One of Boston's most distinctive neighborhoods, Mattapan takes its name from a Massachusett Indigenous word possibly meaning 'a place to sit.' Less than 10 miles south of Downtown Boston, the neighborhood centers on the busy intersection of Blue Hill Avenue, River Street, and Cummins Highway at Mattapan Square, where grocery stores are steps away, daily errands are easy to run on foot, and restaurants, barbershops, and local markets line the commercial corridors.
The rental landscape ranges from classic New England triple-deckers and two-family houses to small apartment buildings and public housing developments, giving the neighborhood a residential feel that stands apart from Boston's tower-dense downtown core. Renters looking for a range of unit types within a predominantly residential setting will find plenty of options across the roughly three square miles that make up the area.
