# Downtown Boston > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Downtown_Boston > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Downtown_Boston.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Boston > Source revision: 1350047220 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Area of Boston, Massachusetts}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2023}} thumb|upright=1.6|Aerial view of Downtown Boston in November 2015 '''Downtown Boston''' is the [central business district](/source/central_business_district) of [Boston](/source/Boston), Massachusetts, United States. Boston was founded in 1630. The largest of the city's commercial districts, Downtown is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters; city, county, state and federal government facilities; and many of Boston's tourist attractions. Similar to other central business districts in the U.S., Downtown has recently undergone a transformation that included the construction of new condos and lofts, renovation of historic buildings, and arrival of new residents and businesses. It is represented in the [Boston City Council](/source/Boston_City_Council) by [District 2](/source/District_2%2C_Boston)'s [Ed Flynn](/source/Ed_Flynn_(politician)).{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/research-maps/maps-and-gis/electoral-maps |publisher=Boston Redevelopment Authority |title=Electoral Maps |access-date= }} Downtown is bound by the [Back Bay](/source/Back_Bay%2C_Boston), [North End](/source/North_End%2C_Boston), [Beacon Hill](/source/Beacon_Hill%2C_Boston), and the [South End](/source/South_End%2C_Boston) areas. It includes the [Government Center](/source/Government_Center%2C_Boston) and the [Financial District](/source/Financial_District%2C_Boston).{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/neighborhoods/downtown.asp |title=Neighborhoods: Downtown |publisher=City of Boston |access-date= }} The area that is now Downtown Boston constituted much of the town/city proper prior to the city's dramatic [expansion](/source/Timeline_of_Boston) in the 1860s and 1870s. The [Great Boston Fire of 1872](/source/Great_Boston_Fire_of_1872) destroyed much of the neighborhood, especially between Summer, Washington, and Milk Streets. In the 1950s the [Central Artery](/source/Central_Artery) highway began operating, until the [Big Dig](/source/Big_Dig) (1982–2007) relocated it underground. In the 1960s and 1970s the enormous new [Government Center](/source/Government_Center%2C_Boston) complex replaced [Scollay Square](/source/Scollay_Square). Landmarks in Downtown Boston include the [Greenway](/source/Rose_Fitzgerald_Kennedy_Greenway), [Custom House Tower](/source/Custom_House_Tower), [City Hall](/source/Boston_City_Hall), [Faneuil Hall](/source/Faneuil_Hall), [Quincy Market](/source/Quincy_Market), [Old State House](/source/Old_State_House_(Boston)), [Old South Meeting House](/source/Old_South_Meeting_House), [Massachusetts State House](/source/Massachusetts_State_House), [Park Street Church](/source/Park_Street_Church), [Boston Common](/source/Boston_Common), and [Boston Public Garden](/source/Boston_Public_Garden). Educational institutions located downtown include [Emerson College](/source/Emerson_College) and [Suffolk University](/source/Suffolk_University). The four [MBTA subway](/source/MBTA_subway) lines converge in the downtown area at the [Downtown Crossing](/source/Downtown_Crossing_(MBTA_station)), [Park Street](/source/Park_Street_station_(MBTA)), [Government Center](/source/Government_Center_(MBTA_station)), and [State](/source/State_(MBTA_station)) stations. [South Station](/source/South_Station) is a transportation hub with subway, commuter rail, intercity bus, and [Amtrak](/source/Amtrak) service. ==Education== {{expand section|date=April 2017}} [Boston Public Schools](/source/Boston_Public_Schools) operates area district public schools. [Boston Renaissance Charter Public School](/source/Boston_Renaissance_Charter_Public_School) was formerly located in a building in [Park Square](/source/Park_Square%2C_Boston).{{cite news|author=Andersen, Travis|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/26/state-board-places-boston-renaissance-charter-school-probation/s1WVQexKFR0gq7Mx9uM5aM/story.html|title=Renaissance Charter School on probation|newspaper=[Boston Globe](/source/Boston_Globe)|date=2013-02-26|access-date=2017-04-20}} In 2010 it moved to its current location in [Hyde Park](/source/Hyde_Park%2C_Boston)."[http://www.bostonrenaissance.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=204123&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=404727&hideMenu=0 New - About] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205111202/http://bostonrenaissance.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=204123&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=404727&hideMenu=0 |date=2016-02-05 }}." Boston Renaissance Charter Public School. Retrieved on April 20, 2017. ==See also== * [Financial District, Boston](/source/Financial_District%2C_Boston) * [List of tallest buildings in Boston](/source/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Boston) (many downtown) ==References== {{reflist}}{{commons category|Downtown Boston}} {{Wikivoyage|Boston/Downtown}} {{BostonMA}} {{authority control}} {{Coord|42|21|00|N|71|04|00|W|format=dms|display=title|type:landmark_region:US-MA}} Boston Category:Financial District, Boston Category:Neighborhoods in Boston {{Boston-geo-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Downtown Boston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Boston) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Boston?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.