George’s South End

The intersection of Dartmouth Street and Columbus Avenue. Many of the older buildings on this stretch of Columbus Ave, between Dartmouth and Clarendon Streets, were demolished and replaced in the 50’s and 60’s. It’s nice to see these old beauties still there!

A row of apartment buildings on tree lined Clarendon St, between Chandler St and Columbus Ave. Most blocks in the South End are anchored by a retail establishment. The John Hancock building towers in the background – it is only a couple of city blocks from these houses, many of which have been renovated and converted to condos.

The fascinating Brooke House, at the corner of Chandler and Cazenove, this was an apartment building/residence for women during the 50’s and 60’s. It was renovated in 2007 and is now a top luxury condo building (a two bedroom, two bath unit here sells for $1,849,000). Built in 1890, the style is in great contrast to the other buildings in the neighborhood.

This Gothic style building, at the corner of Berkeley and Chandler Streets, is home to the Ellis Memorial Center.

I spent many days at the Ellis Memorial as a kid, attending Cub Scout meetings, playing indoor basketball, and a host of other activities. I also attended the summer Camp Wadsworth, in Sharon, Mass, a part of Ellis Memorial that has been in existence since 1911.

Just around the corner from the Ellis, a flag flies in front of one of the exquisite buildings on Chandler Street. Perhaps this is a frat house for one of the universities in the area. The Chandler Inn, seen in the distance, was once known as the Diplomat Hotel, and it had a reputation in the 50’s and 60’s as a seedy hotel.

Town homes on Appleton Street. I can’t ever remember being on a cobblestoned street in the South End. But, of course, my memory isn’t what it once was.

These bowfront beauties represent the best of Victorian Boston. Built in the 1870’s, they served as single family residences until the 1970’s when condo conversions became popular in the South End.

Many of the ‘single family’ home owners also rented rooms to individuals, and some even operated as boarding homes, offering meals to the tenants.

The circular metal covers in front of the stairs are chutes which were used to deliver the coal for the furnaces.

The Cafe Delux at the corner of Chandler and Clarendon. This place reminds me of a speakeasy, because of its high windows and nondescript entrance, but it is actually one of the most popular bars in the South End.

I was honored to be asked by Fenix to contribute to this post. Having grown up in this neighborhood, it is so nice to see it being represented so exquisitely through her superb photography. Although I did do some research to enhance my captions, much of what I said is strictly from memory. If you are familiar with this neighborhood and have another view, please feel free to express it in the comment section, as I am always open to suggestion and correction.

Related posts:

Nice = Jurys
154 Berkeley St, in the Back Bay. One of Boston's finest Italian Renaissance Revival buildings. It was built in 1926 and served as the headquarters of the Boston Police Department.Today this handsome building is home to Jurys, one of Boston's nicest -Nice = Jurys

Sign-tology
The Boston Scientology headquarters are around the corner from our apartment. This sign is on the corner of our block and I never noticed the graffiti on it until a friend pointed it out to me this weekend. -Sign-tology

Wandering around the South End
A few weeks ago I was shooting around in the South End and spotted a BVI photographer (barely seen in the top photo, but if you look closely, he's off to the right) working on a façade so I took his photo, which made a neighbor a few doors down the s -Wandering around the South End

Old South Church
A national historic landmark and one of the finest basilicas in North America. It was designed in the Venetian Gothic style and completed in 1875 for a congregation founded in 1669.Below: The campanile, on the western end of the church, is 246 feet t -Old South Church

Marriott’s Custom House
In 1915 a 496-foot tower was added to the old Custom House making it the tallest building in Boston for 49 years. When custom officials moved to the Tip O'Neill building in 1986, the Custom House was declared surplus property; it remained unoccupied -Marriott’s Custom House