East Boston, popularly known as
Eastie, is a
neighborhood of
Boston,
Massachusetts with approximately 40,000 residents. The neighborhood was created by connecting several islands using
landfill. It was annexed by Boston in 1836. It is separated from the city proper by
Boston Harbor and bordered by
Winthrop,
Revere, and the
Chelsea Creek. Directly west of East Boston, across Boston Harbor, is the
North End and Boston's
Financial District. East Boston has long provided a foothold for the latest immigrants with
Irish,
Russian Jews and then
Italians alternating as the predominant group. From the 1990s into the early millennium, Latin American immigrants settled in East Boston. In recent years, East Boston has become home to a wave of
young professionals seeking residence in Boston in newly renovated
condominiums along
Jeffries Point,
Maverick Square, and the
Eagle Hill waterfront. Jeffries Point specifically has become one of the most desirable neighborhoods, due to its location to the harbor, marinas, and Piers Park. The Kennedy family resided in East Boston. The neighborhood is easily accessible to downtown Boston via the
MBTA Blue Line. Originally, five islands made up the East Boston neighborhood. To connect to the mainland, routes, highways, and bridges had to be built. Some popular structures built to bridge that gap between the islands and the mainland include the Tobin Bridge, the Sumner Tunnel and the Callahan Tunnel. The Logan Airport is located in East Boston connecting to international locations.