What does ‘Boston Proper’ mean?
Moving to Boston means figuring out where exactly your future home lies on the map. It’s not as simple as claiming you live in “Boston,” “Boston Proper” or “Greater Boston”– especially since locals might get a bit touchy if you’re wrong!
Not sure what exactly is Boston Proper or what neighborhoods count as part of Boston? Let us break down this complex historical topic in detail.
Where does ‘Boston Proper’ come from?
Boston was initially founded in 1630, right at the edge of the Shawmut Peninsula. This historic site is still the location of many old Boston buildings, but the city quickly expanded to encompass much of the rest of the Peninsula and surrounding harbor lands. In fact, Boston quickly grew in part due to land reclamation projects (through draining seawater in some cases).
Over the next decades and centuries, Boston grew far beyond its initial city limits to annex other towns, such as Dorchester, Roxbury, and South End – this last town was actually a distinct settlement at the southern end of the Shawmut Peninsula before Boston grew to be too large for them both!
This aggressive expansion helped to cement Boston as one of the most important cities and harbors of early America. However, it also led to some complexity and confusion regarding what counts as “true” Boston or so-called “Boston Proper”.
Boston Proper’s city limits
Technically speaking, Boston Proper is any part of Boston that lies within the official city limits. Those city limits are, broadly speaking:
The mainland of the Shawmut Peninsula
The island directly across from the Peninsula, on which Logan airport is located
Much of the land south of the Shawmut Peninsula, all the way down to Dorchester and West Roxbury
A small, oddly shaped chunk of land west of Boston that comprises Allston and Brighton. There’s a narrow strip of land connecting these two neighborhoods to Boston Proper if you look at a modern city limits map
Geographically, Boston Proper is contained within the following limits:
The Charles River
Boston Inner Harbor, located at the northeast, north, and Northwest
The Inner Harbor
Fort Point Channel
The Massachusetts Avenue Expressway access branch, which is to the east and southeast
Massachusetts Avenue on the west
Fitzgerald Expressway
Notably, a neighborhood or town does not count as part of Boston Proper if it’s a distinct place with its own address, like Brookline. However, this can be confusing, even for city residents!
All the neighborhoods in Boston Proper
The exact neighborhoods of Boston Proper are as follows:
Allston/Brighton
Back Bay
Bay Village
Beacon Hill
Charlestown
Chinatown
Dorchester
Downtown Crossing
East Boston
Financial District
Government Center
Hyde Park
Jamaica Plain
Leather District
Mattapan
Mission Hill
North End
Roslindale
Roxbury
South Boston
South End
Waterfront
West End
West Roxbury
These distinct neighborhoods oftentimes have mailing addresses that end in “Boston, MA”, although residents may also use their unique neighborhood names.
These neighborhoods make the cut for “Boston Proper” because they were either around earlier than other neighborhoods or because of historical significance to the broader city.
For example, North End is oftentimes considered the oldest neighborhood in all of Boston. That’s because it was established in 1630, the same year as the founding of the city. Note that this does exclude lots of buildings around North Square. Very few old buildings survived from that time period, however.
Similarly, Beacon Hill is counted as part of Boston Proper even though it wasn’t constructed until the 1790s. It counts because it’s one of Boston’s most intact neighborhoods, and it therefore contributes to the city's cultural and aesthetic identity in a way that many more modern neighborhoods do not.
Neighborhoods not part of Boston Proper
There are many local neighborhoods that are excluded from Boston Proper, either because of historical reasons or geographic distance. Furthermore, there are lots of small and autonomous towns that do not count as part of Boston Proper, even if they are right across the river from the metropolitan hub.
For example, the city of Cambridge is its own city and is not part of Boston or Boston Proper. It has its own mayor, city hall, and other government organizations and individuals. Here’s a breakdown of all the neighborhoods or local cities that do not count as part of Boston Proper:
Belmont
Braintree
Brookline
Cambridge
Chelsea
Dedham
Everett
Milton
Newton
Quincy
Somerville
Watertown
Winthrop
With the exception of Brookline, most of these divisions make sense. For example, Cambridge is across the Charles River from Boston, so the historical relic of it being a separate city has persisted to the modern-day. Brookline, oddly, is right in between Jamaica Plain and Allston/Brighton, both of which are neighborhoods counted as part of Boston Proper.
Why does Boston Proper matter?
For one, taxes and loss. If a person lives in Boston, they face that city’s tax rate and are subject to that city’s laws. More generally, many Boston residents won’t be pleased if you claim to be a part of Boston Proper but don’t actually live in one of the above-mentioned neighborhoods.
For many Boston residents, living in Boston Proper is a point of pride and it significantly affects their day-to-day routines. It’s very similar to other major East Coast cities, where the surrounding suburbs aren’t necessarily a part of the major metro hub.
For example, New York City is comprised of several boroughs, including Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and so on. But someone can’t say they are from Manhattan unless they actually live on Manhattan Island.
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Furthermore, Boston Proper’s real estate tends to be more expensive and competitive than many suburbs. On the plus side, once you go outside Boston Proper, your real estate options expand significantly.
For example, you can live in Cambridge, Somerville, Medford or Newton and still have access to all of the amenities, entertainment options, and job opportunities that Boston has to offer while only having to manage a brief commute. Boston’s public transit systems are excellent, so lots of people live outside Boston Proper even if they commute and work in Boston every day.
If you’re interested in exploring your real estate options in and out of Boston proper, shoot me a message and we’ll find a neighborhood that’s a good fit for you.