YMCA Boston (also known as YMCA of Greater Boston ) was founded in 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts , as the first American chapter of YMCA .
41-593: The YMCA of Greater Boston , founded in 1851, was the first YMCA in the United States. The organization began as a modest Evangelical association, and by the late nineteenth century, had become a major social service organization dedicated to improving the lives of young men. With that aim in mind, the YMCA held athletic and educational facilities, provided employment services, offered accommodation for young unmarried men, organized summer camps for boys, and served as
82-438: A $ 1 million gift from Liberty Mutual Insurance , into its retained space to create a modern community center that is welcoming and accessible to all. The new Y offers over 10,000 square feet of strengthen and cardio space, an expanded pool, locker rooms for men, women, families and children, a dedicated teen center, classrooms for after school and adult education, gym, sport courts and multi-purpose studios. The new lobby embraces
123-453: A large, sky lit swimming pool with a slide and spring board. A marble paneled massage room also offered amenities such as table massages, steam baths , electric baths, needle showers and dressing rooms. The second floor had a gallery with seating above the pool, as well as three gymnasiums, one large room flanked by two smaller gymnasiums, were located along the east wall with separations between them. A running track mezzanine ran above them on
164-495: A modern gymnasium (the Boston organization's first dedicated gymnasium) and swimming pool reflected YMCA's enhanced commitment to physical fitness. The basement of the building held fencing, wrestling and boxing courts, along with two double-height handball courts and a six-lane bowling alley . The first floor offered access to gallery seating for viewing matches in the handball courts, as well as an exercise room with wood floors and
205-406: A place for young men to socialize. As part of the larger movement of institutions out of central Boston following the filling-in of Back Bay, and as a consequence of a series of fires that altered land use and building patterns in downtown Boston as in other parts of the country, many businesses and organizations moved farther away from downtown, farther down Huntington Avenue. Some of these included
246-500: A population of more than 8.4 million people, making it one of the most populous such regions in the U.S. Some of Greater Boston's most well-known contributions involve the region's higher education and medical institutions. Greater Boston has been influential upon American history and industry . The region and the state of Massachusetts are global leaders in biotechnology , artificial intelligence , engineering , higher education , finance , and maritime trade . Greater Boston
287-623: A powerful scientific, commercial, and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War , the region was a center for the abolitionist , temperance , and transcendentalist movements. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Boston. Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from
328-470: Is ranked tenth in population among US metropolitan statistical areas , home to 4,941,632 people as of the 2020 United States Census , and sixth among combined statistical areas , with a population of 8,466,186. The area has hosted many people and sites significant to American culture and history, particularly American literature , politics , and the American Revolution . Plymouth was
369-589: Is a community service organization, the largest YMCA in North America and also New York City's largest private youth-serving organization serving more than five hundred thousand each year. The New York chapter formed in 1852 when a number of men met in what is now Soho to help new immigrant arrivals to the city, and the Brooklyn branch was established the following year with Walt Whitman as an early member. As of 2021, there are twenty two branches throughout
410-597: Is defined as a New England City and Town Area . The metro area definition is based on counties, while the NECTA definition is based on city and town boundaries. Counties included in the county-based definition include: The NECTA definition includes all of the communities from the MAPC definition, as well as the Merrimack Valley communities, parts of southern New Hampshire (northward to Milford and Hampton , and
451-628: Is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston , the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England, and its surrounding areas. The most stringent definition of the region, used by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, consists of most of the eastern third of mainland Massachusetts, excluding the Merrimack Valley and most of Southeastern Massachusetts , though most definitions (including
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#1732783693562492-494: Is the region administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The MAPC is a regional planning organization created by the Massachusetts legislature to oversee transportation infrastructure and economic development concerns in the Boston area. The MAPC includes 101 cities and towns that are grouped into eight subregions. These include most of the area within the region's outer circumferential highway, I-495 . In 2013,
533-730: The Köppen climate classification system), with high humidity and precipitation year-round. Greater Boston has a sizable Jewish community, estimated at between 210,000 people, and 261,000 or 5–6% of the Greater Boston metro population, compared with about 2% for the nation as a whole. Contrary to national trends, the number of Jews in Greater Boston has been growing, fueled by the fact that 60% of children in Jewish mixed-faith families are raised Jewish, compared with roughly one in three nationally. The 2020 PRRI Atlas found that 35% of
