Boston/Fenway-Kenmore

The Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood is named after Kenmore Square, and after the Fens, both of which it encompasses. Kenmore Square is the area's dynamic urban center. This is where trains arrive and shops light up in an effort to entice passing customers. High above, the Citgo sign (now a historical landmark) keeps a watchful eye on new arrivals as they make their way through these congested crossroads.

Understand

Neighborhoods
  • Kenmore: The area is quite urban, but all the green space makes it feel much more livable than you might think. Like many other areas of Boston, Kenmore is in the middle of a building boom. The closeness of the parks and gardens help to balance the city and nature experiences.
  • The Fens: Just south and away from the square lies the hushed Fens, a study in contrasts. The Muddy River meanders through rustling reeds and shady, sloping lawns and gardens. Rustic stone bridges and benches offer a place to linger, to admire the water and all its inhabitants. The Fens also work to separate Kenmore from the sprawling medical complex, Longwood Medical Area. Turkeys have even been known call the place home. If you see one, watch out, they can be mean!
  • Longwood: An extremely dense cluster of hospitals and schools.

Get in

By public transit

In this part of town the Green line will usually be your best bet, and Kenmore is the station to know. The B, C, and D Green line branches all stop here, and a large glass bus depot hovers above. It's also the closest stop to the Fenway Park. From here the B line continues outbound to Blandford Street, BU East, and BU Central before entering Allston. The C branch serves Saint Mary’s St and the D branch passes through Fenway and Longwood before both trains enter Brookline. The E branch is great for visiting area museums, it stops at Symphony, Museum of Fine Arts, Longwood, and Brigham Circle stations.

The Orange line shares the Ruggles and Massachusetts Avenue stations with several other neighborhoods, but you won't find these stops quite as helpful. The E branch of the Green line is closer to top sights, however, the Orange line can be a good alternative if the E line is experiencing service issues. Ruggles also serves as a stop for Commuter Rail lines headed to Providence/Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham. Another Commuter Rail station (especially popular on game days) is Lansdowne, which serves the Framingham/Worcester line adjacent to Fenway Park.

By far the most popular bus route is the #57. Running from Kenmore Square down Comm Ave, into Allston and eventually ending in Watertown. Also leaving from Kenmore, the #60 and #65 run less frequently into Brookline, while the #8 and #19 take you through the Longwood area and the South End via Ruggles. The CT2 and #47 busses can be picked up in Boston University, and take you over the BU bridge into Kendall and Central squares in Cambridge. The #39 also runs constantly down Huntington Ave taking you to either inbound to Back Bay or outbound to Mission Hill. Ruggles is also a major bus hub, fanning lines out citywide.

By car

As a newer neighborhood, Fenway-Kenmore is arguably the best area of central Boston to drive in. The Kenmore Square/Fenway exit from Storrow Drive is the main access point to the neighborhood — from there, follow signs to your destination. As on street parking is fairly limited in most areas, go right for a garage. You're looking at around $15-20 an hour to park, and on game days expect to be gouged $100 or more for parking, if it's even available in the first place.

