Gregg Building

Lawrence is one of America's only planned industrial cities, built in 1845 to harness the power of the Merrimack River. Those massive textile mills have since been converted into loft apartments and arts spaces, and the streets around them are lined with Latin American restaurants, bakeries, and the kind of energy that shows up in neighborhood festivals year-round. Downtown is exceptionally walkable, with daily errands, restaurants, and shops all reachable on foot, and the 3.5-mile Spicket River Greenway threads through multiple riverfront neighborhoods for walking, running, and biking. The North Canal Historic District, Campagnone Common near City Hall, and the Riverwalk mills area along the river are all worth exploring.