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Dorchester



  

Dorchester History



Dorchester was named after an English county called Dorset an area from which the Puritans emigrated. The area was long a part of Boston and was separately incorporated in 1630 but remained a rural town for many years. In the early 1900s, railroads and streetcar lines brought rapid growth to the Dorchester area and in time the population grew from a mere 12,000 in 1870 to more than 150,000 in 1920.

Dorchester has seen many waves of immigrants over the years with individuals coming into the area from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamiaca, and other Latin American countries. Many areas of the in the Dorchester neighborhood have been redefined by the ethnicity of the Hispanic and Spanish culture.

Description of Dorchester



Dorchester is an area that is located just south of downtown Boston and is surrounded by the neighborhoods South Boston, Roxbury, Mattapan and South End. The Neponset River runs through the area and separates Dorchester from Quincy and Milton.

Dorchester remains one of Boston's largest and most populated neighborhoods with many smaller subsections located in the area. Uphams Corner is the primary business district in Dorchester and is located at the intersection of Dudley Street and Columbia Road. The southern part of Dorchester is mainly residential while the northern part of Dorchester is primarily urban comprised of apartment housing and industrial parks.

Residents of Dorchester



Dorchester residents are a very diverse mix of African Americans, Latin Americans and Asians as well as whites. There is a large number of new immigrants who have entered the area from Ireland and Poland but throughout the history of this Boston neighborhood the diversity of the area continues to abound. Many areas are composed of ethnic stores and restaurants that evoke the sense of cultural diversity of this community.

Rentals in Dorchester



Dorchester rentals are mixed in size and structure. With part of Dorchester being primarily residential and made up of rowhouses while the other side of the neighborhood is full of apartments and townhouse style homes. Many of the homes in Dorchester were foreclosed with the housing crisis of 2008 and as a result Boston negotiated to purchase some of the houses for as little as $30,000. Houses have since been renovated and are now subsidized housing for lower income residents of Dorchester.

Fun Things to do in Dorchester



There are many different things to see and do in Dorchester. The Bayside Expo and Conference Center is in Dorchester but since it's recent sale to the University of Massachusetts Boston may bring many changes to the area. The John F. Kennedy Library Museum is located here as is the Franklin Park Zoo. For outdoor fun, Dorchester boasts the Neponset River State Reservation as well as many parks.

Dorchester has a total of 6 public libraries in the neighborhood. All of the libraries in Dorchester are part of the Boston Public Library system. The following libraries are open to the public: Adams Street Branch, Codman Square Branch, Fields Corner Branch, Grove Hall Branch, Lower Mills Branch, and the Uphams Corner Branch.