Get around

See
  • 🌍 The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), 465 Huntington Ave (T: Museum of Fine Arts), ☏ +1 617-267-9300. W-F 10AM-10PM, Sa-Tu 10AM-5PM. As the fourth largest museum in the US, the Museum of Fine Art is known for its impressive assortment of French Impressionist paintings as well as its extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art. The MFA also has one of the largest collections of Japanese art outside of Japan. A new modernist Art of the Americas Wing was completed in 2010, architected by Norman Foster. A visitor could simply rush through the highlights in a few hours, or linger all day and take it all in properly. The museum also has a great collection of early American art, including the portrait of George Washington used on the dollar bills you might find in your wallet right now. $25, seniors and students $23. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way (T: Museum of Fine Arts), ☏ +1 617-566-1401. W-M 11AM-5PM. Not your typical museum experience. Modeled after a 15th-century Venetian palazzo, the museum displays Mrs. Gardner's evocative home as it was when she lived here. She collected many masterworks, unappreciated at the time, and displayed them in a most unconventional manner. The juxtaposition of artworks from different cultures and time periods still delights visitors today. While the museum contains works by famous artists like Rembrandt and Velazquez, the main attraction is not in any particular work, but in how each room is laid out: not only the paintings and tapestries, but also the furniture and architecture in every corner of the building are valuable works of art. Gardner's will stipulates the works of art must remain in her original arrangement. This is the reason one wall remains blank, after an unbelievable art heist in early 1990. Thirteen pieces were stolen, valued at over $500 million dollars; the works of art remain missing to this day. $20 adult, $18 senior, $13 student. (updated Mar 2021)
  • 🌍 Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS), 1154 Boylston Street (T: Hynes Convention Center), ☏ +1 617-536-1608. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. Founded in 1791, the Massachusetts Historical Society is the nation's oldest historical society. The collections of the MHS bring alive the stories of America's past through a series of changing exhibitions and public programs that are free and open to the public. Thomas Jefferson's handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence is a particularly significant piece in their collection. Many famous people sit on the board of directors, including professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and director Ken Burns. Free. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Warren Anatomical Museum (Countway Library of Medicine), 10 Shattuck Street (T: Brigham Circle), ☏ +1 617-432-6196, . M-F 9AM-5PM. This small exhibition is tucked away on the 5th floor of Harvard Medical School's Countway Library of Medicine. It was designed by Mr. Warren in the mid 1800s to teach his medical students about anatomy. The real highlight here—among the charts, specimens and 19th century medical instruments—is the skull of Phineas Gage. Phineas improbably survived 12 years after a large iron bar was driven through his brain. Free. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Panopticon Gallery (Hotel Commonwealth), 502c Commonwealth Ave (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 781-718-5777. Tu-Sa 9AM-3PM. Founded in 1971, Panopticon Gallery is one of the oldest galleries in the United States dedicated solely to fine art photography. The gallery specializes in 20th Century American Photography and emerging contemporary works. Check their calendar for up to date information on their current exhibition. They also carry many interesting, hard to find, fine art books in their store. (updated Nov 2016)

Do
  • 🌍 The Boston Symphony Orchestra (Symphony Hall), 301 Massachusetts Ave (T: Symphony), ☏ +1 617-266-1492. One of "The Big Five", an evening at the Boston Symphony Orchestra (or BSO) will be a treasured memory for any visitor. Attending one of these highly acclaimed, if somewhat formal performances, is a must for any lover of the finer things in life. If you think you might prefer something lighter, however, try the Boston Pops. Comprised of BSO musicians (but usually not their first-chair players), The Pops plays more familiar classical and popular music. The building, Symphony Hall, was constructed in 1900 and is considered to have the finest acoustics of any concert hall in the United States. In 2006 the BSO renovated the building and was worried about preserving the quality of the sound. They decided to spare no expense, using only craftsman capable of building with the same methods and materials as the original construction. $20-120; $20 for the under 40 crowd; $9 rush tickets available Tu Th evenings, and F afternoons. (updated May 2017)
  • 🌍 The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (Shattuck Visitor Center), 125 Fenway (T: Northeastern), ☏ +1 617-522-2700. M-F 9:30AM-5PM, Sa Su 11AM-4PM (May-October). Offering walking and cycling tours throughout The Fens, the Muddy River, and other points of interest along this section of the Emerald necklace. See the calendar of events for specifics. Free. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 House of Blues, 15 Landsdowne St (T: Kenmore), toll-free: +1-888-693-2583. 4PM-2AM. See all types of live concerts and special events at this popular entertainment chain. The first HoB opened in Harvard Square in the early 90s, but moved to this much larger location in 2009. They play host to bigger name national performers like The Flaming Lips and Run the Jewels. They also serve several southern inspired dishes, if you feel compelled to eat here. $20-50. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 The New England Conservatory of Music (Jordan Hall), 30 Gainsborough St (T: Symphony), ☏ +1 617-585-1260. Catch a performance at the oldest independent school of music in the United States. The New England Conservatory of Music is renowned for its instruction in string, woodwind, and brass instruments. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994, Jordan Hall—along with Symphony Hall—are considered two of America's most acoustically perfect performance spaces. Often used as a concert hall for NEC students and faculty, the BSO will perform in this space as well. Free, first come first serve. (updated Apr 2017)
  • 🌍 Lucky Strike Lanes (Jillian’s), 145 Ipswich St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-437-0300. 11AM-2AM daily. Not into classical music, and the finer "intangibles" a bowstring might provide? No problem. Head here for an evening of bowling, billiards, and ping-pong. An attached dance club bills itself as "52 weeks of spring break", if you're up for that. The entertainment is spread out over several floors so you may find something to your liking. All areas serve alcohol and are 21+. Snacks $10. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 The Observatory (BU Astronomy), 725 Commonwealth Ave (T: BU Central), ☏ +1 617-353-2630. W 7:30PM winter, W 8:30PM summer, weather permitting. Spend a few hours learning a little astronomy, and looking through Boston University's not very powerful telescopes. You won't be seeing much of anything if the lights are on at Fenway Park. Tickets are free, but you still have to "buy" them online in advance, because space is limited. The stairwell to the Observatory is on the fifth floor just to the left of room 520. Free. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 🌍 Regal Cinemas Fenway 13, 201 Brookline Ave (T: Fenway), ☏ +1 617-424-6111. 11AM-11PM daily. Your basic giant urban multiplex theater, gets all those first run films. Pretty clean, concessions, popcorn, games, the works. Some parking in the attached garage, discounted with a valid movie ticket from that day. $14 adult, $11 child/senior. (updated Feb 2017)

