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Alert!

Resources

One of the ways NABB supports members and residents of the Back Bay is by connecting them with resources for agencies, elected officials, or other groups that can help with a question, issue, or concern.

Don’t know who to contact? Members can call the NABB office to get personal support in getting connected with the right people to help you with whatever you may need.

Navigate to:

Emergency Services
City Agencies
City and State Officials
Historical Resources

Emergency Services

Boston Police Department

(Boston Police Department website )

  • Emergencies: 911
  • Emergencies (from a cellphone): (617) 343-4911
  • Non-emergencies: (617) 343-4200 for non-emergencies.
  • Area D station: (617) 343-4457
  • Stolen vehicles (to see if recovered): (617) 343-4535
  • Towed Vehicles (to find location of a towed vehicle): (617) 343-4629

Boston Fire Department

(Boston Fire Deparment website)

  • Emergencies: 911
  • Non-emergencies: (617) 343-2880
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City Agencies

Mayor’s 24-hour Hotline

(Mayor’s 24-hour Hotline website)
To report potholes, snow removal problems, street light repairs, utility problems, building code violations, tenant information.

  • (617) 635-4500 or 311

Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services

(Mayor’s Office website)
Can answer your questions about Boston city government and help with problems.

  • (617) 635-3485

Back Bay Architectural Commission

(Back Bay Architectural Commission website)

City of Boston

(City of Boston website)
The main web site for Boston city government.

Animal Care & Control

(Animal Care & Control website)

  • (617) 635-5348

Assessing Office

(Assessing Office website)
For property assessment and individual tax questions.

Boston Groundwater Trust

(Boston Ground Water Trust website)
Christian Simonelli, Executive Director: (617) 859-8439–csimonelli@bgwt.org

Broadband and Cable

(Broadband and Cable website)

  • (617) 635-3112

Department of Public Works

(Department of Public Works website)
Street and sidewalk repairs, street cleaning, streetlights, snow removal, graffiti removal, trash collection and recycling

  • Graffiti removal: (617) 635-4500
  • Recycling bin (order for 1-6 units): (617) 635-4959
  • Rodent control: (617) 635-5352

Environment Department

(Environment Department website)
The parent body of Boston’s historic districts, including the Back Bay Architectural District, the South End Landmark District, and the Historic Beacon Hill District. This department also takes care of air pollution and noise.

Inspectional Services Department (ISD)

(Inspectional Services Department website)
Issues building permits. Zoning change requests or new uses need to go first to ISD before proceeding to the Zoning Board of Appeal and (if necessary) the Back Bay Architectural Commission. Enforces building, housing health, sanitation and safety regulations.

  • Code enforcement (trash violations): (617) 635-4896

Licensing Board

(Licensing Board website)
Issues restaurant (Common Victualler) licenses and liquor licenses.

Parks Department

(Parks Department website)
Commonwealth Avenue Mall issues, street trees.

  • Constituent Services: (617) 635-7275

Public Records

(Public Records website)

Registry

(Registry website)
Assistance with births, deaths, and marriages

Transportation Department

(Transportation Department website)
Regulates traffic and parking. Issues parking tickets and Back Bay resident stickers. Does some planning and engineering as well.

  • Resident parking permits: (617) 635-4682
  • Parking enforcement: (617) 635-3125

Water and Sewer Commission

(Water and Sewer Commission)

Voting & Elections

(Voting & Elections website)
Regulates traffic and parking. Issues parking tickets and Back Bay resident stickers. Does some planning and engineering as well.

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City and State Officials

Mayor

(Mayor’s Office website)

Boston City Council

(Boston City Council website)

School Committee

(School Committee website)

State Representatives

State Senators

Governor

(Governor’s Office website)

  • Maura Healey: (617) 725-4005
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Historical Resources

Learn more about preservation in Boston and the history of Back Bay, in particular:

Boston City Departments and Agencies

 

Guidelines

 

Maps

 

Enabling Legislation for the Back Bay Architectural District

 

Zoning Resources

 

Online Resources

  • Boston Preservation Alliance is a nonprofit organization that protects and improves the quality of Boston’s architectural heritage. Through advocacy and education, they bring people and organizations together to influence the future of Boston’s historic buildings, landscapes, and communities.
  • BackBayHouses.org is a website designed to provide comprehensive information on the historic buildings in the residential portion of the Back Bay, including who lived in the houses and how the buildings have been used over the past 150-plus years. The site is intended for use by preservationists, local historians, architects, genealogists, realtors, residents and building owners, and anyone interested in the history of the Back Bay neighborhood.
  • The Garden Club of the Back Bay has for mission to promote civic beauty, improve, advance and encourage horticultural improvements, ornament the streets and public squares of the City of Boston, especially the Back Bay, by planting and cultivating ornamental trees, and to educate the public in the art of gardening. The Garden Club’s Tree Committee is available to consult about tree issues, including recommending appropriate species for planting.
  • Historic New England has collections of historic photographs, and a section on tips for homeowners.
  • The Boston Athenaeum has large collections of photographs, which can be seen by appointment and can often provide evidence of the earlier appearance of a building.
  • The Boston Public Library has digitized several photos from its collection of Boston. They are now hosted on the Digital Commonwealth and several photos are still available on Flickr.

 

Documents and Reports

 

Architecture and History Books

 

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