Fort Point
We wouldn’t be surprised if you had never heard of Fort Point. It’s only in the last few years that Fort Point has become a place where you could actually live.
For most of its history, however, Fort Point has been a place of commerce. Named after the location of a fort which used to guard the city, Fort Point was a district of vast warehouses and factories that housed or made goods such as wool, soap, iron, glass, brick, wagons, elevators and beer. The district had its heyday during the 1920s, but already by the 1940s many of the old warehouses were abandoned as businesses relocated elsewhere. By the mid-70s, many of the old warehouses had been claimed by artists looking for large spaces with high ceilings, good light and industrial-size freight elevators. Within a few years, the area became known as an artist’s haven, even boasting an annual event of artists’ open studios. As artists claimed this corner of the city, the neighborhood also in time became attractive to developers who could the see the potential for large-scale luxury lofts in all that warehouse space, as well as a hip, new urbane district modeled after New York’s Soho. Now, several loft buildings have sprung up, along with the promise of more retail and residential development in the future.
Buyers interested in this area will find proximity to the Waterfront and Downtown as well as units that are offer lots of space and great views of Boston Harbor and Downtown. Because most units are new, they often offer modern amenities and parking. There is still not much in the way of shopping or street life in Fort Point, however. People who choose to live in this area will most certainly have to venture across the channel for a choice of stores or dining.
Neighborhood fact: Fort Point Open Studios weekend, now almost 30 years old, draws an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 visitors each October.
Fort Point Links
- Fort Point Arts Community
- The Waterfront Center
- South Boston Online
- Fort Point Neighborhood Alliance
- Fort Point Cultural Coalition
- Fort Point Development Collaborative
- Seaport Alliance for Neighborhood Design
- Friends of Fort Point Channel
Where to go in Fort Point for:
- Baked goods: Flour Bakery, baguettes and brioche that deserve the name.
- Art: The Institute of Contemporary Art , free on Thursday, from 5 to 9 p.m.
- Local Art: Fort Points Arts Community Gallery, local artists featured in the mezzanine level of the Artist Building at 300 summer Street.
- Breakfast and Lunch: Channel Cafe, serving from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mon-Fri.
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