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South Central
Road TripsCommon Ground
Much of modern Boston was under water when the Massachusetts Bay Puritans arrived in 1630. The Shawmut peninsula was almost an island; high tide cut off the North End from the mainland. Three hills known as the Trimount—Beacon, Pemberton and Mount Vernon—rose above the tidal marshes. Beginning in the early 19th century, an ambitious series of landfills more than doubled the size of the seaport town, an engineering feat unrivaled in American history.
A Beginning to Public Works Projects
Boston's first public works project was the Long Wharf. Built from charred timbers after a city fire in 1711, the wharf extended a third of a mile into the bay. The 1,500-foot Charles River Bridge connected Charlestown with Boston in 1786. As the city grew, workers filled in the coves and ponds around the North End, carving earth from the prominent hilltops. Expansion continued in South Boston and the Dorchester Flats.
The biggest job, the 600-acre Back Bay, took almost 35 years. In 1857, Mill Dam stretched across Back Bay from Boston Commons to Brookline, following the course of today's Beacon Street. Built to harness the tides, the dam had created a brackish swamp instead. Filling in Back Bay posed a problem—no more hills to level—so gravel came by train from Needham. Builders paid for the enterprise by selling future lots; Back Bay later became a top destination for fashion in the city. Waterfront was later added in Charlestown, Fenway and East Boston, culminating with the 2,400-acre landfill for Logan Airport.
Going Deep to Carve Out a City
After 3 centuries of dredging and dumping, Bostonians decided to dig. The Central Artery/Tunnel Project—otherwise known as the Big Dig—excavated 15 million cubic yards of dirt for a highway tunnel through downtown Boston. Along with new landfill material, the dig yielded an archeological windfall, not only in artifacts but in a physical timeline of the land reclaimed from the sea.
Part of the excavated clay and gravel went to Spectacle Island, transforming this city garbage dump into a showpiece of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area , a place many travel to when visiting the city today. The island park, complete with a marina and visitors' center, walking and biking trails, and plenty of grassy spaces for Bostonians to enjoy, opened in 2006.
Boston, MA
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Fairfield by Marriott-Amesbury35 Clarks Rd. Amesbury, MA 01913
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Best Western Plus The Inn at Sharon/Foxboro395 Old Post Rd. Sharon, MA 02067
Book NowCity Population
617,594
Elevation
20 ft.
Sales Tax
The state sales tax in Massachusetts is 6.25 percent. Combined city and state taxes on hotel occupancy in Boston is 14.45 percent.
Emergency
911
Police (non-emergency)
(617) 343-4500
Fire (non-emergency)
(617) 343-3550
Time and Temperature
(617) 637-1234
Hospitals
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, (617) 667-7000; Boston Medical Center, (617) 638-8000; Massachusetts General Hospital, (617) 726-2000; Tufts Medical Center, (617) 636-5000.
Visitor Information
2 Copley Place, Suite 105 Boston, MA 02116. Phone:(617)536-4100 or (888)733-2678
Air Travel
Logan International Airport (BOS) is just 3 miles east of downtown across Boston Inner Harbor.
Rental Cars
Boston is served by most major rental car agencies. Hertz provides discounts to AAA members; phone (617) 568-5200 or (800) 654-3131.
Rail Service
Amtrak offers service to and from New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., out of Boston's South Station at Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street. Connections to all points in the national Amtrak system can be made at the Back Bay Station, 145 Dartmouth St.; phone (800) 872-7245 for reservations and information. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates commuter rail service; phone (617) 222-3200.
Buses
Greyhound Lines Inc., (800) 231-2222, and Peter Pan Bus Lines, (800) 343-9999, operate from South Station.
Cruise Ports
Cruiseport Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal is at 1 Black Falcon Ave. in South Boston.
Taxis
Cabs in Boston are metered, with the fare $2.60 for the first 1/7 mile or less and 40c for every 1/7 mile thereafter. Phoning for a pickup or going to a hotel taxi stand is easier than hailing a cab on the street. Local companies include the Independent Taxi Operators Association, (617) 268-1313. Limousine service is available throughout the Boston area for about $80 an hour, normally with a 4-hour minimum.
Public Transportation
Transportation by trolley, bus, boat and subway is available in Boston.
As a AAA member, you'll save even more. Your AAA Travel Agent will check to see if AAA Vacations is combinable with other AAA member benefits, plus cruise and tour past passenger discounts and benefits.