574-653: The Taunton area. The widest definition of the metropolitan area based on commuting patterns, is defined by the U.S. Census as the Boston–Worcester–Providence combined statistical area . This area consists of the following counties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire: The total population for the extended region was estimated at 8,466,186 at the 2020 census. The Boston area has humid continental climates ( Dfa and Dfb under
615-490: The Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Italian American: Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Portuguese American: Census tracts in the Boston CSA with French or French Canadian listed as first ancestry: Cities and towns with a population over 50,000 as of the 2020 census include: A long established center of higher education,
656-543: The Boston CSA: The 40 census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Hispanic or Latino: Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Black American: Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Asian American: Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Irish American: Census tracts in
697-403: The Boston metro area identified as Protestant while 26% identified as Catholic. The City of Boston also has one of the largest LGBT populations per capita. It ranks fifth of all major cities in the country (behind San Francisco , and slightly behind Seattle , Atlanta , and Minneapolis ), with 12.3% of the city identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. The 40 most diverse Census tracts in
738-602: The Boston region, including the Adams and Kennedy families. Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, founded in 1636 , with the largest financial endowment of any university, and whose Law School has spawned a contemporaneous majority of United States Supreme Court Justices . Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called "the most innovative square mile on
779-703: The Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Conservatory, and the Opera House, all located within the same street block as the site for the new YMCA. These institutions were especially important to the association, because they were, like the YMCA, dedicated to the moral and cultural improvement of Boston residents. In 1911, construction began on a new complex of buildings for YMCA, designed by prominent Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge . President William Howard Taft participated in
820-647: The US Census definition) include much of these areas and portions of southern New Hampshire . While the city of Boston covers 48.4 square miles (125 km ) and has 675,647 residents as of the 2020 census, the urbanization has extended well into surrounding areas and the Combined Statistical Area (CSA in the rest of the document), which includes the Providence, Rhode Island , Manchester, New Hampshire , Cape Cod and Worcester areas, has
861-512: The area includes many community colleges, two-year schools, and internationally prominent undergraduate and graduate institutions. The graduate schools include highly regarded schools of law, medicine, business, technology, international relations, public health, education, and religion. Greater Boston contains seven R1 Research Institutions as per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education . This is, by far,
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#1732783693562902-457: The complex. The ground floor of this building originally held a sumptuous lobby, clad with lavish wood paneling and terrazzo marble floors. The lobby opened into a double height, sky-lit main reception hall, likewise decorated in an elegant fashion. The use of expensive materials in the lobby and reception hall affirmed the status of YMCA as a well-funded organization and reinforced its intention to cultivate 'good taste' among its members. Around
943-613: The direction of Director Walter C. Douglas, YMCA Boston adopted the Fourfold Plan. The plan, developed by YMCA of Greater New York , combined evangelism with athletics and encouraged attention to all four aspects of a young man's life: spiritual, intellectual, physical and social. At the same time, YMCA Boston also redefined its qualifications for membership. For the first time, all men of Boston, evangelical Christian and non-Christian alike, were able to join YMCA. YMCA's membership, not surprisingly, grew considerably. The inclusion of
984-403: The groundbreaking ceremony. The YMCA on Huntington Avenue is built on a peninsula once known as Gravelly Point, and is adjacent to the land reclaimed by the filling in of Back Bay in the early twentieth century. To reinforce associations with these buildings, the YMCA takes its decorative cues from the neoclassical and renaissance character of adjacent buildings. To meet the diverse needs of
1025-685: The highest number of such institutions in a single Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States . References: The first railway line in the United States was in Quincy. See Neponset River . The following Regional Transit Authorities have bus service that connects with MBTA commuter rail stations: Annual sporting events include: The Greater Boston League , a high school athletic conference in Massachusetts. YMCA of Greater New York YMCA of Greater New York
1066-538: The history of YMCA and the historic building while providing modern amenities. However, the changes to the historical YMCA complex, such as the demolition of the pool to make way for the residential facility, have been met with stiff opposition from the community. Close to 1,000 members of YMCA signed a petition to prevent the Phoenix Property Co. and Northeastern from constructing the new dormitory. An organization named "Save Boston YMCA" has formed to fight
1107-462: The institution's continued adherence to its founding ideas. The uppermost floors held dormitory rooms for young men. Communal toilets, showers, and bathtubs were located on each of these floors. A corner suite on the sixth floor held a nurse's station and “sick room.” In combination with the amenities offered on the lower levels, the administration hall functions much like modern day college resident halls. The building's original plans indicate that it
