This is the third part in a multi-part series exploring all of the exciting projects under development in the backyard of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. From hotels, restaurants, and retail stores, to fitness studios, apartments, and office buildings, there is something new opening up each week here in South Boston’s Waterfront District.
After previous spotlights on Seaport Square and Fan Pier, this week we explore the Fort Point area of the South Boston Waterfront District. The City of Boston designated Fort Point as a Landmark District in 2009. This 55-acre area is located across the Fort Point Channel from downtown Boston and was first developed in the 1830s by the Boston Wharf Company. Primarily used for manufacturing and warehousing, the area is comprised of late 19th and early 20th century industrial loft buildings. After the industrial decline in the 20th century, artists flocked to the Fort Point neighborhood and created New England’s largest artist enclave.
Today you’ll find much more than just artists and their art galleries/design studios in this neighborhood. The Boston Children’s Museum, the Boston Fire Museum, hotels, restaurants, and various companies all call Fort Point home. The biggest newsmaker of the area in the past year has been General Electric (GE), which has temporary offices in the area as they build new offices on the site of two former Necco candy-manufacturing facilities, plus a brand new water-facing site. Other companies in the area include Proctor & Gamble/Gillette and a large facility for the United States Postal Service, plus Bullhorn, Cengage Learning, CoachUp, Crimson Hexagon, Cuseum, Late July, Life is Good Company, LogMeIn, NetSuite, Rethink Robotics, RueLaLa, Thomson Reuters, Zipcar, and more.
Fort Point is easily accessible via bus and is a close walk to South Station, which services the MBTA subway and commuter rail, buses, and Amtrak. It is also conveniently located in close proximity to Chinatown, the Financial District, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
In addition to being home to a number of hotels of varying price points, the area has also become a food mecca with restaurants ranging from fine dining to grab-and-go. Fort Point’s thriving dining scene includes restaurants such as Menton, Sportello, and Drink–from James Beard Award-winner and Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef Barbara Lynch, who is regarded as one of Boston’s (and the country’s) leading chefs and restauranteurs.
Flour Bakery & Café’s Joanna Chang is also a James Beard Award winner (2016 award for Outstanding Baker) and the local chain has been featured in Gourmet, Food&Wine, Bon Appetit, New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Lucky Magazine, Inc. Magazine, and Boston Magazine, and has received numerous Best of Boston awards. Flour was also featured on Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay in which owner-chef Joanne Chang’s sticky buns won over Chef Flay’s.
Trillium Brewing Company is one of several notable breweries in the South Boston Waterfront District, which is also home to Harpoon Brewery and Beer Hall, both of which offer tours and have tap rooms for visitors to sample their latest brews.
Area Hotels:
- Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Downtown/Seaport (directly in Fort Point)
- InterContinental Boston
- The Envoy Boston Hotel
- YOTEL Boston (opening Summer 2017)
Area Restaurants:
- Au Bon Pain
- Bastille Kitchen
- Bee’s Knees Supply Company
- Blue Dragon
- Bon Me
- Caffè Nero
- Drink
- Dunkin Donuts
- Flour Bakery & Cafe
- Menton
- Metro Café
- Papagayo
- Row 34
- Sportello
- Starbucks
- sweetgreen
- Tavern Road
- Trillium Brewing Company
Check out our interactive map to view our centrally located venues and explore the neighborhoods our convention centers call home.
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