Allston | |
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Neighborhood | |
Nickname(s): Rat City, K-Town, Koreatown, Allston Rock City | |
Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
County | Suffolk |
Neighborhood of | Boston |
Time zone | Eastern (UTC−5) |
Zip Code | 02134 |
Area code(s) | 617 & 857 |
Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood of the City of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton. The two are often referred to together as "Allston–Brighton." Boston Police Department District D-14 covers the Allston-Brighton area and a Boston Fire Department Allston station is located in Union Square which houses Engine 41 and Ladder 14. Engine 41 is nicknamed "The Bull" to commemorate the historic stockyards of Allston.
Housing stock varies but largely consists of brick apartment buildings, especially on Commonwealth Avenue and the streets directly off it, while areas further down Brighton Avenue, close to Brighton, are largely dotted with wooden triple-deckers. Lower Allston, across the Massachusetts Turnpike from the rest of Allston, consists of mostly 1890–1920s single-family and multi-family Victorian homes.
The estimated population of Allston is 29,196, according to the 2010 Census. The median home cost is $317,000, a decline of 0.97% in the last year. The cost of living is 9.81% higher than the national average. The population density is 18,505/mi2, about 50% higher than the citywide average of 12,166. The median age is 29.2. 76.45% of residents list status as single.
Allston is home to many immigrant populations, the largest groups being from Russia, East Asia (particularly Korea), South Asia, and South America (particularly Brazil and Colombia).
Young adults (age 18-34) make up 78.3% of the neighborhood's population (as compared to 39.4% for the city of Boston as a whole). The high concentration of students and "twenty-somethings" has created tension between some long-time residents and the student population which constantly cycles in and out as students matriculate and graduate from Boston's many colleges and universities. In addition to nightly dancing and live music at area bars, house parties abound on surrounding streets, particularly during the school year. This has long been a sore point among other Allston residents.