Anyone who travels into or around Boston by car or public transportation has, at some point, passed through Kenmore Square. But few stop along the way to enjoy the many attractions in and around the bustling square. Home to the Kenmore Station MBTA subway stop, Fenway Park, and the gateway to Boston University, the once seedy neighborhood has over the past two decades been transformed into one of Boston’s hottest destinations.
What was in the 1970s and 80s home to the Rat, the focus of Boston’s punk rock scene and other nightclubs, record stores, and late night convenient stores, Kenmore Square has been converted into a clean, safe destination with a diverse array of upscale restaurants, including Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar located at Hotel Commonwealth and, right next door you will find India Quality, a highly regarded northern Indian cuisine restaurant.
The once shabby bus terminal has been upgraded with a glass and steel canopy, but what has not changed is the iconic Citgo Sign that in 1965 was placed above the five-story Peerless building (now home to Boston University’s Barnes & Noble Store) at 660 Beacon Street. The 60-foot-by-60-foot sign can be seen from the Charles River looming over Fenway Park. In 2005 the sign went through re-design where the neon tube lighting was switched over to LEDs. Today the sign remains as a symbol less of a gas station than of Boston’s legendary sports culture.
Commuters should stop and enjoy the hustle and bustle of historic Kenmore Square.
