The financial engine of Boston—and indeed the whole region of New England—can be found in a skyscraper forest that takes up just a few dozen blocks between downtown and the waterfront. While many of the banks and companies that once made their headquarters in Boston have left for other cities, the area is still anchored by the office buildings of powerhouses Fidelity Investments and State Street Bank.

Most of the Financial District’s office towers were built during in the second half of the 20th century, and reflect an eclectic (a better word might be random) mix of styles, some beautiful and some, well, not so much. The area is worth a ramble just to take in the variety—especially the older buildings sprinkled into the mix.

The Richardson-Romanesque Flour & Grain Exchange Building at 177 Milk Street, for example, looks like the fanciful castle of a feudal lord, while the Batterymarch Building at 89 Broad Street employs 30 different colors of bricks in its art deco facade.

At the center of the Financial District is Post Office Square, an oasis of flowers and grass where businesspeople bring their bag lunches to enjoy a brief respite from the rat race.