Thoreau Path

The West End was a thriving immigrant neighborhood, but was razed in the late 1950's for 'urban renewal'. Thoreau Path follows Leverett Street, a main thoroughfare and economic hub of the old neighborhood. While the clatter of streetcars, grocers, ice trucks, and shoe shiners will never return, WE Tree Boston hopes that protecting the incredible collection of over 200 trees, that has replaced the West End's tenements, will help to return Leverett Street to its central place in the West End experience. While the path was originally planted with many Pin Oaks, Honey Locusts and Ginkgo trees, they have been working to replace trees lost in the last several years with a more diverse selection including a Dawn Redwood, a Weeping Alaskan Cedar, several Dogwoods and Magnolias, a Forest Pansy, a Weeping Cherry and a Weeping Japanese Maple. They are interested in capturing and sharing all that they learn about the care needed for the trees as they have found that, since the soil is the rubble of the neighborhood that was taken down, the trees need a bit more loving care to get them established.