The North End is Boston’s oldest residential neighborhood and one of its most popular tourist attractions. The streets are lined with popular Italian restaurants serving world-renowned servings of pasta, pizza, parmigiana, and other mouth-watering dishes, that make “Little Italy” one of the busiest places in the city but it wasn’t always that way. Before the Big Dig removed the elevated highway running through the center of the neighborhood, the North End felt hidden from the city in a way it doesn’t anymore. Here’s how the Big Dig transformed the North End.
Brought Boston Together
The Big Dig project was officially sold to the public as a way to knit the city back together by tearing down interstate 93’s Central Artery elevated highway and replacing it with an underground tunnel. This replaced a concrete eyesore with the Rose Kennedy Greenway in the North End and reconnected the neighborhood to the rest of the city. The North End had been isolated by the Central Artery since it was constructed in the 1950s, removing the 6 lane highway that cut right through the neighborhood was like taking down a wall that had been separating the neighborhood from the rest of the city for decades.
More Neighborhood Park Space
Demolishing the highway left behind a significant amount of open space that was used to create parks and green space in the neighborhood. Visitors can now enjoy large open areas, plaza spaces, and a pergola structure designed to mimic the historical architecture of the neighborhood instead of walking under a highway overpass.
Tourist Boom
The removal of the highway also acted as an economic floodgate, fueling a tourism boom and the neighborhood’s vibrant outdoor dining culture. Before the Big Dig, the elevated highway helped turn visitors away from the neighborhood. Once visitors found the neighborhood more easily accessible, they quickly turned the North End into one of the best places to go out to eat in the world. Thousands of people regularly visit the neighborhood’s bakeries, restaurants, bars, and more to get the best Italian food they can find.
Tour the North End with a Local
Coming to the North End is an exciting experience whether it’s your first trip or your 100th time visiting the neighborhood. Boston’s “Politically Incorrect” North End Tours gives visitors and residents a chance to explore the neighborhood and get a unique perspective. Our tours are led by a true local who has lived in the neighborhood for his entire life and can’t wait to tell you about it. Contact us today to learn more about our North End Food Tour options.