Back Bay is a Boston neighborhood that sits southwest of Beacon Hill and the city’s downtown. Today, the Back Bay neighborhood is a shopping and dining destination featuring wide, tree-lined avenues.
The traditional brick townhouses and Federal style mansions give this area a sophisticated vibe. But before Back Bay became a tourist’s must-visit destination, it was a 19th-century filling project built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin.
Once a resident-only neighborhood, Back Bay is now home to commercial buildings with plenty of downtown shops and hotels that lure thousands of tourists every year. However, because of its location on the Charles River, locals and tourists alike have become familiar with common waterside pests.