marathon finish line is painted across the street near the library, making this one of the most photographed pavements in the city. With New Balance, Lululemon, and other flagship stores, plus countless cafes, Boylston is equally suited to shopping, sightseeing, and people-watching.
Good to know
- A public street, so it is free to walk and explore at any time
- The Boston Marathon finish line is painted on Boylston near the Boston Public Library at Copley Square
- Major landmarks along it include the Boston Public Library, Prudential Center, and Hynes Convention Center
- It borders the Boston Common and Public Garden, making it an easy link between green space and shopping
Getting there
- Address: Boylston Street, Back Bay, Boston, MA (a long thoroughfare; for the Back Bay shopping district aim for the Copley Square area, e.g. near 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116)
- Neighborhood: Back Bay (the street also passes through Chinatown and the Fenway)
- Nearest T: Copley (Green Line) for the Back Bay/Copley Square stretch; Boylston (Green Line) at the Common end and Hynes Convention Center (Green Line) farther west