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Allston

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Allston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, located in the western part of the city. It is, for the most part, administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton. The two are often referred to together as "Allston-Brighton." The population of Allston is approximately 50% students, mostly from Boston University, Boston College, and Harvard University.[citation needed]

Housing stock varies but largely consists of brick apartment buildings, especially on Commonwealth Avenue and the streets directly off of it; while areas further down Brighton Avenue 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 generally viewed as a very safe middle class neighborhood with a young population and a large number of bars and cheap eateries.

The Charles River, viewed at night in winter from the Weeks footbridge, with Allston to the right and Cambridge, Massachusetts to the left.

Demographics

Allston, while primarily a neighborhood shared by students and bohemians of all ages, is also home to Boston natives, Asian, Russian, and numerous other immigrants. In the 1990s, census figures indicated that 52.6% of its population was aged 20-34 (as compared to 33% for the city of Boston as a whole), an indication of the strong student and "twentysomething" 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. [1]

Geography

The ZIP code 02134 is famously identified with Allston, due to a recurring musical piece on the PBS children's series ZOOM -- whose originating station, WGBH, is located in the neighborhood. Residents and mapmakers refer to the eastern part of the former town of Brighton as "Allston," separated by an imaginary border at Everett Street. However, there is no clear and established boundary between the two.

The neighborhood of Allston is almost completely cut off from the main body of the city of Boston by the Charles River and the town of Brookline, which borders Allston on the south and east. Allston is bordered by the Charles River and 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." The western edge of Allston is more roughly defined, but is primarily east of the western most point of Cambridge.

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 has given rise to the popular nickname "Allston Rock City." The center of the neighborhood, sometimes referred to as the "Beer Mile," is a popular hookup spot for college students.

History

File:PostcardRailroadStationAllstonBostonMA1909.jpg
Allston Railroad Station, about 1909

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, 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". Only a few other locales in the U.S. are named for artists, such as Copley Square in central Boston.[citation needed]

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.

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 abbatoir operated nearby in the northern part of Brighton. Much of the railroad yard remains in use today as the CSX Beacon Park Yard, but all livestock activity ended by the mid-twentieth century.

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[2] gave Packard's Corner its name, but it was perpetuated by the presence of an opulent Packard dealership. Few dealers remain, but many of their large-windowed storefronts can be easily spotted to this day.

The Massachusetts Turnpike Extension, built largely on part of the Boston and Albany right-of-way, opened through Allston in 1964 and 1965.[3]

The Boston Patriots (now the New England Patriots) of the National Football League played one season in Allston, 1970, at Harvard Stadium. The Boston Braves played at Braves Field (now Boston University's Nickerson Field) at Allston's eastern edge from 1915 to 1952.

Colleges and universities

Allston lies near two major universities. A substantial part of the campus of Harvard University 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. Boston University lies along Commonwealth Avenue to the east. The Berklee College of Music also has a practice and rehearsal building near Commonwealth Ave on Fordham which runs between Comm Ave and Brighton Ave.

Notable residents

Transportation

The "B" Branch of the Boston MBTA subway Green Line runs through the neighborhood along Commonwealth Avenue. The former "A Line" of the Green Line ran along Brighton Avenue, since replaced by the number 57 MBTA bus. Other MBTA bus lines serve Allston, such as the 64, 66, 70, and 86.

In May 2006, Harvard officials said that they would like to establish a commuter rail stop in Allston on the Framingham/Worcester line.[4]

Night Life

Allston, or Allston Rock City as it is cheerfully known among many residents, possesses an active night life. It is well-known for its frequently occurring house parties, basement shows, and bars hosting live music and popular dance nights such as

  • Great Scott's
  • Common Ground
  • Harper's Ferry
  • O'Leary's
  • The Model
  • Our House

Harvard Avenue, running through the center of the area and connecting Allston to the neighbouring city of Brookline, is a hub of social activity and hosts a number of independent record stores, bars, cafes and restaurants. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page)., 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.[5] The artist team of Legge Lewis Legge[6] was chosen to design this site which is known as the Lincoln Street Green Strip.[7]

References

Marchione, William P. The Bull in the Garden: A History of Allston-Brighton. Boston Public Library, pub., 1986. ISBN 0-89073-078-4.

  1. ^ Boston Phoenix article
  2. ^ History of Pack Corner
  3. ^ Mass Pike Website
  4. ^ Harvard Crimson, "University Plans Allston T Stop," May 10, 2006.
  5. ^ NEFA site
  6. ^ Legge Lewis Legge site
  7. ^ Lincoln Street

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