Reclaimed from the Muddy Charles River in the 19th century, it has streets full of magnificent residential buildings. Good for strolling. It has fine shopping. It's next to the River, for views and jogging. And near many fine restaurants. Unlike the financial district, this neighborhood does not shut down at night.

I love Back Bay. The Brownstones, the shopping, the dining (Deux Ave), and the galleries. If you haven't been to Back Bay, you haven't been to Boston.

The charm of Back Bay from the 60s and 70s is gone. There are still many privately owned shops, but the original flair of the old Back Bay merchants is lost.

This area is like a throbbing hub of excitement and satisfaction. On one side you have some fo the better shopping in Boston and on the other you have the Charles River with all it has to offer.

I love Back Bay! I may be biased because I live in the neighborhood, but every time I step out of it and come back home I'm happy as can be. There's a variety of restaurants and shops to visit. You can stroll down the Commonwealth Ave Mall and see a variety of statues. The park is at the very... More

As the title says, its OK but not Beacon Hill. In the latter you can walk around, in the former its a bunch of nice looking brick buildings on similar looking streets. Shoipping nearby on Newbury Street is OK if that's what your looking for.

Back Bay has a pretty good night life, with lots of LGBT friendly areas to hang out. It's also near some of the best theaters and museums, and you can go walk by the water. Parking is hard to find, so if you are driving be prepared to hunt for a meter or pay a large garage fee.

In general, Boston is not as big or crazy as New York City... Back Bay is probably Boston's version of SoHo,with lots of interesting restaurants, bars and art galleries. What makes it a little more unique is its also a very residential neighborhood with lots of cute brownstones

You can spend a ton of money in the trendy places or you can find really good food and drink at reasonable prices...it's up to you and your wallet. Easy to walk to Symphony Hall, world-class retail, Fenway Park, the Public Garden or the Esplanade. Truly one of the best urban neighborhoods in the country.