BUY YOUR NEXT HOME IN BOSTON, MA – DORCHESTER
Originally Posted On: Buy Your Next Home in Dorchester | NextHome Titletown Real Estate
Thinking About Buying a Home in Dorchester, Massachusetts?
Dorchester is Boston’s largest and most diverse neighborhood in Boston. Home to over 130,000 residents within about 6 square miles, Dorchester’s housing types range from multi-family dwellings to colonial single-family homes to new larger condo buildings, and converted lofts.
The eastern edge of Dorchester borders Dorchester Bay, and the southern border touches Milton and Quincy. The Ashmont branch of the Red Line serves much of Dorchester along with a number of MBTA bus routes, and many residents of Dorchester own cars.
Dorchester is filled with a mixture of apartments and owner-occupied units, and the neighborhoods within Dorchester are as varied as the population itself.
Neighborhoods within Dorchester and Mid-Dorchester include:
- Savin Hill has about 15,000 residents in just about one square mile, making it one of the more densely populated areas in Dorchester (and also, one of the most desirable, especially in the community “over the bridge” where houses are rarely listed for sale, and when they are they are usually scooped up quickly. This waterfront area approaches Morrissey Boulevard and encompasses Savin Hill and Malibu Beach, and the Savin Hill Yacht Club, founded in 1875.
- Jones Hill was built on the former estate of Samuel Downer, a merchant with ties to the Massachusetts merchant and maritime economy, and a founder of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The Jones Hill neighborhood features many historic single-family residences and multi-family dwellings with beautiful distant views of both the harbor and the city skyline.
- Columbia Point – the peninsula neighborhood occupied by Harbor Point, UMASS Boston, and the JFK Library. Columbia Point is an economically and racially diverse community cut off from the rest of Dorchester by the Southeast Expressway
- The Polish Triangle neighborhood consists of a few streets within the Dorchester Avenue / Columbia Road / Boston Street boundaries, right next to Andrew Square. The neighborhood is home to a number of Polish establishments, such as Cafe Polonia and DJ’s Market and Deli, which features a huge selection of Polish groceries, amazing pierogi, and homemade pączki.
- Upham’s Corner is the primary commercial district for a number of surrounding neighborhoods within Dorchester, centered by the historic Strand Theater, built in 1918 and serving as a cultural beacon for audiences of all backgrounds, with a particular focus today on youth arts education programs.
- Meeting House Hill was settled in the 17th century and is one of Dorchester’s oldest neighborhoods. Featuring the highest point in Dorchester, Meeting House Hill is within walking distance of the Red Line, Savin Hill, and Fields Corner. You will find Ronan Park here, where in late 2020 a surprised passerby stumbled upon (and thankfully, not into) the Mary L. Pierce Well when the cover failed, revealing the 4′ wide hole. The peek into the history of the area is quite fascinating, and the City of Boston Archaeology Program published quite a complete survey of the well after its discovery!
- Four Corners / Mount Bowdoin is a densely populated neighborhood midway between Dorchester Ave. and Franklin Park, offering panoramic views of the Boston Harbor and the Blue Hills, Many homes in the area date back to the 1800s, including a number of larger Queen Anne-style residences built near the turn of the century. The Four Corners commercial district – the intersection of Bowdoin, Harvard, and Washington streets – has an MBTA Commuter Rail stop that heads right into South Station.
- Fields Corner is diverse, but closely-knit neighborhood of 20,000 within the heart of Dorchester, marked by the lively intersection of Dorchester Ave. and Adams St.
- Codman Square is another major commercial district within Dorchester with a well-organized community advocacy group Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation that has promoted strong community-based neighborhood redevelopment over the past four decades.
- Ashmont / Peabody Square is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods within Dorchester, with gorgeous well-maintained Craftsman, Victorian, and Queen Anne homes dotted throughout the neighborhood, many featuring large (for city-standards) yards. The neighborhood abuts Milton, and was first developed in the 1870s after the annexation of Dorchester to Boston.
