Welcome to Dorchester
Trendy, vibrant, and diverse, this large neighborhood offers a great mix of culture and various forms of architecture
With a diverse mix of housing — you’ll find lofts, condos, and stately homes on the same block — Dorchester is also well known for its eclectic restaurant scene, which offers a variety of cuisines from around the world.
The population of Dorchester is internationally diverse, which is represented in the area’s various sub-neighborhoods. This melting pot community, which is a bustling hub of culture, features a Polish Triangle, where many markets, restaurants, and bakeries offer Central European favorites, while Vietnamese, Jamaican, and Irish populations are represented in Fields Corner, Codman Square, and Adams Village, respectively. In Jones Hill and Ashmont, you’ll find a proud sector of LGBTQIA+ residents.
Home to the country’s first elementary school, Dorchester traces its roots back to 1630 and celebrates its cultural milestones with a number of museums and monuments. Bordered by the Neponset River and Boston Harbor, residents enjoy many riverfront activities, harbor beaches, and seasonal boating opportunities.
Approximately 126,000 residents are spread across Dorchester’s six square miles, making it Boston’s largest and most populous neighborhood. Real estate here is diverse: chic, renovated industrial lofts and condos are sprinkled among stately single-family homes and classic triple-deckers. The neighborhood has witnessed a revitalization over the past decade, with real estate values more than doubling and many trendy restaurants, cafés, and eateries burgeoning.
Breweries are big here. Dorchester Brewing Company features 20 draft lines pouring pints of housemade suds as well as facilities available to outside craft brewers. Their taproom also features a hopservatory, a four-season rooftop greenhouse, a game room, and a restaurant.
At rustic The Bowery Bar, you’ll find innovative cocktails and pizza. American Provisions — a boutique grocer and deli — sells hand-selected artisan cheeses and cured meats as well as natural wine and craft beer.
Dorchester is home to numerous excellent schools. Top educational opportunities include Richard J. Murphy Elementary School, Boston Collegiate Charter School, Boston Latin Academy, and Jeremiah E Burke High School. The University of Massachusetts Boston, an accredited urban public research university and the second-largest campus in the University of Massachusetts system, is located on Columbia Point in Dorchester, while Labouré College, a Roman Catholic co-educational college offering associate degrees in nursing and the health sciences, is located on the Carney Hospital campus near the neighborhood’s Lower Mills section.