Fenway Park

🌍 Fenway Park, 4 Jersey St (T: Kenmore or Fenway), ☏ +1 617-226-6000. Tours $18. Tickets to a game can be as cheap as $25, but expect to pay into the hundreds for a popular game during the summer. (updated Mar 2017) Watch the Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park, the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use. Built in 1912 and one of only two classic ballparks remaining, the other being Wrigley Field in Chicago. This red brick and green steel structure is one of the best places in the world to take in a baseball game. As one of the smallest ballparks in the major leagues and given Boston's loyal fan base, seeing a game here is intimate, exciting and a part of living history. Few baseball teams can claim to represent their city to the extent of the Red Sox, and Fenway Park is nothing short of a baseball landmark. Theoretically, single game tickets can be purchased directly from the Red Sox at face value. In practice single game tickets usually sell out for the entire season within hours of going on sale. If you'd like to catch a game, and didn't snag a ticket online right when they became available, you do have a few options:

  • Buy through a licensed broker, such as StubHub or ABC Tickets.
  • Try the game day window on Landsdowne Street. Line up starting five hours prior to game time. Any open seats go on sale 90 minutes before the first pitch. Tickets are sold on a first come first serve basis; if you're not one of the first 50 people or so in line, chances for a ticket are slim.
  • Patronize a scalper. Buying and selling tickets on the street is pretty common, but caveat emptor! The tickets you're buying may be fraudulent, and be aware scalping on public property is illegal in Massachusetts.

If you'd like to see Fenway without attending a game, try a behind the scenes tour on non-game days or show up early on game days. A must for any Red Sox fan even if you do manage to get game tickets!

Buy
  • 🌍 Nuggets, 486 Commonwealth Avenue (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-536-0679. Tu-Sa 11:30AM-7PM, Su noon-5PM. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Comicopia, 464 Commonwealth Avenue (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-266-4266. Th-Tu 11AM-7PM, W 11AM-8PM. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Kenmore Collectibles, 466 Commonwealth Avenue (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-482-5705. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Barnes & Noble, 660 Beacon St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-267-8484. M-F 9AM-9PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-5PM. Take a moment to browse this once prominent national chain. It defies the odds and remains open, mainly because BU owns it and requires students to purchase schoolbooks here. Additionally, the famous Citgo sign sits atop this 6 story building. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Dana-Farber Gift Shop, 450 Brookline Ave (T: Longwood), ☏ +1 617-632-3199. M-F 9AM-5PM. Buy a mug or sweater for yourself, or do one better and buy toys, jewelry, or books for patients in residence. Lots of little pick-me-ups too, like magazines, toiletries, candy and drinks. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Official Red Sox Team Store, 19 Yawkey Way (T: Kenmore), toll-free: +1-800-336-9299, . 9AM-5PM daily. T-shirts and hats run about $30. Peruse the array of other novelty items, ranging from pennants to baseball cards to bobble head dolls. Other more expensive items are also for sale, such as game jerseys and sweatshirts. These guys don't run the tours of Fenway Park, but they do start in the store. (updated Nov 2016)

