A popular saying denotes Charlestown natives as "townies." Due to Charlestown's very close proximity to Boston's downtown, in recent years the face of the neighborhood has changed dramatically. Gentrification has certainly touched Charlestown as the landscape of much of the neighborhood is brick colonial houses and gas lit lamps which has been attracting the upper middle class in droves, thus driving up the property prices.
Regardless, Charlestown today is still a powerful and diverse community with a fierce pride and sense of self. Charlestown is full of great bars like
The Warren Tavern,
Ironsides, and
Tavern on the Water. You can also find fantastic dining in this neck of the woods such as
Navy Yard Bistro,
Olives,
Tangierino, and
Figs.
Charlestown is sandwiched between the Mystic and Charles rivers, so it's pretty clear that whomever named this place was prejudiced towards the name Charles. However, Mystictown would be a silly name for a city, and it's also a bit difficult to say. My stic town?
| Tour
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| Guided Tour:
| 9:30am-3:50pm
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| Unguided Tour:
| 3:50pm to sunset
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| Hours of Operation:
| 9:00am-5:00pm(fall) 9:00am-6:00pm(summer) 10:00am-4:00pm(winter)
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Charlestown is a neighborhood found within the city of Boston, Ma. that is located between the Mystic and Charles Rivers. Originally it was it's own independent town, however, was annexed back to the city of Boston in 1847. Charlestown is a popular tourist destination within the city of Boston due to it's connection to the Freedom Trail,
Bunker Hill Monument, as well as the
USS Constitution which is docked in the
Charlestown Navy Yard and is the oldest ship in the United States Navy.
Charlestown Navy Yard was one of the first shipyards built in the United States. During its 174 year history, hundreds of ships were built, repaired and modernized, including the World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young. USS Cassin Youngwas built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation at San Pedro, California and commissioned on December 31, 1943 was maintained and staffed by National Park Service staff and volunteers. USS Cassin Young is an example of the type of ship built, repaired, and modernized and free guided tours inside the ship are provided to visitors.
Charlestown has a rich history and the neighborhood, although it has undergone some large cultural changes and gentrification since the 1980's, is still defined as a predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood.