Stop by Boston’s West End Museum to see the complete transformation of what was once a strong immigrant community
The original West End started as farm country in the 18th century and soon became an upscale neighborhood along with Beacon Hill.
END” BY THIS NAME. BOSTON’S WEST END IS ALSO KNOWN AS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. WEST ROXBURY, JAMAICA PLAIN, NORTH STATION OR ROSLINDALE. THE ANSWER IS NORTH STATION. AND NOW, A VISIT TO A LOCAL MUSEUM FOR MORE ON THE HISTORY OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES THAT FIRST CALLED THIS AREA OF BOSTON HOME. THOUGH THE WEST END WAS FARMLAND WERE QUICKLY REPLACED BY HOUSING. IN THE LATE 1700S, EARLY 1800S, PEOPLE MIGRATED THER AND IT STARTED TO BECOMEE IN THE 1850’S. AT THE TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY, IT WAS A VERY DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOOD. ANTHONY: WEST END MUSEUM BOARD MEMBER SAYS 50,000 PEOPLE LIVE THROUGHOUT ONE POINT FORMING ONE OF THE NATION’S FIRST MELTING POTS. ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURES, EVERY TIME SOMEBODY COMES HERE FROM THE WEST END, THEIR MOTHER MIGHT HAVE BEN JEWISH IN THEIR FATHER IS ITALIAN AND THEY HAVE AN ITALIAN NAME SO THERE IS A LOT OF CROSS-POLLINATION WHICH REALLY DEVELOPS A TOLERANCE FOR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES. IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY ITALIAN PEOPLE IN THE WEST END KNOW SO MANY YOU DISH WORDS. — YIDDISH WORDS. ANTHONY: BRUCE GIVES WALKING TOURS. I LIKED PLAYING WITH THE KIDS IN THE STREET, HIDE AND GO SEEK, STICKBALL, HANDBALL AND STUFF LIKE THAT. IT WAS JUST GREAT. ANTHONY: BUT THOSE GOOD TIMES CAME TO AN END. THE CALL OF THE SUBURBS SHRUNK THE WEST END’S POPULATION AND IN THE 1950’S, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS SLATED FOR REDEVELOPMENT. THEY TOOK THIS NEIGHBORHOOD DOWN NOT BECAUSE IT WAS A SLUM. pTHEY TOOK IT DOWN BECAUSE IT WA PRIME CENTRAL LOCATION. EVERYTHING BACK IN THOSE DAYS WAS LOCATION, LOCATION. THIS FIT THE BILL PERFECTLY. JUST BEGGING TO BE DEVELOPED AND BOY, DID THEY DEVELOP IT. ANTHONY: AS CHARLES RIVER PARK AND ITS HIGH-END TOWERS WENT UP, ANGER AND SADNESS ROSE FROM WEST ENDERS. THE REPLACEMENT OF LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASS WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE, BRINGING IN PEOPLE THAT COULD AFFORD THE HIGH RENTS OF THESE NEW RENTAL UNITS. PRIOR TO THAT, THERE WERE 15 SCHOOLS IN THE WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD. ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU HAVE THIS NEW NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DOES NOT NEED SCHOOLS ANYMORE. AND IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD IT WAS MEANT TO BE MEANT TO BECOME. ANTHONY: IN THE SHADOW OF NEW DEVELOPMENT SINCE — SITS ONE LAST REMNANT. THERE ARE A LOT OF OLD-TIMERS THAT DON’T SEE THAT AS ROMANTICALLY AS OUTSIDERS WHO SEE JUST ONE BUILDING LEFT. BUT YOU COULD SAY THAT IS THE LAST TENANT. ANTHONY: HISTORIANS DISAGREE ON WHITE STILL STANDS. HE THINKS IT IS SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST AREA TO BE DEVELOPED. BY THE TIME DEVELOPMENT GETS TO THAT ONE LITTLE TENEMENT, THEY PROBABLY WERE MAKING ENOUGH MONEY AS A BILLBOARD TO HIRE LAWYERS TO FIGHT THE CITY ON TAKING IT. IT WAS NEVER REALLY PART OF URBAN RENEWAL. ANTHONY: NOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS TRANSFORMING YET AGAIN. HE HOPES CITY PLANNERS LEARN FROM THE PAST. I THINK IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED THAT WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE REDEVELOPING. I THINK A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ONE MAJOR PROBLEM BECAUSE THE RENTS ARE SO HIGH. THE OTHER IS ALMOST ZERO FAMILY HOUSING BEING BUILT AND I THINK THAT IS REAL IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF YOU HOMOGENIZE A NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU ARE REALLY DOING IT AN INJUSTICE. ANTHONY: BUILDINGS ON WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE BULFINCH TRIANGLE WERE UNTOUCHED BY REDEVELOPMENT. IN 2013, THIS FLATIRON BUILDING BECAME THE BOXER HOTEL. FOR THE — THOSE OF US THAT REMEMBER THE ELEVATOR T HERE, IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RECOGNIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE NORTH END AS A PEDESTRIAN. THE GREENWAY IS SO…
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