Brattle Street, Boston

Known initially as the King's Highway and then Tory Row 鈥� ahead of the American Revolutionary War, Brattle Street in Cambridge, MA has been one of the most prestigious residential streets in the United Stated for over two centuries. Today, the street is a home to many historic buildings, ranging from the modernist glass-and-concrete edifice that once housed the Design Research store to a Georgian mansion where George Washington and the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow both resided (albeit at different times). Centuries later, Robert Lowell, another American poet, also made his home on Brattle Street.

In 1775, George Washington settled on Brattle Street, establishing his army headquarters in the abandoned mansions of seven wealthy loyalists, all of which have managed to survive the test of time. In 1913, Samuel Atkins Eliot described the seven Colonial mansions of Brattle Street's 'Tory Row' as "...not only one of the most beautiful but also one of the most historic streets in America. As a fashionable address, it is doubtful if any other residential street in this country has enjoyed such long and uninterrupted prestige."

Laden with stories of Puritanical trials, British Loyalists, and poetic talent mixed with beautiful architecture and well-manicured green space, over the centuries, Brattle Street has the given the world 鈥� courtesy of its residents 鈥� baking powder, Fig Newtons, Polaroid cameras, and Sadie Hawkins Day. Quite a remarkable leagacy for just one street!

Tip:
At No. 44, Harvest's kitchen has witnessed the culinary artistry of some of the world's finest chefs over its four-decade-long reign as the pinnacle of dining in Harvard Square. Don't miss the locale's rear patio, offering the finest al fresco dining experience in the neighborhood.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Brattle Street
Sight Location: Boston, USA (See walking tours in Boston)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Historical Cambridge MA Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Boston, Massachusetts

Create Your Own Walk in Boston

Creating your own self-guided walk in Boston is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Historical Cambridge MA Walking Tour

Once a quiet New England farming village-turned capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, today's Cambridge, MA is a university town that dazzles visitors as the home of renowned Harvard University 鈥� alma mater of many intellectuals, literary geniuses, celebrities, and wealthy and powerful. Many of America鈥檚 elite have spent some time at Harvard, and their contributions to Cambridge have... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles

North End Food Tour

Boston鈥檚 North End is famous primarily for its Italian food. By far not as big as New York's Little Italy, this one-square-mile waterfront community is the oldest in the city, and is packed to the brim with a cornucopia of Italian eateries 鈥� restaurants, cafes, espresso bars, pizza and sandwich shops 鈥� lined next to each other within just a few short blocks to ensure visitors both a... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles

North End Walking Tour

The North End was the city's first neighborhood, and one that has been key to its fortunes, having become a hub of commercial, social and intellectual activity by the 1750s. Later known as Boston's Little Italy, it has been home to Italian immigrants through much of the 20th century, and still retains a certain Mediterranean flavor in its many restaurants, caf茅s, and specialty shops. In... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

Harvard University Walking Tour

The United States鈥� oldest institution of higher education (and, of course, among the most prestigious), Harvard was established in 1636. Reverend John Harvard, who bequeathed his entire library and half of his estate, is the University鈥檚 namesake. Presidents, billionaires and Rhodes Scholars are only some of the illustrious graduates; in fact, Harvard has more Nobel Prize-winning alumni,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles

Beacon Hill Historic Houses Tour

Boston鈥檚 historic neighborhood of Beacon Hill is quite a charm! One can spend hours here, admiring the elegant uniformity and restraint of the architecture; at times, perhaps, imagining people from the past in their horse-drawn carriages. Federal-style and Victorian row houses, narrow streets lit by antique gas lanterns, brick sidewalks and lavender-hued windows adorn the area, which is... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Boston Shopping Areas

One of the top shopping destinations in the US northeast, Boston has a strong network of interesting stores, galleries and boutiques to visit along with its many high-class shops, some of which are nestled inside historical buildings. Shopping here in more than one way mirrors the city itself: an amalgamation of classic and vanguard, the handmade and the high-end, and both local and international... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles

View all walking tours in Boston, Massachusetts

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