Fort Point Boston HarborWalk & Parks

Since summer 2005, visitors to the Fort Point Channel have been enjoying attractive new HarborWalk segments and open spaces built by the Central Artery/Tunnel Project and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority as part of their environmental mitigation. These new segments are among the most attractive along the HarborWalk system, and offer great views of Fort Point Channel and the downtown Boston skyline. The Fort Point Channel area is the perfect place for a morning run, a lunchtime meal or an evening stroll in the heart of America’s Walking City. The new open spaces and HarborWalk segments include:

Fort Point Channel HarborWalk:

Opened in August 2005, this new HarborWalk segment, adjacent to the Gillette World Shaving Headquarters and extending from Dorchester Avenue to the existing HarborWalk at 253 Summer Street, significantly increases public access to Fort Point Channel. The HarborWalk boasts seating areas, lighting, and plantings such as magnolias, silver lindens, and dogwoods. The HarborWalk provides a great vantage point to observe activities within the Channel and Boston’s downtown skyline. During the warmer months, come and have lunch on the HarborWalk as restaurants on Summer Street are located only a few minutes away.

Thanks to the generous leadership of Beacon Capital Partners, the HarborWalk at 253 Summer Street is now linked to the new HarborWalk segment built by the Central Artery/Tunnel Project on the Gillette property. Amenities on this new segment of the HarborWalk include seating and lighting.

Binford Park:

Binford Park, adjacent to Gillette’s worldwide headquarters on Mt. Washington Street, is a half acre park boasting a lawn area, a beautiful pergola with benches, and a wonderful bulb garden. Before the park was constructed, more than 450,000 cubic yards of dirt were excavated from the area, creating a gigantic casting basin large enough to hold three ships the size of the Titanic. The casting basin was used to construct six sections of the tunnel that were floated into the Channel and submerged in a trench only feet above the MBTA’s Red Line, extending ten underground lanes of the Masschusetts Turnpike to Logan International Airport. During the warmer months, this is a wonderful location to have lunch under the pergola while gazing at Fort Point Channel and the Boston skyline.

South Bay Park:

This new two-acre park of open space incorporates planted areas and a HarborWalk. This park is a must-go-to location for train and locomotive fans. The HarborWalk on South Bay Park provides a great vantage location to observe the trains entering or leaving South Station, one of the busiest train stations in New England. South Bay Park, situated within the area formerly occupied by the South Bay, was filled over time leaving only the existing configuration of the Fort Point Channel. The land under South Bay Park was filled-in by the mid 1850s and is straddled by two bridges crossing the Channel: the West 4th Street Bridge and Broadway Bridge. An open space area has been incorporated immediately north of Broadway Bridge linking Frontage Road to the Fort Point Channel area.

Rolling Bridge Park:

Come and discover this wonderful park approximately one and a half acre in size, with lawn, landscaping, seating areas overlooking Cabot Cove, and a sculptural artifact consisting of a refurbished and painted arm of the Old Colony Railroad Bridge that formerly occupied the site. At the time of its construction in 1898, the Old Colony Railroad Bridge was the largest rolling drawbridge of its kind. In addition, stones are arranged in a seating pattern to mimic a circular configuration of another bridge that occupied a nearby site. Cabot Cove is accessible via a pedestrian bridge built into the Old Colony Railroad Bridge and along the west side of the Dorchester Avenue Bridge. Cabot Cove includes a new seawall, seating, lighting, a HarborWalk, and plantings.

Federal Reserve Bank:

A new HarborWalk segment along Dorchester Avenue across from the Federal Reserve Bank is furnished with benches and trees and provides great views of the Channel. Walk across Dorchester Street to the Federal Reserve Building to view David Bakalar’s “Life Force” and Denis Kowal’s “Ominous Icon #7″. Both sculptures are displayed on Summer Street. Due to the re-construction of the Congress Street Bridge, pedestrians will need to walk by the Federal Reserve Building then cross Dorchester Street at Summer Street in order to enter the HarborWalk segment.

Russia Wharf:

This new HarborWalk segment along the Fort Point Channel will connect to the new HarborWalk constructed by Extell and the Intercontinental Hotel, allowing the public to go from 470 Independence Wharf to the HarborWalk across from the Federal Reserve Bank.

Wormwood Park:

Opened in late fall 2004, this neighborhood park includes 6,000 square feet of open space, benches, lighting, and landscaping, and a wonderful pair of lion sculptures guarding the entrance to the park.