Boston's Green Pathways
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Tips in this Tour:
 | The Commonwealth Avenue Mall was created in the late 19th century as part of a 7-mile long “Emerald Necklace” that still exists today. Its purpose was to help clean up the marshy area left after the Back Bay landfill project. The mall spans 200 feet across, with wide roads for the horse-drawn carriages that once kicked up dust here. |
| Copley Plaza's tallest building, though not necessarily its most prominent, is I.M. Pei’s mirror-like John Hancock Tower. When you stand in just the right spot, the tower’s narrow north-facing glass wall seems to stand 60 stories as a single sheet of glass! |
| Alongside the Boston Garden Swanboat Lagoon, movie history was made in 1997. On a bench facing the placid water, Robin Williams delivered a sobering speech to Matt Damon that many say earned him his Oscar in the film “Good Will Hunting.” |
| Beacon Hill's steep, narrow streets evoke traditional Boston: brick-lined warrens, black-shuttered Federal-style rowhouses, and wrought-iron gas-lit lamps. Louisa May Alcott, John Hancock, and Ted Kennedy called “the Hill” home. Michael Crichton, Carly Simon, and Uma Thurman have also resided here. |
| The ribbon of green known as the Rose Kennedy Greenway literally emerged from under a shadow. An elevated highway once hovered over this very space. The highway was diverted underground as part of the “Big Dig,” a 15-year-long construction project. It’s left the most open space in Boston, with long views and teasing vistas of Boston Harbor down the waterfront lanes. |
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| Transportation: | By Foot - Easy walking |
| Specialty: | Historical/Heritage |
| Category: | Guided Tour - play before & while you tour |
| Rating: |
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| Added: | 10/09/2009 |
| Duration: | 30 min |
Purchase/Download:
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More about this tour |
Chapters in this tour:
Introduction
Comm Ave Mall & Esplanade
Boston Public Garden
Boston Common
City Walk to the Greenway
Rose Kennedy Greenway
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Provider: Ken Lovering
Ken Lovering has lived in the Boston area for over 20 years. He watched his hometown transform into a great walking city as its elevated expressway was banished underground, making way for the new Rose Kennedy Greenway. Ken is a Solas Award-winning writer and has contributed to many travel publications. He is the editor-in-chief of the budget-minded travel website www.TravelonaDimeNow.com.