Eat
This page uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
BudgetUnder $15
Mid-range$15 - $30
SplurgeOver $30

Owing to the enormous student presence here, dining out in Fenway-Kenmore doesn't have to break the bank. There are a variety of Asian spots and Irish pubs to keep your stomach happy and full. The dollar signs will start to climb as you head towards Kenmore Square, and of course watch out for overcrowding and increased prices on game days.

Budget
  • 🌍 B. Good, 137 Massachusetts Ave (T: Hynes Convention Center), ☏ +1 617-424-5252. M-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Offers vegetarian and health-conscious veggie burgers with great fixings, like salsa and guacamole, and sides of tasty steamed veggies. The fries are air-baked and taste like real potatoes! $5-8. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 🌍 Clover, 360 Longwood Ave (T: Longwood). M-Sa 7AM-midnight, Su 11AM-9PM. Starters $3-4, mains $7-8. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 El Pelon Taqueria, 92 Peterborough St (T: Fenway), ☏ +1 617-262-9090. 11AM-11PM daily. $10. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Pita, 197A Massachusetts Ave (T: Hynes Convention Center), ☏ +1 617-263-8390. 10AM-11PM daily. $7-12. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Noodle St., 627 Commonwealth Ave (T: Blandford St), ☏ +1 617-536-3100, . M–F: 11AM—8:30PM. This establishment has been a hit with the student crowd with its complex menu of create-it-yourself Thai fusion at reasonable, if not quite insanely cheap prices. Try the special buckwheat noodles or the Noodle St. soup. Starter $4-7, mains $14-18. (updated Mar 2024)
  • 🌍 Nud Pob, 738 Commonwealth Ave (T: BU East), ☏ +1 617-536-8676. M-F 11:30AM-10:30PM, Sa Su noon-11PM. A student favorite for years, this little Thai jewel is delicious. Tucked away below street level this place is easy to miss but worth searching for. The food is fast, cheap, and some of the best in Boston. Their pad thai is perfect and their yellow and green curry dishes are fantastic. $9-14. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Rod-Dee Thai Cuisine II, 94 Peterborough St (T: Fenway), ☏ +1 617-859-0969. M-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su noon-10PM. Amazing Thai food, amazing value. Walking by it, you might not be impressed, but when you eat you will know why there are so many Zagat stickers on the door. Starters $4-6, mains $12. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House, 14 Westland Ave (T: Symphony), ☏ +1 617-236-7907. M-Sa 11:30AM-10PM, Su noon-10PM. Starters $6-8, mains $10-14. (updated Nov 2016)

Mid-range

Splurge
  • 🌍 Hojoko (The Verb Hotel), 1271 Boylston St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-670-0507. 5PM-2AM daily. Get full and drunk at this loud and hip space frequented by cool kids who have a little money that night. Try the fun sushi roulette dish (one of the six pieces is loaded with spices). Served with a little baby's bottle filled with a cooling tonic to sooth your burning mouth. Around $25-40 for a full meal. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Yard House, 126 Brookline Ave (T: Fenway), ☏ +1 617-236-4083. Su-Th 11AM-12:30AM, F Sa 11AM-1:30AM. Starters $10-16, mains $14-20. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Sweet Cheeks Q, 1381 Boylston St (T: Fenway), ☏ +1 617-266-1300. Su-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F Sa 11:30AM-11PM. Expect to pay around $25-40 per person. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Eastern Standard, 528 Commonwealth Ave (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-532-9100. 7AM-2AM daily. Starters $12-16, mains $22-30. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Island Creek Oyster Bar (Hotel Commonwealth), 500 Commonwealth Avenue (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-532-5300. M-F 4PM-11PM, Sa 11:30AM-11:30PM, Su 10:30AM-11PM. Starters $12-16, mains $28-32. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Tiger Mama, 1363 Boylston St (T: Fenway), ☏ +1 617-425-6262. Su-Th 5PM-10PM, F Sa 5PM-11PM. (updated Nov 2016)

