Boston's Allston Area:

Neighborhood Information

Formerly a section of the Town of Brighton prior to its annexation to Boston in 1874, Allston is adjacent to Brighton, Brookline and the Kenmore Square area. A separate section of it is referred to as Lower Allston (L.A.) or North Allston and is located on the north side of the Route 90 turnpike. Lower Allston abuts Western Avenue, with the Boston side of Harvard University or Brighton just beyond.
 

Boston University is almost entirely within Allston along the Commonwealth Avenue thoroughfare. Boston College is located just on the outer western edge of Brighton in Newton and is accessible via the MBTA Green Line, which runs along Commonwealth Avenue and into downtown Boston. Harvard University is a bus ride away. Due primarily to the neighborhood's proximity to Boston University (except Lower Allston), perhaps one-half of its residents are either undergraduate or graduate students, or twenty somethings who desire to live close to those of a similar age. Due to its large number of students, Allston's primary commercial area, the section of Harvard Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue and Brighton Avenue, features many businesses tailored to them, including numerous nightclubs, live music venues, stores and lower priced restaurants.

Much of the housing is apartments within buildings, with a few condominiums. Although there are houses comprising a single family, especially in Lower Allston, many of these long ago became housing designed for multiple students. Allston has a supermarket adjacent to the Green Line. Parking availability is relatively easy with a resident parking sticker, unless you are trying to park late at night.