South End & Chinatown

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Overview

Chinatown, the Theater District and the Leather District are overlapping areas, filled with glitzy theaters, Chinese restaurants and the remnants of Boston’s shoe and leather industry (now converted lofts and clubs). Nearby, the Victorian manses in the South End have been reclaimed by artists and the LGBTIQ+ community, who have created a vibrant restaurant and gallery scene.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Underground at Ink Block

South End & Chinatown

What used to be an abandoned parking lot beneath the interstate is now an 8-acre playground and art space. The main draw is the fantastic mural project,…

Chinatown Gate

South End & Chinatown

The official entrance to Chinatown is the decorative gate (paifong), a gift from the city of Taipei. It is symbolic – not only as an entryway for guests…

SoWa Artists Guild

South End & Chinatown

The brick-and-beam buildings along Harrison Ave were originally used to manufacture goods ranging from canned food to pianos. Now these factories turn out…

Alpha Gallery

South End & Chinatown

Once a Newbury St staple, this venerable art gallery is one of many that have relocated to SoWa. Presenting the work of some headline-grabbing artists …

Cathedral of the Holy Cross

South End & Chinatown

When this neo-Gothic cathedral was built in 1875, it was America’s largest Catholic cathedral, as big as London's Westminster Abbey. It serves as the main…

Mills Gallery

South End & Chinatown

Besides several performance spaces, the main venue for visual arts at the Boston Center for the Arts is the Mills Gallery, which hosts cutting-edge art…

Bromfield Art Gallery

South End & Chinatown

The city’s oldest cooperative, this South End gallery hosts solo shows by its members, as well as occasional visitors, with an emphasis on New England…

Boston Sculptors Gallery

South End & Chinatown

This unusual cooperative gallery has been going strong for over 25 years. The innovative gallery, dedicated to 3D art in all media, is run by three dozen…

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