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Fenway–Kenmore is an officially recognized neighborhood of
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. It is considered one neighborhood for administrative purposes, but it is composed of numerous distinct sections (East Fenway/Symphony, West Fenway, Audubon Circle, Kenmore Square) that are almost always referred to as "Fenway", "the Fenway", "Kenmore Square", or "Kenmore". Fenway is named after the Fenway, the main thoroughfare laid out by
Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...
. Fenway–Kenmore's population was 40,898 as of the 2010 Boston Redevelopment Authority Census, while its land area was defined to be .


Location

On the east, Fenway–Kenmore is separated from the
Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on Land reclamation, reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the ...
neighborhood by Charlesgate West, the Massachusetts Turnpike, Dalton Avenue and Belvidere Street. The South End is across Huntington Avenue near The First Church of Christ, Scientist headquarters, a major tourist attraction. East Fenway (generally south of the Massachusetts Turnpike) is separated from West Fenway by the Muddy River, which flows through the Back Bay Fens and into the
Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...
north of Kenmore. The Longwood Medical Area is sometimes included as a part of Fenway, and is located across the Back Bay Fens from the West Fenway area. To the south of the neighborhood is the Mission Hill area, which is sometimes considered to be part of Roxbury, which continues as the border extends along Ward, Parker, and Ruggles Streets, and the Southwest Corridor. The Kenmore neighborhood is located north and west of Fenway, roughly separated by the
Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially the "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a controlled-access toll road that runs concurrently with Interstate 90 (I-90) in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It the longest Interstate Highway in Massachu ...
. Kenmore includes the part of
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
campus east of the Boston University Bridge, where it meets the
Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is ...
neighborhood, although due to the size of the university, it is sometimes considered to be its own neighborhood. Southwest of the Boston University campus and west of the Longwood Medical Area is the town of Brookline. Throughout the neighborhood are brownstone townhouses, brick walk-ups, and five- to six-story apartment buildings, typically constructed between 1880 and 1930. Small, independently-owned shops are scattered throughout. Major commercial developments are in Kenmore Square and along Brookline Avenue, Beacon Street, Boylston Street, and Huntington Avenue. The baseball stadium
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
is located immediately south of the Turnpike from Kenmore Square. Parts of
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
,
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
, the
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
, and the Boston Conservatory of Music are located in Fenway–Kenmore, and many students reside in the neighborhood. Over the last 20 years almost every residential building in Kenmore has been purchased by Boston University and turned into dorms, especially in the Audubon Circle area between Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue.


History

The Fenway–Kenmore area was formed by land annexed from neighboring Brookline in the 1870s as part of the Brookline-Boston annexation debate of 1873 as well as from land filled in conjunction with the creation of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted parks in the 1890s. When planned, it was thought that the buildings built upon the Fenway parkway would house high-wealth residents and that the whole area would be a high-class neighborhood. As property values rose, however, it was educational institutions that sprung up along the Fenway's route. By 1907, there were twenty-two educationally focused organizations, including nine college and universities which had made their homes on the Fenway. Residential buildings that were built needed their frontages to be approved by the Park Board so that a "poor looking building id notdepreciate the value of the whole neighborhood". Additionally, the Board had discretion on whether it felt a proposed building was suitable for frontage along the park and parkway. The hope of these building restrictions was that there would be an improvement in the look of the Fenway compared to neighboring streets. In the last few years, development in Fenway has picked up, particularly from developer Samuels and Associates. Recent developments include the renovation of the Landmark Center; the 2003 addition of Hotel Commonwealth on the site of the Rathskeller bar; and the 576-unit, 17-floor Trilogy apartment building on Brookline Avenue and Boylston Street. 1330 Boylston, a second high-rise apartment building, was completed in 2008 and contains 210 apartments, of office space contained within 10 floors and the new home of Fenway Health. Planned developments include a 24-story mixed use development at the confluence of Boylston Street and Brookline Avenue, likely including retail, dining, and luxury hotel/apartments. Other plans include the renovation of the Howard Johnson motel on Boylston Street, to be rehabbed as an upscale hotel. Additionally, developer John Rosenthal is planning to build a complex named One Kenmore over the Mass Pike alongside the Beacon Street Bridge, comprising 525 units in one 17 floor tower and one 20 floor tower. Concerning infrastructure, in 2007 the MBTA renovated the Fenway Green Line stop and in 2014 renovated the nearby Yawkey commuter rail station. Finally, the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...
recently completed a $425 million expansion, and the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. It was found ...
completed construction of a second building.


Street names

West Fenway features streets named after Scottish cities and towns present in Robert Burns' literary works; Peterborough, Kilmarnock, Queensberry. This was a result of influence by the (Robert) Burns Memorial Association of Boston influencing the city of Boston when a decision was made to simplify the original neighborhood plan by Frederick Law Olmsted's office. As originally planned in 1894, the street naming system was to continue the system originating in the Back Bay of naming streets in alphabetical order. Where the Back Bay proper ends at Hereford Street, the Fenway was to continue Ipswich, Jersey, Kenyon (Kilmarnock), Lansdowne, Mornington, Nottingham, Onslow, Peterborough, Queensberry, Roseberry, Salisbury, Thurlow, Uxbridge, Vivian, Westmeath (Wellesley), (with X omitted), York, and Zetland. The parkways surrounding the Back Bay Fens, Fenway and Park Drive, are named after various parks which are part of the
Emerald Necklace The Emerald Necklace consists of a chain of parks linked by parkways and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. It was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, and gets its name from the way the planned chain appears ...
park system. Other streets in Fenway are named after institutions or civic minded patrons within the neighborhood: Palace Road (formerly Worthington Street), Forsyth Way (formerly Rogers Avenue), Evans Way, Forsyth Street, Hemenway Street (formerly Parker Avenue), Agassiz Road (named after Ida Agassiz), Higginson Circle (named after the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), Evans Way (named after the donor of the Evans Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts), Tetlow Street (named after the headmaster of Girls Latin School at its former location), Symphony Road (formerly Batavia Road), St. Stephens Street (St. Stephen's Church became St. Ann's, which is now known as Northeastern University's Fenway Center), Opera Place (the
Boston Opera House The Boston Opera House, also known as the Citizens Bank Opera House, is a performing arts and esports venue located at 539 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. It was originally built as the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre, a movie palace in ...
was demolished in 1958), and Speare Place (formerly a continuation of St. Stephens Street which itself was formerly Falmouth Street).


