Attractions
IWalked Boston’s Most Photographed Street – Acorn Street
No visitor to Boston should go without taking some time to visit the Beacon Hill area of town situated just west of downtown. Beacon Hill is one of the most revered neighborhoods for its subtle charm which largely derives from the areas preservation of 19th century architecture.
The most popular area for capturing this essence is along a narrow cobblestone paved street known as Acorn Street. This narrow passage is said to be two cows wide and compliant with the regulations of the time. The cobblestones along this road are much more rough than those found in many European cities and the walk can be a bit tricky even with the most flat of heels. Along each side of the road is a narrow paved sidewalk, but pray that you encounter no oncomers due to its narrow width.
Situated along the south side of Acorn Street are a series of Federal homes said to be built in the late 1820s. They were designed by a man named Cornelius Coolidge. Many of these homes were built as servant quarters for the much larger homes on nearby Chestnut Street. Mid-way along this short path is an American flag attached near number 6 Acorn Street. This flag, along with the cobblestone path, make for a fantastic backdrop for many photographers on what has become known to be “The Most Photographed Street in America.” (Although, admittingly, we’re not quite certain as to what that metric is or how it is quantified.)
Located along the north side of the street are a series of approximately six feet brick walls. Enclosed behind these bits of brick and mortar are some of the “Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill.” Once a year a group called the Beacon Hill Garden Club provides tours of these private green spaces.
Website: http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/massachusetts/boston/review-96337.html
Address: Acorn Street, Boston, MA
Cost: Free.
IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: Boston’s Beacon Hill Tour; Boston’s Top 10 Attractions Tour. (Purchase the MP3 tour here. iPhone application tour is available here. Please note, all Boston tours are now available as in-app purchases upon download of our FREE Boston Lite application, which includes a free 1 hour tour of a portion of Downtown.)