1148-426: The marble walls, granolithic floors and oak benches with white iron bases. The separation of spaces, specifically within the 3 distinct locker rooms, correlated to YMCA's policy regarding segregation and distinction by class, race and gender. The building is a distinctive feature of the Boston landscape, especially its tapestry brick façade on Huntington Avenue crowned with a large incandescent bulb block letter sign,
1189-565: The only one of its kind left in New England . In 1998, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places . In 2012 YMCA sold its gym building and Hastings wing to the Phoenix Property Co. for $ 21.5 million. The real estate company is in the process of building a 17-story dormitory that will be leased to Northeastern University behind Administration Building. Starting in 2012, YMCA invested $ 40 million, including
1230-406: The organization, the firm broke the complex into three distinct but interconnected buildings: a seven-story administration building, which served as the heart of the complex and faced Huntington Avenue , and the smaller gymnasium and educational buildings, both of which were located to the rear of the complex. This complex was known as YMCA Huntington Avenue . This public works project helped shape
1271-453: The perimeter. One could use the spiral stairs located in the corners of the gymnasiums to ascend the mezzanine level. Locker rooms were an essential feature of the gymnasium building. YMCA Huntington had 3 distinct locker rooms within its facilities. The basement held a large boy's locker room with lockers for storing athletic clothing and an adjacent large shower room. On the first floor there were two locker rooms. The businessmen's locker room
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1312-489: The planet", in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010. Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. The most restrictive definition of the Greater Boston area
1353-620: The population of the MAPC district was 3.2 million, which was 48% of the total population of Massachusetts, in an area of 1,422 square miles (3,680 km ), of which 39% is forested and an additional 11% is water, wetland, or other open space. The cities and towns included in this definitions are: Two definitions are used by the United States Census to define the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metro Area or Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan NECTA , which
1394-584: The project. Calvin Arey, a leader of the opposition states that Northeastern and Phoenix property Co. are "destroying a property that's on the National Register of Historic Places" and that "this was never intended to be an area for 17 story towers." Regardless, the new dormitory was constructed and construction finished in 2015. Greater Boston Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH MSA Other Statistical Areas in Boston CSA Greater Boston
1435-550: The reception hall stood a billiards room, game room, social rooms, and a spa; amenities intended to lure young men away from bars and saloons. A secondary entrance on Huntington Avenue led to Bates Hall, a large auditorium. YMCA used the floors above for classrooms and offices and a well-appointed library. An original blueprint conserved in the Northeastern University Archives shows that select classrooms were designated as Bible Study Rooms, evidence of
1476-596: The site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims , passengers of the Mayflower . In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria , the Salem witch trials . In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution . The Greater Boston region has played
1517-519: The top fifth floor held small boys' dormitories. Each floor featured a central long hallway surrounded on all sides by classrooms and labs, offices, or larger gathering spaces. YMCA offered both classes and boarding at prices that were significantly lower than those of nearby the academic institutions and was open in the evening, so that young men who worked during the day could access their services. The organization's many popular lectures and classes were in such demand that they were incorporated into what
1558-608: The urban context and site for YMCA Huntington. By the time YMCA was constructed, the Gravelly Point area had been transformed into a vital urban area. In 2012, the Education and Gymnasium buildings were sold to developers, and the interior of the Administration building was completely renovated. The Administration Building faces Huntington Avenue and is faced with grey brick. It is the most distinctive element of
1599-593: Was a simple rectangle in shape and was composed of six floors including the basement. While the basement was devoted almost purely to mechanical services and offices, the ground floor included study, reading and clubrooms, a pool and game rooms, as well as offices and an entrance lobby. The second floor held classrooms for the study of languages, history, science, and grammar. On the third floor were law, commerce, accountancy, bookkeeping, mathematics, and art. The fourth floor consisted of larger recitation, drawing, and lecture rooms as well as various science laboratories. Finally,
1640-475: Was the smaller of the two, with individual marble shower stalls, marble walls, granolithic floors and oak benches with white iron bases. The locker room led to the business men's club room. The men's club locker room also occupied the first floor. It was split into a large and a small locker room with a group shower lined in terra cotta and marble. The men's club locker room also offered amenities such as individual shower stalls, fan rooms and steam baths. It too had
1681-491: Was then known then as Northeastern College, a degree granting institution. Soon thereafter, YMCA purchased adjacent land on Huntington and founded Northeastern University. It was not until about the mid-twentieth century that through a change of bylaws, the University established itself as a separate institution from YMCA. In the early 1880s, gymnasiums developed into a key element of YMCA's character-building programs. Under