Boston’s South End – A Place with Pizzazz
By Fran Folsom
 Boston’s South End district, or, SoWa (for south of
Washington Street) as the locals call is a small piece of turf in a city of
about one million people; the core streets are Columbus and Shawmut Avenues and
Tremont and Washington Streets.
In 1801 Boston architect Charles Bulfinch laid out the
South End’s streets and parks on a close grid pattern. This was a big draw for
the wealthy Boston merchants and their families who built elegant brick
townhouses and added more parks and squares.
By the late 1970’s the South End was desolate and seedy, a
hot bed of drug rings and prostitution. Those buildings that were not torn down
were cut into apartments or boarded up.
Fast forward thirty years and the South End is once again a
vibrant neighborhood with upscale real estate and a plethora of shops and trendy
restaurants.
 Exploring the area on foot gives you a chance to absorb its
sights, sounds and aromas. And, to drop into unique shops such as the Ars Libri
bookstore which specializes in rare and out of print books on art and
architecture; stepping into Aunt Sadie’s is like visiting your Grandma’s attic
with trunks of vintage clothing and assorted bric-a-brac, Light Power on Wareham
Street is the place to go to for beautifully restored antique lamps.
A must stop is the SoWa Open Market with hundreds of vendors selling arts and crafts, plants, produce, and
baked goods.This is the place to see and be seen on Sundays.
 You won’t go hungry in the South End, at last count the
restaurant total was thirty-five with several more set to open in the near
future.
At Petit Robert Bistro tuck into pan seared scallops with
braised spinach or pork loin medallions with apples and cream. Be sure to save room for their signature dessert, apple tarte
tatin served warm with crème fraiche.
B&G Oysters, owned by renowned chef Barbara Lynch of 9 Park
Street, is a sleek European style bar offering several different types of raw
oysters and a small plates menu of fresh seafood.
 There’s always a line out the door at tiny Franklin Café
famous for its steak frites in a port and Roquefort butter sauce and grilled
north Atlantic salmon with sides of mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.
No visit to the South End is complete without a stop at
Flour Bakery. Chef Joanna Chang bakes her own Oreo cookies; buttery, dense
rounds of chocolate cake stuffed with crème fraiche then dipped into melted dark
chocolate. Guaranteed you’ll take at least a dozen home with you.
If You Go
Shops
Ars Libri, Ltd Bookstore
www.arslibri.com
Aunt Sadie’s
www.auntsadiesinc.com
Light Power
www.genuineantiquelighting.com
SoWa Open Market
www.southendopenmarket.com
Restaurants
Petit Robert Bistro
www.petitrobertbistro.com
B&G Oysters
www.bandgoysters.com
Franklin Café
www.franklincafe.com
Flour Bakery
www.flourbakery.com
Photos courtesy of SoWa Open Market and Petit Robert Bistro |
