Boston Guide
Charlestown
Across Boston Harbor from the North End, upscale, historic Charlestown stands quite isolated from the city, despite its annexation more than a century ago. The Big Dig has dramatically reshaped its landscape for the better, and the new Leonard P. Zakim Bridge, with its towering, obelisk-style suspension poles, pays architectural homage to the local Bunker Hill Monument.
There are two main ways to get to Charlestown: one is to take the T to North Station and walk over the Charlestown Bridge – which affords great views of both Boston Harbor and the Zakim Bridge. The other is to take the short $1.70 ferry trip from the waterfront's Long Wharf, which deposits you on the eastern outskirts of the Charlestown Navy Yard, where the area's big draw, the USS Constitution, is berthed.
Just a few minutes' walk northwest from the Navy Yard, Charlestown's center, City Square, is the point from which most notable streets in the area radiate out. Directly north is the neighborhood's other major sight, the Bunker Hill Monument, the northern terminus of the Freedom Trail, which runs across the Charlestown Bridge from the North End. Otherwise, the rest of the district is simply a pretty, tree-lined neighborhood, although it gets a bit dodgier on its outskirts. This shouldn't cause much worry, as if you stick to the USS Constitution and the monument, you needn't spend more than a morning in Charlestown, although the area's romantic environs and posh restaurants, may tempt visitors back for the evening.