Downtown / Chinatown
The downtown and Chinatown areas are very urban, with office and residential skyscrapers dominating the skyline, although so lofts are to be found if you love open floorplans.
Rents here can be very expensive, especially in the newer buildings. Despite the expensive real estate, the neighborhood can feel gritty, with more homelessness and crime than other areas. Still, many popular restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are in this area, which includes the Theatre District for plays and music performances.
Notable Downtown and Chinatown Apartment Buildings:
The Radian
The Radian is a luxury apartment building in downtown Boston, adjacent to Chinatown. It overlooks the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a series of parks stretching throughout downtown Boston that brings some nature back to the city.
As with any luxury building, the apartments are high quality and include premium features like hardwood floors, professional kitchens, and high-end furnishings. In addition, all units include a washer/dryer in the unit itself, so there is no need to lug your laundry to a communal laundry room.
The Radian has an excellent Concierge available 24/7, who can help arrange dry cleaning, pet care, and more. The fitness center includes access to virtual trainers whenever you want a guided workout.
There is also a restaurant on the first floor of The Radian, called Townsman, that offers farm-to-table fare.
AVA Theater District
The Theater District is the area near Chinatown / Downtown that is home to nightclubs and performance venues. It’s Boston’s version of Broadway.
Inside, the building has a funky lobby with lounging areas, a common roofdeck with a fireplace and panoramic views of downtown Boston. The top floor also has a common lounge area for entertaining, with a kitchen, TV, games, and plenty of seating.
Downtown and Chinatown Attractions
Downtown Boston is a pretty small, walkable area. The Red Line, Orange Line, and Green Line are all accessible from here.
Boston’s largest public park area, Boston Common, is just steps outside of Park Street. Next to the Common is the Boston Public Gardens, also a beautiful place to stroll.
Dozens (if not hundreds) of restaurants and bars are downtown. Some casual favorites include Sam Lagrassa’s, which serves huge sandwiches, Chicken and Rice Guys, and for vegetarians, Clover Food Lab. On the higher end, No. 9 Park is one of Boston’s celebrated chef Barbara Lynch’s restaurants. Moo serves excellent steak.
If you are visiting or staying in the downtown Boston area, you must visit some of the historic Chinatown restaurants. Pho Pasteur has been serving up hot bowls of Vietnamese soup for 30 years. And Hei La Moon serves dim sum from roving carts in one of the largest banquet halls in Chinatown.
All the usual coffee places can be found downtown — Starbucks, Peets, Dunkin‘, and Cafe Nero — and also some local shops like Thinking Cup and Ogawa Coffee.