- It’s easy to know when you’re in Lower Mills – you can’t miss the historic mill complex and falls featured in one of the more postcard-worthy neighborhood photos in Boston that, in our opinion, rivals any Beacon Hill gaslight or South End Brownstones images iconic of the city. Today, the mills once associated with the The Baker Chocolate Company have been redeveloped into luxury condos and live/work artist lofts.
- Clam Point is nestled just south of Savin Hill, and is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Dorchester because of the historic properties with sweeping views overlooking Dorchester Bay.
- Cedar Grove is just north of a section of the Neponset River, featuring lovely parks, eateries, homes, and small businesses. The Cedar Grove Cemetery is the only one in the United States with a trolley running through it!
- Adams Village is another diverse neighborhood in the southern part of Dorchester, easily accessible to Neponset Circle and point south (Quincy, Weymouth), but also walkable among its neighborhood streets featuring triple-deckers and excellent parks (and of course, Greenhills Bakery which has the best soda bread in the city!)
- Neponset / Port Norfolk features a number of residential streets west of the Morrissey Boulevard that features Lambert’s and Boston Bowl. The western edge features the serene Pope John Paul II Park, Joseph Finnegan Park, Tenean Beach with its playground and sports courts, Port Norfolk Yacht Club, Boston Winery, and Venezia Restaurant (with stunning views of Dorchester Bay and the Boston skyline).
Things to Do and Places to Visit in Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Head to Columbia Point and visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
- Grab a pint at Dorchester Brewing Company (a.k.a DBco) and enjoy views from their newly opened Hopservatory atop the original brewery.
- Admire the oldest house in Boston – the James Blake House built in 1661
- Head to Dorchester Avenue for some delicious pho at one of the many Vietnamese restaurants along Dot Ave.
- Head to The Blarney Stone in Fields Corner, where it’s rumored to be the location of the first draft Guinness ever served in the United States.
- Spend the afternoon strolling through the Neponset River Reservation, followed by a delicious early dinner at Lucy’s American Tavern.
Work With NextHome Titletown Real Estate To Buy Or Sell A Home In The Dorchester Neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts!
NextHome Titletown Real Estate is Greater Boston’s progressive real estate brokerage! We use the best of new technology and old-fashioned relationship building to deliver results to our homebuyers, sellers, and property investors. Our agents’ diverse experience can help you win in any corner of Greater Boston’s real estate market, including Dorchester.
Whether you prefer to sell your home, rent your home, or purchase an investment property, we are experts in our field, and know the local Boston Real Estate market well. We can analyze your unique situation, and provide you the very best options for your financial future.
At NextHome Titletown Real Estate, our expert real estate agents will help you search for condos in Dorchester, multi-family homes for sale in Dorchester, or single family homes for sale in Dorchester. We are ready to answer all of your questions about neighborhoods, local resources, schools, properties, and the newest listings for sale in Dorchester. If you’re looking to sell your home in Dorchester, NextHome Titletown Real Estate listing agents can help you get the best sale price.
We also sponsor a great local networking group called Network to Grow Your Net Worth. Feel free to join our free Facebook Group and come to one of our in-person networking events to meet real estate professionals and investors of all levels – from people just getting started to some of the region’s smartest and most creative real estate investors!
NextHome Titletown Real Estate is Boston’s Progressive Real Estate brokerage. Our focus is to help you sell your Boston, Massachusetts area home faster, for more money, and to help you find and buy the perfect home with less hassle. Here, you can search for homes in Dorchester and new homes in Boston.
We would love to help you find your next home in Dorchester – contact us today!
Other Boston Neighborhoods to Check Out:
- West Roxbury
- Roxbury
- Jamaica Plain
- Charlestown
- Seaport District
- Southie
- Back Bay
- Roslindale
- East Boston
- South End
- Fort Point
- Fenway