2 weeks Ago By Jessika Landon
By Jessika Landon In Boston.com’s Perfect Day series, we’re talking to a local expert in each of Boston’s 23 neighborhoods about how they’d spend their perfect day. See what makes this city so special to your neighbors, and share your perfect day with us at [email protected] .
The Wharf District has always been a place bustling with activity. The neighborhood dates back to colonial times with the Long Wharf serving as a hub of industry during and before the American Revolution. In July 1776, the ship that brought word of the Declaration of Independence from Philadelphia landed there.
At least five wharves had been built out along Atlantic Avenue by the 19th century, all of which remain today. According the Ciara D’Amico, Boston’s liaison for the Wharf District (along with the North End and West End ), it serves as “the starting and mixing point to get to a bunch of other neighborhoods.” The third generation North End resident told Boston.
com that the neighborhood—which touches Downtown, the North End, and Faneuil Hall—has businesses which help make it a family-oriented destination, there are few residents. “[The Wharf District] is like a no man’s land,” D’Amico said. There are, however, community organizations like Friends of Christopher Columbus Park and annual city events, like Love Your Block , that serve as an opportunity for people to volunteer time and resources to keep the neighborhood clean and safe.
For Luz Arrogeces, the director of community engagement for the New England Aquarium (1 Central Wharf) and a member of Boston’s Nightlife Initiative for a Thriving Economy (NITE) Committee, the neighborhood has been a personal and professional hub having worked in the area for multiple years. “It’s where I play,” she told Boston.com.
Arrogeces also helps host free events at the aquarium, like the annual World Ocean Day Celebration or monthly events at the Simons Theatre (1 Central Wharf) . We spoke with D’Amico and Arrogeces about how to spend the perfect day in the neighborhood, and they had clear visions on where to go, what to eat, and even the perfect weather to visit. It’s early spring, warm and sunny enough to enjoy the outdoors, but cold enough to need to wear a light coat.
D’Amico is with her sister, showing her the local sights, while Arrogeces is taking some solo time for herself. This is D’Amico and Arrogeces’ perfect day in the Wharf District . At 7 a.
m., Arrogeces will arrive in the neighborhood from her morning commute either using the Red Line or the ferry. Koko Cafe (255 State St.
) , which Arrogeces insists is “the neighborhood place to be,” would have just opened, where she will order a chai latte. D’Amico — known among her friends and family for not being a coffee person —- will order a chocolate milk and a croissant at Tradesman Coffee Shop and Lounge (58 Batterymarch St.) .
Both D’Amico and Arrogeces recommend going for walks after breakfast and a coffee (or chocolate milk) along the Boston Harborwalk , a 40-mile-long linear park around the city’s waterfront. The Harborwalk is the perfect place to go for solitude without feeling lonely; there are people everywhere, but everyone’s minding their own business. D’Amico said that she likes to people-watch while having breakfast, and Arrogeces appreciates the solitude.
You might also find them at The Rose Kennedy Greenway , which features free fitness classes seasonally. Arrogeces enjoys offerings like the carousel (191 Atlantic Ave) and some food trucks while D’Amico gets a workout in. D’Amico’s sister is currently training for the 2025 Boston Marathon , so you might find her trying to keep up with her own goal of 10,000 steps a day.
Maybe. “It’s a work in progress. I don’t always do it, but that’s my goal in my head,” D’Amico said.
Arrogeces has three favorite lunch spots: Bean and Leaf Cafe ( 20 Custom House St.) , Villa Mexico Cafe (121 Water St.) , or Poke City (63 Broad St.
) . D’Amico is a big fan of State Street Provisions (255 State St.) and advocates heavily for their Soppressata Pizza.
“I think [the Soppressata] speaks to the Italian in me,” she said. Before dinner, Arrogeces will stop at Faneuil Hall for some shopping. One of her favorite shops is Rustic Marlin (1 Faneuil Hall Sq.
#370) for Boston-themed gifts for friends and family. “It’s owned by a couple and is woman-owned, so it’s important to the area,” Arrogeces explains. She then heads to FoMu (200 Faneuil Hall Sq.
) for some plant-based, made-from-scratch ice cream. Christopher Columbus Park is a special spot for D’Amico for its iconic trellis. “[The trellis is] amazing.
It’s usually decorated...
they have flowers and everything. So it’s really nice to walk,” D’Amico said. On Sunday afternoons throughout the summer and into early fall, the park also holds free movie screenings, which Arrogeces will often attend.
She’ll also catch a show at the Simons Theatre ( 1 Central Wharf) if she has time. After a long day of enjoying the outdoors, it’s time for a meal and to experience the neighborhood’s local nightlife. One of Arrogeces’ personal favorite spots is Mr.
Dooley’s (77 Broad St.) . “[Dooley’s] feels like a good blend of authentic, live Irish music and a relatively quiet crowd,” she said.
D’Amico will head to Tia’s Waterfront (200 Atlantic Ave.) for dinner, which is preparing to open for the season on April 1. “Sometimes they have people play music.
There are people walking their dogs. [I love] staying outside with the nice weather and enjoying some appetizers,” D’Amico said. Then, D’Amico will head to the Boston Harbor Hotel’s (70 Rowes Wharf) local concert series, Summer in the City , for a concert that’s “basically on the water.
” Arrogeces mentioned that we all have memories of the District from our childhoods, but she asks that you don’t stop visiting. “Come back as an adult,” she said, “and you’ll learn about so many new, fun, and interesting things.” D’Amico noted that the Wharf District is a melting pot of many different neighborhoods, where residents, commuters, and tourists can all come together and experience the community.
She emphasized the importance of public transportation in the neighborhood, as did Arrogeces, because the Blue Line, Red Line, Green Line, and the Ferry are all nearby. Jessika Landon Jessika Landon is the audience engagement co-op at Boston.com and a senior at Emerson College.
She is a native of Bangor, Maine. Need weekend plans? The best things to do around the city, delivered to your inbox. Be civil.
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