Helicopters Invade Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

As air traffic increases around Fenway Park so to do the complaints from the neighborhood's residents about noise pollution.

1 minute read

August 16, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Boston's Fenway neighborhood, once comprised mostly of college students and rowdy sports bars, is now rapidly changing into a fashionable neighborhood that just saw its first $1 million townhouse price tag. Along with the gentrification has come a new complaint from its residents: helicopters.

"Since the All-Star Game [in 1999], you've had Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffett; we're going to have the Rolling Stones -- not to mention the Red Sox winning the World Series, not to mention speculation about new ownership and do they or don't they move," says The Fenway's city councilor, Mike Ross. "All of that has led to so much air traffic over Fenway Park, and residents have started to say: 'Are there any controls, and what can be done to alleviate the noise?'"

Thanks to Mike Lydon

Monday, August 15, 2005 in The Boston Globe

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

4 hours ago - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

5 hours ago - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

6 hours ago - Urban Edge