Leather District

Blink your eyes and you might miss the Leather District, which sits in the middle of bustling Chinatown and the refined Financial District. Residents call the Leather District "LD." The smallest Boston neighborhood defines it boundaries by Lincoln Street on the west, Atlantic Avenue on the east, Kneeland Street to the south, and Essex Street to the north. The diminutive neighborhood comprises mostly multi-level structures, with ground floor units housing small businesses and upstairs units providing shelter for neighborhood business owners and professionals that toil in the hustle and bustle found within the Financial District. Several structures have received National Historic Landmark designations, which bolsters the real estate values of an already high value real estate neighborhood.

After the Great Boston Fire of 1872, this neighborhood became the center of New England's burgeoning leather industry. Strict fire codes created the architecture that dominates the Leather District to this day. Ground floor units presented small business products, second floors contained offices, and top floors stored small business merchandise. Many of the buildings eventually converted upper floors to residences. Renowned architects such as Peabody Stearns and Willard Sears designed the Leather District structures, with a decidedly heavy Richardsonian Romanesque influence.  The Leather District represents Boston's most uniform 19th century style architectural display found in the city.

Boston's busy South Station adjoins the outer boundary of the Leather District. The largest public transportation and railroad station in Boston metro gives Leather District residents quick access to nearby Boston neighborhoods, including those that span across the Boston Harbor. The red and silver lines hum along underground subway tracks to connect to other subway routes and bus terminals located throughout greater Boston. Amtrak also has a presence in the Leather District, giving residents a convenient way to get away from it all to enjoy the bucolic New England countryside.