Hello! I’m Janine and I’m your guide for all JM Walking Tours. Come join me for walking tours of Commonwealth Avenue and Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay.

 

I love Boston, especially the Back Bay. As a long-time resident (25+ years), I’ve watched this beautiful, special space grow and change but always keep its personality and charm. Back Bay remains one of the most vibrant and fascinating neighborhoods in the city.  

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I’m also a big fan of American history, design and innovation and yes, meeting people and sharing stories. I’ve been a tour guide in one place or another since I was a teenager. I was even a docent (fancy name for a tour guide) with Boston by Foot, another excellent walking tour organization.

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In 2022, my church building in Boston turned 50 years old. Several congregants, including me, offered tours of the contemporary building to professional architects, designers and people who just wanted to learn more about its unique architecture. That experience lit me up. It got me thinking about offering walking tours in the place I live and love. And that’s what I’ve done. 

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So that’s the back story. Now come hear the Back Bay story!

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The Amazing Commonwealth Avenue tour strolls under a leafy canopy of trees on the paved Comm. Ave. Mall (as locals call it). Come hear fun and interesting stories about this beautiful residential street - the architecture, statues and people who call Comm Ave home – past and present. In mid-April and early May, there’s a special focus on the beautiful and fleeting magnolias and dogwoods in bloom along Commonwealth Avenue.

The Good Morning, Newbury Street tour is a morning walk down Boston’s top street for fashion, dining and shopping. Come hear the history and how it transformed from single-family homes to the #1 destination in Boston for fashion and more. This tour start at 9:30 AM, before the crowds and cars arrive.

Like to take photos? Come enjoy the Commonwealth Avenue Magnolias in Bloom Tour & Photo Walk. This walk is for photographers of all abilities and devices, as well as history and architecture buffs. These tours are offered just a few times a year - when the Magnolias are in bloom (mid-April/early May) and when the City of Boston closes Newbury Street to cars on Sundays in August and September and makes it a pedestrian walkway! Check the tour page for details.

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