Back Bay 1: Dartmouth St. to Newbury St.

The Freedom Trail starts and ends on the east side of the Boston Common. On the west side is the Back Bay District, an upmarket residential and super high-class commercial area of the city. I reached the area past noon on Sunday after my visit to the New England Aquarium, alighting from the T-train at the Back Bay subway stop.

Walking down Dartmouth Street first, I came to Copley Square with Trinity Church (which will have its own blog post here!) on my right, and the Boston Public Library – McKim Building on the left. I really wanted to visit this library, but it was closed on Sunday. I’ll probably come by on a weekday evening soon. Bates Hall is inside it with an incredible coffered ceiling.

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On the intersection between Boylston and Dartmout streets was the Old South Church (also called the New South Church!), a smaller church than Trinity but no less impressive. Sunday services had just ended, so there was a steady stream of worshippers leaving the church premise:

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The Old/New South Church was built in 1874, Gothic-styled and also a national historical landmark site, and for the United Church of Christ denomination in Boston.

Continuing on Bolyston then Exeter Streets, I got to Newbury St. – a stretch that runs approximately along the east-west cardinal direction.

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The Newbury St. stretch is touted as one of the most expensive streets in the world with high-end boutiques and stores. I could only admire from the outside and through the front of the lens.

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Video next: the first one is a short video taken at Copley Square (really very nice looking!), and the second plays for nearly 3 minutes and was taken along Newbury Street:

A map of my route, and continued in the next post.:)

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