Seaport District

The Seaport is Boston's newest neighbourhood — transformed over the past two decades from parking lots and surface lots into a dense cluster of glass-and-steel buildings that houses the ICA, dozens of restaurants, and a waterfront promenade that has become one of the city's most popular walking routes. The transformation is so complete that it's hard to believe this area was essentially vacant 20 years ago.

The restaurant scene has matured from early-days chain offerings to a genuinely interesting mix. Row 34, a oyster bar and craft beer spot from the Island Creek Oyster team, serves some of the best seafood in Boston in an industrial-chic space. Legal Harborside operates three floors of different dining experiences overlooking the water. The food truck scene along the Harborwalk provides cheaper options with harbour views. The district is walkable, well-designed, and connected to the rest of Boston by the Silver Line and the Harborwalk.

The Harborwalk itself — a continuous waterfront path that runs from the Seaport through the Financial District and around to the North End — is one of Boston's great infrastructure achievements. The Seaport section passes public art installations, outdoor seating areas, and views across the harbour to the airport and the harbour islands. On a summer evening, when the restaurants spill onto patios and the harbour is full of sailboats, the Seaport feels like the Boston that the city has been trying to build for decades.