The SoWa Art & Design District (South of Washington) in the South End of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

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, is a community of artist studios, contemporary art galleries, boutiques, design showrooms, and restaurants. Once an area of neglected warehouses, the SoWa Art & Design District has experienced a dramatic rebirth. It features the SoWa Open Market, the SoWa Vintage Market, and a residential neighborhood which has become fashionable. Originally derived from a shortening of "South of Washington", SoWa spans the area from East Brookline Street to East Berkeley Street and from Shawmut Avenue to Albany Street.

History

GTI Properties and owner Mario Nicosia are credited with gentrifying the district beginning in the early 2000s and for inventing the SoWa name. Their redevelopment of the massive factory buildings on Harrison Avenue has since drawn high-end restaurants, art galleries, retail stores and businesses to the neighborhood. In the 19^th century, SoWa's brick and beam factories were home to manufacturers of pianos, canned goods, shoes and other merchandise. In addition, 540 Harrison Ave, a building currently used to host markets and events, originally opened in 1891 as the Central Power Station for the West End Street Railway Company, the precursor to the

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

. The

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

and

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

structure was the world's largest electrical power station at the time and later became a trolley barn.

Culture

Due to the number of artists and galleries located in the neighborhood, SoWa has become a creative epicenter, attracting a wide range of art-enthused fans, creative minds and unique events. Every month, over 90 artists and galleries in SoWa stage their new 30-day shows, showing the works of emerging and established painters, photographers and sculptors. This event, known as "SoWa First Fridays", is held on the first Friday of every month from 5pm to 9pm. In addition, the SoWa Art Walk, an annual art festival held each spring, enables many artists to present their works and host open studios. Opened in 2003, the award-winning SoWa Open Market is one of Boston's largest celebrations of local artists, farmers, chefs, brewers and musicians. Driven by the goal of building community and supporting small businesses, the SoWa Open Market provides an opportunity for local artisans to share their products and passions. Each Sunday, thousands of visitors from across New England converge in SoWa, amidst a landscape of artist studios, galleries, boutiques and design showrooms

References

External links

Official SoWa Neighborhood website
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