Long ignored, then poor, then bohemian, then expensive — the South End now has the largest concentration of restaurants in Boston and one of the highest concentrations of intact Victorian rowhouse architecture anywhere in the United States. The grid of redbrick bowfronts around small leafy squares dates to the 1850s and 1860s, built before Back Bay and aimed at the rising middle class.
Tremont Street and Washington Street are the main commercial spines, with side streets full of bistros, wine bars, and dessert places. Don't miss the cluster of restaurants around the SoWa (South of Washington) area, which holds a large Sunday market with food trucks, vintage stalls, and farmers' produce from May through October. The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the largest Catholic church in New England.
Union Park Street and Worcester Square are the most beautiful residential blocks. The South End is also the centre of Boston's LGBT community and has been for decades — the bars along Tremont remain reliably busy.