Newbury Street, landmark street in Boston, United States
Newbury Street is a long commercial street in Boston that runs for about a mile through the Back Bay area. It is lined with rows of 19th-century brownstone buildings that now house shops, cafes, and art galleries, with wide sidewalks and trees along the way.
The land under this street was once part of the Back Bay tidal flats before workers filled it in during the 1850s. Within a few decades, the area became a wealthy residential strip, and by the 1900s many ground floors had been turned into shops.
The street feels like a series of small shopfronts tucked into former private houses, with window displays that change with the seasons. Locals often treat it as a place for a slow afternoon stroll, stopping for coffee or just watching the stream of shoppers and residents.
Visitors can walk the whole length in under half an hour without stopping, and the flat terrain makes it easy for strollers and wheelchairs. It is best to come on foot or by public transport, since parking is limited nearby.
On certain Sundays in warm months, the street is closed to cars and the entire road from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue becomes a pedestrian walkway. This makes it one of the few major shopping streets in Boston where visitors can stand in the middle of the pavement without traffic.
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