Welcome to West Roxbury

West Roxbury is the neighborhood in the southwest corner of Boston, bordered by Brookline, Newton, Needham, and Dedham, with the Charles River along its western edge. The City describes it as the most suburban of Boston's neighborhoods, known for tree-lined streets of detached houses, the shops of Centre Street, and large parks and reservations on every side.

About West Roxbury

West Roxbury began as the Spring Street area of the town of Roxbury, which was settled in 1630. Centre Street was laid out in 1662 as the main road between Boston and Hartford, and the Westerly Burial Ground on Centre Street dates to 1683. The original village grew along Centre Street near Spring Street, and in the mid-19th century the Boston and Providence Railroad added stops that brought new residents. In 1851 the western part of Roxbury, including what are now Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, broke away as the Town of West Roxbury in an effort to stay rural. The town voted to join Boston in 1873, and annexation took effect in 1874.

The neighborhood's best-known chapter is Brook Farm, the utopian community that George and Sophia Ripley founded in 1841 on a dairy farm near the Charles River. Nathaniel Hawthorne lived there briefly, and Ralph Waldo Emerson was among its visitors. The site later served as a Civil War camp and an orphanage, was designated a Boston Landmark in 1977, and is now a state historic site.

West Roxbury borders Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the east, Hyde Park to the southeast, and the towns of Brookline, Needham, and Dedham.

Getting Around

The Needham commuter rail line stops at Highland and West Roxbury stations, with Bellevue just over the Roslindale line, and runs to Forest Hills, Back Bay, and South Station. The VFW Parkway and West Roxbury Parkway carry traffic through the neighborhood, and Centre Street is the main commercial street.

West Roxbury Real Estate

West Roxbury is defined by detached houses on their own lots, which make up more than half of all housing units. A first wave of houses followed annexation in the late 19th century, but most of the neighborhood was built after 1920, so the side streets are lined with early and mid-20th century houses, many with driveways and backyards. Two-unit houses and smaller multi-unit buildings round out the housing stock.

Living in West Roxbury

Centre Street is the neighborhood's main street, with restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and local businesses. Millennium Park, built on a former city landfill and opened in 2000, has playing fields, walking loops, a playground, a canoe launch on the Charles River, and a hilltop overlook. Brook Farm offers wooded trails, and to the east the Stony Brook Reservation, Bellevue Hill, and the Arnold Arboretum provide more open space close to home.

To see homes for sale in West Roxbury, browse the listings below or contact Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Warren Residential.