Getting to Know Your Neighborhood: Kenmore Square

There’s more than the bookstore and that big red sign

Text and photos by Vicky Waltz. Graphic by Edward A. Brown

Not so much a square as a confusing convergence and confluence of Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline Avenue, and Beacon Street, Kenmore Square has several claims to fame — first may be its four-story Barnes and Noble at BU, the largest bookstore in Boston. Well, perhaps books come second, after the neighborhood’s best-known landmark, the famous Citgo Sign, which hovers near a little box of a field called Fenway Park. A product of the 1960s, the sign’s glowing red, white, and blue dominates the area, especially at night, visible from both sides of the Charles River.

For years, Kenmore Square was little more than a busy doorstep to Fenway. Prior to the 1960s, it was part of Boston’s Auto Mile, famous for more than 100 automobile dealerships. The 1970s ushered in a new era, when partiers from all over the region thronged to the infamous Rathskeller, a punk-rock venue that helped launch the careers of the Ramones, R.E.M., and the Police, among others.

It was around this time that the dreadlocked Mr. Butch, quite possibly the city’s most famous homeless man before his death in 2007, moved to the neighborhood. The subject of YouTube videos, a MySpace tribute page, and a Wikipedia entry, Mr. Butch, whose real name was Harold Madison, Jr., gained notoriety for his involvement in Kenmore’s underground rock scene. When he died, 1,000 mourners attended his memorial.

The 1980s were not kind to Kenmore Square. Dirty and ill-kept, it fell into disrepair. By the 1990s, even the Red Sox were threatening to leave. But the 2002 opening of the Hotel Commonwealth, backed by the University, sparked a renaissance, helping transform the neighborhood into a dining and nightlife destination. Kenmore has resurrected — today it is lively, diverse, a mini-hub within the Hub.

Shopping

Comicopia
464 Commonwealth Ave.
The 20-year-old Comicopia stocks several thousand comic books and trade paperbacks, from X-Men to Batman to Buffy. New comics arrive every Wednesday, and the store carries a huge selection of indie and self-published titles, as well as an extensive manga and graphic novel collection.

Jean Therapy
524 Commonwealth Ave.
They’re as common as cotton T-shirts, sold everywhere from K-Mart to Saks. Yet finding the perfect pair of blue jeans can be as difficult as finding the perfect date. To help alleviate costumer frustration, Leah Eckelberger opened Jean Therapy, a boutique inside the Hotel Commonwealth that specializes in designer, underground, and hard-to-find brands. Alteration services are a bonus.

Kenmore Collectibles
466 Commonwealth Ave.
A Kenmore Square landmark, Kenmore Collectibles celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Specializing in Boston sports memorabilia and vintage coins, this tiny shop carries the city’s largest selection of Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and New England Patriots collectibles and souvenirs — perfect gifts for the folks back home. Patrons receive 5 percent off all merchandise every Friday.

Landmark Center
401 Park St.
Another recognizable Boston landmark is the 200-foot tower at Landmark Center, site of the former Sears, Roebuck and Co. building. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Landmark Center is home to a number of retail shops, including the Art Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Regal Fenway Stadium 13 theaters, REI, and Staples, as well as restaurants Cold Stone Creamery and LongHorn Steakhouse.

Nantucket Natural Oils
508 Commonwealth Ave.
No perfume sold at Nantucket Natural Oils contains a single drop of alcohol — the leading ingredient in nearly every commercial fragrance. The Fragrance Bar stocks more than 1,000 alcohol-free versions of brand-name perfumes, and if none suit you, the staff will help you create your own.

Nuggets
486 Commonwealth Ave.
Nuggets has been supplying BU students with music since 1978. Featuring more than 10,000 rare and out-of-print titles, this repository of pop culture sells several decades’ worth of tunes, used promo glossies, and old copies of rock magazines, as well as videos and DVDs. Check out an extensive collection of local music. Short on cash? Customers can buy, sell, and trade.

Symposium Books
526 Commonwealth Ave.
Independently owned Symposium Books offers an extensive inventory of fiction and nonfiction. The store sells mainly overstocks and remainders, the selection is quite large, and most books sell for half the cover price.

Nightlife and Entertainment

5W!TS – Tomb
186 Brookline Ave.
Thrill seekers wanting an Indiana Jones–style adventure will find it at 5W!TS – Tomb, an interactive multimedia experience. While exploring an ancient Egyptian tomb, participants find themselves trapped by the malevolent spirit of a pharaoh; they must solve riddles and puzzles to make it out of the tomb alive. We assume pretty much everyone does. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children.

