Charles St

The 17 Best Things to Do in Boston

"Beacon Hill, one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods, is home to some of the finest examples of Federal-style brick row houses in the country, and Charles Street is the perfect launching point from which to explore it all. Tiny sidewalks, gaslit corners, and Instagrammable charm await on this busy thoroughfare, which starts by the Massachusetts General Hospital campus and concludes on the Boston Common. Charles Street has an independent bent that locals love to support. Come here for contemporary accessories at December Thieves, mouthwatering truffles at Beacon Hill Chocolates, custom stationery at Gus + Ruby Letterpress, and “this might have belonged to a Kennedy” antiques at Upstairs Downstairs Home. And if you’re a book lover (or bookstore lover), don’t leave town without visiting Beacon Hill Books & Cafe, a stunning townhome-turned-bookshop that’s restoring this city’s faith in the importance of independent booksellers." - Paul Rubio, Todd Plummer

Charles Street — Neighborhood Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Let’s start big picture. What’s the vibe here?    Beacon Hill's main thoroughfare is a microcosm of all the things people love about Boston: historic architecture, even more historic brick sidewalks, interesting shopping, great restaurants, and unparalleled people watching. On a weekend, especially during nice weather, these cramped sidewalks can get painfully bottlenecked, but on a quiet weekday morning as Bostonians commute to work, there's hardly a more pleasant street in the city. Any standout features or must-sees?      While it only takes six minutes to walk end to end, Charles Street is filled with sights and stops that could take hours to properly work your way through. Charles Street begins at the Whitney, a boutique hotel which opened in 2019, and terminates at the Boston Common on Beacon Street. In that third of a mile, you'll find some of the city's most beloved cafés and boutiques, as well as historic monuments like the Charles Street Meeting House, a church and important landmark of Boston's Black community Was it easy to get around? It's quite literally impossible to get lost here since Charles Street serves as one of the only end-to-end arteries for traffic in Beacon Hill. If you decide to peruse the neighborhood's back streets to gawk at some of the best-preserved historic brick townhomes in the country, it's easy to get turned around on the small, one-way, confusing streets. Find your way back to Charles and you'll get your bearings back in no time. There are a few benches and places to sit, and several of the cafés here have restrooms. All said and done, what—and who—is this best for? On a beautiful day, there's nowhere better in Boston to wander aimlessly, linger over a coffee, and watch the locals go about their daily lives. Charles Street can be "done" in about ten minutes flat, but it's also the kind of place you can spend an entire day if you take your time" - Todd Plummer

"Beacon Hill Shopping Starting at the northeast corner of the Public Garden, and stretching to the end of Beacon Hill, Charles St. shopping offers a more boutiquey experience than its better known Newbury St. cousin. The feel is very European, with a mix of small specialty shops, unique restaurants and yummy desert cafes. Make sure to venture off the main drag, and you'll be rewarded with one of a kind finds you won't find elsewhere."