Boston, MA 02116
Bay Village Real Estate
Federal and Greek Revival rowhouses on a few gaslit blocks by the Theater District
Updated
- ZIP codes
- 02116
- Getting around
- Green Line at Arlington and Boylston; Orange Line and Silver Line at Tufts Medical Center; Back Bay station within walking distance
- Typical homes
- 1820s to 1840s brick rowhouses, many divided into condos, plus a handful of converted commercial buildings
Bay Village takes up only a handful of blocks south of Park Square, yet it holds some of Boston's earliest rowhouse streets. After a tidal dam was built in 1825, developer Ephraim Marsh filled the mudflats and brick houses went up through the 1820s and 1830s, many built by the same craftsmen then working on Beacon Hill. In 1868 the city raised hundreds of buildings here to fix drainage, which is why some front doors and windows sit oddly close to the sidewalk.
The streets are narrow, with brick sidewalks and gas lamps, and Fayette, Melrose, Church and Winchester Streets give the area its character. Elliot Norton Park on Tremont Street is the main green space, and the Public Garden and Boston Common are a short walk north. Arlington and Boylston on the Green Line and Tufts Medical Center on the Orange Line are all close, and the Massachusetts Turnpike forms the southern edge.
Most of Bay Village falls within a local historic district overseen by a city commission, so exterior changes go through design review. The neighborhood's history also includes the 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire on Piedmont Street, which led to sweeping changes in fire codes, and Edgar Allan Poe was born at its edge.
Where Bay Village is
Living in Bay Village
What makes Bay Village special
Early rowhouses
Fayette Street keeps Federal-style houses with arched entries, while Melrose Street shows the heavier Greek Revival doorways of the following decade.
Gaslit streets
Brick sidewalks, gas lamps and tight lanes make the few blocks between Tremont and Charles Street South feel set apart from the busy avenues around them.
Theater District next door
The Wang and Shubert theaters and the Emerson stages along Tremont and Boylston Streets are a few minutes' walk from home.
Elliot Norton Park
A city park on Tremont Street named for the longtime Boston theater critic, with the Public Garden and Common a short walk away.
Central location
Back Bay, the South End, Chinatown and Downtown Crossing all meet Bay Village at its edges.
The Market
Bay Village homes & real estate
Homes in Bay Village are mostly two- to four-story brick rowhouses from the 1820s through the 1840s, built at a modest scale that often gets compared to Beacon Hill's. Some remain single-family townhouses, but many have been divided into two to four condominiums. Cortes and Isabella Streets have larger Victorian-era buildings, and a few Art Deco film distribution buildings from the twentieth century, such as the former Columbia Pictures building on Church Street, have been converted to condos.
Because the Bay Village Historic District covers most of the neighborhood, buyers planning new windows, doors, roof decks or other exterior work should expect review by the district's landmarks commission. The 1868 raising left some lower floors partly below street level, so ceiling height, light and moisture are worth checking in garden units. Parking is mostly on-street. To find out where a Bay Village rowhouse or condo might price today, reach out for a personal look at the recent sales.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What ZIP codes cover Bay Village?
Bay Village is in ZIP code 02116, the same ZIP used by Back Bay and part of the South End.
How do you get to downtown Boston from Bay Village?
Downtown Crossing is roughly a fifteen-minute walk through the Theater District or across the Common. By subway, take the Green Line from Arlington or Boylston, or the Orange Line from Tufts Medical Center.
What types of homes are for sale in Bay Village?
Listings are mainly condos within 19th-century brick rowhouses, along with the occasional full single-family townhouse and units in converted commercial buildings.
What is Bay Village known for?
It is known for its Federal and Greek Revival rowhouses, gas lamps and brick sidewalks, its historic district, the site of the 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire, and its location next to the Theater District.
Is Bay Village a historic district?
Yes. The Boston Landmarks Commission designated the Bay Village Historic District in the 1980s, so exterior changes visible from the street need approval from its district commission.
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Bay Village home values
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Back Bay
Victorian brownstones, Newbury Street, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall
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South End
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Chinatown
The Beach Street gate, 1800s rowhouses and new towers beside the Greenway
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Downtown Boston
Glass towers and loft conversions near Boston Common, Downtown Crossing and the harbor
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Arlington vs. Belmont
Arlington and Belmont are neighboring towns west of Cambridge, each with its own tax rate, town services and school district. Neither has a subway station; Arlington relies on buses and the Minuteman Bikeway to Alewife, while Belmont has two Fitchburg Line commuter rail stops.
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