City PlanningImmigrant NeighborhoodNeighborhood LifeNew BostonTransportation & IndustryUrban RenewalWar Photograph of a man on left in naval uniform having his left arm tattooed by an older man in glasses. Images of tattoo samples line the walls around them.

The Sailors of Scollay Square

Scollay Square was a popular Boston hot spot for nightlife during the first half of the 20th century, with its vaudeville theaters, bars, and sideshow attractions. Long chided by local politicians for its perceived physical and moral decay, in 1963 the City of Boston completely demolished the area as part of an urban renewal project. Though often viewed within the broader context of the West End’s redevelopment, Scollay Square’s final chapter can also be understood through the lens of World War II, the growth of Boston’s Navy Yard, and the demographic shifts at the war’s conclusion.

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