Demographics

According to the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000 and the City of Boston, there were 36,191 people, 12,872 households, and 5,428 families residing in the neighborhood. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was 29,186.3 people per square mile (11,268.9/km²). Of the neighborhood's housing structures, 1% were single-family dwellings while 15% had 3–9 units, 16% had 10–19 units, 41% had 20–49 units, and 27% had 50 or more units; there were 13,229 units in total. 91% percent of units were occupied by tenants while 9% were owner-occupied. The average household size was 1.69 people, while the average family size was 2.61 and non-family 1.51. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 71%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7% Black or African American, 14% Asian, 4% from other races, and 3% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 8% of the population. 21.3% of the population was foreign born. The neighborhood population consisted of 4% under the age of 18, 63% from 18 to 24, 23% from 25 to 44, 6% from 45 to 64, and 5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in the neighborhood was $25,356. 37.3% of the population was below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, while the unemployment rate was 11.4%. East Fenway has a large student population due to its proximity to area colleges and universities, while West Fenway, formerly known as a student haven, has seen rising interest from young professionals and families. The Kenmore Square area is mainly commercial with many residential units now owned by Boston University and used as on-campus housing for students.


Race


Ancestry

According to the 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in ZIP Codes 02115 and 02215 are:


Establishments

It is the home of
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
, the famous
Boston Citgo sign The Boston Citgo sign is a large, double-faced sign featuring the logo of the oil company Citgo that overlooks Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. The sign was installed in 1940 and updated with Citgo's present logo in 1965. The sign has be ...
, Kenmore Square,
The Art Institute of Boston Lesley University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1909 to Normal school, educate teachers. Originally founded as a Women's college, women's college, male students were admitted beginning in 20 ...
, The Forsyth Institute, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences,
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
, the
New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
, portions of
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
(including the Myles Standish Residence Hall), portions of the
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
,
Harvard School of Dental Medicine The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) is the dental school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to the DMD degree, HSDM offers specialty training programs, advanced train ...
,
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school at Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Hong Kong entrepreneur Chan Tseng-hsi in 2014 following a US$350 ...
,
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
, The Boston Conservatory,
Massachusetts College of Art Massachusetts College of Art and Design, branded as MassArt, is a public college of visual and applied art in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1873, it is one of the nation's oldest art schools, and the only publicly funded independent art sch ...
, Wentworth Institute of Technology,
Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University Simmons University (previously Simmons College) is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1899 by ...
,
Wheelock College Wheelock College was a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The college was founded in 1888 as the Miss Wheelock's Kindergarten Training School and was merged into Boston University as part of the university's Boston Univer ...
, Emmanuel College, New England School of Photography, Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. It was found ...
and the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...
.


Transportation

The neighborhood is ringed by the MBTA Orange Line subway station and the following
MBTA Green Line The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway ...
light rail stops: * – B, C, D * – D * – C * – E * – E * – E Lansdowne station on the Framingham/Worcester Line of the
MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track on 12 lines to 142 stations. It ...
is located near Fenway Park and Kenmore Square and is served by all trains on the line. Fenway–Kenmore is also served by a number of
MBTA bus The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates List of MBTA bus routes, 152 bus routes in the Greater Boston area. The MBTA has a policy objective to provide transit service within walking distance (defined as ) for all residents ...
es connecting it to the city proper and the surrounding neighborhoods and communities. As for roadways, Fenway and Park Drive circulate around the Fens.
Boylston Street Boylston Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs. The street begins in Boston's Chinatown, Boston, Chinatown neighborhood, forms the southern border of the Public Garden (Boston) ...
is a major east–west route, as are
Beacon Street Beacon Street is a major east–west street in Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs of Brookline, Massachusetts, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts, Newton. It passes through many of Boston's central and western neighborhoods, includ ...
( MA 2) and Commonwealth Avenue ( U.S. 20), which intersect at Kenmore Square. Brookline Avenue begins in Kenmore Square at this intersection and proceeds southwest.
Huntington Avenue Huntington Avenue is a thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, beginning at Copley Square and continuing west through the Back Bay, Fenway, Longwood, and Mission Hill neighborhoods. It is signed as Massachusetts Route 9 (forme ...
( MA 9) is on the southern border, while Massachusetts Avenue forms the eastern border, and is a major north–south route.
Storrow Drive Storrow Drive, officially James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive, is a major crosstown parkway in Boston, Massachusetts, running east–west along the southern bank of the Charles River. It is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitt ...
is the only freeway directly serving the neighborhood, and its Charlesgate exit complex provides access to the entire neighborhood, with ramps connecting to Kenmore Square, Boylston Street, and Park Drive. Although the
Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially the "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a controlled-access toll road that runs concurrently with Interstate 90 (I-90) in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It the longest Interstate Highway in Massachu ...
cuts through the neighborhood, there are no access points to it except westbound only at Massachusetts Avenue and Newbury Street.


References


External links


Local Community News from Fenway News OnlineThe Fenway Civic Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenway-Kenmore Neighborhoods in Boston Northeastern University