Back Bay

Bordered by the Charles River, the Back Bay neighborhood was so named because it was built on what once were stagnant pools of water. Today, the late-19th-century neighborhood is an upscale, fashionable district with picturesque streets lined with Victorian homes, trendy restaurants and chic boutiques. The neighborhood is also home to the Boston Public Garden, the oldest and largest botanical garden in the nation. The Old South Church in Copley is worth a visit too. Built in 1874 in the Gothic Revival style, the church features an interior redecorated by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1905.