Centered on Washington Street between Boylston Street and Kneeland Street, the area was once the site of many strip clubs , peep shows , X-rated movie theaters, and adult bookstores.
It had a reputation for crime, including prostitution. In , in an attempt to contain the spread of adult businesses, the Boston Redevelopment Authority officially designated the Combat Zone as the city's adult entertainment district.
For a variety of reasons, such as rising property values and the introduction of home video technology, most of the adult businesses in the area have since closed, and the "Combat Zone" moniker has become obsolete. The Combat Zone began to form in the early s, when city officials razed the West End and former red light district at Scollay Square , near Faneuil Hall , to build the Government Center urban renewal project.
Displaced Scollay Square denizens relocated to the lower Washington Street area because it was only half a mile away, the rents were low, [ 3 ] and the residents of nearby Chinatown lacked the political power to keep them out.
Lower Washington Street was already part of Boston's entertainment district with a number of movie theaters , bars, delicatessens, and restaurants that catered to night life.
