Brattle Street, Boston
Known initially as the King's Highway and then Tory Row – 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 – courtesy of its residents – 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.
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 – courtesy of its residents – 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.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Boston. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Brattle Street on Map
Sight Name: Brattle Street
Sight Location: Boston, USA (See walking tours in Boston)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Boston, USA (See walking tours in Boston)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
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.
North End Food Tour
Boston’s 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 – restaurants, cafes, espresso bars, pizza and sandwich shops – 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
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
Boston Introduction Walking Tour
The capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and it had played a key role in the country's struggle for independence. Founded in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England, it witnessed many events of the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Historical Churches Walking Tour
Boston's great churches are among the most precious of the city's numerous architectural jewels. What makes them special are their unique styles, elegant facades and long history.
Starting with the Old North Church, which towers in the city’s North End, this journey surely feels like taking a step back in time. Legend was made there, in the very place that Paul Revere waited for... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Starting with the Old North Church, which towers in the city’s North End, this journey surely feels like taking a step back in time. Legend was made there, in the very place that Paul Revere waited for... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Harvard University Walking Tour
The United States’ 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’s 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
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Beacon Hill Historic Houses Tour
Boston’s 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
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
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 – alma mater of many intellectuals, literary geniuses, celebrities, and wealthy and powerful. Many of America’s 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
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Boston's Marblehead Eateries
With such a diverse variety of dining cuisines and styles, the little town of Marblehead has something to satisfy every budget and culinary palate. You won't find any neon here, none is allowed in town and there are no fast food or drive-thrus establishments either. Most are quaint and...