Blackstone Block

Lonely Planet review

Stepping off the T at Government Center, you emerge from the underground onto a vast plaza of cement and concrete. Mammoth, modern buildings surround you on all sides. You dodge the traffic to cross Congress St. Suddenly you find yourself on a quaint, cobblestone street, lined with brick row houses with paned windows and flower boxes. The traffic noise fades and instead you hear the cry of farmers hawking their produce at the open air market.

This is Blackstone Block, bounded by Union, Hanover, Blackstone and North Sts and named after Boston's first settler. This tiny warren of streets dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Established in 1826, Ye Olde Union Oyster House is Boston's oldest restaurant. Around the corner in Creek Sq, the c 1767 Ebenezer Hancock House (10 Marshall St) was the home of John Hancock's brother. At the base of the shop next door, the 1737 Boston Stone served as the terminus for measuring distances to and from 'the Hub.' (The State House dome now serves this purpose.)