In addition to being the first stop on the Boston Freedom Trail, the Common is where you can enjoy some of the city's most popular activities and events.
Sometimes called "The People's Park," Boston Common has a little bit of everything: ice skating in the winter, outdoor theater on warm summer nights, tennis courts and baseball fields, memorials and monuments, a carousel, running paths, a tourist information center, and even its own graveyard. The Common (as locals call it) has long been the site of protests, rallies, and celebrations. You can even celebrate New Year's Eve here as fireworks launched from the ball field light up the sky.
The Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile path that guides visitors along the city's most memorable parts, begins at the Boston Common, where the region's first English pilgrim, William Braxton, constructed his log lodge and got his water from a nearby spring back in 1625.
After the Puritans showed up in 1630 and purchased the land from Braxton, they utilized it as a field for their cows to graze for about two hundred years. The Common also had a more menacing purpose during this time: an open execution site, where apostates, witches, Quakers, hoodlums, privateers, and different nuisances were put to death all throughout the eighteenth century.
After British soldiers involved the city in 1768 to subdue the problematic Colonials, they set up camps across the Common. On April 18, 1775, the day preceding the American Revolution formal start, around 700 Redcoats began their excursion to Concord to capture weapons covered up by the Patriots, which set off Paul Revere's celebrated ride to warn of the British. If you take one of the popular Freedom Trail tours, the guide will tell you all of these historic events as you walk along the Trail's red path.
Frog Pond really used to be a shallow pond. This tiny body of water is now lined with concrete and is only a few inches deep. It triples as an ice-skating rink in the winter, a splash pool for children during the summer, and a tranquil oasis with lovely fountains in spring and fall. There are beautiful walking trails surrounding the pond as well, so if swimming or ice sports aren’t your thing, you can admire the beauty from afar.
A walk around the Common anytime from late September through early December will allow you to appreciate the fall foliage without ever leaving the city. There is a wide variety of trees that change color throughout the year. For a larger variety of fauna, go across Charles Street on the west edge of the Common and appreciate fall tones and fall-blooming roses in the Public Garden.
Every Memorial Day, the Massachusetts Military Heroes organization plants a Garden of Flags in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the Boston Common to commemorate every member of the Massachusetts service who have given their lives to defend the United States and our freedom since the Revolutionary War.
Despite its rich and vibrant history, the Boston Common is the perfect place in the center of the city to:
Hang out with friends, family, or just enjoy a good book - plenty of benches, chairs, and tables make this easy to do. Bring a picnic to enjoy on the lawns!
Lie on the grass - on warm, sunny days, there's nothing better to do in Boston
Kick around a soccer ball, or join one of the pick-up games - look for them on the open grassy fields near the Charles Street/Beacon Street corner
Play tennis - the courts are near the Boylston/Tremont corner
Play baseball, if the ball fields aren't occupied by regularly scheduled games
There are many landmarks and commemorations spread throughout the Common that prove that history is truly everywhere in Boston. See if you can find these three remarkable late nineteenth century landmarks and dedications (area hints gave):
1. The heavenly bronze in the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial by eminent figure Augustus Saint-Gaudens portrays the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (highlighted in the 1989 film Glory) as they walked down Beacon Street in 1863 on their approach to battle for the North in the Civil War (hint: close to the Beacon Street/Park Street crossing point opposite the Massachusetts State House).
2. The white stone 38' Soldiers and Sailors Monument was raised in the last part of the 1870s to commemorate Massachusetts troopers and mariners who sacrificed their lives during the Civil War - climb the slope and take a look at it up near see the bas-help carvings and engravings (hint: it's tall - you truly can't miss it).
3. The elaborate bronze Brewer Fountain, given to the city in 1868 and was later reestablished (hint: close to the Visitors Center).
A fresh snowfall, sunshine, and a sled - nothing is better than this during the long and cold Boston winters! Although the Common doesn't have steep hills, the gentle slopes are perfect for a few hours of sledding.
The six horses (and the Park Rangers who ride them) attract happy crowds whenever they pause during their patrols of Boston Common. There's no doubt that the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit is one of the Common's most appealing sights--but they're also part of what makes the park safe because they give the Rangers a sweeping view high above the crowds.
The moment an ice skater on Frog Pond takes a bad fall, or someone faints due to summer heat, you'll see a horse and Ranger gallop over to help. Want to watch the horses having lunch? During good weather, you'll often see them munching on hay around noon in their special fenced-in space behind the Visitors Information Center.
As we said, the Common is an area located in the heart of Boston. That said, it is in the central part of the city and can offer tenants a lot of adventure, thousands of apartments, and the true Boston experience. It covers a huge area, which means that the limited property is not as small as in some other areas. It interacts with 562 neighborhoods in the wider Boston market.
The area can meet all the expectations for a variety of residents, with the greatest selection in restaurants and outdoor attractions of all the areas in the city. Locals say Boston Commons can meet any housing needs, including price, location, greenery, schools, and connection to public transportation. The overall quality of life here is high because this section of the city is well-organized.
When looking for rental properties online, you can use many different filters based on the factors you want to consider. Take a look at the 116 residential communities on the market that are available for rent right now around this area. The Boston Common is only half a mile from Boston's Central Business District. This is the minimum distance to the most exciting location. Take a look at the apartment complexes–they have lower rental costs. We also encourage you to utilize a cost calculator, as well as experimenting with various pricing tools focused on value to figure out your budget.