We heard about Allston by chance. Sometimes we do search for hipster areas or independent/indie places to visit when we travel, but this one does not come up easily. So it’s not often included in the to-do lists, like Williamsburg in New York City or Shoreditch in London.
When you are in Boston you normally have quite a few places to visit, including its popular neighbour city of Cambridge, home of two of the most renowned universities in the world: Harvard and MIT. But after our last trip, we can firmly say that Allston is worth visiting.
What makes Allston special?
Allston is home to a large student population from Boston University and Northeastern University, as well as a diverse mix of families, artists, and professionals, making it the most multicultural area in Boston, and maybe in the whole state.
The neighbourhood is home to a number of art galleries, performance spaces, and music venues. The Allston Arts District is a great place to catch a live show, see some art, or just wander around and take in the creative atmosphere.
It is also home to a wide variety of restaurants, from casual eateries to fine dining establishments. You can find everything from authentic Chinese food to Ethiopian cuisine to classic American and much more. And then there is the nightlife, as Allston hosts a number of bars and clubs, which attract a wide range of people from all over Boston.
According to TimeOut, which included Allston in the 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world, there are more than 300 unique businesses in Allston Village; and roughly 35% are immigrant-owned. This explains its diversity.
Two fun facts about Allston:
- The neighbourhood is named after John Allston, who was a wealthy landowner in the 17th century.
- It was home to a number of artists and writers in the early 20th century, including Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
How to get to Allston?
Lower Allston has close proximity to Route 2, the Mass Pike, Storrow Drive, and Soldiers Field Road. Public transportation includes the Red Line at Harvard Square, the Green Line at Packard’s Corner or Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue and the 57, 66, 70, 71, and 86 bus connections on North Harvard Street and Western Avenue.
The B branch of the Boston MBTA subway Green Line that runs along Commonwealth Avenue is the most popular mean of transportation and appears in most pictures.
However; if you are a casual tourist or you like cycling, I strongly recommend using the blue bikes. We cycled from Boston Common to the heart of Allston in around 25 minutes, it is also cheap and you get to know a few different areas, an excellent sightseeing experience.
I recommend taking the Adventure Pass, so for just $10, you’ll get 24 hours of access to Bluebikes and you can keep a bike out for up to 2 hours at a time (most schemes around the world give you just 30 minutes).
Top attractions in Allston
Some of the main attractions in Allston are the following.
- The Allston Arts District. Comprises a wide variety of art galleries, performance spaces, and music venues.
- The Allston Farmers Market. It is open every Sunday from May to October and it’s a great place to find fresh, local produce, baked goods, and other food items.
- The Coolidge Corner Theatre. A historic movie theatre that is known for its independent and foreign films. The theatre also hosts a variety of special events, such as film festivals and classic movie screenings.
- Brighton Music Hall. A popular music venue that hosts a variety of genres, from rock and pop to hip-hop and electronica.
Best restaurants and bars in Allston
“Independent” shops are one of the main reasons for Allston’s popularity. And the good news is that they are all relatively close to each other and easy to find. Most of them are along Brighton Ave/Bacon St, Harvard St and Commonwealth Ave.
Bars
The two most iconic pubs in Allston are Model Cafe, which has been around since 1932 and includes a variety of bar games such as pinball; and Silhouette Lounge, which offers pitchers of beer, darts, pool and free popcorn.
Other good pubs include The Avenue, Harry’s Bar & Grill and Hopewell Bar.
Restaurants
As 35% of shops are owned by immigrants, you can imagine that the variety of food is high. These are some of the highlights.
- Lone Star Taco Bar. Mexican
- Coreanos. Korean
- Garlic ‘n Lemons. Middle Eastern
- Shabu-Zen. Hot pot
- BOS’ SiChuan Taste. Sichuan (Chinese)
- Alfredo’s. Italian
- Grasshopper. Vegan
- La Befana. Pizza
- Lulu’s. American
- Sabor do Brasil. Brasilian
- Banh Mi K. Vietnamese
- Turkish Lazuri Cafe. Turkish
Coffee and pastries
An iconic coffee shop is Twin Donuts, just opposite Model Cafe. But there are many more such as Kohi Coffee Company and Pavement Coffeehouse.
In terms of bakeries, Tous les Jours and Clear Flour Bread are two popular ones.