Back Bay
Where, today, Boston is at its most European, foul-smelling mud flats still existed 150 years ago and numerous mills were driven by tidal currents at the dams along the Charles River. When the population boomed during the 19th century, Boston’s municipal administration decided to fill in the eyesore with earth. The newly acquired land enlarged the city by one-third.
Inspired by the modern magnificence of boulevards and symmetrically laid out residential areas of Paris, it took architects only a few years to have a lovely district designed and built here – with their own broad “Champs-Elysées” (better known as Commonwealth Avenue), buildings with symmetrical façades and plenty of green space, such as the Public Garden or Back Bay Fens. Brilliant shopping facilities, many restaurants and choice galleries will also get your heart racing.