Fenway Park
4 Yawkey Way
Home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park is the oldest, the most famous, and arguably the most interesting baseball stadium in the United States. With a capacity of 36,108 spectators, Fenway also is one of Major League Baseball’s smallest parks, and the Sox have sold out every home game since May 15, 2003. As a result of the park’s age and constrained urban location, its renovations and additions have resulted in some unique and quirky features, most notably left field’s famous Green Monster — a 37-foot wall that prevents home runs on many line drives that would clear the walls of other ballparks, but turns some pop-ups into game-winners. Fenway Park tours include a 50-minute walk around the ballpark, with stops at the Budweiser right field roof deck, the State Street Pavilion, the Green Monster seats, and the left field grandseats. Tour schedules and rates vary. For more information, call 617-226-6666.

House of Blues
15 Lansdowne St.
The newest addition to Lansdowne Street, the House of Blues officially opened in February, returning to the area after vacating an early incarnation in Cambridge. Formerly home to the dance clubs Axis and Avalon, this 53,000-square-foot concert venue, restaurant, and bar headlines a new musical act nearly every night of the week. Founded in 1992 by Hard Rock Café founder Isaac Tigrett and actor Dan Aykroyd, the chain features blues, some folk, and Southern-inspired cuisine. Its Web site has up-to-date performances info.

Jillian’s Boston
145 Ipswich St.
Jillian’s Boston, a 70,000-square-foot, three-story entertainment complex, offers billiards in a 52-table pool parlor, an upscale bowling alley, a spring break–themed dance club (Tequila Rain), plasma TVs, five full bars, and two restaurants. Most patrons come for the bowling; despite 16 lanes, weekend waits have been known to top more than two hours. Shoe rentals are $3.50 per game.

Restaurants and Bars

Boston Beer Works
61 Brookline Ave.
The brews on tap at Boston Beer Works always flow. Now in its 12th year of operation, this Beantown landmark, just a curveball from Fenway Park, specializes in a changing assortment of 16 beers, including the Bambino and a blueberry ale. You’ll need two hands for the burgers, and the appetizers range from traditional (wings and onion rings) to obscure (fried pickles and sour cream and chive fries).

Cornwall’s
654 Beacon St.
Boston bleeds green, especially on Saint Patrick’s Day, but it was colonized by the Brits. Even so, British pubs are a rarity around here, but thanks to its steaming plates of bangers and mash and pints of hard-to-find English ale, Cornwall’s has made it. An excellent choice for a glass of London Pride and a game of darts, or a round of Scrabble — the bar stocks a shelf of board games.

Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Ave.
Located in the Hotel Commonwealth, Eastern Standard is Kenmore Square’s fanciest restaurant. Menu items are pricey and range from the seared striped bass with eggplant, kalamata olives, fennel confit, and pistachio butter to a bone-in rib-eye with asparagus, hollandaise, and beer-battered onion rings. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the butter-poached escargot or crispy frog’s legs.

Foundation Lounge
500 Commonwealth Ave.
On weekends, the line to get into the swanky Foundation Lounge can stretch down the block. Once in, kick back on plush couches, a coconut coffee or wild mango martini in hand, and sample from the Japanese-inspired Zensai menu. Manguro spring rolls and shumai dumplings are sure to please.

India Quality
484 Commonwealth Ave.
Rated Boston’s best Indian restaurant by Zagat for the past seven years, India Quality is the destination if you’re craving a warm, spicy curry. With more than 40 entrees, including beef, lamb, chicken, and vegetarian options, the selection can be overwhelming. If you’re having trouble deciding, the Dinner for Two and Dinner for Four options include a good cross-section.

Petit Robert Bistro
468 Commonwealth Ave.
For a truly French experience that doesn’t involve transatlantic airfare, there’s Petit Robert Bistro. It’s not difficult to find; just look for the miniature Eiffel Tower out front. The prices are reasonable by French standards, all entrées under $20. Try the soupe à l’oignon gratinée and the escalopes de venison with blueberries and foie gras. And be sure to save room for a pastry bar with more than a dozen desserts.

UBurger
636 Beacon St.
Inspired by the West Coast’s legendary In-N-Out franchise, BU alum Nick Kesaris (CAS’98) decided to open his own burger joint in the heart of Kenmore Square. UBurger’s menu is simple — quarter-pound burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, and frappes — but the ingredients are fresh, the portions heaping. Try the Boom Burger (chipotle sauce, cheddar, and fried jalapeños) or the Cowboy Burger (BBQ sauce, Jack cheese, and bacon). Vegetarians can substitute a Gardenburger anytime.

To get there: Take the Green Line to Kenmore Square. To get to Lansdowne Street, walk down Brookline Avenue toward Fenway Park.

Vicky Waltz can be reached at vwaltz@bu.edu. Edward Brown can be reached at ebrown@bu.edu.

Explore other area neighborhoods here.

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