Drink
  • 🌍 Bill's Bar, 5 Lansdowne St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-421-9678. 5PM-2AM daily. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Bleacher Bar, 82A Lansdowne St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-262-2424. Su-W 11AM-1AM, Th-Sa 11AM-2AM. A unique bar in that it is built under the Fenway Park bleachers in right field, with a large glass window overlooking the game. Even the urinals in the men's room offer a view of the field! You don't need a ticket to get in, but the place does fill up quickly. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Boston Beer Works, 61 Brookline Ave (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-536-2337. 11AM-1AM daily. This is the original location, opened in 1992. It opened as one of the first microbreweries in the area, and serves 15 microbrews on tap at any given time. May open early during game day and other special events. Starters $7-10, mains $14-20. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Cask 'n Flagon, 62 Brookline Ave (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-536-4840. Su-W 11AM-1AM, Th-Sa 11AM-2AM. Arguably the most famous sports bar in Boston, located right outside Fenway Park. Raise a glass with the Fenway faithful from around the world. This bar is always wicked packed on game days, if the Sox are losing it might be time to leave. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Cornwall's, 654 Beacon St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-262-3749. M-Sa noon-2AM. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Game On Fenway, 82 Landsdowne St (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-351-7001. M-Th 11:30AM-1AM, F-Su 11:30AM-2AM. Opened in 2005, this bar has made a name for itself as a worthy competitor to Cask n' Flagon. Plenty of televisions to catch the game on, and even indoor batting cages. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 The Lower Depths, 476 Commonwealth Avenue (T: Kenmore), ☏ +1 617-266-6662. 11:30AM-1AM daily. Pints $7. (updated Nov 2016)

Coffee
  • 🌍 Caffe Bene, 333 Massachusetts Ave (T: Symphony), ☏ +1 617-982-6688. M-Th 7AM-11PM, F Sa 7AM-midnight, Su 8AM-11PM. This chain was launched in South Korea in 2008, modeled after the finest European cafes. Theres a bunch of these in New York, but this is the only one in New England for now. Offers the requisite coffee alongside light sandwiches and fancy Belgian waffles. $3-8. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 🌍 Pavement Coffeehouse (Fenway Location), 1334 Boylston St, ☏ +1 857-263-7355. 7AM-7PM daily. The bagels are homemade at this miniature chain with a handful of Boston only locations. The owner hails from Chicago, but was drawn here by the local universities and made bagels and coffee his passion. (updated Mar 2024)

Sleep
This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
BudgetUnder $175
Mid-range$175 - $250
SplurgeOver $250

Budget

Mid-range

Go next
  • Follow the Muddy River along the Emerald Necklace and south into Jamaica Plain.
  • Smell the salt air aboard the USS Constitution, on active naval duty since 1798, and docked in nearby Charlestown.
  • See a preview of what will hang in the museums of tomorrow, and browse a few of the South End's many galleries.
  • As an alternative to Landsdowne Street, check out Allston Rock City, to the west.
  • The Back Bay is located just a few feet east, across Mass Ave, the very heart of Boston for many visitors.
Routes through Fenway-Kenmore
Splits into "B", "C", and "D" Branches (see below) ←  W  E  → Back Bay → Downtown
Allston-Brighton ← Brookline ←  W  E  → Merges with main Green Line
Newton ← Brookline ←  W  E  → Merges with main Green Line
END ← Jamaica Plain ←  SW  NE  → Back Bay → Merges with main Green Line


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