Never heard of Bay Village? At a total of 6 square blocks, it's the smallest neighborhood in Boston (and it's best kept secret!) Bay village, a primarily residential neighborhood, boasts a population of just over 1,000 residents in a total of 837 housing units (compare this to Back Bay's 18,000 or even Beacon Hill's 11,000.) This doesn't happen by accident, the narrow one-way irregular grid arrangement of the streets make the interior of Bay Village quiet and traffic-free. And that's precisely how they like it- ask any resident why they chose Bay Village and one of their answers will surely be that they fell in love with the "small-town" feel.
Architecturally Bay Village remains classically diverse. The Federal architecture of many of the red brick, ivy covered buildings rings similar to what you would find in Beacon Hill. This is due to the many carpenters and craftsmen who built those grand houses in Beacon Hill, building smaller and simpler versions for themselves over in the village. From the start, Bay Village was a blue collar neighborhood, acting as home for blacksmiths, sail makers, musical instrument makers, tin workers and rope makers.
Fast forward to the 1920's, where Bay Village was home to several speakeasies, actors and artists. Art Deco architecture started popping up throughout, warehouses began being used as film studios and distribution centers. Today every home tells a different story, with the Greek Revival style on Melrose street to the Victorian style on Cortes and Isabella Streets. If you're looking for a "small-town" feel in the middle of a big city, look no further than Bay Village.
Average Rents (2015-2016) -
Studio: $1,770 1 bedroom: $2,180 2 bedroom: $3,050 3+ bedroom: $6,310
Average Price Per Square Foot (2015-2016) -
$809 / sq. ft.