Boston
Boston’s streets weren’t drawn — they were walked into shape by cows, colonists, and landfill committees. The result is shade geometry no grid model can guess: Beacon Hill stays cool by accident of 1799, Back Bay by Haussmann-era intent, the Esplanade not at all. Our routing reads every footprint and picks the lane the sun forgot.
Stay Cool routes around shade in Boston, MA. The app picks the cooler side of every street using real building heights and live sun position — peak summer UV here is 8, average July high is 82°F, and tree canopy covers 27% of the city. Below: the most reliably-shaded walking routes we've found, plus deeper neighborhood field notes when available.
Highlights · 3
- 01State House to the Public Garden
Cuts the Common on its canopied diagonal — Frog Pond elms do most of the work by lunch.
Shade78%Walk9 minBest at1 pm - 02Hatch Shell to Longfellow Bridge
The Esplanade is honest about its sun. We route inland to Charles Street before the river bakes you.
Shade41%Walk12 minBest at10:30 am - 03Freedom Trail, Beacon Hill leg
Skirts Government Center’s griddle, then dives into the brick warren where 18th-century lots throw 21st-century shadows.
Shade72%Walk24 minBest at3 pm